Ecc 2:1 | KingComments | STEP | Ungrateful activities, fatigue, sorrow, grief, that is the sad conclusion of the wise in the previous chapter ( ). Well, he then said, let me only think of the nice things of life, things you can laugh about and that make you feel happy ( ). Solomon has spoken to himself ( ). “I said” means that he made a decision. With an encouraging “come now” he has stimulated himself to take action. He has surrendered his heart to “joy”, for that might give him satisfaction. He did not test his joy, but himself by surrendering to hedonism – which is the view that pleasure is the most important thing in life. To stimulate his joy, he only looked at the good things of life [“enjoy yourself” is literally “consider with goodness”]. He said to himself that he should be positive and not pay attention to all the misery around him. He pushed away his worries, ignores his painful experiences, and has made himself to believe: Look happy and feel happy and smile to life. Solomon has kept this up for a while and put himself to the test to see if this gives him lasting happiness. But after a while he also had to say that it is “futility”. The pleasure evaporated and the harsh reality was seen again. Every human joy is spoiled by the awareness that it is not permanent ( ). You can watch and listen to comedians and laugh uncontrollably at their jests and jokes. It works like a drug. For a moment you forget all the misery around you. But when the show is over, you are back in the middle of reality. Distraction and entertainment have no lasting effect. You are still as empty as before. Neither “laughter” nor “pleasure” have been able to take away the terrible awareness of the meaninglessness of all his deeds ( ). Laughter sounds loud, but short. The sound disappears and nothing remains ( ). When life consists of laughter, it is “madness”. Someone who always laughs, looks more like a fool than a wise man. Laughter is madness when people laugh at obscene jokes and sickening humor. Laughter is madness when it is linked to the loss of judgment skills and the boundary between good and evil is lost. The laugher draws the hard facts into a sea of frivolity. When pleasure is a goal in itself, it achieves nothing. It does not free someone from the tormenting feeling of the meaninglessness of all his activities. He says of pleasure “what does it accomplish?”, by which he means that it does not accomplish anything. There is a temporary effect associated with pleasure. When someone is happy, it is pleasant for him ( ), but it does not bring about any fundamental change in man and his circumstances. Pleasure does not provide answers to the questions of life. The answer to the question is clear: all pleasure fails when it comes to meeting the needs of man who lives “under the sun” and has no relationship with God. There is a joy that goes deeper than temporary pleasure with limited effect, and that also goes far beyond it. This joy lies outside the field of the vision of the Preacher and is connected with the Lord Jesus in glory. He who has a living relationship with Him can rejoice in Him, for He gives His joy to everyone who is connected with Him by faith ( ; ). Solomon also tried wine to discover the influence it has on his mind ( ). With wine we can also think of everything that is good to drink and eat, the ‘good life’. Would the enjoyment of everything that caresses the taste buds give his heart the peace he was looking for? If you have some wine or a nice meal, you can feel physically well. You feel comfortable in your own skin. For that you really do not have to eat and drink so much that you get intoxicated. Solomon was so wise that he made sure he remained sober. He remained master of his mind and enjoyed the good life as a true life artist, who manages to do everything proportionately. That has extended his enjoyment. He also avoided unpleasant consequences. He also seized upon folly in order to thereby examine his heart. He has not behaved like a fool, for his wisdom has kept the control in his heart. He has held himself in control. Fools stuff themselves with food and drinks. That means brief enjoyment. By his gluttony the fool shortens the enjoyment of the thing, while he also vomits what he has stuffed himself with. Solomon would not have done this, for he has constantly kept himself in control. He has done everything to find out “what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives”. He wanted to know where to get the highest good that gives the highest happiness to man. That is what he has been looking for and that is what all his efforts have gone for. He wanted to enjoy this throughout his life, during his life in this world. In order to know this happiness he has done all these things.

‏ Ecclesiastes 2:1

Pleasure, Laughter, Wine and Madness

Ungrateful activities, fatigue, sorrow, grief, that is the sad conclusion of the wise in the previous chapter (Ecc 1:13 ; 18). Well, he then said, let me only think of the nice things of life, things you can laugh about and that make you feel happy (Ecc 2:1-3).

Solomon has spoken to himself (Ecc 2:1). “I said” means that he made a decision. With an encouraging “come now” he has stimulated himself to take action. He has surrendered his heart to “joy”, for that might give him satisfaction. He did not test his joy, but himself by surrendering to hedonism – which is the view that pleasure is the most important thing in life.

To stimulate his joy, he only looked at the good things of life [“enjoy yourself” is literally “consider with goodness”]. He said to himself that he should be positive and not pay attention to all the misery around him. He pushed away his worries, ignores his painful experiences, and has made himself to believe: Look happy and feel happy and smile to life.

Solomon has kept this up for a while and put himself to the test to see if this gives him lasting happiness. But after a while he also had to say that it is “futility”. The pleasure evaporated and the harsh reality was seen again. Every human joy is spoiled by the awareness that it is not permanent (Pro 14:13). You can watch and listen to comedians and laugh uncontrollably at their jests and jokes. It works like a drug. For a moment you forget all the misery around you. But when the show is over, you are back in the middle of reality. Distraction and entertainment have no lasting effect. You are still as empty as before.

Neither “laughter” nor “pleasure” have been able to take away the terrible awareness of the meaninglessness of all his deeds (Ecc 2:2). Laughter sounds loud, but short. The sound disappears and nothing remains (Ecc 7:6). When life consists of laughter, it is “madness”. Someone who always laughs, looks more like a fool than a wise man.

Laughter is madness when people laugh at obscene jokes and sickening humor. Laughter is madness when it is linked to the loss of judgment skills and the boundary between good and evil is lost. The laugher draws the hard facts into a sea of frivolity.

When pleasure is a goal in itself, it achieves nothing. It does not free someone from the tormenting feeling of the meaninglessness of all his activities. He says of pleasure “what does it accomplish?”, by which he means that it does not accomplish anything. There is a temporary effect associated with pleasure. When someone is happy, it is pleasant for him (Pro 15:13 ; Pro 17:22), but it does not bring about any fundamental change in man and his circumstances.

Pleasure does not provide answers to the questions of life. The answer to the question is clear: all pleasure fails when it comes to meeting the needs of man who lives “under the sun” and has no relationship with God.

There is a joy that goes deeper than temporary pleasure with limited effect, and that also goes far beyond it. This joy lies outside the field of the vision of the Preacher and is connected with the Lord Jesus in glory. He who has a living relationship with Him can rejoice in Him, for He gives His joy to everyone who is connected with Him by faith (Phil 4:4; Jn 15:11).

Solomon also tried wine to discover the influence it has on his mind (Ecc 2:3). With wine we can also think of everything that is good to drink and eat, the ‘good life’. Would the enjoyment of everything that caresses the taste buds give his heart the peace he was looking for? If you have some wine or a nice meal, you can feel physically well. You feel comfortable in your own skin. For that you really do not have to eat and drink so much that you get intoxicated.

Solomon was so wise that he made sure he remained sober. He remained master of his mind and enjoyed the good life as a true life artist, who manages to do everything proportionately. That has extended his enjoyment. He also avoided unpleasant consequences.

He also seized upon folly in order to thereby examine his heart. He has not behaved like a fool, for his wisdom has kept the control in his heart. He has held himself in control. Fools stuff themselves with food and drinks. That means brief enjoyment. By his gluttony the fool shortens the enjoyment of the thing, while he also vomits what he has stuffed himself with. Solomon would not have done this, for he has constantly kept himself in control.

He has done everything to find out “what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives”. He wanted to know where to get the highest good that gives the highest happiness to man. That is what he has been looking for and that is what all his efforts have gone for. He wanted to enjoy this throughout his life, during his life in this world. In order to know this happiness he has done all these things.