Ecclesiastes 2:2 - THERE IS A WAY.
Ecclesiastes 2:2 (NLT) So I said,
Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek
pleasure?
INTRODUCTION
Solomon conducted his search for life's
meaning as an experiment. He first tried pursuing
pleasure. He undertook great projects, bought slaves
and herds and flocks, amassed wealth, acquired
singers, added many concubines to his harem, and
became the greatest person in Jerusalem. But none
of these gave him satisfaction: "But as I
looked at everything I had worked so hard to
accomplish, it was all so meaningless - like chasing the
wind. There was nothing really worthwhile
anywhere" (2:11). Some of the pleasures Solomon sought
were wrong, and some were worthy; but even the
worthy pursuits were futile when he pursued them as
an end in themselves. We must look beyond our
activities to the reasons we do them and the purpose
they fulfill. Is your goal in life to search for
meaning or to pursue God, who gives meaning? [Life
Application SB]
COMMENTARY PEARL
Shortly before his death at age
thirty-three, comedian Chris Farley said in an interview,
I used to think that you could get to a level
of success where the laws of the universe
didnt apply. But they do. Its still life on
lifes terms, not on movie-star terms Once I
thought that if I just had enough in the bank, if I
had enough fame, that it would be all right.
But it wasnt all right, was it? Farley
overindulged himself and needlessly threw his life away.
He may have been laughing on the outside, but
apparently, he was crying on the inside.
Solomon, too, gave pleasure a try. He
said, Come on, lets try pleasure.
Lets look for the good things in life.
But I found that this, too, was meaningless
(Ecclesiastes 2:1 NLT).
No fear is a popular slogan for
T-shirts. The problem is that were not afraid of
what we ought to be afraid of. We ought to fear
God.
When the Bible tells us to fear God, it
means that we should have reverence for God. We
should honor God and respect Him. To fear God means
to recognize that He is God Almighty and never
take His offer of forgiveness for granted.
Maybe youve tried to play by the
rules, but youve failed. Youve tried to clean
up your life and live by Gods commandments,
but youve fallen short.
When I became a Christian, I was full of
doubt. Even as I was praying to ask Jesus Christ to
come into my life, I thought, Im the one
person this is not going to work for. Im not a
Christian type of person.
I thought certain kinds of people were
predisposed to become Christians, the kind of people who
were naturally upbeat and optimistic. I wasnt
one of them. But I qualified because I was a
sinner.
That is the kind of person God is looking
for. We have all sinned. We have all fallen short
of the glory of God (see Romans 3:23).
If that is the case, then who will get
into Heaven? Without Jesus Christ, no one will.
We cant do it on our own. We cant be
flawless.
God knew that we would fall short. But He
loved us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus
Christ, to this earth. Jesus was more than a good
man; He was the God-Man who went to the cross
willingly, laid down His life, and shed His blood for
us.
He paid the price of sin for us. He came
to pay a debt He did not owe because we owed a
debt we could not pay.
That is why Jesus Christ is the only way
to the Father. It sounds radical, but it came
from Jesus Himself. He said, I am the way, the
truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father
except through me (John 14:6 NLT).
Jesus - and Jesus alone - is uniquely
qualified to connect us with the Father in Heaven.
[Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
COMMENTARY
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld once pointed out
that everyones looking for good sex, good
food, and a good laugh because theyre little
islands of relief in whats often a painful
existence.
That isnt new to our day. Solomon
decided to seek out laughter as well. He probably
brought in the finest comedians of the day. Maybe
acrobats, magicians, and illusionists performed for
him too. But in the end, he concluded that it
all was empty.
He wrote, Laughter is silly. What good
does it do to seek pleasure? (Ecclesiastes 2:2
NLT).
Then Solomon thought that maybe he could
find the answer in alcohol. If he just started
drinking, perhaps in his altered state he would be a
happy person. He said, After much thought, I
decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still
seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this
way, I tried to experience the only happiness
most people find during their brief life in this
world (verse 3 NLT).
Drinking has become a very common thing
now, and people, especially young people, think
going out and having cocktails is a cool thing to
do. But it isnt cool. In fact, the Bible
warns, Wine produces mockers; alcohol leads to
brawls. Those led astray by drink cannot be wise
(Proverbs 20:1 NLT).
Solomon tried it all. He went on a
building binge, constructing massive houses,
mansions, and palaces. And he recognized the emptiness
of life without God.
Maybe there have been times in your life
when everything seemed to click. There was that
beautiful star-filled night or that gorgeous sunset,
and you thought, This is it. If only life
could be this way!
But those are just glimpses; each glimpse
gives you a sense that it is what life ought to be
like. However, you are never quite there, because
you wont find fulfillment in this world. You
will find it only in a relationship with God.
[Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
John 14:6 - NOW IS THE TIME!
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230228-0657.html
John 17:3 - A Supreme Relationship with
Jesus Christ is Eternal Life.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220418-0927.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
