Ecclesiastes 1:12-13 (ESV)
I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with.
Imagine the ability to explore whatever you wanted to explore, to be able to explore, with no restraint. This is why Solomon is writing this book. He wants to explore and investigate what the world is made about. He is writing without taking anyone one’s opinion. He is going to find out what the world holds at his own leisure and learning method. Before we read more, or think more, we need to go to the end of the book to find out what he discovered. This is a spoiler alert. Note what his conclusion is after spending all the money in the world, all the time in the world and all the power in the world to explore this:
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (ESV)
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
It is important to start at the end of the book when looking for meaning about the content of the book. Solomon had more money than anyone in the world. He had more power than anyone. He was able to do what he wanted, when he wanted and how he wanted. That ability brought him to the above conclusion. He didn’t deny himself anything. His conclusion is that God is the center of it all. But he is about to write to us what he found in this pursuit. We will be shocked at what he concludes. But the lens to read his travels is these last two verses. Very few people on the planet have the money, time, power and influence to do what Solomon did. God is allowing this so that we can learn from him. The thing to learn is that this world has nothing to give to us except realizing God is the sole satisfier of mankind’s pursuits.
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