A Sermon on Ecclesiastes 2
Where are joy, happiness, fulfillment, and contentment to be found? We see or hear
advertisements that promise to meet our needs and satisfy our longings. Go here, do this, buy
that. But can these marketers and merchants deliver the goods? Does anything quench our
thirst and calm our restlessness once and for all?
You and I might think so (or like to think so), but we often run up against our
limitations. None of us here is as wealthy as Bill Gates or as well-traveled as the National
Geographic photographers combined. Few of us are Renaissance individuals like Leonardo
Da Vinci, but what if we were? In our text, Qohelet (or the Teacher in many English Bibles)
goes on an extended journey. He explores all of life in search of enduring value and
satisfaction. Keep in mind that he has introduced himself as a king. Qohelet has the ability
and money to do this. His search is definitive, and no one could be more thorough (2:12).
Let us hear what he has to say and determine if it is the last word.
On this world tour, Qohelet samples all of the possibilities for ultimate meaning.
Maybe you can relate to some of these. If we can back up to 1:18, he goes to the university
and masters the liberal arts. Yet, Qohelet says that the pursuit of knowledge brings grief, not
fulfillment. The ivy covered walls and hallowed halls of our schools are not utopia. Too
often, they are bastions of debate, in-fighting, and maneuvering. New research is never
definitive; it only raises new questions. Today’s insights become tomorrow’s footnotes. The
life of the professional student can end in despair—too many theories. Who can keep up with
the scholarship? So does Qohelet advocate ignorance? No, he does not say that you should
drop out of school. He will argue that knowledge gives some advantage, but we are fools if
we pin our hopes on education. An impressive academic pedigree has limited value.
Qohelet also samples every form of pleasure and amusement. He explores the depths
of hedonism but keeps his head. He tries wine, women, and song but does not sink into
debauchery. He laughs at Jay Leno and David Letterman. He engages in cultural pursuits
like architecture and horticulture. He plays the stock market and amasses a fortune. We
would say that Qohelet has it all. Yet, he is not happy. He comes to the same conclusion as
Edwin Arlington Robinson’s “Richard Cory”:
Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him.
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean favored and imperially slim.
And he was always quietly arrayed,
And he was always human when he talked.
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
“Good morning,” and he glittered when he walked.
And he was rich—yes, richer than a king
And admirably schooled in every grace.
In fine, we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.
So on we worked and waited for the light
And went without the meat and cursed the bread.
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet through his head.
Sensual pleasures do not satisfy. Still, Qohelet does not recommend taking one’s life as
Richard Cory did. He does not oppose or avoid wealth and what it can provide. Rather, he
knows that life has too many variables. There is no guarantee that you find pleasure.
Still not satisfied, Qohelet makes his mark in the business world. He builds a
company from scratch. He plans, strategizes, sacrifices, travels, works late, and skips
vacations. He lies awake at night worrying about the next deal, and his entrepreneurial spirit
pays off. Yet Qohelet despairs in the midst of his unparalleled success. He will not live
forever, which makes him no better than a fool. Moreover, someone will inherit his business
and estate. That person could be a fool who squanders the fruits of his labor or that person
could be a corrupt government official who has the power to tax. Qohelet stands traditional
wisdom on its head. Proverbs puts a premium on hard work and patience. Qohelet will
admit that hard work may pay off in the short run, but he comes to the brutal realization that
death levels all accomplishments, and life’s vicissitudes can sweep away any return for one’s
labor.
So what is Qohelet’s advice in the face of widespread meaninglessness? Qohelet
recommends modest enjoyment of life’s pleasures. Verse 24 is the first of Qohelet’s oftrepeated refrain. He counsels us to seize the day and enjoy life’s simple rewards. There is
nothing grandiose here. Pleasure provides only temporary relief. Even so, Qohelet’s
recommendation carries no guarantees. Some people see evidence of divine grace and
blessing here. Not Qohelet; he considers a limited return meaningless. As he will say later,
God does not always give blessing. Life holds no guarantees. Randomness and chance affect
everyone.
Here is where Qohelet has to be read in light of the New Testament. Qohelet never
uses the covenant name for God, and he, though a king in Jerusalem, chooses not to access
revelation. He can only speak of toil under the sun. His epistemology does not allow him to
go beyond the sun. Qohelet is an empiricist. But God in Jesus has come from beyond the
sun into this fallen world. Jesus has experienced the vanity of this world’s empty promises.
He even underwent death—a humiliating, crushing, and unjust death—and yet death could
not maintain it hold over him. God raised Jesus from the dead—something that Qohelet
never considers—and the resurrection makes all the difference for you and me. In Jesus we
have a hope that outlasts our lifetime and sin’s curse. We have sure promises from God that
we will be raised from the dead. More than be raised, we shall reign with Christ in a new
creation. No more will a fallen world frustrate us and rob us of joy.
So what about all these worldly goods that Qohelet samples? Is asceticism the
alternative for the Christian? Not at all, for God created the world good. Creation may not
be a substitute for a reconciled relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Qohelet’s
pleasures cannot chase away all uncertainty, frustration, and pain. Rather, they are gifts to be
enjoyed and for which to give thanks. Moreover, education, careers, wealth, and recreation
provide opportunities to minister. We Christians should use God’s blessings to bless others.
What we do for our own selfish agenda can leave us feeling empty, but what is done
for the glory of Christ yields a lasting return. We could say that life’s meaning does not
reside in receiving God’s blessing but in using our blessings and opportunities for the
enrichment of others. All that we have comes from God. He redeems our labor that is done
in his name. Consider how you can use God’s blessings for the advancement of Christ’s
kingdom. There is no surer investment. As a byproduct, you will discover joy and
contentment.