29/10/21 Ecclesiastes Study 6. 2 1-17

 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. ² I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” ³ I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. ⁴ I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. ⁵ I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. ⁶ I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. ⁷ I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. ⁸ I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man.

⁹ So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. ¹⁰ And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. ¹¹ Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. 

¹² So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. ¹³ Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. ¹⁴ The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. ¹⁵ Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. ¹⁶ For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! ¹⁷ So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. (Eccl 2:1-17)

1. a) In 2:1-11 Qoheleth describes his quest for pleasure. What particular pleasures did he seek out in his quest for fulfillment?

His quest was unrestrained. He fully indulged himself in pleasure. He did enjoy himself, and his creative work was fulfilling in a way (v.10).

• Food/drink, Intoxication (v.3)
• Creative efforts (v.4-6) - building and landscaping works, agriculture
  
• Accumulation of material goods (v.6-8) - slaves, animals, money, treasures
• Arts and culture /entertainment (v.8b)
• Sex (v.8c)
  

b) How did this quest end, according to 2:9-11?

All his results and all his effort in doing it was "vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. "

 2. What do you think Qoheleth means when he says that he was still guiding himself with wisdom (v.3, 9)? 

• His pleasures were still in legitimate fields. His efforts required intellect and not reckless. 
• There was intentionality in his efforts.
• He kept assessing the worth of what he was doing even when he was doing it - asking himself whether it was ultimately and lastingly fulfilling. There was still a part of himself that was an objective observer.

 

 3. Is there a right way for Christians to enjoy the good things this world has to offer? How does this differ from Qoheleth's approach as described in this passage?

 We have previously (28/2/20) spent time talking about the right attitude to earthly pleasures. We said that earthly pleasures should not be set against spiritual pleasures. God created all pleasures, and  all these pleasures are to be enjoyed in God. Everything done without faith - a looking to and trusting of God, is sin (Rom 14:23)

  When we enjoy pleasures in God's presence, then all pleasures are legitimate. Augustine of Hippo said, “He loves Thee too little, who loves anything together with Thee, which he loves not for Thy sake.". (i.e. We are to see God in every pleasure and love the pleasure in God, for His sake, not for our own sake). In contrast, Joe made the observation that Qoheleth speaks very often of "I". His pursuit of pleasure was self-centred.

 

Because of God, there must be gratitude in our enjoyment, and there must be moderation, since pleasures must not take the place of God. I think we express this idea most often (although we don't always see it that way) when we say grace before meals. In praying we acknowledge our dependence on His provision for needs and thank Him for the pleasure of what we are to eat.

 

Some good proof texts are:

• ⁴ For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, ⁵ for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. (1 Ti 4:4-5) 
•    but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 1 Tim 6:17
  
• Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights (Js 1:17)
  
• “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. (1 Cor 6:12)
  

 4. Qoheleth now turns his attention to the exploration of wisdom and folly (1:17; 2:3, 12). In this section, what are his conclusions about wisdom and folly, especially in 2:13-16? What is the main reason for his conclusion?

 

Wisdom allows awareness of the situation and problems. Wisdom is better than folly, because it helps us avoid troubles in life, but :

• Everybody dies. and
•  Nobody remembers if you have been wise or foolish in your life

   

5. In 2:17, Qoheleth says he "hated life". What does he mean by this statement? How does this form of "hate" differ from that found in Luke 14:26 ( “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.")?

 Qoheleth's hate for life was because of the pain and disillusionment he felt . He was disappointed. We should not have e a self-hate that leads to despair and suicide. Life is limited and unfair. He had reached the top and found it unfulfilling.

Conversely, the 'hate' Jesus calls us to have for our life is because we love Him and will put His will above our own - it is self-denial and death to self. Our love for the Lord makes all other loves like hate. Qoheleth could not find satisfaction, but we have found the truest satisfaction in Christ- great enough to give all of ourselves to.

We celebrated Wen Jin's birthday!