Ecclesiastes 2:24-26
" There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God. For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him? For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind."
Solomon is on a mission. Like an astronaut, headed to the moon, he is going to see what life is like there, for the rest of us. But Solomon's moon is life. God has equipped him with the resources he needs to experience life to the absolute fullest. Nothing is held back from him. No man, to this point or from that point after, has had the fullness of these resources when you consider he not only had what was here in life in abundance, but God had given it to him in extreme wisdom. He was FULLY equipped. There are men and women today who attempt to experience life to the fullest who have SOME resources. But, Solomon had Godly wisdom, PLUS. Solomon is not just SOME guy who has money who can afford to buy or have whatever he wants. He is a guy filled with God's Wisdom and has the World at his disposal. This is why we need to listen to him, as an agent and spokesmen for God. In the above passage we see one of the many conclusions the Solomon draws out for us, on this exceptional journey, that we should heed. After looking at life's enjoyment and work, Solomon comes to the conclusion that God is the only one who can "add" enjoyment to life. His point is that life (enjoyment, food, drink and work) can ONLY be enjoyed if God gives with those things joy. Those who attempt to DO LIFE without God will do so but have nothing they hoped in the end. BUT, the key here, is that NOTHING in life can really give joy and fulfillment. The same fate happens to both, in that work, play and the accumulation of things ends the same for those with God and those without God - when we look at those things. During life God will give us joy and peace with our play and our work. But, in the end, play and work end up the same. God is still there for those who trust in Him. But, Solomon, in this passage, is measuring the sum of work and play, not salvation. Solomon is writing to tell us that absent salvation, ALL work and play ends the same. Salvation in Christ is the only long-lasting aspect of life. We don't accumulate on this earth and then, because we believe in God, get to take any of that with us. We don't' achieve success in business and get to have that warrant anything. Only our faith in Christ matters. Christ told us the same in the Gospels when He spoke of the rich man and Lazarus. These two men lived separate lives and still found themselves dead and with nothing. But, Lazarus had faith toward God and the rich men faith to wealth and family. Both died!! Only faith made a difference in the end. Faith pleases God (Hebrews 11:6). Flesh fails God (Ecclesiastes 2:24-26).
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