Ecclesiastes Part 4 - The Man Who Had It All....

Eternity Online: John Edmiston (Editor)

Eternity-Inspiration for 3rd October 1997
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(Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 NIV) I thought in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good." But that also proved to be meaningless. {2} "Laughter," I said, "is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?" .......

{4} I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. {5} I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.... {8} I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well--the delights of the heart of man. ..... {10} I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure.

My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. {11} Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.
Materialistic hedonism is the predominant philosophy of the Western world. Life consists of "having". Having money, having pleasure, having sex, having possessions, having power and having success. This philosophy is bankrupt. Those who are "successful" and who "have it all" often testify to feeling empty. They seek out gurus, take drugs and frequently take their own lives. Many are alcoholics. When I was young I moved in wealthy circles and saw the lives of people who "had it all". I concluded, with the brutal logic of the young, that they lived meaningless lives and I determined not to be like them. My ascetic and naive reaction was really no better, poverty has no advantages either. Meaning is only found in Christ.

Solomon's experiment was destructive. His projects involved heavy taxation and huge amounts of slave labour. He alienated the nation from the Davidic dynasty and introduced idolatry to the land in the form of temples for his many wives. His pursuit of pleasure in the end led to a divided kingdom. If Solomon had managed to be content with one wife and one God Israel would have remained whole. The pursuit of pleasure is not just futile it is dangerous. We ruin everything around us as we crave for more and more. As Solomon ruined Israel so we ruin our families, neighbourhoods, environments and nations.

Learning to be content, learning to appreciate more and more deeply what we do have is the secret to stopping the madness. When husbands really learn to love and appreciate their wives they won't need mistresses. When people can appreciate the computer they have they won't waste money and resources on "the latest". When people can appreciate what is just around the corner they won't have to travel the world for one more pleasure for a jaded palate. Contentment would stabilise the West. We have whole industries of advertising and media to keep us discontent and to tantalise our lusts. We need to resist their pull.

How do we become content? Contentment comes from two foundational beliefs: 1. That we are loved just as we are. Thus we do not need x,y, or z in order to be loved or lovable.
2. That life is going to turn out well because God will make it turn out well. Thus we do not need x or y or z to ensure life will be happy or good.


The two truths listed above are keys for knocking the wind out of materialism in our lives.Is life meaningless wthout Nike Air shoes and Bolle sunglasses? Do you have to have a Pentium to be a valid human being? NO! These are lies that ruin our happiness. No thing makes us loved or valid. No thing makes life turn out the way it should. God does that. Having is not the answer. Poverty is not the answer either. Jesus is the answer and the fundamental gospel truths are the key to a truly abundant life.

I will finish with a quote from Luke:
(Luke 12:15 NKJV) And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."

Prayer:
Lord forgive us, for like Israel in the wilderness we unknowingly malign your goodness every time we are not content. Our desire to accumulate more and more is insane and unbelieving. Yet we are addicted to it Lord, we have grown up with it and the way out seems so long and so risky. Give us a vision of the Kingdom and the heavenly city that lasts. Help us to grasp that we are loved and that You are working out our lives for good. Help us to trust. O Lord be merciful! O Lord help us as we wobble towards saintliness! Lord grant us the insight and the strength we need to put this world's cravings behind and to feel truly happy and content. Amen.

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John Edmiston ([email protected])
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