The Frustration of Experience and Experiments

King Solomon has discovered that every surface upon which life can be enjoyed, every nook and cranny in which one might search for some new hidden gem of fulfillment, and any luxurious amenity life might have to offer for a man’s short stay on this planet – all of it! – is covered with a thick, dusty layer of frustration. At first glance, experiences with wisdom and knowledge seem like they should enhance one’s gain in life. But the cloud of frustration inevitably ‘puffs’ from even the cushiest of life’s experiences, causing any experience that could have been enjoyable to instead be uncomfortably disturbing. So, Solomon turns from his experience with wisdom, to experiments with pleasure, possessions, and people. Neither experience with wisdom nor experiments with the greatest things life has to offer can give Solomon’s soul the luxury of rest he longs for. Why is this? Why is all of it ‘vanity and a striving after wind’ for him? This passage, under the umbrella of Ecclesiastes’ message, helps us understand some answers to that question.

Main Idea: Frustration in life must remind us that our business is not of this world.

Jared Millican

Former college pastor at Faith, Jared and his family are currently preparing to move to the Czech Republic and work as global outreach partners in 2024. He and his wife, Claire, have three children.

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