Knowledge Isn’t Everything Ecc. 1:12-18; 2:1-26Nothing on Earth lasts or endures or completely satisfies the human heart. There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus. People become addicted because they are searching for something to fill the hole in their hearts. The wisest man who ever lived performed the same search, and he recorded what he discovered: nothing on earth—absolutely nothing—can fill the void. In the end, everything is meaningless. The only thing—the only One—who can give true and lasting satisfaction, fulfillment, and meaning to life is God. God created life; therefore, He is the only One who really knows what life should be and how it should be lived
Human achievements fail to fully satisfy the human heart (1:12-15).Wisdom fails to fully satisfy the human heart (1:16-18).Pleasure fails to fully satisfy the human heart (2:1-3).Earthly pursuits fail to fully satisfy the human heart (2:4-11).Wisdom and indulgence fail to fully satisfy the human heart (2:12-17).Hard work and wealth fail to fully satisfy the human heart (2:18-23).The conclusion: Trust God (2:24-26). Even mature believers can get caught up in the trap of materialism, working and living for the next pay raise, promotion, or purchase. We want to be recognized and rewarded for our efforts and achievements, and nothing is wrong with that. But all the while, we need to keep God’s face before us, asking ourselves if God is truly at the center of our lives. If we are not sensing deep satisfaction, fulfillment, and joy, perhaps we have taken our eyes off of God and are living for ourselves.