Lessons from the Qohelet_________

Ecclesiastes

Lesson Two, Chapter Two

I. A Review from Last Week

1. Solomon frustrated beyond belief.

2. He was frustrated with nature and history.

3. He was frustrated with wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 2 (New American Standard Bible)

Ecclesiastes 2

4. The Frustration of Unlimited Wealth 2:1-11

The Futility of Pleasure and Possessions

 1I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself." And behold, it too was futility.2I said of laughter, "It is madness," and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?"3I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my 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 to do under heaven the few years of their lives.4I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself;5I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;6I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees.7I bought male and female slaves and I had home born slaves Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem.8Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men--many concubines.9Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.10All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor.11Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.

To many people unlimited money suggests unlimited satisfaction and a life filled with pleasure and happiness. As we shall see, that is not always the case and in fact more often brings pain rather than pleasure. Thank God for the men and women among us who handle their money and wealth in responsible manner. But___there are all too many who do not handle their money in an appropriate manner and try to spend their way to the “good life.”

Verses 1-2___When Solomon speaks of “pleasure” in the above text, there is no intent to suggest any type of immoral behavior. What Solomon has done was surrounded himself with people who make him happy and laugh but even that has become stale (cf. 7:1-6).

Verses 3___The teacher then turned to sensual pleasures, such as the enjoyment of drink which so easy became over indulgence. Yet he still kept hold of himself at least enough to analyze these experiences and see if he had found the answer to life. In other words, is the true philosophy of life, “let us eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die?” (Isaiah 22:13).

Verses 4-8___ A sensible use of money may be a form of creativity. In this sense, Solomon expressed himself in buildings and planing vineyards, fruit tress, and gardens (vv. 4-6). In this he resembled the monarchs of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Persia whose works in their building programs were the envy of the world. Solomon was the “grand supervisor.” At the snap of his fingers he had slaves to do his bidding (cf.1st Kings 9:17-22). The service of others is one thing that money can buy. (See much more on Solomon's public works in [1st Kings 7:1-9; 9:15; 19; S of Songs 8:11. Three pools near Bethlehem are said to be constructed by him. They dam the Urtas valley, and each of the first two can over flow into the pool below. It is claimed that these pools altogether could hold over 40 million gallons of water).

Solomon also was the largest owner of cattle and sheep in the land ((v.7b). He did not lose his sight of the need for ever increasing income. He kept the position by holding the trading bridge between Egypt and Asia, which made him one of the wealthiest monarchs of the day (1st Kings 10:21-29). He was also a connoisseur of music and collected at his court the finest soloists and choirs (v.8). The final item in the list may well refer to Solomon's wives and concubines, but the Hebrew word does not occur else where in the Bible.

Verses 9-11___How are the experiences of this very rich man to be summed up? More than any other man on earth he was able to buy anything that might satisfy him. He kept his sense of discernment intact (vv. 3,9). Solomon did not allow himself to be swept off his feet by sensual pleasure since to give in to that would have meant despair and ultimately a life if immorality. His purpose was to find out to what extent one could find pleasure with money. In the end, money did not resolve his earth bound frustration. The Teacher later amplified this conclusion in terms of “death” and handling of one's possessions (5:8-17). Meanwhile we are faced with the question as to whether money can bring us to the fulfillment that we were made for. Despite riches we may still be empty shells and our gains like “striving after the wind."

5. The Ultimate Frustration: Death! 2:12-23___

 12So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly; for what will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done?

13. And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness

14The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness And yet I know that one fate befalls them both.15Then I said to myself, "As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me Why then have I been extremely wise?" So I said to myself, "This too is vanity."16For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten And how the wise man and the fool alike die!17So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.

The Futility of Labor

 18Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me.19And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun This too is vanity.20Therefore I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun.21When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then hegives his legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil.22For what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun?23Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity.

Death is the ultimate frustration.

Verses 12-16___A critic may object that the pursuit of luxury is the aim of a fool, but what about the pursuit of wisdom? No one who follows Solomon's steps will ever have a greater opportunity to combine wisdom and wealth (v.12). Some see a reference here to Rehoboam, Solomon's son who divided the kingdom (1st Kings 12). I prefer a more general application, though Rehoboam may be in mind in verses 18-19.

It is granted that wisdom is more worthwhile than folly and gives light in the darkness of life (vv.13-14); yet both the wise and the foolish must face death and death is the ultimate frustration (v.15). The Teacher does not go back on his conclusion that wisdom is better than folly but asks how much better is it in light of the fact that both the wise and the foolish will be forgotten by future generations? Their names may or may not be remembered in the school books but if they are remembered at all they are just little characters in a story of fiction cut off from new generations who have their own lives to live (vv. 15-16). This is the way of the world and is profoundly depressing as the next section shows. For the Christian, the depression is overridden by the new revelation in Jesus Christ, not by wisdom's arguments (Rev. 14:13).

 13And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, "Write, 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!'" "Yes," says the Spirit, "so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them."

Notice what follows us to death. Not a good feeling in your heart or an “I believe” statement but your deeds, the things you did!

Verses 17-23___The Teacher finds no security and purpose in the rewards of his labor. A man may not be so rich as Solomon but may live and accumulate wealth in a legitimate manner but he may wear himself out in the process (v.17). Then comes death and the sharing of the estate. What sort of person will the heir be? He too may be wise; but he may also be a fool, especially if he has imbibed his father's materialistic values without having to struggle for a living (vv.18-19). Suppose the heir is wise. Surely the Teacher cannot complain of frustration then! He pointed out that men who have worked hard to build financial security often think it unfair that all might go to someone who has not worked as they have worked (vv.20-21). This is frustration of pride over one's own achievements. This is a warning life gives us about laying up treasures on earth (vv. 22-23).

II. THE DIVINE ORDER OF LIFE (2:24-3:22)

1. Our Daily Life is to be enjoyed (2:24-26).

24There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.25For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?26For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God's sight This too is vanity and striving after wind.

Verses 24-26___If taken out of context this might mean we ought to seek pleasure but that is not the case exactly. We ought to seek pleasure but in the service of God. Thus he rounds off this section of the book. You can wear yourself out trying to find a solution to life by look in nature and history (chapter 1). You can wear yourself out by looking for a solution to life's problems in the pursuit of wealth (chapter 2). But you will end up frustrated because you are grounded in the material world which holds no satisfaction. Why not take your daily life from the hand of God?

The teacher was clearly speaking to normal people in normal conditions. At this juncture he is not discussing physical and social evils that need to be put right. Up to now he has considered the thoughts and plights of people who try to have their own knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:16-17) without being accountable to God's standard of behavior. He mentions three things that God will give to His people and none of them are money and riches.

1. Wisdom 2. Knowledge 3. Joy_____

This is the reward for those who are good in the sight of God..

Now for the person who is not seen as good in the sight of God the opposite is true. It is God's will that the sinner, who in this context is more than just a fool and because he is a sinner ought to hand over his ill gotten gains for the greater good of society. Thus verse 26 speaks of the fate of the sinner. His life is like striving "after the wind."



Lane Rogers