Ecclesiastes 2-3

We ended with the pessimistic or carnally minded introduction to the capacity of human wisdom v godly wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 1:17–18  “ And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind. 18 For in much wisdom is much grief, And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.”

when all i sought to know was wisdom itself, madness and folly followed. Its grabbing at nothing. The more you know, the more it hurts the more crazy, useless and sad.

Ecclesiastes 2:1–9  “ I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity (absurd he’ll explain).

Proverbs 14:13  “ Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, And the end of mirth may be grief.” we hear people saying constantly, I was laughing while dying inside. Think about

2 I said of laughter—“Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”

3 I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives. (fence straddling excuse was research)

4 I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards.

5 I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.

6 I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove.

7 I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me.

8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds.

9 So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.”

houses, vineyards, gardens, orchards, pools, servants, herds, flocks, singers, instruments, he had no “want”. Had it all.

Ego? Pride? I was better than any of them, just being human didn’t affect him better or worse in one way or another.

Ecclesiastes 2:10–11 “ Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor.

11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.”

Was all stupid. Vanity. Grabbing air. Useless endeavor.

Ecclesiastes 2:12–14  “ Then I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly; For what can the man do who succeeds the king?— Only what he has already done.

13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly As light excels darkness.

14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, But the fool walks in darkness. Yet I myself perceived That the same event happens to them all.”

I turned, I saw, I realized, everyone just dies. Again, the fallen logic, the thoughts of a carnal man. And Solomon sees that the same behavior act, results the same for all.

Ecclesiastes 2:15–16  “ So I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, It also happens to me, And why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart, “This also is vanity.” 16 For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die? As the fool!”

What good did wisdom do. Thats the waste of it all. The absurdity of it.

Everybody dies. The life ends and we are gone. Brilliant doesnt make a dead body look any better than an idiot.

Ecclesiastes 2:17–19  “ Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.

18 Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.

19 And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.”

Many enter into this same depressive pessimism, seeing it as a useless exercise. life, work, labor, toil, death.

I leave it all to whatever man comes after me? I was brilliant and built up a kingdom for dolts. Its absurd when we think of it that way.

A good man however, knows he is providiing building up for the kingdom, etc. Its more than just us.

Ecclesiastes 2:20–23  “ Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun.

21 For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. (because we leave it all behind)

22 For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? (1:3)

23 For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.”

All the striving is useless in a sense if all we see is ourselves. If we don’t see the future, outside ourselves, etc.

Ecclesiastes 2:24–26  “ Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? 26 For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.”

Paul quoted a secular scholar and reminded us, 1 Corinthians 15:32  “ If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”” 1 Timothy 6:17  “ Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.”

Solmon then shares with us, what would be a reminder that sometimes we just do what we are supposed to do. This is the summation of a life

Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 

1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: 

2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; 

3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; 

4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; 

5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; 

6 A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; 

7 A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; 

8 A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.

this again refers back to everything Solomon just spoke of, life is about these things. Who hasn’t experienced these things in some way?

Ecclesiastes 3:9–15 

9 What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 

10 I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. (now we see the real purpose, not just through the lens of men)

11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. 

12 I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 

13 and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God. (content)

14 I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him. 

15 That which is has already been, And what is to be has already been; And God requires an account of what is past. (same stuff diff day and we answer for it)

Romans 8:28  “ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Romans 11:33–36  “ Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” 35 “Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” 36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.”

There is no satisfaction outside the will and relationship with God - when we pursue success, we’ll never achieve it. Fulfillment, contentment, is found in Jesus (yahweh).

Ecclesiastes 3:16–22 

16 Moreover I saw under the sun: In the place of judgment, Wickedness was there; And in the place of righteousness, Iniquity was there. 

17 I said in my heart, “God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.” 

18 I said in my heart, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.”  (we seem as temporary animals/flesh)

19 For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. 

20 All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. 

21 Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth? 

22 So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?

Do remember what Paul shared, Colossians 3:23–24  “ And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”

Acts 17:30–31  “ Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.””

Jesus called this: John 5:28–29  “ Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”

No matter how things