Ecclesiastes 2:12-26 "Life is not Fair" (May 3rd, 2026)

Devotional

Day 1: Cross Over the Unequal Gap

Solomon watched wise investors lose fortunes while fools stumbled into wealth. He saw diligent workers die beside drunk drivers. The same sun rose on both the faithful and the reckless. His hands clenched at the absurdity. "The same event happens to both," he wrote. Death swallows all resumes. Even window inventors fade into oblivion. [07:47]

Jesus faced the ultimate injustice: perfection crucified for rebels. The cross exposes our craving for fairness—we want mercy for ourselves but justice for others. Yet God gives undeserved grace to all who trust Christ, flattening human hierarchies at Calvary.

You tally life’s inequalities like overdue bills. But what if every "unfair" moment points you to the One who absorbed cosmic injustice? Stop keeping score today. Where does your demand for fairness drown out gratitude for mercy?

“I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted.”
(Ecclesiastes 2:14-16, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to replace your ledger of grievances with awe for His cross-leveling grace.
Challenge: Write three “unfair” situations you’ve faced this week. Pray over each one: “Thank You for bearing this.”

Day 2: Fists Full of Smoke

Solomon built empires only to imagine fools inheriting them. He pictured Rehoboam squandering gold-paved streets, dismantling wise policies. Nightmares of wasted labor stole his sleep. “I hated all my toil,” he groaned, watching sand slip through aged fingers. [14:21]

God designed work to be worship, not a monument to our legacy. Jesus spent thirty hidden years crafting tables before three years redeeming souls. Both mattered. Control is an illusion; stewardship is the assignment.

You clutch promotions, portfolios, or parenting milestones like lifelines. What if you held them open-palmed? Name one project, relationship, or goal you’ve white-knuckled. Will you entrust it to the Architect who never wastes a brick?

“I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool?”
(Ecclesiastes 2:18-21, ESV)

Prayer: Confess three areas where you’ve demanded control. Release each with: “Your will, not mine.”
Challenge: Delegate one task today without micromanaging how it’s done.

Day 3: Sparrows and Stock Markets

Jesus pointed to birds pecking sidewalk crumbs. “Your Father feeds them,” He said, watching disciples calculate their shrinking coin purses. A lily’s one-day bloom outshone Solomon’s robes. Anxiety shrinks our gaze to spreadsheets and storm clouds. [10:26]

God numbers hairs and tracks falling sparrows. His care is granular. When we fixate on futures we can’t control, we miss manna in our hands. Jesus redirects our eyes from hypotheticals to today’s bread.

You refresh news feeds and bank apps, bracing for collapse. But what if today’s worries are tomorrow’s kindling? Step outside. Find one bird, one flower. How might their existence preach to your panic?

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.”
(Matthew 6:25-27, ESV)

Prayer: Thank God for three specific provisions from the past 24 hours.
Challenge: Take a 10-minute walk. Count every bird or blossom as a love note from God.

Day 4: Broiled Fish Eternity

Solomon finally tasted his food. Not just swallowed between ledger lines, but savored. He chewed figs, felt juice drip down his beard, and laughed. “Enjoyment is from God’s hand,” he realized. Even death’s shadow couldn’t sour the honeycomb. [19:39]

Jesus grilled fish for grieving disciples. Resurrection life smelled of charcoal and sea salt. Eternal joy invades ordinary moments—a child’s laugh, warm bread, a shared sunset. These aren’t distractions from spiritual work; they’re foretastes of the feast.

You rush through meals, scroll through playtimes, and multitask moments meant for marveling. What holy ordinary have you been too busy or bitter to bless? When will you let a belly laugh baptize your worries?

“There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?”
(Ecclesiastes 2:24-25, ESV)

Prayer: Thank God for one mundane gift (coffee, a pillow, a sidewalk crack). Praise Him for its design.
Challenge: Share a meal with someone today. Describe each flavor aloud as God’s gift.

Day 5: Open Windows, Open Hands

Robert Hook’s forgotten windows still frame sunrises. Solomon’s heirs lost kingdoms, but Christ’s kingdom outlives dynasties. Jesus left heaven’s throne to die nameless on a cross—yet billions now know His name. Legacy lies not in memory banks but in the Lamb’s Book. [27:43]

We hoard like squirrels storing acorns in graves. But open hands receive daily bread and distribute eternal hope. The tighter we grip, the less we trust. True freedom comes when we fall backward into the Father’s arms.

What inheritance are you straining to control—your reputation, children’s choices, retirement funds? What if you nailed that deed to the cross and whispered, “Yours”?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
(Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV)

Prayer: Pray over your hands: “Open these today, Lord. Take what You will, give what You choose.”
Challenge: Write “I trust You” on a sticky note. Place it where you’ll see it hourly.

Sermon Summary

Solomon wrestles with the plain fact that life feels unjust. He observes systems that favor some and forget others, and notes how the wise and the foolish often share the same fate. That irony drives him to despair as he sees that hard work, wisdom, and wealth offer no guaranteed protection from loss, death, or oblivion. The relentless perception of unfairness makes him hate life and robs him of joy even when blessing sits within reach.

Yet the text pivots from despair to a sober counsel to enjoy simple gifts. Eating, drinking, and finding satisfaction in daily toil emerge as goods given by God. Joy and contentment become possible only when people recognize these gifts as coming from God rather than from personal merit. Gratitude, then, functions as an antidote to bitterness and a corrective to the illusion that human striving secures ultimate meaning.

The teaching places anxiety about tomorrow under the same scrutiny. Worry cannot extend life or guarantee outcomes. Instead, the call centers on trusting God’s providence for daily needs and resisting the urge to control what cannot be controlled. Letting go of ownership and the illusion of control frees people to live and to bless others with what they have.

This framework leads to the climactic claim that the greatest injustice can point to the deepest mercy. An innocent life suffered unjustly and died on behalf of sinful people, yet that very suffering becomes the means of unjust favor: the righteous life and death of Christ grants righteousness to the undeserving. Mercy rather than retributive justice becomes the decisive hope. Faith in that mercy reframes toil and inequity so that endurance, trust, and gratitude produce present joy and a lasting hope that transcends the unfair patterns of this age. The necessary practices are trust in God and the discipline of letting go, allowing daily blessings to be enjoyed without confusing them for owed rewards.

Key Takeaways

1. Life often feels plainly unfair Solomon highlights the shock of seeing wisdom and folly share the same ends. That recognition exposes the limits of merit as a source of meaning and unmasks the human craving for control. Naming life’s unfairness prevents false expectations and clears the way for a faith that depends on God rather than on deserved outcomes. [00:21]
2. Wisdom does not guarantee outcomes The same events befall the wise and the foolish, so prudent choices carry no absolute promise of reward. Wisdom remains valuable for navigating life, but it cannot manufacture ultimate justice. A mature faith learns to steward wisdom without idolizing its results. [04:50]
3. Do not let tomorrow steal today Anxiety about future needs cannot add an hour to life and robs present enjoyment. Trust in God’s provision for daily needs frees the heart from speculative fear and cultivates gratitude for today’s gifts. Practicing dependence on God diminishes the tyranny of what-if thinking. [10:26]
4. The greatest injustice reveals grace The unjust suffering of an innocent one becomes the vehicle of mercy for sinners, showing that retributive justice would consume those who deserve it. Receiving undeserved righteousness reframes life’s inequities: endurance under injustice participates in a larger story of mercy. Faith rests not on deservedness but on freely given grace. [21:20]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:21] - Life feels plainly unfair
[03:11] - Solomon surveys wisdom and folly
[04:50] - The irony of equal outcomes
[10:26] - Jesus on worry and provision
[19:39] - Enjoying daily gifts from God
[21:20] - The cross as injustice and mercy
[24:55] - Trusting God and letting go
[28:09] - Practical steps for daily joy

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Ecclesiastes 2:12-17 (ESV)
Matthew 6:25-34 (ESV)

Observation Questions

In Ecclesiastes 2:12-17, what specific observations does Solomon make about the outcomes of wisdom and folly? How does this lead him to "hate life"?
Jesus says in Matthew 6:27, "Which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?" What practical examples of anxiety does the sermon connect to this verse? [09:19]
How does Solomon’s frustration with losing control over his legacy (Ecclesiastes 2:18-21) mirror common human struggles today? [14:21]
What contrast does the sermon draw between the "greatest injustice" (Christ’s crucifixion) and the mercy it offers? [21:20]

Interpretation Questions

Why might Solomon’s focus on the "same fate" for the wise and foolish (Ecclesiastes 2:14) lead to despair instead of humility? How does this reflect a misunderstanding of God’s purpose for wisdom?
Jesus compares humans to birds and lilies in Matthew 6:26-28. How does this imagery challenge our instinct to equate control with security?
The sermon claims that "letting go" paradoxically brings freedom. How does Solomon’s inability to release control over his legacy (Ecclesiastes 2:18-21) illustrate this principle? [27:43]
Why is gratitude called an "antidote to bitterness" in the sermon? How does recognizing daily blessings as gifts from God reframe our response to life’s unfairness? [19:39]

Application Questions

When has anxiety about tomorrow (e.g., finances, relationships, health) robbed you of joy in today’s blessings? What practical step could you take this week to "seek first the kingdom" (Matthew 6:33) in that area? [10:26]
Solomon’s despair stemmed from expecting life to reward his wisdom and effort. Where have you felt similarly disappointed when outcomes didn’t match your expectations? How might trusting God’s grace—not your merit—change your perspective?
The sermon suggests praying before meals as a way to cultivate gratitude. What other daily routines could become opportunities to acknowledge God’s provision? [20:04]
The cross shows mercy triumphing over "deserved" justice. Is there a situation where you’re clinging to a desire for fairness (for yourself or others) that God might be calling you to release? How could mercy reshape your response? [23:11]
What is one area where you’re tempted to control outcomes (e.g., parenting, career, ministry) instead of trusting God’s providence? What would "letting go" look like in practice? [28:09]

Sermon Clips

43s

#JusticeOrMercy

“Feels like there's built in injustice in this life. But do we really want justice, or do we want mercy? Because these are two very radically different concepts. Getting justice means getting what we deserve, and that's what we deserve for breaking God's holy law. God has called us to be holy as he is holy, and we have not been. Our just punishment would be eternal death, suffering, what Jesus would call weeping and gnashing of teeth, having no remembrance whatsoever. None of us have lived that complete obedient life. None of us can say that we deserve justice as if it would be a good thing.”

44s

#NotTransactionalFaith

“You see, Christianity is not that all the good people go to heaven, all the bad people go to hell. Christianity is not, well, be wise, make smart choices, you'll be accepted. Use your money well now, and you'll be rewarded in heaven. Rather, Christianity is for those like us who've been disappointed by this broken world, who are broken in and of ourselves. Maybe you squandered your resources. Maybe you've made foolish choices. The key is to know that you need rescue. Christianity is also for the wise and the wealthy. Yes. Who before turning to Christ have used their wisdom and their wealth just for gain.”

46s

#GraceNotDeserved

“Solomon was miserable because he believed he deserved better because how he lived, right? We often feel that way too. We gotta remember what we truly deserve. Punishment for our sin and in spite of that though, we receive grace from Jesus through faith in him. We will always be disappointed in life if we expect our good deeds to be rewarded right now and later. Isn't that why Solomon's so upset? He was so angry because he was so wise and wealthy and realized that he might not get brownie points for that. That might not count. It's a transition that we all must make between this transactional religion to Christianity, ity, faith in Jesus.”

54s

#TrustAndLetGo

“You see, when we don't trust god, we get frustrated when things don't work out how we want them to. But paradoxically, when we do trust in god, then we look to him and how he is gonna unfold the future for us. Paradoxically, we are more free the more we let go and trust god than try to hold on to everything we have. Everyone who has placed their trust in Jesus, not for their not just for their salvation, but for every aspect of life proves that his life in this world toiling for righteousness was not an act of vanity. So, friends, let's take this week learning how to apply this truth to us and how we can find enjoyment in life's little blessings that God has given us, and how we can trust God and his purposes and letting go of the control that, friends, we never had.”

Ask a question about this sermon

Redeemer Church This sermon · AI assistant

Why does injustice affect image bearers so deeply

How can faith turn despair into daily joy

How should believers respond to life's inequity