Sunday, December 2, 2018 pm
STUDIES IN ECCLESIASTES
The Vanity of Mirth and Laughter
Ecclesiastes 2:1-3
Tonight, we continue our study of the book of Ecclesiastes and Solomon’s
quest to find the meaning of life.
He observed that there is a consistency in the world and the
nature of man that does not change from generation to generation.
He also noted how in his search, he observed that worldly
pursuits are vanity (emptiness, vapor, grasping for the wind).
With our lesson tonight, we want to begin examining the various
avenues of pursuit in greater detail.
a.
There is something to be
said about testing (or proving - KJV) something.
It actually can be a good thing to do.
Testing can help us determine if
we are what we ought to be.
It can also strengthen us.
b.
Consider the following:
i.
Genesis 22:1, Abraham’s
faith was tested by God (Hebrews 11:17).
Psalm 7:9 notes that the
righteous God tests the hearts and minds.
(Also Proverbs 17:3)
ii.
2 Corinthians 13:5, test
yourselves. 1 Thessalonians
5:21 – test all things, hold fast to what is good.
James 1:3, 1 Peter 1:7 speaks of our faith being tested.
iii.
1 John 4:1, we are
called upon to test the spirits whether they are of God.
c.
HOWEVER, when we think
of testing our hearts, understand that we DON’T have to put ourselves
into unnecessary temptations or engage in sinful conduct.
As you study our text, whether Solomon reached the point of
sinful “testing” or not is unclear.
II.
I will test you with mirth – things to produce happiness and pleasure.
NOT necessarily, sinful or even sensual pleasures (though they
might be included), but anything that brings us pleasure.
In the case of Solomon, he was examining worldly pleasures
(again, not necessarily sinful) – note 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.
a.
The Bible and pleasure
– a Greek word from which we get our English word, hedonism – which
describes unrestrained pleasures.
James 4:1 – wars come as a result of desires for pleasure.
Also vs. 3,
Luke 8:14 – the pleasures of life choke out the word and make one
unproductive
Titus 3:3 – the former conduct of a Christian could include lusts and
pleasures
Proverbs 21:17, He who loves
pleasure will be a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not be rich
b.
We live in a pleasure
driven society
– it is seen in our homes, how and where we spend our spare time,
sporting events, vacations, holidays, etc.
Most entertainment has become extremely expensive.
Think of a hobby you are interested in.
How much have you spent on it?
Consider the price one will pay to go to a sporting event,
concert, amusement park, even the movies.
The amount some spend on their hobbies is mind-blowing.
And the recreational industry knows this and capitalized on it.
Eccl 2:10 2 Timothy 3:4 – lovers
of pleasure rather than lovers of God, Hebrews 11:25 – Moses, the
passing pleasures of sin
c.
Be reminded that pleasure within itself is not wrong.
In fact, God wants us to enjoy life – Solomon points that out –
Ecclesiastes 2:24 – it is from the hand of God.
There is a time for rest and recreation.
It can rejuvenate us, but pleasure should not be our ultimate
goal. Solomon, even in his
quest, used moderation.
But, as we have seen, is it possible that we become so pleasure driven,
that God is chocked out?
d.
The pleasures of this
life will NOT give us real meaning. They
are vapor or emptiness.
III.
Laughter –
is good medicine and sorely needed at times.
consider Proverb 17:22, A
merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the
bones.
Sometimes it is just taking a break from the depravity around us.
Sometimes it is a coping mechanism.
Ecclesiastes 3:4 notes that there is a time to laugh.
There is laughter and joy from good things – clean comedy, funny
things that happen in life, someone who has the ability to cheer others
up and brings smiles when he/she is around, etc.
While not directly related, it is no accident that we are called upon to
rejoice (Philippians 4:4) and how Paul’s thoughts of his brethren
brought him joy.
BUT, there is also laughter from evil things – much of today’s
entertainment is filthy, even (or especially) the comedy. And Hollywood
wants it that way. There are
companies that have attempted to remove filthy language and scenery from
movies, only to be met with great resistance by the purveyors of filth
and garbage. Many of the
laugh clubs (bars with comedians) thrive on filthiness and hateful
comments. The filthier
something is, the better. It has
even become acceptable in the main stream of society (such as banquets
and conventions). But is such
REALLY funny? Will it be
funny when one stands before God and answers?
There is also excess in laughter and joy of this world’s ways
(even if they are not wrong within themselves) – those obsessed with
comedy and that which causes amusement.
What they do may not be wrong within itself, but does it rob us
of precious time that could be better spent, OR keep us from facing
troubles in our lives?
Consider: Proverb 14:13, Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, And the
end of mirth may be grief. Ecclesiastes 10:19 – a feast is made for
laughter, and wine makes merry.
Ecclesiastes 7:3 – sorrow is better than laughter, because by it the
heart is made better.
James 4:9 – let your laughter be turned to mourning.
When we are guilty of sin, we don’t need to laugh, we NEED TO
REPENT!
IV.
Wine – he
sought to gratify his flesh with wine.
This is actually related to his mirth and laughter.
Many turn to alcohol seeking pleasure and to feel good.
How many seek pleasure in
alcohol, thinking it will only be casual (social drinking, etc.), only
to become addicted or damaged by such.
In our next lesson, we will address the folly of wine in our pursuit for
meaning.
So
Solomon’s quest begins with wisdom, then turns to pleasure and laughter.
In vs. 3 we will note he did these things while guiding his hear
with wisdom (he didn’t lose control).
BUT notice the latter part of this verse, “till I might see what
was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their
lives. NOTICE here, he’s
looking for REAL meaning to life.
It is NOT found in worldly pursuits.
We’ll continue to see this in our next few lessons.
So how about you?
Where are you seeking answers to these very important questions?