Ecclesiastes 2

 

Observations

Make an outline for your observations of Ecclesiastes 2

 

Ecclesiastes 2 – Pleasures, Wisdom, Folly, and Toil are Meaningless

vv.1-11 Pleasures Are Meaningless

 

vv.1-3 After studying everything in the world, Solomon tries pleasure

 v.2 Laughter often ends in a sigh

   - What profit does pleasure give?

   - “Can we use pleasure as sauce, and not as the food?”

 v.3 Tried to use wine to make himself happy

 

vv.4-9 Solomon hordes wealth  to himself

 vv.4-6 Builds buildings and makes gardens (1 Kings 9:15-19)

 v.7 Increased his family & took care of the country

 v.8 Acquired treasures as gift from foreign kings because of his wisdom

 v.9 He remained a master over the pleasures

 

vv.10-11 Conclusions on pleasure

 v.10 For experimental purposes Solomon allowed exposure to any pleasure

 - Solomon had pleasure in seeing the end result of his work!

 v.11 Everything Solomon accomplished was temporary pleasure – “chasing after the wind”

vv.12-16 Wisdom and Folly Are Meaningless

 

vv.12-14 Evaluation of Wisdom & Folly

v.12 Wisdom and folly are compared (1:17)

 - If the king already experienced something, whatever someone else does has already been done

v.13 Wisdom is preferred over folly

v.14 Wisdom allows one to discover dangers to be avoided and things that cam be improved

 - Both the wise and foolish die (Psa. 49:10-11)

 

vv.15-16 Application of Conclusion

v.15 Ask yourself this question!

v.16 Both the wise and foolish are eventually forgotten

vv.17-26 Toil is Meaningless

 

vv.17-23 Evaluation of Toil (work)

v.17 Life itself is subject to many toils and troubles -> constant disappointments

 - work addressed is “under the sun”

v.18-19 Everything must be left to those that follow -> don’t know if that person is wise or a fool

v.20 Work has no sense of satisfaction

v.21 Worked so hard -> recipient did nothing to earn it (1 Kings 12)

v.22 Work must be forced upon us – it’s natural to be lazy

v.23 More work -> more worry -> less sleep

 

vv.24-26 God is the source of satisfaction

vv.24-25 God gives work -> work -> satisfaction (content) and enjoyment

v.26 Our end is to please God -> wisdom, knowledge, happiness

 - Sinner hordes (discontent) -> God gives to righteous (sinner gives up at death)

 

 

 

Argument and Purpose

Find the argument and purpose(s) of Ecclesiastes 1

 

Argument: Pleasures, Wisdom, Folly, and Toil are Meaningless

 

Purpose:

  1. Pleasure should be used as an addition (sauce) to the main focus in life (food).
  2. Understand that pleasure is temporary and do not last forever.
  3. “The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?” (v.15)
  4. Work hard, be content in the work, and attribute satisfaction to God.
  5. Remember that in everything that we do, our end is to please God.

Ecclesiastes 2

Theme:

 

 

 

Argument:

 

 

 

 

 

Purposes: