Banchory Christian Fellowship Church
Religion & Spirituality:Christianity
Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:11
New International Version - UK
Wisdom is meaningless
12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
15 What is crooked cannot be straightened;
what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I said to myself, ‘Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.’ 17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.
18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;
the more knowledge, the more grief.
Pleasures are meaningless
2 I said to myself, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.’ But that also proved to be meaningless. 2 ‘Laughter,’ I said, ‘is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?’ 3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly – my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.
4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem[a] as well – the delights of a man’s heart. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.
10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labour,
and this was the reward for all my toil.
11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.
Footnotes
6th Dec 2020 - "Imitating Christ's Humility" - Philippians 2:1-11
29th Nov 2020 - "Let your manner of life be worthy of the Gospel" - Philippians 1:27-30
22nd Nov 2020 - "The Able Redeemer" - Titus 3:1-7 and Ruth 4
15th Nov 2020 - "The Willing Redeemer" - Ruth 3
8th Nov 2020 - "Shelter From The Storm" - Ruth 2
1st Nov 2020 - "Lost and Found" - Luke 15:1-7
25th Oct 2020 - "Deliverance through Drought and Deluge" - Psalm 42-43
18th Oct 2020 - Sermon Only - "Long Walk Home" - Ruth 1
18th Oct 2020 - Whole Service - "Long Walk Home" - Ruth 1
11th Oct 2020 - Sermon Only - "Hitting Rock Bottom" - Ruth 1
11th Oct 2020 - Whole Service - "Hitting Rock Bottom" - Ruth 1
4th Oct 2020 - "When Harvest Doesn’t Come" - Habakkuk 3
27th Sept 2020 - "I Am the True Vine" - John 15:1-17
20 Sept 2020 - "I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life" - John 14:1-14
13th Sept 2020 - "I AM The Resurrection & The Life" - John 11:17-44
6th Sept 2020 - "I Am the Good Shepherd" - John 10:7-18
30th Aug 2020 - "I Am the Gate" - John 10:1-10
23rd Aug 2020 - "I Am the Light of the World" - John 8:12-30
16th Aug 2020 - "I Am the Bread of Life" - John 6:22-59
9th Aug 2020 - "Keeping Watch" - Psalm 121
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