Ecclesiastes 4:16

"There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him, for this too is vanity and striving after wind."

"the ones who will come later will not be happy with him" -What. contrast! "In one short breath one reads of the multitude thronging to his side, singing his praises and leading him to believe that he is indeed their redeemer. In the same short verse, however, the scene has changed completely and we picture the very next generation asking, 'Who is he?'" (Kidwell p. 106). Here we see the fickleness of the crowd, and the fleeting nature of human popularity. "Yet he too will go the way of the old king, not necessarily for his faults, but simply as time and familiarity. and the restlessness of men, make him no longer interesting. He has reached. pinnacle of human glory, only to be stranded there. It is yet another of our human anticlimaxes and ultimately empty achievements" (Kidner p. 52).

Point To Note:

Here is the rat-race and losing battle that confronts everyone who has reached celebrity status. The constant battle to remain on top, the "who's in and who's out list", the struggle to repackage yourself, the fear of becoming over-exposed or too popular, too soon. And while one generation may absolutely love you, that same truth may cause the next generation to despise you and everything associated with you. Solomon had learned that popularity only meant that eventually you could become very unpopular. The more that people idolize you only means the more people who can become disgusted with you, and eventually, "boo" you.