More thoughts on the same passage as yesterday!
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 man.
Comment: In the ESV this section has the heading ‘The Vanity of Self-Indulgence‘. Vanity is a word which we use moderately frequently but its meaning here is fairly obviously different from the youth who is vain in his athletic fitness or the the young lady in her beauty. In some languages it is translated ‘a disappearing mist’ as ‘a shadow’ or ‘like a ghost’. In other words something which is seen but has no real substance and leaves you with nothing of real worth.
Solomon tried successfully to grasp the following – pleasure; superficial hilarity; heavy drinking (although he claims not to the point of being paralytic); fantastic success in what he achieved in construction, agricultural and horticultural. He obtained a huge number of ’employees’; he was a success at money making! He was involved in the entertainment business and the sex trade. He claims to have done it all for a good purpose. And what was that purpose? He says ‘till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life‘.
Prayer: Realizing that I am not here forever, help me to listen to Your leading as to how I should use my time on earth.
As I read it! 