Paul E Brown, Lancaster

If you think this describes the pleasure seeking of those who live only for this life, think again! It can be what a rich fool says (Luke 12:19), but its first appearance in Scripture is quite different. It occurs in Ecclesiastes 8:15, but we shall start with an earlier appearance in the same book.

I perceived that there is nothing better than for them to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil – this is God’s gift to man (3:12,13; ESV).

Enjoy life

Is life all toil? Is it all toil for the Christian? There is toil, as verse 13 and much else in Ecclesiastes makes clear:

So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labours under the sun (2:20). 

But those who know God have a different perspective:

There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil (2:24). 

Work became toil, and life became drudgery and frustration as a result of the fall, but to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy (2:26). Work done – life lived – for God’s glory brings satisfaction and fulfilment

Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil – this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart (5:18-20).

The ordinary pleasures that the Bible speaks of – distinguishing these now from the spiritual pleasures that come through Jesus Christ – are mainly the simple pleasures of life. Reflecting an agrarian society the Bible speaks of the joys of marriage and family life, of harvest time, and eating and drinking after a hard day’s work. At the very beginning God not only placed man in a world that was very good, but in a garden where

..... the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food (Genesis 2:9).

There is such a variety of good things; fruit and vegetables of every kind and taste; juices and wines; flour and oil to make bread and cakes; fish and animal meat since the fall (Genesis 9:2-4).

Eating and drinking are necessary for life and for strength to be maintained, but God has made them pleasurable. It is not surprising that the best of spiritual blessings are pictured by a feast – and even heaven itself. On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of well-aged wine well refined (Isaiah 25:6). Many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 8:11).

There is the merry-making of the world, and this is roundly condemned,

The time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry (1 Peter 4:3).

But there is a time and place for everything good in the life of Christians,

.....a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance (Ecclesiastes 3:4).

As a people redeemed by God Israel had much to be glad about. Not only did they rejoice in deliverance, but in God’s constant provision by which all their needs were met. Some at least of what was tithed was eaten with joy before God, rejoicing in his good gifts,

And you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household (Deuteronomy 14:26).

A cheerful attitude to life is shown in the Bible to be a great blessing,

The cheerful of heart has a continual feast (Proverbs 15:15).
A joyful heart is good medicine (Proverbs 17:22).

Special occasions also call for special celebrations. When the Jews were delivered from their enemies as a result of Esther’s intervention with King Ahasuerus two days were set apart, year by year.

As the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor (Esther 9:22).

Whatever our attitude to the way Christmas is generally celebrated in these days and however we may wish to mark the incarnation of the Son of God we can remember this. Wholesome, joyful celebration of God’s good gifts is one of the blessings of the Christian life.