But we are in a sermon series in the book of Ecclesiastes.
So please open up in your Bibles to Ecclesiastes,
which is right after Psalms and Proverbs in the Old Testament.
We just started this sermon series last Sunday.
If you did miss that Sunday,
you might need a little bit of orientation for the book.
So I do encourage you to go back and listen to that recording on our website,
TrinityCambridge.com.
Let me pray for the reading and preaching of God's Word.
Heavenly Father,
thank you for loving us.
And for the way your love manifests itself to us,
you know, is speaking the truth.
Your Word is truth.
And even though your Word for us this morning contains some very hard truths,
may that sober us.
May that turn our gaze toward Jesus.
May that give us humility and wisdom
to be able to live in
this broken and sinful world
still with an abiding hope
and transcendent joy
that is found in Jesus Christ alone.
Grant that privilege and blessing to every single person here.
in Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
If you are willing and able,
please stand for the reading of God's Word
from Ecclesiastes 1, verse 12,
to chapter 2, verse 11.
Amen.
I, the preacher,
have been king over Israel in Jerusalem,
and I applied my heart to seek
and to search out by wisdom
all that is done under heaven.
It is an unhappy business
that God has given to the children of man
to be busy with.
I have seen everything that is done under the sun,
and behold,
all is vanity
and a striving after wind.
What is crooked cannot be made straight,
and what is lacking cannot be counted.
I said in my heart,
I have acquired great wisdom,
surpassing all who are over Jerusalem before me.
And my heart has had great experience
of wisdom and knowledge.
And I applied my heart to know wisdom
and to know madness and folly.
I perceived that this also
is but a striving after wind.
For in much wisdom is much vexation,
and he who increases knowledge
increases sorrow.
I said in my heart,
Come now, I will test you with pleasure.
Enjoy yourself.
But behold,
this also was vanity.
I said of laughter,
It is mad,
and of pleasure,
What use is it?
I searched with my heart
how to cheer my body with wine,
my heart still guiding me with wisdom,
and how to lay hold on folly,
till I might see
what was good for the children of man
to do under heaven
during the few days of their life.
I made great works.
I built houses
and planted vineyards for myself.
I made myself gardens and parks
and planted in them
all kinds of fruit trees.
I made myself pools
from which to water
the forest of growing trees.
I bought male and female slaves
and had slaves who were born in my house.
I had also great possessions
of herds and flocks,
more than any who had been before me
in Jerusalem.
I also gathered for myself
silver and gold
and the treasure of kings and provinces.
I got singers,
both men and women,
and many concubines,
the delight of the sons of men.
So I became great
and surpassed all who were before me
in Jerusalem.
Also my wisdom remained with me.
And whatever my eyes desired,
I did not keep from them.
I kept my heart from no pleasure,
for my heart found pleasure
in all my toil,
and this was my reward
for all my toil.
Then I considered
all that my hands had done
and the toil I had expended
in doing it,
and behold,
all was vanity
and a striving after wind,
and there was nothing
to be gained under the sun.
This is God's holy
and authoritative word.
You may be seated.
17th century French mathematician
and philosopher Blaise Pascal
said this in his book,
Ponce,
All men seek happiness.
This is without exception.
Whatever different means they use,
they all tend to this end.
The cause of some going to war
and of others avoiding it
is the same desire in both,
to be happy.
This is the motive of every action,
of every man,
even of those who hang themselves.
Isn't this true?
Even those who hang themselves,
who end their own lives,
do so to escape
their profound unhappiness
because they think
they'll be happier
if they ended their own life.
But as our passage
this morning tells us,
happiness in this fallen world
is elusive.
As we learned last week,
the eye is not satisfied
with seeing,
nor the ear filled with hearing.
In short,
we human beings
are never quite satisfied
with anything we experience
in this life.
Our pursuit of happiness
in this life under the sun
is ultimately hevel,
the Hebrew word
which means breath.
It is ultimately futile
like chasing after wind.
All the pleasures
that this world has to offer
are like a puff of breath,
a passing wind,
a wisp of smoke,
a vanishing mist.
And for that reason,
this passage tells us,
knowing that the pleasures
under the sun
are but a breath,
we should seek pleasures
forevermore in Jesus Christ.
And that's the main point
of my sermon this morning.
And we're going to talk about it
in two parts.
First, we'll talk about
the futility of wisdom.
And secondly,
we'll talk about
the fleetingness of pleasure.
In the introduction
and the conclusion
of the book of Ecclesiastes,
the author of the book
repeats his thesis,
which is vanity of vanities,
all is vanity.
And...
Sorry about that, guys.
And in the body of the book,
which is between
the introduction
and the conclusion
from 1.12 to 12.7,
the author uses
the voice of the preacher,
the character preacher,
to go through
a catalog of human beings,
the things that human beings
that frequently seek meaning in
and seek fulfillment in.
And then he tells us
one by one
that none of those things
can ultimately fulfill us
because all of those things
are but a breath.
And today,
we're looking at
how pleasure
is but a breath.
But before he explores that,
the preacher first
establishes his credentials
and he tells us
the futility of wisdom
in verses 12 to 18
of chapter 1.
He says in verse 12,
I, the preacher,
have been king
over Israel in Jerusalem.
But if you have read
1 Kings,
you know that
the nation of Israel
is split in two
right after Solomon's reign,
divided into
the northern kingdom of Israel
and the southern kingdom
of Judah.
And so,
after that point,
no king of Israel
reigns in Jerusalem.
It's only the kings of Judah
that reign in Jerusalem.
So,
there's only two kings
that actually reigned
in Jerusalem
over Israel
and that's King David
and King Solomon
which also makes it
very likely that
the preacher here,
the character here
is Solomon
who originally,
initially wrote
these wisdom,
words of wisdom
in Proverbs
that have been compiled
by the author
of Ecclesiastes
in this way.
And this is confirmed
by 1 Kings 4,
29, 30.
It says that
God gave Solomon
wisdom and understanding
beyond measure
and breath of mind
like the sand
on the seashore
so that Solomon's wisdom
surpassed the wisdom
of all the people
of the east
and all the wisdom
of Egypt.
That's exactly
what the preacher
in Ecclesiastes says.
He says in verse 16,
I said in my heart,
I have acquired
great wisdom
surpassing
all who were
over Jerusalem
before me.
Not only King David
but also all the other
pagan kings
that reigned
in Jerusalem
before him.
But he says
in verses 13 to 14
that even when
he applied
this unsurpassed
wisdom
to search out
the meaning
of our earthly
existence,
of all our
human endeavors,
he could not
find it.
It was but a breath.
He says,
and I applied
my heart
to seek
and to search
out by wisdom
all that is done
under heaven.
It is an unhappy
business that God
has given to the
children of man
to be busy with.
I've seen everything
that is done
under the sun
and behold,
all is vanity
and a striving
after wind.
And then the preacher
gives the reason
why all of it
is a striving
after wind
which is futile.
In verse 15,
what is crooked
cannot be made
straight
and what is lacking
cannot be counted.
Despite all the
knowledge and wisdom
we have gained
through the advancement
of medicine
and technology,
people still get sick.
Hospitals are still full.
And the average
lifespan of human beings
is still exactly
what Psalm 90.10
said 3,000 years ago.
The years of our life
are 70
or even by reason
of strength, 80.
Despite all the experience
and wisdom
we have gained
in diplomacy
and peacemaking,
the world is still
ravaged by war.
Despite all the knowledge
and wisdom
we have gained
about the human mind
and about mental health,
people are still depressed
and as anxious
as ever.
What is crooked
cannot be made straight.
This world,
this whole world
is bent out of shape
and despite our best efforts
we cannot straighten it out.
Likewise,
what is lacking
cannot be counted.
There's always something
missing in the world.
You count
and then there's something missing
and despite our best efforts
we cannot supply
that missing thing.
Despite all the
technological advancements,
despite all our inventions,
the world is still
not the way
it's supposed to be.
What is lacking
cannot be counted.
Then verses 16 to 18,
parallel verses 12 to 15,
again,
the preacher tells us
that he applied
his wisdom,
his heart to know
the wisdom
and to know madness
and folly
only to realize
that this also
is a striving after wind.
It makes sense
that madness and folly
of course
are striving after wind
but it's remarkable
that he says
wisdom is also
striving after wind.
He again gives a reason,
a second reason
why wisdom is futile
in verse 18.
For in much wisdom
is much vexation
and he who increases
knowledge
increases sorrow.
The amount of wisdom
we have
is proportionate
to the vexation
we experience
in our lives.
The amount of knowledge
we have
is proportionate
to the amount
of sorrow
we experience.
How is that the case?
The wiser we get,
the more clearly
we see how tragic
life is
and how broken
this world is.
18th century
English poet
Thomas Gray's poem
Ode on a Distant Prospect
of Eton College
has two distinct halves.
The first half
begins this way
about the untroubled
life of school children.
Ah, happy hills!
Ah, pleasing shade!
Ah, feels beloved in vain!
Where once
my careless childhood
strayed,
a stranger
yet to pain.
It's a child
that is yet
a stranger to pain.
And then the second half
of the poem
takes a dark turn
and it depicts
the pains
of growing up
and being an adult.
It says,
to each his sufferings
all are men
condemned alike
to groan.
The tender
for another's pain,
the unfeeling
for his own.
Yet, ah,
why should they
know their fate
since sorrow
never comes too late
and happiness
too swiftly flies.
Thought
would destroy
their paradise
no more.
Where ignorance
is bliss,
tis folly
to be wise.
This is where
we get that
famous phrase,
ignorance
is bliss.
Far less
eloquently
but far more
humorously,
comedian
Stephen Colbert
writes in his book,
I am America
and so can you.
Why were you
happier
when you were a kid?
Because you
didn't know anything.
The more you know,
the sadder you get.
Don't believe me?
By the time
you finish
reading this chapter,
over a hundred
dogs and
cats in animal
shelters around
the nation
will have been
euthanized.
Bet you wish
you could erase
that knowledge
but it's too late.
You learned
a new idea
and it made you sad.
College is just
more of the same.
Nowadays,
we have more
information
and knowledge
at our fingertips
than we ever
have had before.
But has that
made us happier?
every time
you have
some kind
of ache
or pain
in any part
of your body
now,
now everybody
goes straight
to Google.
And then it
tells you
a dozen things
that it could
possibly be
and some of them
are quite severe
and scary.
Our news feeds
are full of reports
about woe
and suffering
throughout the world.
Don't panic,
but this past week
the World Health
Organization
declared that
the MPOC's
outbreak in Africa
is a global
emergency.
And then earlier
this year
they were sounding
alarmed that
the next pandemic
could be 20 times
worse than
the COVID pandemic.
Well, great.
More information.
Does that knowledge
make us happier?
Some people rejoice
when government
hands out free money,
but people who
understand economics
worry that now
it's going to
cause inflation.
nutrition.
People,
some people enjoy
hot dogs and bacon,
but then some people
who care about nutrition
say, oh no,
that's going to
give you cancer.
Some people live
a carefree life,
and then there are
these depressing
philosophers
who are always
asking deep questions
for which they only
have depressing answers.
The more we know,
the more we wish
we didn't know.
And the more we know,
the more we know
what we don't know.
In this way,
much wisdom
is much vexation,
and he increases
knowledge,
increases sorrow.
That's why
an unnamed character
in Ernest Hemingway's
book,
The Garden of Eden,
says,
happiness in
intelligent people
is the rarest
thing I know.
In another one
of his novels,
Hemingway's novels,
A Farewell to Arms,
two characters,
Lieutenant Frederick Henry
and Nurse Catherine Barkley
fall in love
during World War I,
and then they flee
to Switzerland
in order to live
a carefree life together,
a quaint life
in the mountains,
away from the horrors
of war.
But there,
away from all
the horrors of war,
Catherine gives birth
to a stillborn child
and dies from hemorrhaging
after giving birth.
And her last words
to Frederick
is this,
life is just
a dirty trick.
No wonder Hemingway
himself shot himself
to death
with a 12-gauge shotgun.
He understood
the futility of life
and wisdom.
This bold statement
of the futility of wisdom
should be shocking to us
because the Hebrew word
for wisdom here
is the exact same word
that is used
in the book of Proverbs
over and over again.
And the book of Proverbs
tells us again and again
to get wisdom
at all costs
because it's the most
precious thing.
It says get wisdom
and whatever you get,
get insight.
It says how much better
to get wisdom
than gold.
But Ecclesiastes
teaches us
that even acquiring wisdom
is futile
in this fallen world.
That's obviously
contradictory on the surface.
So how can these two truths
be reconciled?
There is this tension
in the Bible's
wisdom literature
as we can see
in Proverbs also.
Proverbs is not,
he's not unaware of this.
For example,
Proverbs 13.25
says the righteous
has enough
to satisfy his appetite
but the belly
of the wicked
suffers want.
That's pretty
straightforward, right?
The righteous people,
the diligent people,
people who live honestly,
they're going to eat,
have plenty to eat.
But the wicked
will go hungry.
However,
just two verses earlier,
Proverbs 13.23
says the fallow ground
of the poor
would yield much food
but it is swept away
through injustice.
This proverb suggests
that though
the hardworking,
righteous poor
could have,
theoretically should have,
plenty to eat,
injustice robs them
of the fruit
of their labor.
We see a similar tension
in other places
in Proverbs as well.
Proverbs 15.6
says in the house
of the righteous
there is much treasure
but trouble befalls
the income of the wicked.
Once again,
it's straightforward.
If you're righteous
and hardworking,
you're going to get richer.
However,
just a few verses later
it says in Proverbs 15.16-17
better is a little
with the fear of the Lord
than great treasure
and trouble with it.
Better is a dinner of herbs
where love is
than a fattened ox
and hatred with it.
This latter proverb
suggests that sometimes
crooks acquire
great revenues
with injustice
and that the righteous
who fear the Lord
are sometimes poor
and reduced
to a dinner of herbs.
But nevertheless,
it says,
it is better
to fear the Lord.
It is better
to have wisdom.
The interplay
between these
tension,
these two kinds
of proverbs
reveals something
profound for us.
It is generally true
that honest,
diligent work
produces prosperity.
That's the way
God designed
the world to work.
That's how God
has ordered
the world to work.
However,
this world
is marred by sin.
It's a fallen world.
It's a broken world.
And so that
even though
we are commended
to seek righteousness,
sometimes when we do,
we still end up
in poverty.
Things don't always
pan out for us.
Proverbs
is a book
that is weighted
toward the general
rules of wisdom
according to which
we should all
seek to live.
Ecclesiastes
is weighted
toward the exception
to these general rules
which the person
must also be aware of
lest they despair
when things
don't pan out
the way
they expect it to.
It's kind of like
learning the rules
of writing.
When you're first
learning to write,
you learn
that fragments
are bad.
You want to write
in complete sentences
and you learn
how to not write
in fragments.
And then as you
get more advanced
in your writing,
they teach you
that fragments
can actually help
to increase
the pace
of your writing
and intentionally
convey disjointedness.
And in fact,
a lot of the best writers
routinely break
the rule
and write in fragments.
And that's just
what happens
in life.
In a similar way,
the wisdom literature
in scripture
teaches us to know
both the general rules
and the exceptions
to those rules,
both of which
are integral parts
of holistic wisdom.
Overall,
Ecclesiastes still has
a positive view
of wisdom.
It will say later
in chapter 2,
verse 13,
that I saw that
there is more gain
in wisdom
than in folly,
as there is more gain
in light
than in darkness.
It says in Ecclesiastes 7,
11 to 12,
But wisdom is good
with an inheritance,
an advantage
to those who see the sun.
For the protection
of wisdom
is like the protection
of money,
and the advantage
of knowledge
is that wisdom
preserves the life
of him who has it.
But like Proverbs,
Ecclesiastes also recognizes
that time and chance
happen to the wise
and to the fool.
And the wise dies
and is forgotten
just like the fool.
Herein lies
the vexation
and sorrow
of wisdom.
Even if you live
with wisdom,
life does not necessarily
go according to plan
because we live
in a fallen
and broken world.
And this is all
the more vexing
if you try so hard
to live the right way.
I did all
the right things.
I said all
the right things.
And yet,
these tragedies
still hit me.
And that's why
wisdom,
biblical wisdom
is not ultimately
about controlling
our life,
controlling our future.
It's about submitting
to God
who alone
has control
over life.
That's why
Proverbs 21, 30
says,
no wisdom,
no understanding,
no counsel
can avail
against the Lord.
The fear of the Lord
is the beginning
of wisdom.
This is why
the preachers
who preach
the gospel
of health,
wealth,
and prosperity
are so wrong.
Generally speaking,
wise living
and obedience
to God
does lead
to greater
health and prosperity.
Yes, that's true.
But as Ecclesiastes
teaches us,
it is also often
not the case.
The world is unjust
and life is unfair.
That's why
our only hope
must be placed
in Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1,
18-25
says this,
we read this
in the call
to worship,
God destroys
the wisdom
of the wise
in Jesus.
He makes foolish
the wisdom
of the world
in Jesus.
For since
in the wisdom
of God
the world
did not know
God through wisdom,
it pleased God
through the folly
of what we preach
to save those
who believe.
For Jews demand
signs and Greeks
seek wisdom,
but we preach
Christ crucified,
a stumbling block
to Jews
and folly
to Gentiles.
But to those
who are called,
both Jews
and Greeks,
Christ,
the power
of God
and the wisdom
of God,
for the foolishness
of God
is wiser
than men
and the weakness
of God
is stronger
than men.
It's because
of God
that we are
in Christ Jesus
who became
to us
wisdom
from God.
God
from God
righteousness
and sanctification
and redemption.
In His infinite wisdom
God has chosen
to save us
not through the wisdom
of man
but through the folly
of Christ crucified.
It's not those
who make all the wise
choices in life
and do all the right
things in life
who are saved.
It's not people
who,
it's a people
who acknowledge
their desperate
sinfulness
and folly
and their utter
inability
to save themselves
and people
who because of that
trust in Jesus
alone to save them
and His wisdom
alone to save them
they are the ones
for whom Jesus
becomes wisdom
from God.
Even the best
of wisdom
from the greatest
philosophers
throughout the ages
cannot make
what is crooked
straight.
You cannot supply
what is lacking
but in fulfillment
of Isaiah's prophecy
Luke 3 5
says about the coming
of Jesus
the crooked
shall become
straight
and the rough
places shall
become level ways
and all flesh
shall see
the salvation
of God.
In the life
and ministry
of Jesus
the lame walk
the deaf hear
the blind see
the dead are raised
the lepers
are cleansed
and most importantly
He makes sinners
atoned
and forgiven
by dying on the cross
as a sacrifice
for our sins.
It's so in Jesus
alone that the
crooked is made
straight
and what is lacking
is counted
what is broken
is made whole.
The whole of
Ecclesiastes
finds its ultimate
fulfillment in Jesus
and so to teach
us that
Solomon
the author of
Ecclesiastes
put this together
reminds us
it is futile
to seek happiness
in anything
other than Christ.
the preacher
reminds us
I became
as wiser
than all the
wise men
before me
but even still
my wisdom
could not
make me
happy
unless it's
capital
W
wisdom
Jesus Christ.
Then the preacher
applies himself
to the pursuit
of pleasure
he says in
chapter 2
verses 1 to 3
I said in my heart
come now
I will test you
with pleasure
enjoy yourself
but behold
this also
was vanity
I said of
laughter
it is mad
and of
pleasure
what use
is it
I search
with my
heart
to cheer
my body
with wine
my heart
still guiding
me
with wisdom
and how
to lay
hold
on folly
till I
might see
what was
good
for the
children
of men
to do
under
heaven
during
the few
days
of their
life
skipping
ahead a bit
to verses
8 to 10
he says
I also
gathered
for myself
silver
and gold
and the
treasure
of kings
and provinces
I got
singers
both men
and women
and many
concubines
the delight
of the
sons of
men
so I
became
great
and surpassed
all who
were before
me in
Jerusalem
also my
wisdom
remained
with me
and whatever
my eyes
desired
I did
not keep
from them
I kept
my heart
from no
pleasure
for my
heart
found
pleasure
in all
my
toil
and this
was my
reward
for all
my
toil
I'm
sure
some of
you have
been tempted
in the
past
to think
that if
I could
just enjoy
all the
pleasures
of life
without
restriction
without
any
inhibition
then I
would be
happy
then I
can be
truly
happy
well Solomon
says
been there
and done
that
he said
whatever
my eyes
desired
I did
not keep
from them
whenever he
saw any
artifact
or treasure
or clothes
or gadgets
that delighted
his senses
he said
buy it
get it
bring it
to my
home
why not
he has
all the
wealth
in the
world
he
whenever
he saw
any
delicacy
rich
foods
choice
wines
he never
said
no
he
took
all of
it
upon
himself
enjoy
them
all
he
drank
the
most
expensive
wines
whatever
substances
promised
pleasure
escaped
from the
pains
of life
he indulged
himself
I'm sure
he didn't
have those
then
he probably
had ancient
equivalents
of
marijuana
nicotine
alcohol
he's tried
it all
perhaps you
have thought
to yourself
that if you
had other
people
if you can
get other
people to
do all
your work
for you
if you
could just
save a lot
of money
really fast
and then
retire
and live
in retirement
and constant
vacation
for the rest
of your life
then I
can truly
be happy
been there
done that
not me
Solomon
he said
I bought
male and
female slaves
and as
slaves were
born in
my house
I also
had great
possessions
of herds
and flocks
more than
any who
had been
before me
in Jerusalem
he said
everybody else
to do all
of his work
perhaps your
idea of a
good life
is good
music
going to
concerts
and dancing
your life
away
Solomon
had a
personal
entourage
of singers
both men
and women
he says
to regale
him with
merry music
whenever he
wanted
whenever he
saw a
beautiful
or alluring
woman
he took
her
as his
wife
or as
his
concubine
1 Kings
11 2-3
tells us
Solomon
had 700
wives
who were
princesses
not just
any
normal woman
700
princesses
as wives
and he
had 300
concubines
that's a
harem
of a
thousand
women
he can
sleep
with a
different
woman
every day
of his
life
for two
years
and still
have
women
he has
not slept
with
in fact
because
Solomon
multiplied
wives
for himself
and married
foreign
idolatrous
woman
which was
forbidden
scripture
he says
in 1 Kings
11 4
that when
Solomon
was old
his wives
turned away
his heart
after other
gods
and his
heart
was not
wholly
true
to the
Lord
his
God
so this
is a
cautionary
tale
about the
corrosive
effect
of sin
sinful
pleasures
over time
but at
the time
he wrote
the book
of Ecclesiastes
it seems
Solomon still
had his
wits about
him
because he
reminds us
multiple times
in verse 3
he says
I search
with my
heart
how to
cheer my
body
with wine
my
heart
still
guiding
me
with
wisdom
and again
in verse 9
so I
became
great
and surpassed
all who
were before
me in
Jerusalem
also my
wisdom
remained
with me
so at
the time
he wrote
this
he still
had his
wits about
him
although
he'll
lose
that
eventually
because that's
what sin
does
but he
still had
his wits
about him
to be able
to write
this
and to
realize
that it's
all
vanity
so in
a way
he's
experimenting
with the
risky
pleasures
of life
for the
sake of
science
you guys
have heard
that right
yeah
it's like
it's not
unlike the
experiment
conducted by
Michael L.
Smith at
Cornell University
in 2014
we have a lot
of Cornell
grads in our
church
for the sake
of science
he subjected
himself to
bee stings
200 times
in 25
different parts
of his body
all so that
he can determine
which human
part of the
body experiences
the most pain
when stung
by a bee
and now
he created
that pain
index
with these
things
and published
it
you know
that's a
vanity
of vanities
similarly
to determine
experientially
and to
demonstrate
concretely
and not
merely
abstractly
that these
pleasures
are indeed
fleeting
and ultimately
futile
Solomon tried
them all
and this
is his
conclusion
behold
all was
vanity
and a
striving
after
wind
and there
was nothing
to be
gained
under
the sun
so don't
believe the
lie
when the
devil tempts
you and
says oh
if you
get this
you can
be happy
there's
someone
who's
done
it all
and it's
vanity
I think
Anthony
Bourdain
would agree
the beloved
celebrity
chef
professional
eater
of international
cuisine
and travel
documentarian
who hanged
himself
so that
he could
be happy
because all
the pleasures
that he
enjoyed
much more
than any
average
person
could not
make him
happy
there's a
joke that
is dated
at least
to the
early
1800s
I don't
find it
very funny
but they
call it
a joke
for some
reason
which has
recently
become an
internet
meme
it goes
like this
a man
who was
severely
depressed
went to
see a
therapist
I think
some of
you guys
know
he says
I'm
depressed
life
is
harsh
unforgiving
and cruel
at the
end of
the session
the therapist
doesn't
quite know
what to
do with
him
and so
he gives
him a
simple
counsel
I heard
that the
great clown
Pagliacci
is in
town
tonight
go and
see him
that should
cheer you
up
at that
moment
the man
bursts
into tears
and then
says
that will
not
work
why
not
the therapist
asks
the man
says
I
am
Pagliacci
the comics
who can
make
anyone
double over
in laughter
surely
they must
be happy
but look
at Robin
Williams
widely regarded
as the greatest
comedian
of all time
who hanged
himself
so that he
can be
happy
it's
madness
what use
is laughter
behold
this also
was
vanity
but
why
the
preacher
will tell
us
repeatedly
throughout
the book
because
it's
all
so
fleeting
because
it all
ends
in
death
now
Ecclesiastes
doesn't teach
us to
never enjoy
any
pleasures
in life
we're
going to
get to
the
passage
next
week
where
it will
teach
us
how to
properly
enjoy
the
pleasures
of
life
but
for
now
we
need
to
understand
the
futility
of
pleasure
in
an
ultimate
sense
I've
not seen
the Barbie
movie
which came out
last year
but I know
some of you
have seen it
multiple times
but I did
see a
YouTube clip
of a famous
scene called
Dance the Night
Away
you guys know
which scene
I'm talking
about
and in
the scene
it's
so remarkably
shallow
and so remarkably
profound
at the same
time
it's
a scene
where a
whole bunch
of Barbies
and Kens
are just
dancing
the night
away
to a song
called
Dancing
the Night
and
and this
is the
conversation
I wish
I could
talk like
them
but I
can't
gosh
this night
is just
perfect
it's
perfectly
perfect
and you
look so
beautiful
Barbie
thanks
Barbie
I feel
so beautiful
so do
I
this is
the best
day
ever
it is
the best
day
ever
and so
was
yesterday
and so
is tomorrow
and so
is the day
after tomorrow
and even
Wednesdays
and every
day
from now
until
forever
and then
right after
that the
main character
of the movie
Barbie
the main
Barbie
asks this
question
do you guys
ever think
about dying
which brings
all the
dancing
and the
music
to a
screeching
halt
and then
everybody
turns around
and stares
aghast
at the
Barbie
as if
she has
just
committed
the
unpardonable
sin
and so
the Barbie
is easily
manipulated
by peer
pressure
quickly
repents
and then
says
I don't
know why
I just
said that
I'm just
dying
to dance
and then
the party
resumes
like nothing
ever happened
it's a
perfect
illustration
of a
life of
constant
pleasure
and the
hollowness
of all
of it
in the
face of
inevitable
eventual
death
in
verses
40
11
the
Hebrew
verb
that
means
to
do
or
to
make
is
repeated
seven
times
I
made
great
works
I
made
myself
gardens
and parks
I
made
myself
pools
and that
echoes
the creation
account of
Genesis 1
to 2
where the
exact same
word is
used
repeatedly
to talk
about
God's
creative
work
God
made
the
expanse
and separated
the waters
God
made
the
two
great
lights
God
made
the
beasts
of
the
earth
God
made
man
in
his
image
God
saw
everything
that
he
had
made
and behold
it was
very
good
and so
on
this is
not the
only
echo
of the
creation
account
the word
plant
in verse
4
I planted
vineyards
also occurs
in Genesis
2
8
and the
Lord
God
planted
a
garden
in
Eden
and the
word
garden
is the
same
gardens
and
parks
Solomon
said
that
he
planted
in
them
all
kinds
of
fruit
trees
and that
phrase
occurs
over and
over again
in Genesis
1-2
speak of
the fruit
trees
bearing
fruit
that
God
planted
in the
garden
of
Eden
in
verse
6
the
preacher
says
that
he
made
himself
pools
from
which
to
water
his
garden
and
that's
the
exact
same
word
used
in
Genesis
2-10
to
speak
of
how
God
created
a
river
to
that's
used
in
Genesis
2-5
and
2-9
to
speak
of
how
God
made
the
plants
and
trees
spring
up
to
grow
up
in
the
garden
of
Eden
all
of
these
verbal
parallels
are
intended
to
show
us
that
Solomon
applied
all
of
his
resources
all
of
his
power
and
authority
all
of
his
wisdom
and
all
of
his
wealth
to
recreate
Eden
and
he
couldn't
do
it
I
considered
all
that
my
hands
had
done
and
the
toil
I
had
expended
in
doing
it
and
behold
all
was
vanity
and
a
striving
after
wind
there
was
nothing
to
be
gained
under
the
sun
what
a
striking
contrast
from
the
words
of
God
after
his
creative
work
that
he
saw
what
he
had
made
and
it
was
very
good
the
difference
is
this
why
the
difference
it
all
hinges
on
who
does
the
making
in
Genesis
it's
God
made
in
Ecclesiastes
2
it's
I
made
no
matter
what
pleasures
of
this
world
we
give
ourselves
over
to
we
human
beings
can
never
recreate
the
garden
of
Eden
we
can
never
recreate
paradise
we
can
never
reach
utopia
and
that's
the
message
the
wise
and
sobering
message
of
Ecclesiastes
even
if
we
harness
all
the
wisdom
of
mankind
to
renovate
this
world
and
recreate
this
world
we
can
never
make
this
fallen
world
unfallen
again
we
can
never
make
this
broken
world
whole
again
do
you
feel
how
devastating
that
is
and
all
the
pleasures
of
this
world
will
leave
us
only
hollowed
out
from
the
inside
out
because
God
did
not
intend
for
us
to
be
satisfied
by
the
pleasures
of
this
world
because
he
wants
to
give
us
something
better
in
Ecclesiastes
2
1
preacher
concluded
that
the
pleasure
of
this
world
is
vanity
but
the
psalmist
says
to
God
in
Psalm
6
and
11
you
God
make
known
to
me
the
path
of
life
in
your
presence
there
is
fullness
of
joy
that's
the
same
word
at
your
right
hand
are
pleasures
forever
more
where
are
everlasting
pleasures
found
not
the
pleading
pleasures
of
pleasures
of
this
where
are
everlasting
pleasures
found
not
in
this
life
under
the
sun
in
the
presence
of
God
at
the
right
hand
of
God
the
father
and
what
is
at
the
right
hand
of
God
the
father
or
better
who
is
at
the
right
hand
of
God
the
father
the
Bible
tells
the
father
the
right
hand
of
the
father
in
acts
2
33
so
then
in
whom
is
the
fullness
of
joy
to
be
found
in
whom
are
pleasures
forevermore
to be
found
the
answer
my
friends
it's
Jesus
Christ
in
Jesus
sinful
people
are
made
holy
in
Jesus
people
who
are
enslaved
to
sin
and
death
are
made
free
in
Jesus
people
who
are
sick
with
sin
and
sorrows
are
healed
in
Jesus
broken
people
are
made
whole
in
Jesus
the
lost
people
are
found
do
you
know
this
Jesus
what
pleasures
are you
seeking
to
satisfy
yourself
C.S.
Lewis
writes
in his
essay
I'm
sure
I've
quoted
this
to
you
before
from
the
weight
of
glory
it
would
seem
that
our
Lord
finds
our
desires
not
too
strong
but
too
weak
we
are
half
hearted
creatures
fooling
about
with
drink
and
sex
and
ambition
when
infinite
joy
is
offered
us
like
an
ignorant
child
who
wants
to
go
on
making
mud
pies
in
a
slum
because
he
cannot
imagine
what
is
meant
by
the
offer
of
a
holiday
at
the
sea
we
are
far
too
easily
pleased
if
you
feel
the
allure
of
the
temptations
of
the
pleasures
of
this
life
it's
not
because
your
desires
are
too
strong
for
those
things
it's
because
your
desire
for
pleasure
is
too
weak
let
us
not
be
a
people
who
are
too
easily
satisfied
let
us
not
be
a
people
who
are
so
easily
pleased
let's
heed
the
words
of
the
preacher
of
ecclesiastes
who
has
been
there
and
done
that
and
has
found
it
all
wanting
let's
hold
on
to
the
pleasures
forever
more
hold
out
for
that
that's
found
in
Jesus
Christ
alone
let's
pray
heavenly
father
we
ask
that
you
would
engulf
us
with
a
consuming
desire
passion
for
the
pleasures
that
are
found
in
you
alone
so
that
we
would
live
with
a
sober
mind
knowing
that
all
these
pleasures
of
the
world
cannot
satisfy
enlarge
our
vision
of
you
God
enlarge
our
vision
of
Jesus
his
beauty
his
holiness
his
glory
the
unsurpassed
joy
everlasting
pleasure
Lord help
us to
grasp hold
of that
more and
more
grant
everyone
here
to know
the
folly
of
Christ
crucified
that
they
might
find
true
wisdom
in
Christ
and
be
found
by
him
forever
more
thank you
God
for the
wisdom
of your
word
in
Jesus
name
we
pray
amen