“The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.” v.1. We learn from this that the author of this book could be no other than king Solomon, and he takes a title not met with elsewhere outside this book, namely, “the Preacher.” Ecclesiastes gives us the words of the wisest man that ever lived, inspired by the Spirit of God, to furnish man with a true estimate of what life on earth for a child of fallen Adam really is. King Solomon had been divinely fitted as no other had for this task, “For he was wiser than all men,” 1 Kings 4:3131For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about. (1 Kings 4:31), and possessed wealth more than any monarch the world has ever witnessed. All that wealth could purchase, all that power could command was his; and all that wisdom could search out he could enjoy and understand. There was no pleasure or source of knowledge kept from him. He had drunk deeply of earth’s pleasures that men seek after, but at the same time he had applied himself diligently in investigating the wonderful works of God and had learned those laws by which the life and the order of the universe are regulated. Nor was it mere genius found in the world’s wisest man, but God had given him wisdom, riches, wealth and honor such as none of the kings that had been before him, neither shall any after him have the like (2 Chron. 1:1212Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honor, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like. (2 Chronicles 1:12)). “What can the man do that cometh after the king?” Chap. 2:12. Solomon has, with the help of the Spirit of God, depicted faithfully what life on earth of fallen man is and only can be. However, there has been One, the Son of God, and He alone, who has trodden this earth as man and has fully displayed what man ought to be.
Looking over things on earth as they come before him, and viewing people in the pursuit of happiness, he sums it all up in this brief conclusion: “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.” These were not the words of one who had been disappointed in his quest, rather they are the words of the most prosperous man, humanly speaking, the world has ever seen.
He then goes into details of those things he pursued and which brought him to this conclusion. “What profit hath a man of all his labor which he taketh under the sun?” Here is a man diligently engaged and toiling away at his work, but then death comes in between him and the fruits of his work he hopes to enjoy. “One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth forever.” The earth abides, but man passeth away. There is a certain round of things both in the heavens and on earth. “The sun also ariseth,... and hasteth to his place where he arose.” The wind blows in one direction and then turns to the opposite direction; “it whirleth about continually” and “returneth again according to his circuits.” “All the rivers run into the sea; and yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they come again.” It is a busy scene. No abiding rest is to be found. Nothing can satisfy the heart of man; “the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.” The child of God, however, has found in Christ One, the only One, who fully satisfies. “He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” Psa. 107:99For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. (Psalm 107:9).
ML 11/12/1961