The Failure of Pleasure

Ecclesiastes 2:1–23

In the previous post, Solomon rejected the idea of seeking wisdom without God. While knowledge can sharpen the mind, it cannot bring peace to the soul.

Now, Solomon considers the opposite approach: if wisdom doesn't work, maybe pleasure will offer meaning to life.

Laughter That Cannot Heal

Ecclesiastes 2:1–2

Solomon begins with laughter. Not humor in its healthy form, but merely as an anesthetic reaction to life’s pain.

Laughter offers temporary relief, yet it cannot heal the root issues it distracts us from. Solomon labels this unguided use of humor as foolish, not because joy is wrong, but because overindulgence in it indicates a lack of sound judgment. When enjoyment becomes a man’s main objective rather than a byproduct of healthy pursuits, it begins to deplete his inner strength.

Pleasure cannot lift the weight that greets a man in the morning. It cannot answer the guilt of a life ill-lived. It cannot stand between him and mortality. The problems remain.

The Full Inventory of Success

Ecclesiastes 2:3–10

Solomon then lists his accomplishments: houses, vineyards, gardens, and unmatched wealth. Servants, herds, music, comfort—all things a man could desire, obtained effortlessly. He does not say these are wrong. He argues they are incomplete. They promise lasting fulfillment but deliver only a fleeting moment of satisfaction.

He lacked nothing, yet in hindsight, he found nothing that endured. While modern language might label his abundance as success, Solomon regards it as vapor.

The idea that “the one with the most toys wins” falls apart here. Solomon possessed all the toys and the throne, but none of these could satisfy his soul.

Scripture echoes this verdict elsewhere. In Matthew 6, Christ warns against storing up treasures that decay. In John 6, He confronts crowds chasing temporary satisfaction. In 1 Timothy 6, St. Paul exposes the sorrow that follows the love of money. The message is unified: possessions cannot produce peace.

A Question No Man Can Improve Upon

Ecclesiastes 2:12

Solomon pauses and poses a stark question: What benefit does any man have over him in this pursuit? None. No one will surpass his access, his freedom, or his reach. What has been tried has been thoroughly tested. What has failed here will fail everywhere else.

Wisdom Still Matters, But It Is Not Enough

Ecclesiastes 2:13–16

Wisdom is better than foolishness. Solomon does not retreat from that claim. A wise man sees the end of his actions, but a fool stumbles forward, blind. Yet both die.

If wisdom becomes the ultimate aim, death still wins. Memory fades, names are forgotten, and achievement erodes. Wisdom can guide a man, but it cannot save him.

When Life Feels Heavy

Ecclesiastes 2:17–23

By this point, Solomon becomes tired but does not experience modern despair or disillusionment.

Wisdom, pleasure, and labor all lead to disappointment. When everything is viewed solely through a worldly perspective, it all seems to fall apart.

A man works, but his wealth is inherited by another. The successor might ruin what the original person created; therefore, nothing remains stable or everlasting.

This is the cost of life without God at its center. Meaning dissolves, effort becomes exhausting, and restlessness settles into the bones.

The Lesson Forward

Solomon is not urging men to abandon their jobs or stop enjoying leisure activities, but he cautions against imbalance. Excessive work without rest can exhaust the spirit, while unbounded pleasure can cloud judgment. Later in Ecclesiastes, he outlines a wiser approach: balancing work and rest, both under God's guidance.

This post pushes the question further. If wisdom and pleasure have failed, what else is there? Solomon is preparing the foundation. The answer is on its way.