Gaining

DEVOTION

ECCLESIASTES

GAINING

Eccl 2:1-11

2:1 I thought in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good." But that also proved to be meaningless. 2 "Laughter," I said, "is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?" 3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly — my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. 4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well — the delights of the heart of man. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. 11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.

NIV

Because Solomon was the king of Israel and also because the Lord had promised him that because Solomon asked for a discerning heart, or wisdom he could be a good leader, God said he would also make him the richest man ever to live. Most of us could not afford all the pleasures is this world Solomon surrounded himself with. He tried all the pleasures of humanity to see if they were worthwhile and found them to be meaningless. Then he turned his attention to see if accomplishments were what made life meaningful. All the projects he did far exceeds anything we could do as individuals, however as a community, or society we may have built bigger and better things than Solomon could ever imagine. We have built great cities and fields of vineyard that stretch across the landscape. We have gardens all over the world, and acres and acres of fruit trees for commerce, just think how much orange juice is available to us. We have built great dams, not only to make great lakes or reservoirs, but to produce power for our homes and factories. Our country used to buy slaves by the boatload, but that has now become unlawful, which is a good thing. However, there still is something of slavery. We have what has become an epidemic of human trafficking, which is still unlawful. But in the way of lawful slavery, we have developed large corporations who employ thousands and thousands of people. But what the real slavery is, that to sin. As a great society we have done it all, everything Solomon did and more. We have lived just the same. We have not denied ourselves the pleasure of our eyes. Whatever we see, we want it and there are many who would do anything to have all they see. Whatever the desires of our heart are, we pursue until we have that desire. We are so pleased with our selves in our work, in our labor. It has become our identity. What fame and future can we achieve? How much of a name for ourselves can we make? All mankind has done under the umbrella of humanity is useless, meaningless, because it is all about mankind. Unless we are expressing the character of God in our lives, it is a wasted life, which only comes to an end. What is meaningful is living with the presence of God, living within his community, his kingdom, then life has no end. Life is not about how much we can do and have, but about knowing the Lord. Then, as the Apostle Paul tells us, we can learn to be content in whatever situation in life we find ourselves. All that Solomon was trying to do, was based in discontentment, always wanting more. It always wants something to gain. It seems mankind in general is always discontent, always driving to improve itself, never satisfied. Mankind actually sees that as a good thing, but it is meaningless unless God is in the center of life. Let us shed ourselves of discontentment, of the desires, lusting after more and more. Let us live in the contentment of knowing the Lord directs our path, and he has us right where he wants us, for his purpose. Then we will have gained something worthwhile.