In the second chapter of Ecclesiastes, Solomon provides more detail in his search for the meaning of life…He first seeks pleasure. Some of the pleasures he sought were wrong, and some were worthy. He took on huge building projects, bought more slaves and servants, acquired great singers, and collected more concubines for his harem.
“Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless-like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.” Ecclesiastes 2: 10-11
You’ll find that Solomon uses the phrase, “like chasing the wind,” in every attempt he makes to search for the meaning of life, until he realizes that without God as your foundation, all the other “stuff” you’re living for is meaningless and insignificant. Think about what is meaningful to you-where you spend your time, energy, and money. Will you look back one day and decide that you too, were “chasing the wind?” Next, Solomon compares wisdom with foolishness…
“For the wise can see where they are going, but fools walk in the dark. Yet I saw that the wise and the foolish share the same fate. Both will die. So I said to myself, ‘Since I will end up the same as the fool, what’s the value of all my wisdom? This is all so meaningless!” Ecclesiastes 2: 14-15
From an earthly perspective, death seems like the final destination for us all, but we know that we who accept Jesus as Lord, will live eternally.
Next, Solomon talks about work; he shows us that working hard only for money and possessions will bear no lasting fruit. When we die, everything will be left behind, but it may be left to those who have done nothing to deserve it. They may lose everything we’ve worked so hard to get.
“This, too, is meaningless, a great tragedy. So what do people get in this life for all their hard work and anxiety? Their days of labor are filled with pain and grief; even at night their minds cannot rest. It is all meaningless!” Ecclesiastes 2: 21-23
At the end of the chapter, Solomon realizes that our pleasure, wisdom, and the ability to work are all things that come from God. Those who really know how to enjoy life are the ones who take everyday as a gift from God, thanking Him and serving Him in it.