What kind of pleasure do you seek in order to gratify your desires? Pleasure is defined as “enjoyment, delight, amusement, or happiness.” Too often, we seek happiness apart from God. Solomon sought pleasure from wine, women, and song: “I thought in my heart, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what […]
Solomon Pursued Pleasure for the Sake of Gratification (Ecclesiastes 2:1)
Solomon Pursued Money for the Sake of Security (Ecclesiastes 5:10; 7:12)
Where do you turn for security? Is it a person, a place, or a thing? Security connotes “safety, refuge, or a sanctuary.” Oftentimes, we seek security from money. Solomon was wealthier than any other king on the planet (see 1 Kings 10:23). “The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents” (1 […]
Solomon Pursued Military Might for the Sake of Control (Ecclesiastes 4:13-16; 8:2-10)
Do you ever abuse control? When given more responsibility, do you exercise more and more authority over those around you? Control means “to roll against.” When seeking control, we roll our will against others. Pursuing the development of his own mighty hand, Solomon experienced control issues. Israel’s king ruled over God’s people (see 1 Kings […]
Solomon Pursued Possessions for the Sake of Significance (Ecclesiastes 2:4-8a, 11)
Have you ever pursued the accumulation of possessions for significance? Significance includes the word, “sign.” In essence, significance says, “Hey, look at me.” Sometimes, we think possessions will bring us the attention and meaning we seek. No one has attempted this at the level of Solomon. The King of Israel constructed the temple in seven […]