1732

The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Pamphlet #1732
Ecclesiastes Chapter 2

Are you happy? Do you worry about things? Just what is it that would make you happy for the rest of your life?

There once was a young king over the full House of Israel named Solomon to whom our Father granted an open request. When he could have asked for anything in the world, he ask God for wisdom to be able to judge His children, and God gave it to him. In fact, He gave Solomon more wisdom than any man before him or after him (1 Kings 3:12). And then, because he did not ask anything for himself, God also heaped great wealth and honor upon him.

Now there was a reason for all of this, as nothing happens by accident when our Father's hand is upon it. It would be this Solomon who would try every conceivable avenue to find happiness in the flesh body. He would experience enormous wealth and great pleasures and accomplish great deeds, so that if it was possible to have or do, he had it and did it.

Let's continue with Solomon who has been giving us his first person account of all that he tried and experienced.

Eccles. 2:1
I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.

So he said to himself, "Alright, I've seen everything there is to see under the sun. Now I'm going to go live it up and just see what all can pleasure this flesh and bones." But guess what he found? It was all like chasing after the wind!

It all gets old after a while. Merrymaking, pleasure seeking, wild parties, etc., all come to an end sooner or later (mostly sooner) and then the emptiness once again sets in. You see, there is an hunger in the soul, who resides in the flesh, that neither anything of the flesh nor anything that is "under the sun" can satisfy.

[2] I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?

Then he watched court jesters and clowns and stayed up late and watched Saturday Night Live. He tried watching Jay Leno and he tried being Jay Leno. He had lunch with Dana Carvey and Rodney Dangerfield, whom he didn't find much respect for. Then he said "This is nuts! It ain't working!" So on to the next test.

[3] I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

Next, Solomon decided to try stimulants and buzz the flesh a little, and see if that would bring lasting joy. Of course all the while he would retain his wisdom so as to be able to properly evaluate this way of life. So he imbibed in some wine, I mean the really good stuff, and went out to all the swinging night clubs to test that scene. He even showed up at what they called "happy hours". The result? Bummer!

[4] I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:

Having failed to find peace of mind and happiness in the bottle, even the really good stuff, he then turned to architecture, contracting and landscaping. He built the grandest structures and most magnificent mansions conceivable, and he planted beautiful plush vineyards. He wanted to know if the feeling of satisfaction which comes with so great accomplishments would bring him lasting happiness.

[5] I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:

Furthermore, he landscaped gardens and built parks and planted apple orchards and cherry orchards, and orange groves, and you name it, he had it. He even had money growing on trees! (Take that last sentence as figurative of Solomon's great wealth, for there is nothing new under the sun, and money still to this day doesn't grow on trees. By the way, if you're thinking a money tree would bring you happiness for the rest of your life, go back and start this book over with chapter 1, verse 1. You're not up to speed with us so far.)

[6] I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:

He even constructed engineering marvels such as reservoirs and irrigation canals, a concept that Nebuchadnezzar would later incorporate into his famous gardens.

[7] I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:

He had butlers and chefs and gardeners and maidens with their own living quarters right in his own palaces. And he had the greatest ranches with more herds and flocks than any of his predecessors in Jerusalem. I'm telling you, he had everything a man could ever dream of wanting or owning!

[8] I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

He amassed gold and silver and crown jewelry, and he had all the Grammy Award male and female vocalists and entertainers in the kingdom perform in his palace with their full bands and orchestras, and oh yes, those delights of the sons of men, the dancing girls.

[9] So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

This was no small feat if one has read the histories of the leaders and kings of the kingdoms of this world, such as Nebuchadnezzar, whom we just spoke of, and the Roman Caesars, and the kings of the Houses of Judah and Israel that followed Solomon, and the Hitlers and the Saddam Husseins and on and on and on. Money and power tend to corrupt, big time, (I feel an urge to talk about some incumbent political figures, so know that I'm practicing restraint and self control) yet Solomon's wisdom remained with him, for it was a special gift given to him by our Father for the benefit of His children, like you and me!

And so this fascinating Book of Ecclesiastes has an awesome message from the wisest man to ever commandeer a flesh machine.

[10] And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.

If it could be bought, built, seen or felt, Solomon tried and tested it, and yet he took pride and pleasure in all that he did, for that's all he got out of it.

Eccles. 2:11
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

He just couldn't find peace of mind in any accomplishment, material possession, or in the exercise of any of his physical senses. There is nothing truly satisfying "under the sun". All is temporal. It all gets old and it all vanishes. The void in the soul remains.

And so it is, there is literally nothing on earth profitable to a man apart from God.

[12] And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.

Solomon wanted to compare the differences between wisdom and foolishness and see if any of it brought peace of mind. And here's the point: If he couldn't find it, a man with more wisdom and wealth and power from Almighty God than anyone on earth, then who after him is going to able to find it? You or me perhaps? Well, many of us did some "under the sun" testing on our own before we began reading the great Book of Ecclesiastes. Anybody got some test results that differ from the Solomon Standards of All That's Vanity?

[13] Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

However, one thing Solomon did discover when you compare wisdom to folly. Wisdom has it all over foolishness! The difference is like day and night. It is far better to face reality head on than to live in la la land and suffer the consequences of stupidity.

Next Solomon is going to lay a little conclusion of the matter on us! It will be worth reading about.

In our last study we heard the wisest, richest, and most powerful man on earth tell us of all his "earthly" experiences, escapades, and accomplishments in his quest for enduring happiness, along with his assessments of the matters. He had just finished telling us that even though all that is "under the sun" is vanity and like chasing after the wind, it is far better to be wise than to be foolish.

There is an end result which befalls all that is "earthly", i.e. under the sun.

Eccles. 2:14 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

Yep, that one Big Event happens to everyone whether they are wise and can "see" or foolish and blind. It's called death.

Note: This verse says that the wise "man's" eyes are in his head. I can give personal testimony to the fact that a wise "woman's" eyes are in the back of her head (not literally but figuratively).

[15] Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.

Then I said to myself, "Self. Just as the fool will die, so will I. Now even though I was full of wisdom all of my life, what good did it do me? Where did all that wisdom get me? I'm going to "kick the bucket" just like the fool. So I said to myself, what's the point? It's all like continually chasing after the wind!"

[16] For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.

Here's a question for you to help put this verse in perspective: Of the approximately 6 billion people that have lived and died in the flesh so far, how many can you name that were wise and how many can you name that were foolish? Hmmm, I guess we should start with just how many can you name, period!

But again, one thing is for certain, and that is you can have all the money, power and wisdom in the world and you're gonna die just like the fool. So don't be deceived by bumper stickers that read "The Man Who Dies With The Most Toys, Wins!"

[17] Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

There's got to be more to life than this! There's just got to be.

[18] Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

Yes, and "the man that shall be after" us all is the tax man. We work all our lives and accumulate an estate and when we die at least our kids should get an opportunity to squander our hard earned money. But nooooo, the tax man cometh after.

Here are some examples from the public probate record of some people who have died.

Name	Gross Estate	Settlement Costs	Net Estate	% Shrinkage
Marilyn Monroe	$ 819,176	$ 448,750	$ 306,679	55%
Elvis Presley	10,165,434	7,374,635	2,790,799	73%
J. P. Morgan	17,121,482	11,893,691	5,227,791	69%
Alwin Ernst, CPA	12,642,431	7,124,112	5,518,319	56%

Didn't we read a few verses back "that which is crooked cannot be made straight". Apply some of that here.

[19] And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

Well, as Solomon said in verses 14 and 15, everyone dies anyway, so why should he care who takes over? He said in verse 16 that no one will remember anyway. It really is all vanity when you stop and think about it, isn't it?

[20] Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.

It's just that while living the very thought of some jerk or spoiled brat taking over everything one has built and worked hard for is a bit depressing. Throw the tax man into the scene and one is likely to go back and repeat the wine testing section in verse 3 all over again.

[21] For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

"Someone who has had no input and nothing to do with all that I've built is going to take over", laments Solomon. Worse yet it will probably be someone who has never worked an 8 hour day in his life. This is not only vanity but it's not fair, especially to a man of wisdom and knowledge who has always been fair and equitable.

Ha! At least Solomon got to keep what was his while he was alive. And there was always that chance that his estate would be left to a hard working individual. Under our "fair and equitable" system of government we don't wait until death nor do we chance that some hard working individual will inherit all your wealth. We simply redistribute the wealth by taking from the producers and giving it to the non-producers. Did Solomon have to make estimated quarterly tax payments on income that he hadn't even earned yet? Talk about vanity and a great evil!

[22] For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?

What is the reward for working your butt off all your life? Answer? Death and taxes! There's nothing new under the sun. Solomon's right! This Book of Ecclesiastes nails it!

[23] For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

Are you a worry wart? Can't sleep at night? Have no peace of mind? Is it worth it? Where will all that get you? Answer? 6 feet under, maybe sooner than later!

[24] There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

Here's a conclusion: If you've earned it and got it, then enjoy it. Enjoy the fruits of your labor. Why hoard up a big estate and a big pile of cash only to die. Of course one must exercise wisdom and prudence and plan for future retirement, etc. We are talking beyond that in the sense of don't become a miser and just hoard your wealth and be consumed by it.

There is also a deeper meaning in this verse because the soul, which is to say the inner man, and God are now brought into the picture. Take your right hand and grasp your left arm and squeeze it and feel it. That which you feel is not "you"! It is your house, your housing even, i.e. your body which won't last you very long (maybe 100 years if you're lucky) . It is a temporary dwelling, a tabernacle, which your soul is "tied into" until such time as the "silver cord" is severed and you are released from it. We call that death. We'll get to that in chapter 12 of this same book.

However, in understanding that portion of wisdom, then all the fruits and labors of your flesh can be enjoyed by and benefit your soul, the inner man, your self. The question is: Who runs your flesh? (1) Your flesh which has a mind of it's own? Or, (2), you the inner man who should have control over it?

[25] For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?

This verse in the Kings James is missing the words "Without God". It should read "For without God, who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I? Here's verses 24-25 from the Living Bible to help clarify that which has been said:

Eccles. 2:24-25 So I decided that there was nothing better for a man to do than to enjoy his food and drink, and his job. Then I realized that even this pleasure is from the hand of God. For who can eat or enjoy apart from Him? (Living Bible)

Without God, one cannot find happiness and peace of mind.

And now the last verse of chapter 2.

[26] For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Wisdom and knowledge comes from God and is given to him that is good "in His sight", but to the sinner who becomes wealthy, He eventually takes away from him and gives it to those who are good "before Him". This is another example of what befalls one who foolishly chases after the wind.

To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.

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