Today we conclude Solomon’s hunt for happiness through self indulgence, at this point he has drowned himself in every vice out there…wine, women, wealth….all to no avail. Today he even tries to attain satisfaction through accomplishments, surely after we do something great at the labors of our own hands, won’t that bring fulfillment…that’s what Solomon thinks.
Ecc 2:10 Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors.
Ecc 2:11 But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.
So after being the greatest King Israel had ever known, and outdoing everyone who came before him, Solomon is still left with a void.
We see this parallel with massive builders of our own age. Major real estate developers are never happy with building one sky scraper or one hotel, they have to have more, man’s greed is never satisfied as we see with Solomon, it is like chasing the wind, a pointless endeavor!