Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
Desires of the Eyes and Pleasures of the Heart
1 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?” 3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly —my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.
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. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 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. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.
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.
Imagine if you had the wherewithal to get anything you desired...King Solomon being a King and having great wisdom got many things he desired...He refused his eyes of no desire...He refused his heart no pleasure...And he took delight in all his work...Almost anything he wanted he either got or took as the King of Israel...King Solomon was a wise and wealthy man...Any desire that came to his mind he was able and willing to satisfy...He was accomplished in fulfilling his personal desires...He denied himself of nothing that his eyes desired in his life...But then, after many years, he realized that his many, many desires and wants that he had satisfied, that he had gained nothing under the sun (from these desires and pleasures)...These desires and these were quick and temporary -and seemed to vanish, as he wanted other desires and pleasures to be fulfilled...So his fulfilled pleasures had past and now were gone -new ones had arisen...And if another new desire would come into his mind, he would just satisfy that particular desire again and again...But after awhile and reflecting on desires and pleasures, he saw the meaningless in being able to satisfy each and every desire he had...He said he was now chasing in the wind, nothing had been gained under the sun...
When we satisfy one or more of our desires and live only for the desire of the moment -we can feel empty...It is like most pleasures and desires of the flesh have a shelf life...When you get something you want, or get something you think you have always wanted, you have this fleeting moment of pleasure...Then that pleasure leaves you...The pleasure is gone, as you wait for the next one to come up in a thought...That desire you wanted so much to fulfill, has been just that -it has been fulfilled...Now what?...And now that old desire and the pleasure of the desire is gone...King Solomon did a lot in his life, and studied what he had worked at and achieved...After all his toil, the King seems to feel a bit lost as we read Ecclesiastes...He seems to feel a bit out of touch with reality of the things around him...The King, as you read the Book of Ecclesiastes, seems saddened and lamenting to the meaningless of life or maybe the meaningless of his life...Even when you can afford and get anything and everything you want in life -we still ask, is that all there is?...What is next?...Satisfying moment to moment desires does not get us fulfilled...Satisfying each of our desires do not make us happy...Mere pleasures and satisfying pleasures and desires do not give meaning to life...
Deep down the soul is what needs to be satisfied...The soul can only be satisfied, in being reunited with its Creator...The very wise King has figured out apart without God, life is meaningless...