Ecclesiastes 2:3

"I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life" (Ecclesiastes 2:3).

This is a most interesting verse. From a personal standpoint I have gave myself to drinking and drugging. From how I see this verse out of my experience it makes it interesting. What I have learned about this particular verse makes it very interesting. I pray it all transfer to this page and becomes something valuable for you.

Let's start with what I have learned. The word rendered "I sought" in Hebrew is "toor". It means, "to meander". The word rendered "heart" is "labe". It means, "the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything". The word for "give" is "maw-shak". It means, "to draw, used in a great variety of applications (including to sow, to sound, to prolong, to develop, to march, to remove, to delay, to be tall, etc.).

So Solomon meandered in his feelings, will, and intellect. He then as Youngs Literal Translation says, tried "to draw out with wine my appetite". Solomon broke fellowhip with God and sowed to the flesh. Solomon sounded out, that is, investigated to the full extent, partying. Solomon prolonged himself or removed himself from God. Solomon developed a different set of feelings, will, and intellect. Solomon marched away. Solomon removed himself. Solomon delayed God's will for his life. Solomon became tall in his feelings, will, and intellect.......ect.

Maybe I'm stretching the definitions. Maybe not. I'll let you decide. I will say this. To "lay hold" of anything one has to get a good grasp on it and not let go. It's not a touch. It's not a grab. It's a grasp and hold.

Here's how it worked in my life. I partied hardy before the Lord but that is not what I will be talking about. After I was saved, I meandered in my feelings. My feelings affected my thoughts which affected my will which tossed intellect out the window. It works just like this, "Well God, You didn't do what I wanted so I'm going to go and get drunk!". Solomon couldn't say that though. God had done EVERYTHING! for Solomon.

Are you blessed by God? Watchout! You might get complacent and your feelings might wander and all the rest of you with them. It's a very small adjustment of the rudder that sends a ship miles off course over time.

My feelings got the better of me. God had just done EVERYTHING! for me except the one thing I wanted. Since He didn't do that one thing all the other things didn't matter and I got mad at Him and let my feeling produce a 3 year period of nonstop everything. I laid hold on folly. If you dare to lay hold on folly, Watch Out!, folly does not let go easily once it lays hold on you.

Isn't it interesting that after Solomon was good and drunk he decided to get a handle on anything useful we mortals might do during the years we spend on this earth. Maybe Solomon wasn't drunk on alcohol but he did get good and drunk on the world.

I am doing these post as much for myself as for any of you who come here and read. So I ask myself, "Am I drunk with the world or with the Spirit?". Which are you?