Ecclesiastes Chapter Two, Anger Turns To Despair

Ecclesiastes 2:20 Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun. [21] For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.

The preacher is focusing on inheritance, succession, and generational dissonance. By generational dissonance, I simply mean the disconnect one generation feels when viewing the younger generation destined to succeed them. This has been the preacher’s line of thought since Ecclesiastes 2:12.

Ecclesiastes Chapter Two, Mounting Frustration

Ecclesiastes 2:17 Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind. [18] Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. [19] And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I have toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

Verse 17 begins with the grapes souring on the vine. The payoff in this verse can be traced back to verse 14, where the preacher commends the wisdom of the wise man, because he walks with his eyes in front of his head. The fool, however, stumbles in darkness, but despite this difference a singular, glaring similarity makes praise die on the preacher’s tongue.

Ecclesiastes Chapter Two, Questioning Wisdom's Value

Ecclesiastes 2:15 So I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, it also happens to me, and why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart, “This also is vanity.” [16] For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die? As the fool!

The preacher refers to himself in the first person here, contrasting his mental acumen to that of the infamous fool. He was wise; other men were fools. Yet both wise and foolish perish. The foolish lived, well, foolishly. But it did not benefit them, or hinder them, any more than the wise man who practiced his wisdom and walked with his eyes in his head.

Ecclesiastes Chapter Two, One Fateful Event

Ecclesiastes 2:13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness. [14] The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I perceived that the same event happens to them all.

The preacher makes a very great confession in this passage that reveals in not so many words the crux of his burden. He begins well, admitting that wisdom is better than folly. To practice folly of course is to play the fool. We read in Proverbs, “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him,” Proverbs 26:4. Conversely, it is also written, “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes,” Proverbs 26:5.

Ecclesiastes Chapter Two, Changing Of The Guard

Ecclesiastes 2:12 Then I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what can the man do who succeeds the king?—only what he has already done.

The consideration of the preacher settles on a particular topic: his reign. The preacher was the wisest, richest, most powerful king in Jerusalem that ever was, and by God’s admission, would ever be, outside the of the Lord Jesus Christ. In verses 10 and 11 he contemplated materialism and hedonism, and how he did gain superficial pleasure or a sense of accomplishment when he reflected on what he had done.

Ecclesiastes Chapter Two, The Failure Of Accomplishment

Ecclesiastes 2:10 Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my reward from all my labor. [11] Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.

The preacher ventures into what may be categorized as rampant hedonism at this point. Oxford defines hedonism as, “behavior based on the belief that pleasure is the most important thing in life.” There is a modern American saying in our popular culture, “if it feels good, do it.” Or more to quote the musical artist Leon Bridges’ song title, “If it feels good (Then it must be).”

Ecclesiastes Chapter Two, Kings Among Kings

Ecclesiastes 2:8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds. [9] So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.

The list of accomplishments and accolades continues. At this point, and at this pace it is really more of an onslaught as the preacher boasts, as Paul once foolishly boasted, in the accomplishments of the flesh. The pinnacle of human grandeur and achievement is touted in the preacher’s person, who, for the third time in this book, claims that he is greater than all who were in Jerusalem before him.

Ecclesiastes Chapter Two, Acquisition

Ecclesiastes 2:4 I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. [5] I made myself gardens, and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. [6] I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. [7] I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me.

The first item to note in this passage is the plural. Everything the preacher makes mention of is in plural. His works are plural. His houses and vineyards, gardens, orchards and fruit trees, servants and flocks are plural. The man did nothing half way and denied himself nothing, see Ecclesiastes 2:10.

Ecclesiastes Chapter Two, The Question Of Alcohol

Ecclesiastes 2:3 I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.

The Tanakh renders the opening of this verse, “I ventured to tempt my flesh with wine, and to grasp folly, while letting my mind direct with wisdom.” The NIV translates the verse’s opening as, “I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom.” The preacher is looking to use an intoxicant to, as he states it, “gratify my flesh.” 

Ecclesiastes Chapter Two, Testing Mirth

Ecclesiastes 2:2 I said of laughter—“Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”

Remember, the preacher’s first objective was to test the path of pleasure through wisdom. He already deemed the entire affair to be vanity, but he presses on. First, he focuses on laughter.

Ecclesiastes Chapter Two, Pursuing Pleasure

Ecclesiastes 2:1 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity.

The Hebrew term for “mirth” is “simchah,” and means, “blithesomeness or glee.” Furthermore it is explained that the term is both an external expression for joy, and the representation of the abstract feeling or concept of joy. Synonyms for joy include happiness, delight, or pleasure.

Molehills: The Ecumenical Movement

Oxford defines “ecumenism” as, “the aim of promoting unity among the world’s Christian Churches.” A surface inspection suggests that this is a noble, admirable goal. After all, Scripture states that Christians should endeavor, “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,” Ephesians 4:3. Psalm 133, which I could quote in its entirety regarding the topic, says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Psalm 133:1.