Can’t Get No Satisfaction! (Ecclesiastes 6:1-12)

1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men— 2 a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner enjoys them. This is vanity and a severe affliction. 3 If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper burial, then I say, “Better the miscarriage than he, 4 for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity. 5 It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; it is better off than he. 6 Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice and does not enjoy good things—do not all go to one place?” 7 All a man’s labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied. 8 For what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have, knowing how to walk before the living? 9 What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and a striving after wind. 10 Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is. 11 For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man? 12 For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few years of his futile life? He will spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?

Until God opens the eyes of man to see the truth, it is impossible to be satsified.

Today we will notice another affliction upon mankind. Solomon investigates: what are the things that you pursue to bring satisfaction in your heart?

1. Wealth and Honor.
   • Solomon notices an evil (Ecclesiastes 6:1), a cruel irony, prevalent in the world, that although a man has been given wealth and honor by God, God does not couple that gift with the ability to enjoy what he had (Ecclesiastes 6:2).
   • We begin to think: if this is true, what kind of unfair twist is this?
   • Not only does God not give the ability to enjoy wealth, but a further irony; a stranger will eat from his riches. Not family and friends, but a stranger (Ecclesiastes 6:2).
2. Family
   • Solomon then does something else: maybe having a bigger family and more children will bring satisfaction! (Ecclesiastes 6:3) But he finds that a person can be blessed with abundant offspring and long life and yet be absolutely miserable.
   • He's just like a stillborn baby, who enters the world devoid of lie, never sees the sun, but dies without knowing the pain of having everything but not being able to enjoy any of it (Ecclesiastes 6:4-5).
3. A Long Life
   • He then looks toward a long life (Ecclesiastes 6:6) but concludes that the end of everything is death anyways, so what is the point?
   • Without the joy that comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ, it is better to miscarry than to have lived at all.
4. Work
   • Its never enough, and it never satsifies (Ecclesiastes 6:7)
   • Its an endless cycle. I go to work to pay the bills to eat fruit so I can work to pay the bills to eat fruit.
5. Education and Wisdom
   • Its all futile. What's the point? (Ecclesiastes 6:8)

Remember though, that in Ecclesiastes 2:24-26, this is all reevaluated in light of God. God is the one who gives the ability to enjoy what they have. Who is sovereign? God is!

 Solomon cannot find anything that will fill his heart without bringing God into the equation. He cannot find anything without sticking his head above the clouds and asking God for help!
 
Solomon continues in Chapter 6 ... Mankind must then face the barebones realities:

1. God is sovereign. In fact, man is unable to change what God has ordained (Ecclesiastes 6:10).
2. Mankind is not sovereign! Yet in his humanity, he tries to fight against the creator (Ecclesiastes 6:10). But he will fail...God is stronger than you!

Man cannot get what he wants when he wants it...because of the fundamental truth that man is dependent on God in all things spiritual and all things temporal.

So why do we think we can quarrel with God and win? This accomplishes nothing! (Ecclesiastes 6:11).
 
Man lacks the ability to alter the character of life under the sun. Man cannot predict the future. Apart from God, his life is futile.(Ecclesiastese 6:12)

Man cannot get any satisfaction apart from God! God is in control, you are not! He made the world, you didn't. He has control over sickness and death, you don't. Even satisfaction and joy, he has the power to give it, you don't.

So if you ever find satisfaction in this life, it will not be by fighting with him, but it will be by <i>submitting</i> to him. And when you know Christ and begin to know the mind of Christ, you will begin to get satisfaction. Why? Because he will show you why you are here, where you are going, a bright hope and future beyond the grave.

And in this, you will receive a joy and satisfaction in knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. And you will find satisfaction not in the things of the world, but in your relationship with Christ. And it will be a glowing relationship in which the glow of the world will grow dim in the light of his grace.

So Solomon has done us a favor and saved us time to figure all this out for ourselves. After all has been investigated, the conclusion is "Fear God and keep his commandments!"
 
 It also means that when we get our satisfaction rattled, we have to respond the right way..."Blessed is the name of the Lord!" God has allowed it, both adversity and blessing, and remember that everything he does in your life (if you're a believer) is to for your good, and to bring you into conformity with the character of Jesus Christ.