Sermon
Wisdom
Mercy Hill Church - Cincinnati
Speaker: Ernie Bonnoitt
January 24, 2026 · 35 min
Summary
Ecclesiastes 1:12–2:15 presents Solomon's discovery that wisdom and knowledge pursued as ends in themselves are futile and meaningless. The preacher demonstrates that intellectual achievement cannot satisfy the human soul or transcend mortality, but the narrator's frame reveals that wisdom rooted in the fear of God brings genuine meaning that worldly pursuits cannot.
Highlights
The point of Ecclesiastes is not to say that these things themselves are bad, but to show the folly of making good things ultimate things.
Wisdom and knowledge cannot give you the peace of mind you seek. It cannot in itself fill the hole or give you ultimate meaning, but it does bring anxiety and futility.
Stop trusting yourself because he is greater. God's foolishness is wiser than all of humanity's wisdom put together.