Morning Musings: Ecclesiastes 2:1, 11

“I said in my heart, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.’  But behold, this also was vanity. . . .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.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Pleasures pursued for their own sake will never bring us lasting joy or life.  Human desires run in a million different directions.  We can spend our entire lives seeking to see our desires met.  If we make this our god, though, we will never cease our running.  One desire will give way to another and to another and to another.  There will always be something new and better to want.  We will wind up running until our legs give out and then we will crawl until our strength is gone.  In the end, we will be left with only more unfulfilled desires.   Read the rest…

Morning Musings: Ecclesiastes 1:18

“For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

What a depressing start to a book!  Ecclesiastes is one of the most interesting and intriguing documents in all of the Old Testament.  Interpreters have struggled for centuries to understand what exactly is the perspective of the Teacher (whom tradition has long held to be Solomon).  Is he positive on life?  Is he negative?  Is he confused?   Read the rest…