Tantalizing but Unrewarding...
“I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure . . . All was vanity and grasping for the wind.” – Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 . +++ In Greek mythology, King Tantalus offended the gods and was punished in the underworld. He was placed in a lake in water up to his chin, but whenever he attempted to satisfy his burning thirst the water receded. Over his burning thirst the water receded. Over his head were branches laden with choice fruit, but when he tried to satisfy his hunger they eluded his grasping hands. Tantalus, therefore, became the symbol of utter frustration. Even today his name is remembered in the English word Tantalize. +++ Outside of a relationship with God, many things in life are tantalizing but unrewarding. The author of Ecclesiastes pursued happiness through knowledge, pleasure, riches, and work. Nothing satisfied the hunger in his soul. So he wrote, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” (1:2). It was only when he focused on knowing and pleasing God ( 12:13-14 ) this he foun...