Ecclesiastes Two Cont... There is only one fountain of living waters!

10    And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.

“And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them...” Following whatsoever the eyes desire, this is the recipe for disaster. It is no wonder this man was a backslider; he had no restraint.  “ ...I withheld not my heart from any joy...” Solomon has taken on the nature of a spoiled child; he must have it all. Unfortunately, he has all the money to do whatever his heart desired and he has all the power. It is no wonder he becomes a depressed man; his lack of restraint would have brought him in great bondage. He is a cesspool of sinful activities! Solomon wasted his life on excess and extravagance instead of seeking the Lord and walking in His commands. This is a sure fire way to come into bondage.

“...for my heart rejoiced in all my labour...” His “great works” of verses four to verse eight had become his idol to him and he found his pleasure in them and rejoiced in all his labors... However, these idols could never truly satisfy and in the end led Solomon into despair. Idols can bring temporary joy, temporary satisfaction but they are as Jeremiah stated in Jeremiah 2:13 are “leaky cisterns” in which the water will eventually leak out. Their ability to satisfy is short lived before one is left empty and dry. Unfortunately, we never read in this book that Solomon rejoiced in the Lord his fountain of living water.

11    Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

Then there came a certain day when Solomon, who had engaged in many busy activities to “build great works”, looked over all the works of his hands and instead of immense joy and satisfaction he began to despise it all and he fell into despair (because he forsook the Lord who is fountain of real joy). The reason for both joy and despair rarely has anything to do with external things but is more of a reflection of the condition of inner man (See Luke 12:15-21 “So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God”). Solomon was left in despair because these great works were broken cisterns (See note on previous verse) they were not what he was called to, they were the busy plans of his own selfish ambition. Solomon was called to seek the Lord and to establish righteousness and peace in the land. There are many today making the same tragic mistakes as Solomon, building great works after their egos instead of doing what the Lord has called them to do and sadly they too, like Solomon, will find it empty and dry.