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When the great philosopher ‘Homer Simpson’ got to know is massively wealthy boss he observed
“you’re the richest man I know,”
to which Mr Burns replied, “Yes, but I’d trade it all for more.”
It’s so true of us all in so many ways.
We live with a constant disatisfaction of ‘if only I had more’
More wisdom, more money, more fun, more pleasure.
It’s the mantra of our world - of humanity. If only I had more...
Last week we observed from the summary introduction in Ecclesiaties 1v1-11 that everything in this life ‘under the sun is...
‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.’
we, and even the world find it hard to disagree don’t we...
And yet we picked up from the conclusion of Ecclesiastes 12v13-14
Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.
There is a search in this book for meaning - the meaning of life we might even say.
What’s it all about - where do we find joy and satisfaction?
Or is there none available?
Our teacher will demonstrate to us experiments seeking meaning and even when he seems to find some - well it all ends the say way - in death - and therefore whatever gain or joy we have sought in this life - we will ultimately forfeit it.
But - he also continues to conclude that there is satisfaction and joy to be found.
we see one such example today
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, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?
What does it look like then to fear God and obey his commandments in a way that finds satisfaction in the everyday life?
There must be a way to live that is satisfied and joyful that is far from meaningless. And what does that look like - we know it means fear God and keep his commandments - but everyday - when we wake up - what do we do with this desire for ‘more’?
That is the journey we are going on today.
The teacher is going to apply all his great wisdom to exploring all that goes on under the sun.. in otherwords - all that this world or perhaps better this life has to offer.
I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind!
We hear from the out set that it’s not going to be a particularly joyful search!
What a heavy burden God has given mankind!
Why?
Well as he observes..
What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.
IN otherwrods - as we investgate the meaning of life - there is much and will be mcuh that is croocked.
Not everything can be straightened out into a neat formula.
Typically one persons gain will be anothers loss.
As Christains we might observe that this is God’s design so as to show people we have a real need for God himself.
but let\s explore the topics the teacher first investigates...
Pray.
1 - Wisdom and Knowledge 1v12-18
1 - Wisdom and Knowledge 1v12-18
I said to myself, ‘Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.’ Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.
In other words he is using his impressive wisdom - to see if pursuingh evne more wisdom finds joy or satisfaction.
But sadly htis too is meaningless - a chasing after the wind. Which interstingly is a rough explanation of what he means by the word meaningless’ throughout the book.
the words carries the idea of breath.
As in it’s temprary, fleating, acheives nothing.
Just like trying to catch the wind...
Have ago later today - we can harness the ownd yes perhaps - but you can’t grab it or chase it.
It’s purposelss, fruitless - meaningless activity.
But why is seeking great wisdom also menaingless?
It’s surely what we and our world around do all the time.
Constant pusuit of mindfulness states,
the latests guru etc..
Well without really commenting on the types of wisdom and those who offer it - we get straight to the point..
For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.
The more I think about this life - the more depressing it becomes!
The more you know about something - the more you also know about it’s problmes!
The more you explore a guru or phylosohers teachings the more you discover the problems they reach.
Even biblical theological study can feel like that.
When I was at bible college that was one of the first lectures I had.
Draw a box and small circle in the middle (all you know about God)
Around your circle if everything you don’t know and the questions you have..
As your knowldge grows so does your awareness of all the stuff you =don’t know and have questions about.
YOu can apply that principles to most things - going to school and learning for example.
You will not find joy and satisfaction in seeking greater and greater wisdom and knowledge.
They actually bring with them more sorrow and greif - talk to an expert on most things - and you will find they are more concenrned about the topic than the average man or woman.
So, what about pleasures then.
Will they cheer us up..
2 - Pleasures and Comfort 2v1-11
2 - Pleasures and Comfort 2v1-11
If Eccelsiaties was writen by King Solomon then this section is an autobiography of his life - if it wasn’t, then this seems to be the teacher writing as if he was Solomon - giving us the example of the most privaledged man to ever live - let’s see what gain, joy or satisfaction he found..
Again we get his conclusions up front in 2v1-3
PLeasures are meaningless,
drinkning too much wine if meaningless,
laughing (by which he may mean not laking anythign seriously) turned out to be madness,
But what are these pleasurable, drinking and laughing actuivites he’s refering to - did he do a proper expeirment on pleasures - or was it a halk-hearted attempt and we ought to try our own experiment and seek great pleasures...
I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 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. 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. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.
Ok - he’s gone to town on the pleasure seeking - great estates, vinyards, generations of servants, entertainers, concubines - of course he says - at the end - all done in the name of research - my wisdom stayed with me in all this.
I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labour, and this was the reward for all my toil.
That’s an interesting verse - and important to us.
His heart took delight in all this pleasure that he aquired through his work and toil.
In other words - let’s not be neive - there is great pleasure to be found in seeking after and achieving all these ‘pleasures’!
Note that as of yet he’s not saying how God views them - but as a human - there is pleasure in pleasure-able things!
After all -that is why we desire them so much!
But
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.
In the moment he enjoyed these things.
But taking a step back - he fails to see how they have actually gained him anything in this life.
How has a pleasurable experince actually brought lasting joy or satisfaction?
As kids most of us loved the joy of a theme park - but looking back now - what have those pleasures achieved.
If pleasures is what we live for - we’ll be left wanting - like chasing after the wind.
We all know of the joy of a holiday - but we also know of the depressing state of living for the next holiday alone!
Massive houses,
lustful desires,
great social lives,
They all may bring temporary joy - but satisfaction or lasting joy, on reflection, will be lacking.
The Christian Armish communities send their chidlren out from their secluded and simples communiites when they reach 18 for 1 year to enjoy the pleasures of the world outside.
If they find great joy in them - they are free to leave - but if they find emptyness - they are welcomed back.
The vast majority according to those I’ve met - go back.
I’m not suggetsing it’s a good practice - as we’ll see later in this passage - but it is telling - pleasures offer no realy satisfaction or joy.
So, we’ve tried wisdom and pleasures, what else can we try?
How about foolishness..
3 - Madness and Folly
3 - Madness and Folly
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?
I get the sense that his great ‘pleasure experiment’ contained enough foolishness that no more experiments were required.
He has been a fool enough.
With protitutes, and slaves,
great buildings and homes.
As he refelcts and thinks about foolisshness - or simply madness - meaing a sense of not just sillyness - but all out rejectiuon of sense and wisdom.
as he refelcts he concludes..
I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness.
So, obvioulsy, wisdom is better than folly,
but
The wise have eyes in their heads, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realise that the same fate overtakes them both.
The end result of the wiseman or the fool is the same - they share the same fate.
Death is going to knock on both their doors..
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.’ 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 does seeking wisdom achieve, seeiking pleasure achieve, seeking foolishnes or madness achieve?
They all acheive the same thing.
Death.
Sure wisdom is better than folly and pleasures offer a temporary joy - but seeking any of these things for their own sake - all acheive precily the same thing!
They offer no light on the question ‘what is the point of life’
It’s all meaningless - a chasing after the wind.
finally then he refelcts on
4 - Work and Investments
4 - Work and Investments
I think this work and toil section is linked to the rest of this passage. It’s taken toil to gain and enjoy those pleasures, and toil to seek wisdom and knowledge..
And none of it’s helped me find reason and meaing under the sun - in this life…,
so unsuproingly - like many of us feel about our toil and work and even our pleasure at times..
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;
What’s the point.. and worse..
I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 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. So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labour under the sun. For a person may labour 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. What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labour under the sun? All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.
We work and strive - we store up and seek pleasure - and at the end of they day we die and someone else benfits from our sleepless nights, our striving and toil, our hard work.
Is there another passage in the bible that so accurately describes our culture today here in Briatin.
Anxiety, slepplessness, work stress, pleasures that only bring joy for a moment
‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.’
Looking back on these verse - I wonder if you have noticed a theme.
‘Toiling after’ is meaningless
‘Toiling after’ is meaningless
All of them involve us toiling or seeking reward or gifts.
We toil after pleasure, or wisdom and knowledge - becasue as the Teacher has noted - wisdom is better than folly and pleasure does bring joy to the heart.
But in toiling after them we we may have temporary or momentary joy - but they are ulitmetly meaningless.
So, how do we live now in away that enables us to find satisfaction and joy now, and a life that does have some real meaning and worth as we face death?
The answer is here - and these verse are golden...
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, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?
Do you see the difference?
It’s meaningless to pursue reward, gifts, joy from the fruits of your toil and work,
But the best satisfaction is found in the actual toil, the work.
This is God’s design, his hand in our lives.
In other words we can enjoy the very normal rythems of life, rather than the result of the work.
The teacher sought satifcation in great buildings and protitutes and enterntainmet - and they are found meaningless.
Instead - he should have simply found satisfaction in the work he was doing.
So we can grow in wisdom and knowledge - for they are better than foolishness - but enjoy and be satisfied in the normalness of that work, toil and process.
God has deigned our world and us to be cyclical.
The sun goes round and round,
the rivers flowinto the sea but never fill it and the water returns to the beginning we read in chap[ter 1.
So human life is lived, dies and is forgotten to be replaced by the next.
Embracing our smallness and our simple duty to work in and subdue the earth - as god commision humnaity to do in Gensis - is God’s design for us.
You will never find joy in seeking greatness, or wealth, or pleasure - for they will always leave us wanting,
We will always be Mr Burns - I’d give it all up for more!
But if we enjoy each day’s process - eating, drinking and working - we have found the calling of humanity.
And now we begin to find the very things the world is craving..
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.
That is an extraordinary verse - and reverse who we often think of life.
Do you see - the person who accpets the normalness of life, eating, drik=nking and toiling - they please God! For that is our calling in this life.
And what is the reward for embracing normality - God gives the gifts to us that the world vainly strives after!
Wisdom, knowldege and happiness!
It is the sinner who is tasked with all the things the teacher has found meaningless.
gathering and storing up wealth, enjoying pleasures as the end game - for all they live for is gone when they die - they have achived nothing!
It’s as if this desire for humanity to becaome great, and achieve greatness, and store up great things and enjoy great pleasures is a judgement from God - for it is humanity saying - we need more!
We can be like God - we can achieve what we want - and we’re not satified until we have it.
But - to simply live life - to value the very normal process of life - eating, drinking, toiling - well we are not seeking greatness or God’s place - we value his call to humnaity to live in and care fro our very normal and cylical world.
It matters not to us if we are remebered - if we find the meaning of life through knowldge or if we enjoy the greatest pleaseures we can find - for we are satisfied with normality.
And joyously - we then are free to know we are pleasing God!
We are rewarded with woisdom and knowldge - becasue we have found that satisfaction is not found in self-earned toil - but satisfaction is found in the normalness of life for that pleases God whome we fear and seek to obey.
It means we can enjoy learning and working hard at school or work or at home.
It means we can enjoy moraly good pleasures, take our holidays, and leisure activites without that high followed by a low.
For we enjoy the narmality and priocess of it all.
While those around live from pleasure to pleasre and acheivement ot achivment - we live by pleaseing God in the noral day to day, caring for our family, working hard at work.
It’s not always easy, it will be often hard - but that is our duty and calling to please God.
JESUS?
Need more convincing..
Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs Contemporary Significance
At the end of time, in fact, it is those who have done the ordinary things well who will “gain” something, not those who have sacrificed these things for some grander scheme. Those who have found joy in such things will know greater joy; those who have depended on God for wisdom will know yet more wisdom; and those who have lived their lives in the knowledge that death is the ultimate statement of human noncontrol will rise to new life beyond death. It is they, ultimately, who will receive the inheritance mentioned (incomprehensibly in the context of Ecclesiastes itself, who does not think of life beyond death) in 2:26. It is not those like Mr. Burns in The Simpsons who, in response to Homer’s observation that “you’re the richest man I know,” replies, “Yes, but I’d trade it all for more.”
Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs From Despair to Satisfaction (2:17–26)
It is madness and folly, indeed sin, to seek for “profit” from life; and the consequence is misery for those sufficiently perceptive to see the pointlessness of it. Wisdom, by contrast, acknowledges God and not the self as the center of existence and gladly embraces the limitations of the creature set within the larger, massive reality of creation. Reality having been embraced, it is possible to know joy.
Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs Bridging Contexts
There is indeed no pathway to joy except by refusing to pursue it and to grasp at it