Joy in the face of frustration

Another thing that is wonderful about Ecclesiastes 2 is that it explicitly states that there is nothing in the world better than enjoying the fruits of your own labor. Eating things you’ve grown (as in Gen 3:17-19) in a home you’ve worked to pay to own with family that you support with your labor.

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Some folks have said that early Christianity was a proto-communism (perhaps the only working communism in history) because Jesus’ followers had nothing of their own and shared and collected their wealth in common and distributed it as needed (Acts 2:44f). But Ecclesiastes 2 is directly anti-communist, and this is reflected in the NT:

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Jesus on the road to Emmaus began in the beginning and expounded the scriptures, telling that all the scripture (including Ecclesiastes 2) is a story of Himself, Jesus as Messiah. Jesus’ followers could not have set up a form of church government based on the idea that wealth should be shared to the point that one cannot enjoy the work of his own hands. That enjoyment is a gift from God.

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(Also, there is the passage about muzzling the oxen when treading grain. Then again, there is the tradition of the tithe and the firstfruits – it was acceptable to give a mere 10% so long as you gave the first and best.)

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Ecclesiastes 2 says that work for the sake of accumulation of wealth is futile and frustrating, but that God gives us the ability to take joy in the work of our hands and to enjoy the fruits of our labors. In fact, it says there is nothing better in the world!