King Solomon searched for the meaning of life. He tried to find meaning and satisfaction in pleasure. He cheered himself with the best wine, and kept a harem with 300 concubines. He undertook great building projects, amassed silver and gold, acquired singers and collected art works. He denied himself nothing his eyes desired . And yet he could not find meaning and satisfaction in any of them. Morever, Solomon saw that there was really no justice in the world: the evil ones prosper while the righteous suffer. Everything is meaningless because soon or later everyone dies. Death makes life absurd. Life is full of pain and grief. But Solomon notes that there are moments of joy and comfort. We can find some joy when we recognize that everything we have is God’s gift and learn to enjoy the simple things in life: eating, drinking, and seeing the fruits of our labor. We can also find some comfort in companionship (two are better than one). But they are more like diversions from harsh realities of life. The ultimate meaning cannot be found under the Sun. We have to look above the sun to find true meaning. Solomon directs our gaze to the creator of the universe who will judge the nations on the last day. For Solomon, ultimate meaning is found in living our lives in preparation for the day of God’s judgment. For us Christians, life has purpose and meaning because Christ defeated death, the very thing that made life meaningless and absurd. Death has been swallowed up by the life of Christ. Ultimate meaning is found in our eternal relationship with the Son of God and living life according to His will. In Christ, everything is meaningful.
