WEBVTT - Ecclesiastes 2

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

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<v Speaker 1>walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening

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<v Speaker 1>to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm John Stonge

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<v Speaker 1>and today we're in Ecclesiastes chapter 2 and we'll be

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<v Speaker 1>reading from the New English Translation. I thought to myself,

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<v Speaker 1>come now, I will try self-indulgent pleasure to see if

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<v Speaker 1>it is worthwhile. But I found that it also is futile.

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<v Speaker 1>I said of partying, it is folly, and of self-indulgent pleasure,

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<v Speaker 1>it accomplishes nothing. I thought deeply about the effects of

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<v Speaker 1>indulging myself with wine. All the while, my mind was

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<v Speaker 1>guiding me with wisdom and the effects of behaving foolishly.

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<v Speaker 1>so that I might discover what is profitable for people

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<v Speaker 1>to do on earth during the few days of their lives.

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<v Speaker 1>I increased my possessions. I built houses for myself. I

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<v Speaker 1>planted vineyards for myself. I designed royal gardens and parks

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<v Speaker 1>for myself. And I planted all kinds of fruit trees

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<v Speaker 1>in them. I constructed pools of water for myself to

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<v Speaker 1>irrigate my grove of flourishing trees. I purchased male and

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<v Speaker 1>female slaves, and I owned slaves who were born in

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<v Speaker 1>my house. I also possessed more livestock, both herds and flocks,

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<v Speaker 1>than any of my predecessors in Jerusalem. I also amassed

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<v Speaker 1>silver and gold for myself, as well as valuable treasures

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<v Speaker 1>taken from kingdoms and provinces. I acquired male singers and

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<v Speaker 1>female singers for myself, and what gives a man sensual

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<v Speaker 1>delight a harem of beautiful concubines. So I was far

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<v Speaker 1>wealthier than all my predecessors in Jerusalem. Yet I maintained

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<v Speaker 1>my objectivity. I did not restrain myself from getting whatever

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<v Speaker 1>I wanted. I did not deny myself anything that would

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<v Speaker 1>bring me pleasure. So all my accomplishments gave me joy.

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<v Speaker 1>This was my reward for all my effort. Yet when

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<v Speaker 1>I reflected on everything I had accomplished... And on all

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<v Speaker 1>the effort that I had expended to accomplish it, I concluded,

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<v Speaker 1>all these achievements and possessions are ultimately profitless. Like chasing

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<v Speaker 1>the wind, there is nothing gained from them on earth. Next,

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<v Speaker 1>I decided to consider wisdom as well as foolish behavior

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<v Speaker 1>and ideas. For what more can the king's successor do

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<v Speaker 1>than what the king has already done? I realized that

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<v Speaker 1>wisdom is preferable to folly. just as light is preferable

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<v Speaker 1>to darkness. The wise man can see where he is going,

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<v Speaker 1>but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also realized

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<v Speaker 1>that the same fate happens to them both. So I

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<v Speaker 1>thought to myself, the fate of the fool will happen

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<v Speaker 1>even to me. Then what did I gain by becoming

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<v Speaker 1>so excessively wise? So I lamented to myself, the benefits

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<v Speaker 1>of wisdom are ultimately meaningless. For the wise man, like

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<v Speaker 1>the fool, will not be remembered for very long, because

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<v Speaker 1>in the days to come, both will already have been forgotten. Alas,

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<v Speaker 1>the wise man dies just like the fool. So I

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<v Speaker 1>loathed life, because what happens on earth seems awful to me,

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<v Speaker 1>for all the benefits of wisdom are futile, like chasing

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<v Speaker 1>the wind. So I loathed all the fruit of my efforts,

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<v Speaker 1>for which I worked so hard on earth, because I

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<v Speaker 1>must leave it behind in the hands of my successor.

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<v Speaker 1>Who knows if he will be a wise man or

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<v Speaker 1>a fool? Yet he will be master over all the

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<v Speaker 1>fruit of my labor, for which I worked so wisely

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<v Speaker 1>on earth. This also is futile. So I began to

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<v Speaker 1>despair about all the fruit of my labor, for which

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<v Speaker 1>I worked so hard on earth. For a man may

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<v Speaker 1>do his work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, However, he

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<v Speaker 1>must hand over the fruit of his labor as an

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<v Speaker 1>inheritance to someone else who did not work for it.

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<v Speaker 1>This also is futile and an awful injustice. What does

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<v Speaker 1>a man acquire from all his labor and from the

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<v Speaker 1>anxiety that accompanies his toil on earth? For all day

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<v Speaker 1>long his work produces pain and frustration, and even at

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<v Speaker 1>night his mind cannot relax. This also is futile. There

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<v Speaker 1>is nothing better for people than to eat and drink

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<v Speaker 1>and to find enjoyment in their work. I also perceive

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<v Speaker 1>that this ability to find enjoyment comes from God. For

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<v Speaker 1>no one can eat and drink or experience joy apart

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<v Speaker 1>from Him. For to the one who pleases Him, God

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<v Speaker 1>gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy. But to the sinner, He

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<v Speaker 1>gives the task of amassing wealth only to give it

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<v Speaker 1>to the one who pleases God. This task of the

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<v Speaker 1>wicked is futile, like chasing the wind. Let's pray. Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>we thank you for your word, and we thank you

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<v Speaker 1>for the privilege of being able to read it together today.

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<v Speaker 1>And Lord, again, as we look at this portion of Scripture,

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<v Speaker 1>we can see that chasing after the things of this world,

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<v Speaker 1>whether it be amassing wealth or indulging in earthly pleasures,

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<v Speaker 1>it amounts to nothing. It's not what you invite us

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<v Speaker 1>to ultimately pursue. Lord, you invite us to find ultimate

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<v Speaker 1>joy through faith in your Son, Jesus Christ. And through Jesus,

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<v Speaker 1>we're granted wisdom, we're granted hope, we're granted the ability, Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>to delight in who you are all the days of

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<v Speaker 1>our lives, even as we look forward to the future,

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<v Speaker 1>knowing that you've got our futures secured in your hand. So, Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>we're grateful for this, and we're grateful for the reminders

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<v Speaker 1>that you give to us through your word. We love you, Lord.

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<v Speaker 1>We commit ourselves to you today, and we pray this

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<v Speaker 1>all in Jesus' name. Amen.