Ecclesiastes 2

Bible Passage:  Ecclesiastes 2

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done
And on the labor in which I had toiled;
And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun.

~ Eccl 2:11

If we were to read this chapter again, you will find find that the words “I”, “me”, and “myself” appear more than 4o times in just the first half of the chapter alone!  This says a lot about the lifestyle that King Solomon was pursuing.  He was totally focused and absorbed on gratification and glorification of himself.

Now this self-centred outlook may not be as strange as it seems.

In fact, the world today is often just as self-absorbed and self-centred.  Many people are using their skills and talents to attain a lifestyle that is built around their own comforts and convenience.  The needs of others hardly mater to them.  That is why we see so many campaigns run by the Singapore government and society trying to promote consideration and care for each other.

But Ecclesiastes shows us that this approach to the “I” living is ultimately empty and futile.  It passes away and is “vanity and grasping for wind. (Eccl 2:11)

Is there a better way?  Yes, the book goes on to say that real value in life can be found in fearing God (Eccl 12:13) and honouring Him in the simple basic things of life such as work and family (Eccl 2:24; 3:22; 5:18-19; 8:15).

This is something that we should constantly evaluate ourselves and ask:  in the midst of all our pursuits, whose life is enhance by what we are about?  If the answer is “me” and “me” alone, then perhaps we are already on the perilous road of self-indulgence.

May the words of the ultimate Preacher guide us in our lives.