Ecclesiastes 2:16

 

For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die!

 

Solomon was a very rich and very wise man. Yet, Solomon knew he was a fool who was grasping for the windÓ (Ecclesiastes 1:17).

 

A Life Without Meaning and Purpose:              Ecclesiastes 1:2-4

Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.

3What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? 4Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.

 

1.         Life is brief .              Ecclesiastes 1:11

There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow.

 

2.         Life is challenging .   Ecclesiastes 1:16-17

 

3.         Life is depressing .    Ecclesiastes 2:1-3

I thought in my heart, 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 foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish? 3I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

 

You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing (Psalm 145:16).

 

Foolishness and Wisdom Fail to Bring Satisfaction:   Ecclesiastes 2:7-9

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. 8I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as wellÑthe delights of the heart of man. 9I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

 

1.         Foolishness is a choice .                   Ecclesiastes 2:10-11

 

2.         Wisdom is not enough .                     Ecclesiastes 2:12-15

 

 

Without God We Cannot Have Lasting Happiness:                    Ecclesiastes 2:16

For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die!

 

1.         Don’t let life rob you of God’s blessings .       Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

 

2.         Balance the temporal with the eternal .                     Luke 12:16-21

And he told them this parable: The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17He thought to himself, What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.


18Then he said, This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I’ll say to myself, You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.

20But God said to him, You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?

21This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.

 

3.         Rely on God’s wisdom .                     Ecclesiastes 3:11

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.