Chapter 2 Goals Are Pointless

Ecclesiastes Chapter 2
This chapter is a bit ironic because Solomon goes through and points out all the things that people strive for. Then he uses his wealth to attain them and ruins it by saying it’s all pointless.

Vs. 2: Here Solomon talks again about how happiness is pointless. It reminds me of the feeling you get after you go to a party or a theme park or any other really fun place and you get a natural high but slowly it all goes away and you just wish you were still there having fun. I count myself blessed by the fact that I can usually stay fairly cheerful but doubt still creeps up and I get the sense of pointlessness.

Vs. 3-11: This is where Solomon basically crushes every ones dreams and goals.
Drunkenness: Pointless
Built Houses: Pointless
Vineyards: Pointless
Gardens: Pointless
Slaves: Pointless
Wealth: Pointless
At one time or another everyone has longed for some of these things and worked on them to find purpose and joy: home ownership, tending to a garden, trying to find joy at the bottom of a bottle, wealth, and perhaps not slavery but other worldly positions.
I find it fairly interesting that so far Solomon hasn’t discussed friendship, companionship, or love. Perhaps he addresses them later in the book but so far, almost everything pointless has been tangible.

Vs 12-13: Solomon mentions here that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness. I’m not sure if he means that wisdom is stronger than folly or if he means it replaces folly. It doesn’t really matter though as he goes on:

Vs 14-17: Death, death claims everyone. Wise or foolish everyone dies and is forgotten regardless. This makes me wonder how many incredible men of God have been forgotten. Whether they are in the Bible and just hidden inside some of the more “boring” books or possibly even ones that aren’t put in the Bible.

Vs. 18-23: Here Solomon talks about how everything is even more pointless because all you achieve is eventually given to someone who didn’t have to earn it and you have no control over what they do with it. This must be hard for parents when they want the best for their children but don’t know if their kids will be responsible with what they’re given.

Vs. 24-26: This is one of the first parts of the book where Solomon isn’t a complete pessimist where he acknowledges that God does allow us to experience and enjoy pleasure and thank God that he did give us that.