Ecclesiastes Chapter 2 {2nd Experiment of Solomon - From Academics to Pleasures to find Happiness in the Cosmic System} 1~~ I thought in my 'right lobe'/heart, Come now, I will test you with pleasure   {to find out what is satisfying thru the 'feel good technique'!} . . . what makes happiness. But that also proved to be meaningless. {Solomon starts in on Pleasure - Too much study, need to laugh a little!} 2~~ Laughter I said . . . is foolish! And, what does pleasure accomplish? {Nothing} {Now Add a Little of Liquid Cheer and See if that Helps} 3~~ I tried cheering myself with wine and it raised folly. My mind still guiding me with academics. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. {Note: Without giving the details, Solomon says he tried everything to find happiness in the pleasures of life - to no avail.} {3rd Experiment of Solomon - Now on to bigger things! Happiness in Project Building} 4-6~~I made myself great projects. I built myself palaces. I planted vineyards. 5~~ I made gardens and parks . . . and planted fruit trees in them. 6~~ I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. {Happiness Through Having People Do the Hard Work for You and Owning Businesses} 7~~ I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves that were born in my house. I owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me   {agricultural society - represents all types of business prosperity   from human ability}. {Happiness Through Having Great Wealth, Social Events and Lots of Beautiful Women} 8~~ I amassed silver and gold for myself and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers {his own entertainers} and my own piped in music and I had a harem as well. {The Excesses of Solomon Was Beyond David and All Before Him} 9~~ The delights of the heart/'right lobe' of man! I became greater then anyone in Jerusalem before me. And in all this, my academic wisdom stayed with me. {Note: The base of what Solomon had was inherited from his father David. Solomon received 'grace by association' from one of the Greatest SuperGrace Believers ever. Solomon was taught doctrine in his youth, but he either forgot it or did not see its importance in the scheme of things. So, he had all the trappings of a blessed SuperGrace life, but without the capacity to enjoy them which only comes from divine viewpoint/doctrine resident in your own soul. David could NOT leave THAT to Solomon - he had to LEARN to be content regardless his circumstances - as we also have to learn.} 10~~I denied myself nothing that my eyes desired! I refused my heart/'right lobe' no pleasure! My heart/'right lobe' did take delight in my work. And, this was the reward for all my labor   {he was stimulated by all the pleasure and his workaholic behavior}. 11~~Yet, when I surveyed all the work my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve . . . everything was meaningless. It was like chasing the wind. Nothing was gained under the sun. {4th Experiment of Solomon - Having Children to find Happiness in the Cosmic System} 12~~And then I turned myself to consider with academic wisdom and psychology . . .   {idiom: literally 'and madness, and folly'} what more can the king's successor do then what has already been done? {Note: Solomon is saying someday one of his sons will take over and what can he achieve that Solomon has not already achieved?} 13~~I saw that wisdom is better then folly . . . just as light is better than darkness. 14~~I saw the wise man has eyes in his head . . . while the fool walks in darkness. But I came to realize that the same fate would overtake us both. {Note: RBT says Solomon knows his son will succeed him who does turn out to be a fool and lose everything in one generation. But their ultimate fate is the same . . . physical death.} 15~~Then I thought in my heart/'right lobe', 'the fate of the fool . . . will overtake me also!' What do I gain by being wise {in human viewpoint type knowledge}? This too is meaningless. {Note: Here Solomon is realizing he is trying to rely on his children for happiness and that is no pressure any parent should put on their children!} 16~~ For the wise man . . . like the fool . . . will not be long remembered. In the days to come, he will be forgotten. Like the fool . . . the wise man must also die. {Solomon is Bored with Life} 17~~So I hated life!   {Solomon is really saying here that he hates himself} So I hated life because the work that is done under the sun is grievous to me. All of it is meaningless and chasing the wind. {Note: Principal: No matter what you have or do not have, you will not find happiness without first having the capacity for happiness in your soul. That capacity only comes via God and the study of His Word. David said 'my cup runnith over'. Solomon is saying 'How do I 'obtain' a cup like my father had??'} {Nothing in Life is Permanent} 18~~Yes, I hated everything I had toiled for under the sun. Because I must leave them to one who comes after me! {Note: No one can take to heaven with his the works of this earth! But the bible explains that only the 'immaterial' things of the world cannot be destroyed - that is the bible doctrine resident in your soul. That is taken with you to heaven.} 19~~ And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool?   {in his case, Solomon's case his name of Rehoboam and he was a   fool!} Yet will have control over all my work where in I have poured all my labor and skill and showed myself wise under the sun. This is also meaningless. 20~~So my heart/'right lobe' began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21~~For sometimes a person whose fortune was made with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, must hand it on to be the portion of somebody who did not toil for it. This also is meaningless and a grave evil. 22^^For what does a man get for all the toiling and worrying/"vexation of heart/'right lobe' " he does under the sun? 23^^All his days his thoughts are grief and heartache, and even at night his mind has no respite. This is also futile/meaningless! 24~~A man can do nothing better then to eat and drink and take satisfaction in his work. This too I see is from the hand of God. 25~~ For without Him {God} who can eat or find enjoyment for just a moment? 26^^To the man, namely, who pleases Him {God} He has given the wisdom and shrewdness to enjoy himself   {capacity to be happy regardless his circumstances - divine   viewpoint from the Word}. And to him who displeases {God}, He has given the urge to gather and amass   {meaningless details of life - money, wealth, power, sex, social life} only for handing on to one who is pleasing to God. That too is futile/meaningless and pursuit/chasing the wind.