Under the Sun

“I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.” Ecclesiastes 1:14 King Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived (I Kings 3:12).

God used him to write the book of Ecclesiastes. The title of the book means “The Preacher,” and Solomon refers to himself in this way in the book. He explores the meaning of life and gives some rather dogmatic opinions regarding his observations and experiences. In the verse above, he asserts that he has seen everything “under the sun.” In other words, “I have experienced all that mankind can experience; therefore, I have a clear understanding of how things are and what makes them the way they are.” His words possess a singular confidence in his ability to analyze the human condition and give commentary that everyone should be required to take into consideration. Some of what Solomon had experienced was a result of poor choices that he had made. He violated the requirements for the kings of Israel set forth by Moses in Deuteronomy 17:14-20 on several counts. By his own admission in Ecclesiastes 2, he had lived completely for himself and had not withheld anything from himself that he wanted. After living this way for many years, his conclusion was that everything under the sun was vanity. Nothing was fulfilling. Nothing he tried had made him happy. It seems that God wanted us to know that He gave more wisdom to Solomon than He would ever give to any human being so that we could understand that living for ourselves can never truly satisfy.