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
9th April 2023 - ”Jesus Appears to the Disciples” - John 20:19-31
26th March 2023 - ”GOD COMES DOWN” - Exodus 3:1-10
19th March 2023 - ”God Sees, God Knows” - Exodus 2
12th March 2023 - ”Dark Clouds, Big Promises” - Exodus 1 (ESV)
5th March 2023 - ”IF GOD BE FOR US...” - 2 Kings 6:8-23 (ESV)
26th February 2023 - ”What Kind of Leaders?” - Acts 20:2-38
19th February 2023 - ”Following Jesus is Costly” - Acts 19:11-20:1
12th February 2023 - ”Truth Really Matters” - Acts 18:24-19:10
5th February 2023 - ”OUNUMBERED, NOT OVERPOWERED” - 1 Kings 18:16-39
29th January 2023 - ”GOD MOVES IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS” - Acts 18:1-23
22nd January 2023 - ”THE GOD YOU NEED TO KNOW” - Acts 17:16-34
15th January 2023 - ”PREACH-SUFFER-REPEAT” - Acts 17:1-15
8th January 2023 - ”Chains Shall He Break” - Acts 16_16-40
1st January 2023 - ”Choose Wisely” - 2 Chronicles 1:7-13
25th December 2022 - ”Christmas Day Service” - Luke 2:1-16
18th December 2022 - ”BORN TO GIVE SECOND BIRTH” - John 3:1-21
11th December 2022 - ”WHO IS GOD AND LORD OF ALL” - John 1:1-18
27th November 2022 - ”God’s Mission Breaks New Ground” - Acts 15:36 - 16:15
20th November 2022 - ”WHAT MAKES US CHRISTIAN” - Acts 15:1-35
13th November 2022 - ”REMEMBER YOUR CRETOR”- Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:14
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