Ecclesiastes 2:1-11; 24-26 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. 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.
“I’ll be happy when ______.”
The Arrival Fallacy
Ecclesiastes 2:1 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you
SOLOMON’S Tests
1. Test of Pleasure
Ecclesiastes 2:1 I said to myself, “I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.”
HEDONISM
Ecclesiastes 2:2 “Of laughter I said, ‘It is mad.’”
Ecclesiastes 2:3 “I searched how to cheer my body with wine.”
WIND 2 — Test of Achievement
Ecclesiastes 2:4-6 “I made great works; I built houses, planted vineyards, made gardens, parks, pools.”
Ecclesiastes 2:8-9 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem[a] as well—the delights of a man’s heart. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me.
Ecclesiastes 2:8 “…and many concubines.”
Ecclesiastes 2:11 “Then I looked on all my hands had done… and behold, all was hevel and a grasping for the wind.”
3 — Test Of Wisdom
Ecclesiastes 2:12 So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly.”
4 —Test of Labor
Ecclesiastes 2:21 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.
Ecclesiastes 2:17 So I hated life
The twist: Things Solomon listed are mentioned in a positive context in the Bible.
Pursuing happiness apart from God is an Easter-egg hunt with nothing inside the eggs.
1. Learn LIFE WITH GOD FIRST
Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 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?
2. Chase a different wind
Ruach is also Bible’s word for Spirit
John 4:13-14 “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.
