Solomon, the author of the book of Ecclesiastes, states in verse seventeen from chapter one, “And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.” Solomon diligently provided so much time to exercise the wisdom that God placed in his life. The ability to use intelligence to gain success at the highest level. The intellect to rule the people as a king accordingly and the brilliance to expand his wealth. Solomon also discovered the ability to gain power and uniquely attract pleasure. In all of these desirable experiences, this way of life did not result in true happiness. If it did, would Solomon go and discover the madness and folly that he experienced after the inherited wisdom from God? The craziness and the nonsense mentioned by Him might be meddling with the other gods, the wives he married that sacrificed offerings to idols, doing evil things in the sight of God, and gaining other humanistic wisdom, philosophies, or ideas exercised as a king.
The Vexation of Spirit is living contrary to the way God intended by no longer keeping His Word, not following the commandments of God, and neither keeping the law. Feeding the external part of the body daily with the carnal things of the world only continues to broaden the gap spiritually between God and man. Spiritually, this approach irritates the internal part of the body because it is not getting any nourishment from the Word of God or anything that pertains to Him. Fulfillment on the inside is equally important as the outside. If not, more. Solomon realizes that we as humans cannot find purpose in life in or by ourselves, nor can people use their achievements to set things right what might appears wrong to them. The answer calls for something higher than human wisdom, philosophy, or ideas. That wisdom is from above.
Solomon experienced that the pursuit of pleasure and power consumed much of his time only to amplify the flesh while diminishing the inner man. He discovered this and could not cope well because the next verse indicates how he felt about it. “For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow(Ecclesiastes 1:18).