In 1956, by an act of Congress our national motto became “In God We Trust.” It has adorned all our money since that time, and in some instances even before (back in the Civil War days). But regardless of what our money “says,” the ultimate reality of our trust is seen in our behavior…the things upon which we build our lives. In the final analysis, that foundation has to provide us with purpose and meaning. Consequently, whatever it is will shape our present moments as well as our destiny.
Solomon knew something about all of this. Having followed his father to the throne as king of Israel, he watched and heard David declare that “in Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name” before the nation (Psalm 33.21). Acknowledged in Scripture as “the wisest man who ever lived” (1 Kings 4.31), Solomon nevertheless had to come to a place where he personally professed his allegiance in God, not because his father did, but because he knew it was right. The book of Ecclesiastes tells of that personal, existential journey. As “the Teacher” for Israel he shares the lessons of his journey, a journey littered with many wrong turns and mistakes along the way. One commentator even calls the message of Ecclesiastes “the art of staying off dead-end streets.”
Where did Solomon “journey” to try and find meaning in life? In what was he willing to place his trust and allegiance in hopes of discovering a purpose for living?
He looked for knowledge to provide the answers in life (1.17). He sought out a cognitive form of mental gratification that helped him grow and increase the accumulation of wisdom. He experienced and applied what he learned. But he came to realize it was an unending battle to master information that was multiplying too fast to grasp. On the one hand, knowledge adds to arrogance (“I’m better than others”); on the other hand, it adds to frustration (“I can never know it all”). As a result, it was unsatisfying; Solomon’s word is “vanity,” emptiness, meaninglessness. It was like trying to catch the wind!
He looked to pleasure to bring meaning in life (2.10, 1, 11). 1 Kings 11.3 actually tells us how this was manifest in his life: he had 300 wives and 700 female concubines. In his own words, he says he denied himself nothing his eyes or heart desired; he sought to provide for himself a form of physical and emotional gratification. John later on helped us realize that the source of temptations come to us through the lust of the eyes, the pride of life and the lust of the flesh (1 John 2.16); Solomon apparently succumbed to all of these temptations in another vain attempt to find meaning and purpose in life. He discovered two things: first, this desire for pleasure is insatiable and second, that this too was an empty foundation upon which to build the stability of life.
He looked to “success” to provide meaning in life (2.4-6, 8-9, 11). This took the form of work, projects, etc., supposedly for the benefit of others (but in reality to boost his own ego and self-importance…he uses the words “for myself” five times in this section). This led to the accumulation of wealth as a source of meaning, and when that didn’t satisfy, he tried the authority of power, but this too left him empty. He fell prey to “the myth of more.” All of these things that so many of us long for, and feel like if we only had “this,” it would make everything alright…well, Solomon found them all to be just as meaningless and unsatisfying as knowledge and pleasure had been.
But Solomon made a great discovery! The source and foundation of meaning and purpose in life is God! (2.24-26) He came to realize that only God can provide meaning in life, only He can be the foundation upon which to build a life worth living. Why chase after the by-products (happiness, peace, etc.) that will be here today and gone tomorrow, instead of chasing after the source of it all, God? He alone can provide contentment and enjoyment in life. He alone can give the wisdom and happiness we need and so eagerly desire. In this discovery, Solomon had come “full circle” from what his father had taught him long before: in God we trust. He came to own this truth for himself personally, for only God can provide you and me with the satisfaction and fulfillment that we seek in life.
For many of us, we’ve been on that journey and come to realize the very same truth. Some are still seeking. I pray that if you are searching, you will consider the wisdom and experiences of Solomon and look to God as the source of your life, too. Jesus said, “I have come that YOU might have life–life in all its fullest.” Why not discover the reality of this truth for yourself? You’ll be eternally grateful that you did.
