Chuck Larsen

Solomon had the advantage! His father, David, had fought and won all the wars for the establishment of the Kingdom. Solomon inherited a world at peace. He was able to amass huge wealth. He was able to accomplish great feats. He was able to dedicate all his time to pursuing knowledge and understanding. He was able to establish a worldwide influence over all nations. He was able to indulge every thirst, every hunger, and every lust without worldly consequences. He had it all! He tells us about that himself. We often think of the rich and the famous in our culture and say, “They have it all.” I don’t believe anyone today, including national leaders, had as much as Solomon had. No one today has the freedom, resources, and success Solomon had. In spite of it all, Solomon goes on to explain how all that he had left him with no ultimate satisfaction. Although he had everything, he couldn’t find what he wanted and needed most: meaning and purpose for his life. The book of Ecclesiastes is the record of his search for meaning.

Unlike Monty Python’s “The Meaning of Life,” where the conclusion is not revealed until the final scene, Solomon’s record begins with his conclusion. His conclusion is given in the second verse of the first chapter and repeated 38 times throughout the rest of the book. Ecclesiastes 1:2 says it’s all, “vanity of vanities…all is vanity.” The New International Version puts it this way; “Meaningless! Meaningless!” Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” The New English Translation (NET) says, “Futile! Futile! Absolutely futile! Everything is futile!” In Eugene Peterson’s translation, The Message, he says, “Smoke, nothing but smoke. There’s nothing to anything—it’s all smoke.” The Good News Bible translates that verse with this phrase: “It is useless; useless …Life is useless, all useless.”

But there is another phrase in Ecclesiastes 1:3. It uses the phrase “under the sun.” This phrase is repeated another 30 times in the rest of the book. One cannot help but put the phrases “all is vanity” and “under the sun” into the proper context. Verse 3 asks, “What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?” The form of the question is expecting a negative answer. It suggests that there is no gain. There is no profit in anything that man might do to occupy his time on earth. And, of course, there is no purpose in anything we might do in this world. It is, as Solomon repeatedly declares, totally meaningless: vanity of vanities! But there is another perspective that does bring meaning and purpose to life: God! Without Him, there’s nothing. With Him, there’s everything! Paul explains this truth to the Corinthians. In chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians, he writes about the resurrection of the dead. There is more to life than what meets the eye under the sun. He closes his argument in 1 Corinthians 15:58 (New Living Translation) by saying, “So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord; you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”

Benjamin Franklin is one of the most frequently quoted figures in American culture. I have even heard his quotes being mistakenly considered biblical quotations. He’s the one who said, “cleanliness is next to godliness.” It’s interesting to observe, however, that his most famous quotes have a profit motive. He was a great capitalist. He said, “Nothing but money is sweeter than honey.” He said, “Beware of small expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.” He said, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” Another subject he was an expert on was hard work. He said, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” He was a very successful businessman, politician, and inventor.

When you begin your journey through the book of Ecclesiastes, you find a man with similar interests. He refers to himself as the “preacher” or maybe “the teacher.” In Ecclesiastes 1:3, he puts the two principles of work and money together and says, “What does it profit a man for the hard work he does under the sun?” This question is repeated several times in the book, and the idea of getting something for your work comes up over a dozen times. The assumed answer each time is “nothing!” Man gets nothing for his hard work and labor under the sun. The conclusion is obvious all our efforts are meaningless and senseless. But again there is that short phrase “under the sun” we must not overlook.

The phrase “under the sun” has been translated in numerous ways. It’s a unique phrase found only in the book of Ecclesiastes. The United Bible Societies Handbook for translators gives several ways it might be translated but says, “However, the real meaning of the phrase can also be conveyed by the phrase ‘in this life.’” The conclusion is clear. Our perspective in this life is that there is no actual profit to be acquired in all our work. Yet, as the UBS handbook goes on to say, “Later on he will conclude that there is no lasting benefit here on earth, by which he may be suggesting that there is one beyond this life.” There is more to life than what meets the eye under the sun. After Paul discussed the validity of the resurrection of the dead, life above the sun, he closes his argument in 1 Corinthians 15:58 (New Living Translation), by saying, “So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord; you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.” Whereas the things done “under the sun” for personal gain or profit will have not lasting return, those done for the Lord will have an everlasting return.