Again, we're looking at the Book of Ecclesiastes, which was written by Solomon in the most prosperous time in Israel’s history, when that nation was at the pinnacle of its wealth and power. Sound familiar? Idolatry was the worship of false gods in Solomon’s day, which is the same today—only our false gods are material things and status.
So, if acquiring things or pleasure are not the chief good, what about acquiring wisdom? Is that the chief good? No, because the Preacher discovered that, while there was relative value of wisdom, it passes as well—“it is all vanity” (2:14, 19, 21).
During his sermon, the Preacher (a believer) is taking on the guise of a secular person (under the sun)—a phrase used 30 times in the Book. “Under the Sun” is used to describe life here on earth. The Preacher’s motive is to lead the reader along, demonstrating the futility of life under the sun.
A pivotal section in our quest of discovering the chief good appears in Chapter 3. In verse 11, the Scripture says that God has also “set eternity into the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” That is to say, we humans cannot figure out what life is all about on our own. The Preacher admits in the end that life doesn’t make sense outside of God—and will never fully make sense (in this world, anyway), because we are not God. For those who continue to live “under the sun”, the Preacher has a simple message: “You will surely fail to find what satisfies” (6:1-2).
Is the chief good our labor or work? Many people put most of, if not all their stock into their jobs and careers—especially those in “prestigious” roles, such as corporate executives, lawyers and doctors, even ministers! The Preacher tells us that we are entitled to enjoy what we do, as long as we realize that our labor and earnings are also a gift from God (5:18-19). Those verses helped me a great deal as a Christian in the corporate world. That God wants me to savor the fruit of my labor, as long as I remember that it is His gift. I remember a line in the movie, “Chariots of Fire”, the story of Olympic runner Eric Liddell. As a Christian, he was questioned on how he justified being a humble servant of God as well as being a fierce competitor. Aren’t those two things diametrically opposed to one another? His response was perfect, for he explained that it was God who made him fast and when he runs, he feels His pleasure. That should be the attitude of every Christian!
What about righteousness or morality—is that the chief good? “Do not be overly righteous” (7:16) is not saying don’t be too holy; rather, the Preacher is warning about pseudo-religiosity and “showy” forms of worship—the same things that Jesus warned the Pharisees of His day about (Matt 6:5, 16).
We’ve discussed both sides of life—the promise of pleasures so alluring that some people devote their entire lives to their pursuit; and the haunting realization that those pleasures ultimately do not satisfy.
So what is chief good? Here’s a hint, the quickest way to answer the question is to turn to the end of the Book of Ecclesiastes: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is a man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (12:13-14). The Preacher’s intent was that we should learn from his mistakes. One who had it all—materially, intellectually, spiritually—that when he sought the chief good, God was at its core.
One caveat: If we call the chief good something that we do, then who gets the glory? We need to acknowledge that what makes it the chief good in the first place is not the deed itself, but the fact that it is the result being obedient to the Lord. Everything flows from that.
