In what ways do you strive to find meaning, purpose, and peace from pleasures, the wisdom of the world, and work? These are the foci of chapter 2, and for me, those six things pair up nicely in my head:
I'll try to get some peace from different pleasures: comfort from a bowl of soup, laughter from a glass of wine, and the ability to not think about the current struggles of my life by drowning my thoughts in a movie or TV show. My ultimate goal in my biggest moments of humanness is to have tons of money and a 40 million dollar estate. Money would fix all my problems, wouldn't it? Well, ask the former lottery winners who are now bankrupt. All of these things give me a "peace" for the moment, but it never lasts.
I'll try to get some meaning from the wisdom of the world: I am meant to stay looking young forever since the healthy and beautiful people are worth the most, so I'd better be one of them; as long as I'm "only hurting myself" I can do whatever I want; and there is no real Truth to be found because anything and everything is okay as long as it "feels right". But again, I may think I have figured it all out, until I realize that I can't help it, I am going to get wrinkles and cellulite! My actions do have consequences that affect those around me, especially the people I love most, and even though something "feels right" in the moment, if I'm using that excuse, it will usually feel wrong the next day.
And I'll try to get some purpose from my work: if I can achieve ___ at my job, then everyone will know I have really amounted to something; or if my house and kids are perfect, then I will know what I'm on this earth to do; or if the charity organizations reach our financial goal, maybe they'll move me up on the committee or board of directors. Really? Is that the best this world has to offer regarding my entire life's purpose?!
Yes, I think things like this. I think we all do! So in Ecclesiastes 2, Solomon tackles the ideas of pleasures, wisdom of the world, and work. I can't tell you how much better it is to read this whole chapter at once -- you'll see it just flows together! So, today, let's read it through and then we can start diving into it on Thursday.
Again, it's kind of negative (he's making his case all the way through) until verses 24-26, so hang in there, because there is good that comes from life, too! I promise you!
This is just fascinating...it's like Solomon's memoir!
Pleasures Are Meaningless
2 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. 2 “Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” 3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my
mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for
people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.
4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well—the delights of a man’s heart. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.
10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labor,
and this was the reward for all my toil.
11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labor,
and this was the reward for all my toil.
11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.
Wisdom and Folly Are Meaningless
12 Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom,
and also madness and folly.
What more can the king’s successor do
than what has already been done?
13 I saw that wisdom is better than folly,
just as light is better than darkness.
14 The wise have eyes in their heads,
while the fool walks in the darkness;
but I came to realize
that the same fate overtakes them both.
and also madness and folly.
What more can the king’s successor do
than what has already been done?
13 I saw that wisdom is better than folly,
just as light is better than darkness.
14 The wise have eyes in their heads,
while the fool walks in the darkness;
but I came to realize
that the same fate overtakes them both.
15 Then I said to myself,
“The fate of the fool will overtake me also.
What then do I gain by being wise?”
I said to myself,
“This too is meaningless.”
16 For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered;
the days have already come when both have been forgotten.
Like the fool, the wise too must die!
What then do I gain by being wise?”
I said to myself,
“This too is meaningless.”
16 For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered;
the days have already come when both have been forgotten.
Like the fool, the wise too must die!
Toil Is Meaningless
17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? 23 All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.24 A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26 To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
What do you think? Can you relate to what Solomon is saying here?
No comments:
Post a Comment