Solomon Hated Life
Eccl. 2:12-23
Introduction
Is life worth living? Worldly pleasures cannot bring lasting happiness. All things that are in this world,
the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life can only bring brief and temporary
happiness. If the smartest, richest, and most powerful man did not get real happiness, how can we?
What’s the use of being wise, rich, and famous if you are going to die also? A gentle reminder to all
of you. Real joy, peace, hope, satisfaction and beyond what we can think of and imagine can only be
found in Christ
I. Thinking about wisdom, madness, and folly.
A. He concluded that wisdom is better than folly
1. Just as light is better than darkness
2. The wise walks circumspectly; he plans ahead, looks and anticipates the
dangers, and do precautionary measures to avoid it.
3. The fool walks carelessly and would not even care for the dangers that lies
ahead. No plans just relying on chance.
4. It was like a comparison between a good man and a bad man, a law-abiding
citizen and a criminal, a spiritual man and a natural man.
5. The fool here does not necessarily mean a mentally dull man but one who is
morally bankrupt, one who refuses to fear, know and obey God.
6. The wise may face lots of opposition and challenges but still he prevails.
7. But as we have seen, wisdom, worldly wisdom is vanity so what’s the use of
being smart or wiser than the rest?
Illustration: Narrow Vision
In the year 1870 the Methodists in Indiana were having their annual conference. At one point, the
president of the college where they were meeting said, “I think we live in a very exciting age.” The
presiding bishop said, “What do you see?” The college president responded, “I believe we are
coming into a time of great inventions. I believe, for example, that men will fly through the air like
birds.” The Bishop said, “This is heresy! The Bible says that flight is reserved for the angels. We will
have no such talk here.” After the conference, the bishop, whose name was Wright, went home to
his two small sons, Wilbur and Orville. And you know what they did to their father’s vision
Illustrations Unlimited.
II. Death ends it all
A. Death happens to everyone
1. The wise and the fool will experience sufferings, disappointments, and death.
2. The rich and the poor, the old, the young, the strong, and the weak dies.
3. Wisdom cannot secure immortality, a solid truth which no one refute. We all
die.
4. The wise and the fool are both forgotten when they die.
5. In some instances, a wise man may be remembered (Ps. 112:6)
6. Solomon sees no advantage in seeking happiness in worldly wisdom. It is vanity
and just like chasing the wind.
Illustration: How World Religious View Death
“Once you’re dead, you’re done for.” There is no existence after death. —Atheism; Communism.
There is a return trip. At death the soul enters a new body for a return trip. The process is called
reincarnation. —Hinduism; Some Buddhism
Everybody will be OK. All will go to heaven. —Universalism; Modernism
Some will be OK. Others will be annihilated, with no consciousness, as if they were permanently
asleep. —Jehovah’s Witnesses; Christadelphians
Those who do not go to heaven will have another chance after death to make the right decision, to
alter their destiny. —Mormonism
There will be a sort of semi-hell after death (called “purgatory”) that will burn out personal
wickedness, until some are ready to enter heaven. —Roman Catholicism; some Spiritualism
Judgment for all. The “saved” go to heaven on the basis that Jesus Christ was punished for their sins
on the Cross, and that during their lives they turned from sin to receive His forgiveness. The “lost”
are judged according to their sins and punished in hell. —The Holy Bible
Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times
Illustration 2: Apostle Paul And Today’s Malta
The diminutive island of Malta is celebrating the 1900th anniversary of the landing of the Apostle
Paul. Among Maltee it is a matter of intense pride that about A.D. 60 the apostle found refuge on
the island when a Rome-bound ship in which he was travelling as prisoner wrecked in fierce winter
storms. (See Acts 28.)
Even today, half of Malta’s men and boys seemingly are named Paul, the National Geographic
Society says. Church after church bears his name. So, does a nearby islet said to be the actual place
where the Roman ship, with Paul aboard, ran aground.
Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times.
III. Looking at his wealth and accomplishments (Eccl. 2:17-23)
A. He came to hate all his that he has accomplished and accumulated
1. He can only enjoy the fruits of his labour for a short time
2. He will leave it to others and know not whether the one who will inherit it will
be wise or foolish.
3. We expect Solomon to have plenty of children having 700 wives and 300
concubines but the Bible records that he has only one son whose name was
Rehoboam. 1 Ki 12:1-19.
4. Rehoboam turned out to be a fool.
5. The Bible also tells us that he has daughters who were married to his own
officers. 1 Kings 4:11, 15.
B. He came to despair of all his labor “under the sun”. (Eccl. 2:20-23)
1. For a man with wisdom, knowledge and skill must leave his properties to one
who has not labored for it.
2. Solomon thinks this also is a vanity and a great evil
3. In the end, what does he have for all his efforts?
a. Sorrowful days, restless nights
b. Grievous work, leading to vanity
IV. Conclusion:
Solomon hated life but he doesn’t want to die. There are other Bible characters also who
wanted to die like Job, Moses, Elijah, and Jonah but they changed their mind. We
Christians should love life and must do everything to glorify God in the short time we
have here on earth. Will you give your life to Christ, to serve and glorify Him?
