Friday - Ecclesiastes 2 - Under the Sun or Unto the Son

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MAGINE for a minute that you and I could have the best of the best in entertainment, inebriating beverages, industrial success, architectural beauty, agriculture prosperity, power, organization, influence, animal husbandry, finance, music, influence and intelligence.  Would your life and mine really mean more if we had all of these things?  We may all covet certain of the items on this list, but do we really imagine that our existence would be more meaningful simply with more quantity of any one item (or any combination of several items) like this?  Of course, our lives are not comprised of such ingredients (Luke 12:15).

Notice that Solomon didn't say that he was miserable despite the abundance of things, which he had as distractions.  In fact, Ecclesiastes 2:10 indicates that Solomon found at least a significant measure of satisfaction in his accomplishments... at least while he was accomplishing them.  Yet, when he looked with objective wisdom at all that he had and at all that he had done, it all seemed (and truly was actually) so very hollow indeed (Ecclesiastes 2:11).

You may have caught on to the phrase "under the sun" already.  Solomon utilizes this designation over two dozen times in this book.  What is his point?  Well, in looking at things that are under the sun (as opposed to that which transcends time and space); and in judging this life based upon what we can see, smell, touch, hear and taste, (as we learned in chapter 1), life is awfully futile.  Which is, of course, exactly why we are instructed in Colossians 3:2 to set our affection on things above; to live with eternity's values in view.  So, let's live for the Son, not for that which is under the sun.