Ecclesiastes 2:1-3

Rachel Workman: 2 I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless. ² So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?” ³ After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world.

I think the last verse sums it up. I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world. Can you imagine if this was all there was? It would seem meaningless honestly.

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John Burnett:  I said ^[a]to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So ^[b]enjoy yourself.” And behold, it too was futility. ² I said of laughter, “It is madness,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?” ³ I explored with my ^[c]mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my ^[d]mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men ^[e]to do under heaven the few ^[f]years of their lives. ⁴ I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself;   Pleasure is futile unless done within the context of God’s will for marriage.  Part of the consequence for not following God’s plan are the consequences of never being satisfied and being a complete slave to sin.  These consequences are eternal.  Solomon tried for pleasure with his 700+ wives and however many concubines and obviously concludes here that it is all futile and useless to try.

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Pat Bell:  Without God in my life and heart, there is no happiness.

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Tomorrow’s reading for Ecclesiastes 2:4-8

⁴ I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. ⁵ I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. ⁶ I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves. ⁷ I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me. ⁸ I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire!

Ecclesiastes 1:16-18

Rachel Workman: ¹⁶ I said to myself, “Look, I am wiser than any of the kings who ruled in Jerusalem before me. I have greater wisdom and knowledge than any of them.” ¹⁷ So I set out to learn everything from wisdom to madness and folly. But I learned firsthand that pursuing all this is like chasing the wind.

¹⁸ The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief.
    To increase knowledge only increases sorrow.

Again, seems to fit today perfectly. The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. I know plenty of smart people who reject Christ because they think they are so much smarter than Christians. Oh the grief and sorrow that awaits them.

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John Burnett:  I ^[a]said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my ^[b]mind has observed ^[c]a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.” ¹⁷ And I set my ^[d]mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind. ¹⁸ Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.  Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes somewhere around 930 BC but his understanding of wisdom and knowledge is so fitting for today.  Those who think they are wise by the worlds standards are actually condemned by God’s standards.  Depending on one’s knowledge is what the Bible calls self-righteousness.  The grief and pain will come when they realize they have fallen short and will have to pay for those sins they the refused to call sin because they declared themselves to be good people and righteous. 

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Tomorrow’s reading for Ecclesiastes 2:1-4

2 I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless. ² So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?” ³ After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world.

Ecclesiastes 1:12-15

Rachel Workman: ¹² I, the Teacher, was king of Israel, and I lived in Jerusalem. ¹³ I devoted myself to search for understanding and to explore by wisdom everything being done under heaven. I soon discovered that God has dealt a tragic existence to the human race. ¹⁴ I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.

¹⁵ What is wrong cannot be made right.
    What is missing cannot be recovered.

Maybe Solomon is right. We have been dealt a tragic existence. Because of Christ's sacrifice it went from tragic to beautiful. I have no doubt when you fill your life with the meaningless thing that he speaks of here it is tragic.

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John Burnett:   I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. ¹³ And I set my ^[a]mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is ^[b]a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with. ¹⁴ I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is ^[c]vanity and striving after wind. ¹⁵ What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted.  Solomon is talking about worldly wisdom.  Today’s scientist looking for the origin of life would be a perfect example.  Here is the wisest man on earth with the most resources and he sought and explored for wisdom and came to the conclusion that it is like striving to catch the wind, a worthless effort.

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Tomorrow’s reading for Ecclesiastes 1:16-18

¹⁶ I said to myself, “Look, I am wiser than any of the kings who ruled in Jerusalem before me. I have greater wisdom and knowledge than any of them.” ¹⁷ So I set out to learn everything from wisdom to madness and folly. But I learned firsthand that pursuing all this is like chasing the wind.

¹⁸ The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief.
    To increase knowledge only increases sorrow.