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<< Ecclesiastes 1:18 Ecclesiastes 2:2 >>
Articles, Bible studies, and sermons that contain Ecclesiastes 2:1:
Ecclesiastes 2:1
Excerpted from: Ecclesiastes and the Feast of Tabernacles (Part 2)Everybody wants to have a good time, especially the young. They want to spend their time partying. They want to spend their time going to athletic contests. They want to spend their time going to the movies. They want to be around crowds of people that might be drinking, that might be laughing—it is something that the Bible might call folly. It does not have a show of wisdom to it most of the time. It is just simply having a good time, only he was going to do it as a way of life. We are going to look at this.
One translation even says, "I will plunge into finding pleasure!" Another translation says, "I will pour myself out at having fun!" Solomon followed his own advice in Ecclesiastes 9: "Whatever your hand finds to do, do with all your might." He did it with all of his might, but it also says he did it in such a way that he retained his mind, his head. He did not give himself over to drunkenness because he was always evaluating cause and effect. "What is going on? What will be the conclusion? What will be the effect of this that I am doing? What will be the fruits of it?"
What he finds out is that this kind of approach to life is temporary, it is meaningless, and that having fun cannot quench the spiritual thirst every human being has for meaning. "What does life mean? Where am I going?"
It is interesting that two items are specified. In my Bible, one is translated laughter and the other is translated mirth. There is a difference between these two. Laughter describes partying. "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! That was funny!" Everybody is a little bit high; everybody is a little bit on the edge; everybody is conducting themselves a little bit silly. There is a bit of inhibition.
Mirth, on the other hand, describes thoughtful pleasures. A thoughtful pleasure might be something that has a more serious approach to it, but it is something that the person really likes to do. It is not bad; it is not evil. It might be a hobby. It might be reading novels, even some of the finer writings of men.
Solomon looked at it from two different perspectives—partying and the pursuit of more thoughtful pleasures. What he concludes is that laughter is sheer madness. It has absolutely nothing of any value to it, except maybe it makes you feel good for a couple of seconds. But its value quickly passes away.
Mirth, though better, still changes nothing regarding the meaning of life. It adds nothing. I mentioned the reading of novels. The reason those things add nothing is that the authors do not know what the meaning of life is. They cannot include it in the course of their story. That is why we have these super handsome men and beautiful women and all the fictionalized things that are there.
ArticlesThe Fruit of the Spirit: Joy
The Fruit of the Spirit: Joy
EssaysDesert Wind and Fire
Is God Playful?
Wisdom for the Young (Part Three)
SermonsEcclesiastes Resumed (Part Thirty-One)
Vanity (Part 1)
Sin (Part 2)
Even From My Youth
Ecclesiastes: What is it All About? (Part Two)
Resuming Ecclesiastes (Part Three)
Ecclesiastes (Part Six)
Defining the Human Mind
<< Ecclesiastes 1:18 Ecclesiastes 2:2 >>
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