The Superlative Prospect of Joy in Toil

In the spirit of enjoying the process:

There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. v.24

Martha doesn’t begin to grasp the “good thing” here in Ecclesiastes 2:24-26. In fact, the prospect here isn’t just good, there is nothing better. The Preacher reveals the absolute best available under the sun, and it is superlative in that this is the best. There is nothing better. This is the genuine high life.

And note who this applies to: for a person. Here is a universal and timeless statement. Joy is not just for the king or for nobility. The possibility of happiness in work is not limited to a particular personality type or to a special class of society. The prospect of joy is no respecter of persons.

A number of things came to mind as I was marinating on this passage, most of them related to what the Preacher doesn’t say. Solomon omits almost everything we depend on for joy while embracing exactly what we would exclude.

First, the joy comes in TOIL. In other words, joy comes in the regular process of life, not in stepping out of our normal day-to-day responsibilities. To eat and drink…and work are fundamental things of life. So contentment and enjoyment come from the simple things we have and the simple things we do every day, especially in our labor.

I am fascinated that Solomon always connects joy with toil. He repeats the principle of pleasure in toil as a gift from God but he never explicitly says that having pleasurable things or entertainment is a gift. Work is good and good to enjoy, but weekends and toys and vacations and luxuries and retirement are never commended for providing satisfaction. Work, not getting out of work, is the setting for joy.

Second, joy doesn’t depend on what KIND of work you do. Solomon provides no qualifications about the type of toil that facilitates joy. Instead, a person is to see the good or find enjoyment in his toil. The implication is that there is nothing better for a person than to find enjoyment in his toil, whatever his toil may be. Therefore, the prospect of joy does not depend on a person’s occupation.

Is it possible to find joy scraping gum off a gym floor for three hours? Is it possible to find joy shoveling gravel from one pile to another? Is it possible to enjoy the rat race? The answer is YES!

Think about the diverse jobs held by Israelites hearing this message. Some worked as shepherds, farmers, construction workers (on the palace or temple or other Solomonic projects), palace servants, or military personnel, while most of the women were housewives. Each and every one of these understood long hours, lack of conveniences, demanding superiors, and heavy responsibility.

Add the fact that most of these families lived in one room houses with no escape or solitude. They had family obligations on top of work, namely the spiritual care of their children from Deuteronomy 6:4-7. They also fulfilled ministry/temple obligations as well with numerous inconveniences and sacrifices (literally).

All of that to say, these people knew what it was like to work. They understood responsibility and disappointment and struggle and exhaustion. And if they had the prospect of joy in toil, how much more do we? The hope of joy is “in toil,” not just “in the right kind of toil.”

Third, joy doesn’t depend on whether our work is SUCCESSFUL, or whether we FINISH it. Solomon completed many major architectural and agricultural projects that took years to complete in some cases. But his verdict on accomplishments was vanity. So joy is possible “in toil,” not just “after toil.”

Fourth, joy doesn’t depend on REMUNERATION. In other words, it has nothing to do with our paycheck or bank account or 403b. No one had greater income than Solomon. He had more money than he could possibly have used. But the money in and of itself was vanity; it was empty. Joy is “in toil,” not the “wages of toil.”

Fifth, joy doesn’t depend on RECOGNITION. Who had greater acclaim than Solomon for his creativity, ingenuity, and productivity? Who of us could receive greater honor than him? But joy does not come in a pat on the back or an “employee of the month” certificate. Joy is “in toil,” not “for your toil.”

We do an awful lot of complaining and rationalize our lack of joy because we’re busy or because we don’t like what we’re doing. It is almost like we think toil shouldn’t be toil. We believe we could really enjoy our toil if it just wasn’t as much work. But the passage doesn’t teach that getting out of toil or having easier toil is what makes life enjoyable. Solomon says that there is nothing better than to enjoy the process.

I haven’t mentioned it yet, but it is very interesting that Hebrew word for “toil” has the nuance of trouble. In fact, when the word is used of a person it is either translated “laborer” or “sufferer.” Context always helps to determine which is the more precise for any given verse, but the relationship is there. Work is hard. That’s why they call it work!

We live on a cursed planet. Because of Adam’s sin, God cursed the ground we work on purpose. And there is no reason to think that He is unable to curse our work and frustrate our plans because we aren’t farmers. But here’s the thing: there is the superlative prospect of joy in the process. Solomon says there is nothing better than to see the good or find the enjoyment in what you do!

I think we are so depressed and discouraged and burnt out because we are looking for joy in the wrong place. We think we’d have more joy if we just had a little more ( fill in the blank). If we just got a little more done. If we just got a little raise. If we just got to spend more time at home. We’re waiting for something else to happen before we can enjoy it. But we can’t depend on anything in the future except for what God has explicitly promised. We need to stop living in hope of a better lot in life and find enjoyment where we are now. We must stop looking for the good in what someone else is doing and find enjoyment in what God has us doing already.

Joy in work does not come from having the right job, the right employer, from making a lot of money, having the exact schedule we want, or from taking lots of vacation, etc. Joy comes from the hand of God, and we receive that through moment by moment submission to Him as we’ll see detailed in the rest of the paragraph.