“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” You may have heard this quote from Thomas Edison to encourage you through life’s setbacks. In his pursuit of the light bulb and other inventions, this mindset helped him persevere. This can also be helpful as we consider non-scientific experiments such as hobbies, new recipes, or careers. 

King Solomon took this experimental approach to the meaning of life. After his opening poem, he begins with these words: 

I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. (Ecclesiastes 1:12-14) 

If we are honest, we might not be certain verses 13-14 belong in the Bible. They seem more like the words of an atheist who has lost all hope, not someone who claims to be a preacher. To understand what he means, we need to see this as the start of his experiment. He begins with observation and experience while God is minimized. With such a view, the conclusion is bleak. 

In his quest to discover the meaning of life, he acquires great wisdom and knowledge (1:16-17). He tests his heart with pleasure and joy apart from God (2:1-2), even to the extreme, and whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them” (2:10). He tried more work, only to be left wanting (2:18). 

All these experiments led to two key conclusions. One, joy and meaning is only found in living life as a gift from God. To help you see this pattern without reading the entire book, take some time to read 2:24-26, 3:12-13, 5:18-20, 8:15, and 9:7-10. The second conclusion is the end of the book: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man (12:13). 

Hopefully this brief overview of Ecclesiastes helps you understand King Solomon’s pessimism at the start. The book is full of wisdom and helps us understand the meaning of the life God has given us. Although we have more chapters to investigate and many questions to ponder, we can begin by reflecting on the questions below. 

What brings meaning to your life? 

What brings you joy? 

By Philip Jones 

Philip and his wife Stacy have been attending Immanuel since 2015. They are blessed to be raising four kids. His passion in ministry is to help others follow Jesus through teaching, preaching, and personal discipleship.