當享樂不能再滿足他的心靈，他便大興土木，建造各類偉大的工程。記住，所羅門在位達四十年之久，因此，他有足夠時間去完成各類大小建設。請再讀第4至6節，試想像他把耶路撒冷及其近郊，建造得如何美侖美奐！他擁有龐大的財富。列王紀上五至十章記載他的財富多不勝數。所羅門王用了13年建造他的皇宮，又用了七年建造聖殿。

無論從世俗的任何標準來衡量，所羅門都堪稱成就非凡；然而，這超凡的成就卻未能讓他感到全然滿足。他嘗試一切，卻一無所獲。他盡享一切榮華富貴，為別國王公貴胄羡慕妒忌，卻得不到心靈的滿足。正如今天我們稱為「成功人士」的一些人，他們擁有私人飛機和遊艇，但他們的內心只有他們自己最清楚。

基督的話正好道出一個簡單的真理，在講完無知財主的比喻後，祂說：「人的生命不在乎家道豐富。」（路十二15）有一本英文意譯本聖經將這句話翻譯為：「真正的生命，並非以我們擁有多少來衡量。」（NLRB）唯有在基督裡，我們才找到真正的生命。

何不為我們藉著耶穌基督得到完全的滿足感謝神？我們是否應求神保守我們的心，不要只追求物質的滿足。也許，我們今天要把馬太福音六章33節再讀一次。

Day 11

SEEKING SATISFACTION IN PLEASURE

Ecclesiastes 2: 1-11

1 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity.

2 I said of laughter—“Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”

3 I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.

4 I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards.

5 I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.

6 I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove.

7 I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me.

8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds.

9 So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.

10 Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them.
I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure,
For my heart rejoiced in all my labor;
And this was my reward from all my labor.

11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done
And on the labor in which I had toiled;
And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun.

Message

Solomon’s next experiment was to give himself over completely to whatever pleasure his brilliant mind could think of or his own desires could suggest. Today we would say he became a member of the jet set. He would have been perfectly at home and well accepted in every type of entertainment the world can think of today.

When that failed to satisfy the emptiness of his heart, Solomon turned to the erection of great buildings. Remember Solomon reigned for 40 years so there was time for him to do all this. Read verses 4-6 again and try to imagine what a magnificent city he must have made of Jerusalem and its suburbs. He had enormous wealth. The record of all this in 1 Kings 5-10 is almost incredible. Solomon took 13 years to build his own palace. Seven years were spent in building the temple.

Solomon was successful by every worldly standard, yet complete satisfaction escaped him. He tried everything and enjoyed nothing. He was the envy of all the kings and nobles of the world because of his enormous possessions and the pleasures he could have, but his heart was unsatisfied. Men today would call him a success with his own private jet and yacht, but in his heart he himself would know better.

The simple truth is summed up in Christ’s own words spoken immediately before He told the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:15, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” The NLRB paraphrases these words, “Real life is not measured by how much we own.” True life is found in Christ alone.

Why not thank God today that you have found the real source of satisfaction in Jesus Christ? Do we need to pray also that God will keep us from setting our hearts only on material things? Matthew 6:33 might be a good verse to read again today.