THE LIMITS OF WISDOM AND PLEASURE

Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:11 / Keywords 2:11

Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.

 

Wisdom Is Meaningless

1:12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

15 What is crooked cannot be straightened;

    what is lacking cannot be counted.

16 I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.

18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;

    the more knowledge, the more grief.

 Pleasures Are Meaningless

2:1 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. 2 “Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” 3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.

4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem[a] as well—the delights of a man’s heart. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;

    I refused my heart no pleasure.

My heart took delight in all my labor,

    and this was the reward for all my toil.

11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done

    and what I had toiled to achieve,

everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;

    nothing was gained under the sun.

Footnotes

a. Ecclesiastes 2:8 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.

1. The Teacher studied and applied wisdom to learn all that he could under the heavens. We need wisdom and knowledge, but these alone cannot solve all the problems of life. For example, God has allowed all mankind to be burdened by sin and death so that we might turn to him. Only God can take away this burden through Jesus (Mt 11:28-30). Moreover, though the Teacher became wiser than anyone else, more wisdom led to more sorrow. More knowledge led to more grief. Wisdom and knowledge, like chasing the wind, are limited and fleeting.

 

2. When wisdom and knowledge had come up empty and vain, the Teacher turned to pleasure. Pleasure, wine, folly, and even laughter could not give him meaning and purpose in life.

 

3. The Teacher set his mind on great projects. He built buildings, planted great vineyards and gardens, and amassed great wealth. He denied himself nothing, but he continued to be guided by wisdom. Yet for all the Teacher had accomplished and accumulated, he concluded that nothing was gained in the end. These things cannot save our souls nor give us eternal life.

 

Prayer Father, wisdom, knowledge, pleasure, and accomplishments are gifts from you but are also limited and cannot save me from death. Help me not to chase those things but draw me to you.

One Word Do not chase after the wind