There is a time and a season for everything under the sun, a time to blog and a time to cast away blogging, one could say. It's been six months since I wrote on Ecclesiastes, and plodding along as I am wont to do, here is the next installment. Click the link that says Ecclesiastes to the right, or click here, or...well, you can figure it out I'm sure.
Ecclesiastes 2:3 I sought in mine heart to give myself
unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly,
till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do
under the heaven all the days of their life.
Solomon “sought” in his heart, so we are seeing change. He is going to seek to or turn his
heart to give himself to wine. Well, let’s not get crazy with all mirth - or the wisdom. The problem, you see, was not
that he carried on, but he carried on too much. Moderation, my dear chap.
Nuance. Solomon is not going to live a life of a drunkard - he will mix wisdom
and wine in moderation. He is looking for the chief joy and happiness for man
and the meaning and purpose of life. Combining the best of both worlds, he
might find the satisfaction of soul in the middle road. Too much learning and
wisdom vexed his soul. But so did giving himself to mirth and laughter.
Some commentators believe this to be the beginning of
Solomon’s fall, walking the middle way of moderation, neither hot nor cold, so
to speak. I think this is rather the natural state of affairs for most people
who try to reform themselves. They come out of a wild streak and realize such a
zealous life of extremes will kill them, and they settle down to a more
moderate and respectable life. It’s also the plight of someone who grew up in a
conservative household, who thinks their parents were oppressive. Throw off the
“fundamentalism” of the past and enjoy their liberty to the fullest.
What should men do all the days of their life? It's a
good question to ask and I wish more people asked it. Asking what we are going
to do this weekend is hardly the
foresight Solomon was considering. What is it that I should spend my time
doing? I only have a limited amount of time on this Earth, what should I do
with my time? If giving yourself over to mirth ends badly, maybe moderation in
all things is the way to go. Moderation
may be good health advice but poor spiritual advice. This is not drinking
advise. Solomon is trying to see if living a balanced life provides your best
life.
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