This book is entirely different. It is the experience of a man who is very wise and then decides that he will experiment with everything on the earth. The words he uses are “under the sun” and he uses it about 28 times in this book. He wants to find out if anything will make him happy. The writer is King Solomon and he lacks nothing to be able to find the answer. So he tries. Sometimes he gets near the truth but at other times he is far from it (Eccl. 3:18-22; 7:16-1718I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts. 19For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. 20All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. 21Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? 22Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him? (Ecclesiastes 3:18‑22)
16Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? 17Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time? (Ecclesiastes 7:16‑17)). But divine teaching is in the last two verses of the book. They give the answer to the searchings in Eccl. 1:1313And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. (Ecclesiastes 1:13) and 2:3. Pleasure, being “good,” learning lots, riches and on and on, cannot bring happiness. Why? Because evil is only in this world. Remember that Solomon didn’t know about the Lord Jesus. He was searching for satisfaction down here, but we have found joy and peace in a heavenly Man. It is important to realize also, that the more a person tries to find happiness down here, the more unhappy he becomes.
V.1 In this book “God” is used because it is man’s experience on earth before God, without knowing Him as Lord.
V.4-11 Work, work, work, never ending, never satisfied, so goes all creation on earth. Genesis 3:17-1917And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. (Genesis 3:17‑19) tell us why this is so.
V.12-18 Something to think about, for any who would go after “much wisdom and knowledge” about everything on earth. The man who had more learning than any other man on earth — except Christ, of course — tells us in verse 14 what he discovered.