CLUE #4: SADNESS (9 OF 11)
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 7:1-14
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Clue #4: Sadness (9 of 11)
Series: The Pursuit of Happiness
Dave Gustavsen
Ecclesiastes 7:1-14
Good morning. We're studying the book of Ecclesiastes, which is basically the personal journal of King Solomon as he searched for meaning and happiness in life. And a few weeks ago, we started a section of the book where he talked about different things he observed in the world, that could possibly serve as clues to help figure out life. So he talked about the clue of injustice: why does it bother us so much when we see unfairness in the world? He talked about the clue of loneliness: why do we seem to thrive when we're connected with other people, and we sort of shrivel when we're isolated? Last week we looked at the clue of greed: why do we seem to crave more and more material possessions, even though it never seems to satisfy us? Today we're going to look at the clue of sadness. And then next week we'll look at the clue of death.
So in today's passage Solomon talks about the sadness of life-which is kind of ironic when you're doing a series called ''The Pursuit of Happiness,'' right? But maybe sadness and joy are not as incompatible as they appear to be on the surface. So let's talk about that today.
Today's passage is in Ecclesiastes chapter seven, the first fourteen verses. Here's what it says:
1 A good name is better than fine perfume,
and the day of death better than the day of birth.
2 It is better to go to a house of mourning
than to go to a house of feasting,
for death is the destiny of everyone;
the living should take this to heart.
3 Frustration is better than laughter,
because a sad face is good for the heart.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
5 It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person
than to listen to the song of fools.
6 Like the crackling of thorns under the pot,
so is the laughter of fools.
This too is meaningless.
7 Extortion turns a wi ...
Series: The Pursuit of Happiness
Dave Gustavsen
Ecclesiastes 7:1-14
Good morning. We're studying the book of Ecclesiastes, which is basically the personal journal of King Solomon as he searched for meaning and happiness in life. And a few weeks ago, we started a section of the book where he talked about different things he observed in the world, that could possibly serve as clues to help figure out life. So he talked about the clue of injustice: why does it bother us so much when we see unfairness in the world? He talked about the clue of loneliness: why do we seem to thrive when we're connected with other people, and we sort of shrivel when we're isolated? Last week we looked at the clue of greed: why do we seem to crave more and more material possessions, even though it never seems to satisfy us? Today we're going to look at the clue of sadness. And then next week we'll look at the clue of death.
So in today's passage Solomon talks about the sadness of life-which is kind of ironic when you're doing a series called ''The Pursuit of Happiness,'' right? But maybe sadness and joy are not as incompatible as they appear to be on the surface. So let's talk about that today.
Today's passage is in Ecclesiastes chapter seven, the first fourteen verses. Here's what it says:
1 A good name is better than fine perfume,
and the day of death better than the day of birth.
2 It is better to go to a house of mourning
than to go to a house of feasting,
for death is the destiny of everyone;
the living should take this to heart.
3 Frustration is better than laughter,
because a sad face is good for the heart.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
5 It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person
than to listen to the song of fools.
6 Like the crackling of thorns under the pot,
so is the laughter of fools.
This too is meaningless.
7 Extortion turns a wi ...
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