The Pursuit of Pleasure

February 8, 2026|The Pursuit of Pleasure|Ecclesiastes 2

JD Cutler

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This morning we continue in our Finding Purpose in Life series through the book of Ecclesiastes. Each month, we will step away from the gospel of John and consider this Old Testament Wisdom book. If you have your copy of God’s word, go ahead and turn to Ecclesiastes, chapter 2. As you are turning there, I want you to imagine.

Imagine, if you will, sitting down with an older gentleman, one who has lived a full life and asking him how to find purpose, satisfaction, and joy in life. That’s really the conversation that encapsulates the book of Ecclesiastes. But before he tells you what it actually is, he says, let me tell you what I tried that didn’t. The author who identifies himself as the preacher engages us with a conversation that takes us through various examinations of life under the sun, what it offers, and how life really is. Now imagine if that older man started that conversation by beginning the conversation with the statement, here is the secret, all of life is a frustrating enigmatic existence. Thats what we saw in the first chapter of Ecclesiastes when we looked at the vanity of life.

What is your immediate response?

Surely not. Surely there is something in your great wealth, your wonderful achievements, and your full life that has fulfilled you, that has brought you joy, surely life is not so bleak. I mean we are not nihilists.

So, he figuratively takes you by the hand and begins walking you through all the things he has tried in this life. If you would allow me to press this metaphor a little further, imagine he invites you into his house, and in that house he has various rooms full of memorabilia, pictures, and souvenirs from his long life. He wants you to see the various things he has attempted to find fulfillment in.

He begins this journey with taking you to a room. As you walk in the room, you see small scaled replicas of great buildings, a sprawling estate with full vineyards, groves of trees, pristine pools of water, great flocks of animals. In the corner you see a table overflowing with gold, silver, and beautiful treasures. There are a trio of musicians and singers in one corner playing the most beautiful and soul moving music you have ever heard. He ushers you over to a table, spread before you are exotic fruits and cheeses, succulent cuts of meat and a variety of fine wines. Paintings adorn the wall that capture great parties where beautiful people are enjoying the finest things, all with the expression of happiness like they have all just had the greatest laugh of their life. One whole wall is full of books and scrolls, and you just feel like if you spend time in this library you would have access to all the great wisdom of men.

He indicates it is time to go, and you feel a hesitancy to leave, it seems like this room really does have everything anyone could need to live a happy and joyful life, as you reluctantly pass the threshold you look back, but the room seems darker than before. The musicians are now playing a funeral dirge, what was once a beautiful table is now full of rotting fruit and maggot covered meat, you look again at the paintings and what once looked like joy now looks like faces with empty eyes and the smiles seem hollow and forced. The great buildings seem abandoned and the gardens are unkept. You look to the old man and he just nods and says ‘that was all vanity and striving after the wind’.

This is the second chapter of Ecclesiastes in a nutshell.

I hope you weren’t hoping that it got better after chapter 1.

Let’s read it together this morning.

Ecclesiastes 2 ESV

1 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3 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. 4 I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5 I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7 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. 8 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. 9 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. 12 So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. 13 Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. 14 The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. 15 Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. 16 For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! 17 So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. 18 I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, 19 and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, 21 because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? 23 For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity. 24 There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, 25 for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? 26 For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

This morning, with such a large text before us, we are not able to dive deep into each section, but rather we will look at the overview of each movement through this chapter. In total, there are four movements as the preacher walks us through this pursuit of pleasure as a means of finding purpose in life. The first movement we turn our attention to is…

I. THE TEST: PURSUING PLEASURE

The preacher let’s us in on his thought life as he says, Ecclesiastes 2:1 “1 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.”

Which is the Hebrew was of saying, I said to myself. The word translated pleasure here seems to be the idea of lighthearted, cheerful, possibly even the idea of festivity. Enjoy yourself in the Hebrew is the idea of look to pleasure.

The preacher says that basically oriented his life so that his focus was fully bent on doing whatever brought him pleasure. Life became a party. It certainly seems like people today are still pursuing this kind of life. We don’t have to look very far to see people who do whatever they think will make them happy, avoiding anything that they think will ruin their happiness. We often think that this applies only to the rich, we imagine this kind of life is full of vacation, champagne, caviar, but make no mistake, you can pursue this life even with a meager income. In fact, there are many people who do. You eat what you want, you watch what you want, you indulge when you want. Your whole life is oriented around just engaging in things that you think will bring pleasure or immediate gratification. For many, this may be the only kind of life they have ever known. The preacher declares, laughter is foolish and partying, what does it actually accomplish?

It doesn’t seem like it took him long to realize that a life oriented around the party life was pretty empty.

You say, of course that is foolish, no one can party all the time, what a waste of life. But the preacher didn’t stop there. He decided to pursue pleasure in a more structured way. He feasted and partied, but he said he did so while retaining his wisdom, he did not act foolishly, just to see if maybe this was the way to find purpose in life. He enjoyed the good things in life with wisdom, with restraint, with evaluation, instead of unbridled partying, he began to try to find balance in life, he threw himself into work. Verses 4 through 8 describe this season of his life.

He built houses, planted vineyards, made gardens and parks, orchards and pools to water them. He gathered slaves, and herds, and flocks. From these efforts, he gathered much money. With this money, he gathered entertainers, both musical and otherwise. He build an empire that surpassed all who came before him, all the while acting with human wisdom.

This is an important note to make, this was no longer pure hedonism, this was measured, wise building, a pursuit of pleasure through wealth and accomplishment. This looked like good investments and great business deals. This looked like success in every sense of the American way. Along the way, he says in verse 10, whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure. He says, I even found pleasure in the work.

It’s easy to condemn a pure hedonistic lifestyle, one where the only thing that matters is partying, the one where everything is about consuming, but how many people today are trying the second way? Thinking that if they build up their little kingdoms, if they get into a big enough house, if they get a big enough promotion, if they get that boat or that motorcycle, or whatever hobby toy you can insert there, if they have the best that life has to offer, then they will find pleasure in their accumulation of stuff.

Let’s look at his reflection after building this great enterprise, looking out over his vast resources, what does he see?

Ecclesiastes 2:11 “11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.”

All was frustratingly enigmatic. That statement, striving after the wind is important. The author will say it over and over again throughout this book. The Hebrew word is a little hard to pin down and it is only used here in Ecclesiastes, it could be he is saying that it is like trying to feed on the wind, but more likely, the idea is its like trying to shepherd the wind. We would say it like this, it is like trying to catch the wind.

Trying to pursue pleasure as a purpose in life is like trying to catch the wind...

That’s his conclusion, and honestly it's something we can all probably relate to.

Can you ever really hold on to pleasure? I mean really?

The excitement quickly fades after the house is built, after the car is in the driveway, after the meal has been had, after the wine has been drank. What is exciting and brings joy and pleasure, quickly fades.

Trying to pursue pleasure as a purpose in life is like trying to catch the wind, it is fleeting and ultimately the preacher declares, nothing is really gained under the sun. So, why does pleasure and the accumulation of pleasure not provide lasting satisfaction. This brings us to the preacher’s next movement…

II. THE REALIZATION: EVERYONE DIES

After considering the pursuit of pleasure in a foolish way and in a wise way, he admits there is certainly more to gain in wisdom, like there is more to see in light than in darkness.

But, as he considered both of these, he makes a realization.

Ecclesiastes 2:14–15 “14 The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. 15 Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity.”

What is the same event that he is referring to? Could be a number of hardships or calamities, I mean whether you or wise or foolish, you cannot prevent difficulties, certainly we have seen natural disasters and terminal diagnoses affect both wise and foolish, both rich and poor, but all of it culminates in one event in particular.

Look at the end of verse 16. Ecclesiastes 2:16b How the wise dies just like the fool!”

Death comes for us all. There is a well known idiom popularized by Benjamin Franklin in a 1789 letter where he writes, “In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” It certainly feels that way, right? But you don’t have to pay taxes, sure you may end up in prison, but truly, there is no escaping death.

You might not know this but there is a 100% chance that if Jesus tarries, you will die. No matter how well you care for yourself, no matter how much medical intervention you try, there is coming a time that everyone of us will experience death.

The Bible says in Hebrews 9:27 “27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,”.

Every human being has at least one appointment that he or she will keep in this life. Death is the great equalizer. When you are laying in that casket, it will not matter if you were the wisest, most successful person or the most foolish person, you will both be dead.

Every human being has at least one appointment that he or she will keep in this life.

Some of you might not remember this but when I was younger there was a clothing brand called No Fear. Anyone remember that?

Their t-shirts in the 90s were known for their phrases, like ‘no fear, no limits, no excuses’ or ‘the only thing we have to fear is fear itself’, or one of my favorites, ‘second place is the first loser’.

But the one I remember vividly seeing when we were at six-flags one time when I was a kid, was a shirt that was a satirical take on the saying, he who dies with the most tows wins, it said, ’he who dies with the most toys, still dies’. That might be the most Ecclesiastes themed shirt that has ever been made.

We don’t like to talk about that in America, but it is a reality we all must come to terms with. On the day you die, it will not matter how much stuff you have accumulated, it will not matter how many awesome experiences you have had, you will still be dead.

This realization led the preacher to say in Ecclesiastes 2, verse 17. Ecclesiastes 2:17 “17 So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind.”

Not only does pleasure for pleasures sake, ultimately disappoint, the accumulation of stuff or accomplishments in order to find pleasure, will ultimately be a vain and empty pursuit.

Why did the realization that everyone, both the wise and the foolish, die, cause such a detestation for life?

Because this realization led him to the…

III. THE REALITY: YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU

Look at what the preacher says in verse 18 and 19. Ecclesiastes 2:18–19 “18 I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, 19 and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity.”

Also in verse 22, Ecclesiastes 2:22 “22 What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun?”

If we take the book at face value and attribute its’ authorship to Solomon, this observation is even more pointed. We see in 1 Kings, because Solomon did not keep God’s covenant and followed after other gods, God tells Solomon that after his days, his kingdom will be taken from him and given to another. But even if Solomon is not the preacher, this is hardly an uncommon thing. Someone wisely builds and invests and amasses wealth and leaves a great inheritance to his children and children’s children and they squander it through foolishness. We have no idea whether those that inherit what we worked wisely and diligently for will be wise or foolish, yet they will be in charge of all of what we have gathered.

I always find it illuminating to find Jesus’ teachings seemingly repeating the wisdom of the Old Testament. In his teaching, Jesus illustrating this reality when he told the parable of the rich fool.

Luke 12:16–20 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’

It may be a cliche, but the reality is you don’t see u-hauls behind hearses. In ancient Egypt, we know that the Pharaohs would be buried with immense treasures and daily items, in an effort to ensure a comfortable, powerful afterlife, including gold, jewelry, chariots, weapons, food, wine, even servants; in an effort to take it with them. We rightly think, how utterly foolish, and yet some of us spend so much time trying to accumulate things that brings pleasure, for what?

We cannot take one piece of it with us when we die.

We rightly think, how utterly foolish (of the Eqyptian burial methods), and yet some of us spend so much time trying to accumulate things that brings pleasure, for what?

So as they preacher has carried us through this experiment, we have seen that his test of whether pursuing pleasure both foolishly and wisely was ultimately unable to bring lasting pleasure, that his accumulation of wealth and accomplishments brought no lasting pleasure, and that at the end of it all, he would leave it all behind to who knows who.

So what did this search reveal to the preacher, what are his thoughts after a life of pursuing pleasure? This brings us to…

IV. THE PRONOUNCEMENT: ENJOYMENT COMES FROM GOD

Look at verse 24 with me. Ecclesiastes 2:24 “24 There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God,”

There are a few times in Ecclesiastes where the author amidst the almost constant sorrowful tune, sounds a seemingly positive note before returning to his declaration of vanity of vanities, all is vanity. This is one of those moments.

He says there is nothing better than for a person to eat, drink, and find enjoyment in his toil. It is in this first peak that we get our first look at where the preacher is going to land at the end of his teaching. A hint at what comes at the conclusion, brief, but powerful.

For those who look to God for pleasure and satisfaction can actually find some pleasure in the everyday things he provides. With humility and gratitude towards God, a simple meal and a day of hard work can be enjoyed in this life.

By God’s grace, even in the sin cursed futility of working among thorns and thistles, of gaining our bread by the sweat of our brow, we can find enjoyment.

When we look around into the rat race of life, we often see so many people working, earning, producing, but who are never satisfied with what they have or what they get, we see men laboring for enough, which is always one more dollar, one more luxury, one more pleasure, never truly enjoying or finding real pleasure in anything.

Some of the wealthiest people are some of the most miserable.

By God’s grace, even in the sin cursed futility of working among thorns and thistles, of gaining our bread by the sweat of our brow, we can find enjoyment.

Yet, Ecclesiastes tells us that we can find enjoyment in these things, but that the enjoyment is not inherent in the thing itself, rather I would argue it is in the way we think of them and the way we engage with them. A morsel of bread eaten in gratitude is more satisfying than a feast eaten in discontentment. A day of seemingly inconsequently work as unto the Lord is more satisfying than building kingdoms out of an insatiable desire to do great things. Why?

Ecclesiastes 2:26 says that the one who pleases God, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy.

Wisdom to know the limit of earthly possessions and pleasures.

Knowledge to understand that genuine pleasure and satisfaction are not found in material things.

Joy that is greater than what we have or do not have.

This is from the hand of God, from whom all good things come.

But, the pronouncement for the sinner, the one whom does not fear or please God, is not so good. God has given him the business of gathering and collecting but without pleasure or satisfaction. This, the preacher says, is vanity and striving after the wind.

Apart from God who can eat or who can have enjoyment?

What can we take away from our look into the preacher’s rooms this week? How can we benefit from the wisdom God has given us in Ecclesiastes 2 this morning?

We can recognize that, it is not that we cannot enjoy the things of this life, what we eat, what we drink, what we produce. Indeed if we do find any enjoyment, we need to understand that it is a gift from God.

But rather than finding our purpose in the enjoyment of the created, we need to find it in the creator.

Inherent in the frustratingly enigmatic life, I think, is a purpose that draws our eyes upward, beyond life under the sun to the One who is above the sun.

Take it from the one who undertook the test to see if pleasures, possessions, and accomplishments were the way to lasting satisfaction and purpose, it isn’t.

Maybe you have rooms like the one we talked about this morning. Rooms full of awards, trophies, accomplishments, wealth, experiences and when you look around you ought to be satisfied and yet, if your honest, you aren’t. You know that it doesn’t satisfy, but you keep adding things in hopes that it will. If you are living your life trying to find purpose in what you can enjoy, what you can possess, or what you can accomplish, I pray that you see that the end of that life is frustratingly empty. You might as well be trying to catch the wind. Ecclesiastes will eventually tell us that enjoyment only makes sense when we fear and obey God and not obey our desires.

But, for the one who pleases God.

We know from the New Testament, the only way to please God is faith. That apart from faith in Christ and his atoning work, this life is the only reward we will have and apart from God we cannot even enjoy that. But for the one who knows Christ, who has been redeemed from under the penalty of death and sin, the one who is looking for life in Christ after all of this has faded away, for that one, God is gracious enough to give us the gift to be able to enjoy our days, finding our ultimate satisfaction not in the created, but in the creator. With this comes a great comfort, that when death comes, whether near or far, whether sudden or expected, we do not have to worry about losing the source of our purpose and joy, rather we have the blessed experience of stepping more fully into it.

Here’s where Ecclesiastes 2 causes us to ask, if God removed everything you enjoy, would you still love the life he has graciously given you?

Let us pray.