Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also [was] vanity. I said of laughter—”Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?” 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. I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all [kinds] of fruit trees in them. I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. 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. 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. So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 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. 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.
There is no profit under the sun. We get a deeper understanding of the scripture above when we look at what Jesus said.
Matthew 16:24-27 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
Solomon with all his wealth and wisdom could not find the eternal solution to overcome the power of death and a release for those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Praise God that we read in Hebrews that through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we have that and much much more!
Hebrews 2:14-15 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
To top it all off, our Lord and redeemer tells us that He will teach us to profit and lead us in the way we should go.
Isaiah 48:17 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: ” I [am] the LORD your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.
Knowing the waywardness of my soul, this comforts me.
Because He guides me, because I follow Jesus, I’ll be blessed when I come in, and blessed when I go out.
Deuteronomy 28:6 “Blessed [shall] you [be] when you come in, and blessed [shall] you [be] when you go out.