Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 - "The Vanity of Our Own Works"

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

"I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:  I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts. So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.  Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun."

Ecclesiastes chapter two sets before us the Spirit-given testimony of a man who had everything this world could offer and yet found nothing in it that could give lasting peace. The preacher declares the vanity of all confidence in the works of our hands. This is not the observation of an uninformed man, but of one whom God placed in a position of unparalleled authority, wisdom, and prosperity. Solomon speaks as one who tried it all and was taught of the LORD through it all.

When Solomon says, "I said in my heart" (v.1), he opens before us the inward pursuit of satisfaction. This is not merely outward behavior, but heart work. Pleasure, laughter, wine, great works, houses, vineyards, gardens, servants, possessions, silver and gold, music, and honor—nothing was withheld. Yet the repeated conclusion is that all was vanity. The Spirit teaches us here that man’s natural heart is restless and unsatisfied, always seeking, never filled.

This pursuit of satisfaction is common to all men. From youth, the desire is to reach a place where pleasure will finally quiet the conscience and bring peace of mind. But Solomon testifies that even laughter is madness and mirth empty. Whatever relief it gives is momentary. When the laughter fades, the weight returns heavier than before. Apart from Christ, there is no peace for the soul, only distraction.

Solomon’s greatness is emphasized repeatedly. He surpassed all who had come before him in Jerusalem. His wisdom remained with him, and yet even that wisdom could not extract profit from his labor under the sun. Wisdom without Christ does not save. Knowledge without Grace does not deliver. The Spirit preserves this testimony for our good, that we might agree with God rather than repeat the same pursuit.

There is a sharp contrast in this passage between Solomon’s labor and Christ’s labor. Solomon says that his heart rejoiced in all his labor, yet the end of it was vanity. Christ, however, rejoiced in His labor in a far greater sense. Scripture declares that Christ endured the cross for the joy set before Him, and that joy was not uncertain or potential. It was sure. “Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

The world presents a 'jesus' who labors but may not receive the fruit of His labor. By way of contrast, Scripture presents a Sovereign King Who receives all that the Father has purposed for Him. Solomon withheld nothing from his eyes, yet found no profit. Christ desired nothing but the will of His Father and fulfilled it perfectly. “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8). Solomon gathered riches and honor, but Christ received a people. Scripture declares, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me” (John 6:37). Not one is lost. Not one slips from His sure Hand (John 10:28,29). This is the difference between the vanity of human effort and the certainty of God's immutable eternal purpose.

When Solomon concludes that all was vanity and vexation of spirit, he teaches us that fulfillment under the sun is impossible. The phrase "under the sun" marks life lived without Christ. But when God is pleased to reveal Christ, there is a dividing line. What was once pursued is now seen for what it is—empty and powerless to save. The apostle Paul confirms this truth when he writes, “For if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain” (Galatians 2:21). God has ordained the failure of human effort so that Christ alone would be exalted. No flesh shall glory in His Presence.

Solomon’s experiences with pleasure, works, riches, and wisdom ends where all fleshly pursuits must end—“behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.” The fleshly, depraved heart may promise itself satisfaction apart from God, yet every earthly joy proves empty when weighed against eternity. Ecclesiastes 2 reminds us that true rest and lasting joy are not found in what the hands can build or the senses can enjoy, but only in the fear of the LORD and in that portion which He alone gives to His elect in Christ. All else passes away, but what is of God endures. True Peace, Joy, and Contentment are not found in what man builds, earns, or accumulates. They are found only in Christ and His finished work. Solomon’s testimony stands as a mercy to God’s people, that they might be delivered from trusting in vanity and brought to rest in the One Whose labor was never vain.