The American Dream and the Christian life are at odds with one another. One says that a good job, an attractive spouse, a large home, and an easy retirement are the keys to happiness. The other calls for a life of humility, sacrifice, self-denial, and a pursuit of God for our joy. While this is true throughout Scripture, no book in the Bible demolishes the idea of “I need __________ to be happy” like Ecclesiastes.
We just want to be happy
We live in a culture drenched in modern idolatry and false gods. Consider all the ways we’re told we can find satisfaction and lasting happiness:
- Live in a big house with a nice “social status” car
- Travel the world
- Have kids
- Don’t have kids so you have time for fun
- Make lots of money
- Have a high intelligence
- Be attractive
- Excel in the bedroom
- Strive for achievement
- Leave behind a legacy
On and on we could go. Every one of us has that thing that we’re convinced will bring us lasting happiness if we can finally have it. We think things like “If only I weren’t held back, I might finally live the life I want and be truly satisfied.” Or “I’d finally be satisfied if my life looked like this.” We may even dress it up in Christianity with prayers like “God, I’d be able to serve you more if you’d do this for me.”
Whatever it is, the end goal is the same. We just want these things so we can be happy. After all, our culture (and our own hearts) tell us that’s the point of life.
The man who had it all
Ecclesiastes is the words of Solomon, the son of King David (of David and Goliath fame). When he was younger, Solomon asked God to give him the wisdom needed to rule Israel. God was pleased that he didn’t ask for anything as short-sighted as money or the death of his enemies, so He granted wisdom to Solomon along with wealth and honor (1 Kings 3:12-13). Solomon was a king on his own level, one who had never been seen or would be seen again.
He had the world. Solomon had the potential to live the life we’ve always wanted to live, completely unencumbered by obstacles to his happiness. And boy did he live that life. Everything we think we need to be happy and content in life, he had it.
After living the ultimate life of pleasure, we now have Ecclesiastes, a book famous for spending 12 chapters talking about how “vain” everything is. What could have happened to this man of wisdom who lived a life of wealth and power that we can only dream of that made him write a book that calls everything pointless? What happened to him is what happens to all of us – he got the desires of his heart and found them lacking.
Everything we desire is vanity
Ecclesiastes is famous for one word: vanity (though your translation may say a similar word like “futility”). Everything he talks about is vanity. This is often a confusing word, but it’s important to look at what he meant by the word, not how we understand it today. A better way to understand him saying “Everything is vanity!” is to say “Everything is mere breath!” or “Everything is like smoke!”
Whatever we acquire, whatever pleasures we finally attain, are gone as quickly as the breath that leaves our lips. Life is like smoke – we see it, but we can’t make total sense of it, nor can we take hold of it and control it. Life and its pleasures exist, but they’re temporary and often impossible to comprehend fully. Thus, life and its pleasures are vanity.
What are some vanities Solomon spent his life pursuing?
- Wisdom. He found that wisdom is better than foolishness, yet realized that the wise and foolish both end up in the ground.
- Pleasure. Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Let’s not mince words – Solomon had any type of woman he could possibly desire. Yet the acquiring of one just left him wanting more, probably thinking the next woman would bring him lasting happiness.
- Work and fame. Solomon spent his life building great things, yet what happens when he dies? Everything he created would just go to someone else. He concludes that work has value, but it can’t be our ultimate pursuit.
- Wealth. Straight from the man himself: “One who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor one who loves abundance with its income. This too is futility.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10).
Solomon sought these, and many other things, to fill the emptiness we all feel. Like us, his restless need to be satisfied drove him to acquire whatever he wanted, yet nothing lasted. He acted as our proxy, showing us that the lives we so desire will never be capable of satisfying us. He is our proof that lacking something in the world isn’t the true reason we’re miserable.
To pursue wealth, pleasure, prestige… these things are nothing compared to the one worthy of our desire. Finding satisfaction in things made by God, rather than God Himself, is in line with God’s enemies, not His children (Romans 1:25, James 4:4).
Why read the “Debbie Downer” book of the Bible?
The somber, nearly hopeless tone of Ecclesiastes makes people avoid it in favor of more cheerful passages. Yet if our goal is to put aside false gods in favor of the one true God, we need to see the gravity of our sins. We need to see ourselves and the world for what they truly are, not just in a flattering light that makes us feel better at the moment.
Ecclesiastes is an amazing gift to us because it speaks to us on a practical level. God knows the depths of our idol worship. He knows how easy it is for us to erect a golden statue in our hearts and turn to that for satisfaction. God allowed Solomon to live a life of excess for our benefit, to show us that even an impossible amount of wealth, success, women, and power isn’t enough to satisfy the deepest longings of our souls.
Of course the book isn’t just about his pursuit of pleasure. It’s filled to the brim with observations about things like greed, the nature of evil, and death. The book is a wonderful example of how we should see the world – as a gift from God to be enjoyed in its proper place. Our goal in life is not to pursue pleasure or make ourselves happy. It’s to serve our perfect creator in all we do and say.
“Having heard everything, I have reached this conclusion: Fear God and keep his commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
People are often surprised to hear that Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite books of the Bible. As someone who bought into everything the world says about pursuing happiness and following my heart, Ecclesiastes was a breath of fresh air for my selfish and materialistic heart. It helped me better understand the source of my sorrow and redirect my worship and source of satisfaction from good things that are good to the one who is ultimate. Anyone willing to ponder the wise words of King Solomon will find themselves weeping at their wickedness just as much as they will rejoice at the God who perfectly satisfies us.
Originally published 3-27-19
