Solomon, the son of David, has written a few books that are in our Bible. The most well-known is the book Proverbs. However, he also wrote Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. These books contain great wisdom. In this Bible study, I want to think about vanity and purpose.
"All is vanity, saith the preacher"
Do you know the background of Solomon? He is the son of King David. When he became king of Israel, God gave him the chance to choose anything he wanted and it would be given to him. Solomon chose a wise heart to be able to be a good king. So God made him wise. Wiser than any man had ever been or will be. Along with that, God gave him wealth. So Solomon was wealthier than you and I can imagine. You think that Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg is rich? Their wealth is nothing compared to Solomon’s.
Ecclesiastes chapter 1:
1 The words of the Preacher, the Son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he takes under the sun?
People often want to learn from those who are successful in life. Those who earn a lot of money. How often do you think such a wealthy man would say: “all is vanity”? Solomon however, learned that wealth doesn’t make a man happy. Let us hear what he says.
Ecclesiastes chapter 1:
12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of the spirit.
That is surprising, right? This man is the wealthiest and wisest man on earth but he can’t be content with it? Surely with all his wisdom he could put the money to good use and help a lot of people with it. Surely, he could buy whatever made him happy. Somehow, it did not make Solomon a happy man. Why?
Ecclesiastes chapter 1:
16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly, I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
I don’t understand this. All my life people are telling me to push harder. To learn harder at school, to take that extra job and to start doing new things. And here is the wisest man on earth telling me that it is all for NOTHING. What am I doing wrong then? Is there no way to feel content? Is there no purpose in life?
The answer is given at the very end of this book. Every chapter of the books contains the reasoning of the wise king. Every single time he finds that all is vanity. Money is vanity. Power is vanity. Even wisdom is vanity. For the rich die like the poor. In the end of this book, the preacher summarizes and concludes his study.
Ecclesiastes chapter 12:
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
This is a clear message. For all his wisdom, Solomon has the gift to deliver his wisdom in simple words. This is a simple truth: we need to fear God and keep His commandments. Apart from that, it doesn’t matter whether you earn a lot of money or not. God does not care about your curriculum vitae or your GPA. When you die, you face God. He will ask you who you served in your life. He will speak out his judgment. If you do not know Jesus Christ than you will be judged guilty. That is the hard truth.
On earth, you can buy a certain form of happiness. It won’t last. Let our conclusion be that we should not search for earthly riches but strive to become rich in Jesus Christ. Why would you spend your time on video games and social media and all kinds of stuff that doesn’t benefit you? Why would you put all your time into getting a 4.0 GPA when you can’t take it with you in the grave? I am from the Netherlands, where we have a Dutch saying that goes like this: “Your final clothing won’t have pockets”. The meaning of this is simple. You can’t take anything with you when you die. No money, no success, no fame. All there is to save you is the love of Jesus Christ. Won’t that be enough for you?
Please share the bible verse about purpose that means the most to you!
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