Pleasure

16 Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey—either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were handed over, 18 and having been set free from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness. 19 I am using a human analogy because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you offered the parts of yourselves as slaves to impurity, and to greater and greater lawlessness, so now offer them as slaves to righteousness, which results in sanctification.

10 For one can see that the wise die;

the foolish and stupid also pass away.

Then they leave their wealth to others.

11 Their graves are their permanent homes,

their dwellings from generation to generation,

though they have named estates after themselves.

12 But despite his assets, mankind will not last;

he is like the animals that perish.

The word wine is literal wine, but it also stands for all the pleasure-giving luxuries of life. Folly refers to parties, frivolity, and self-indulgence. When the Teacher said my mind still guiding me with wisdom, he meant that he did not give himself over to total dissipation. Anyone can see that a person who has cast off all self-restraint, such as the alcoholic, will not be happy. Solomon never lost self-control or became an addict. Still, even pleasures pursued in moderation will not bring happiness.

13 Even in laughter a heart may be sad,

and joy may end in grief.

Solomon was deeply attached in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives who were princesses and three hundred who were concubines, and they turned his heart away.

4 When Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away to follow other gods. He was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been. 5 Solomon followed Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom, the abhorrent idol of the Ammonites. 6 Solomon did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, and unlike his father David, he did not remain loyal to the LORD.

Which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. There is in these words a kind of mournful resignation. Short as is the period of human life on earth, oven for this little span of time it is not always clear to man what is really good and beneficial for him; and many, and mostly bitter and painful experiences, are needed to bring him to this knowledge.—

11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning

in pursuit of beer,

who linger into the evening,

inflamed by wine.

12 At their feasts they have lyre, harp,

tambourine, flute, and wine.

They do not perceive the LORD’s actions,

and they do not see the work of his hands.

24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter 25 and chose to suffer with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasure of sin. 26 For he considered reproach for the sake of Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, since he was looking ahead to the reward.