Amusements or Worldly Pleasures—found forty-seven times in forty-six verses in the Old Testament and twenty-two times in twenty-two verses in the New Testament
Variations: pleasure, pleasures
Last usage in the Old Testament: Malachi 1:10 (pleasure)
First usage in the New Testament: Luke 8:14 (pleasures)
Interesting fact: Though the scripture incorporates various phrases to describe the activities of amusement, one particular set of words seems to stand out as unique: eat, drink, and be merry. In Judges 9:27, the men of Shechem “made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.” According to 1 Kings 4:20, “Judah and Israel were many, . . . eating and drinking, and making merry.” The Lord Jesus referred to a certain rich man who lived for the present with no concern for eternal things. This man said to his soul, “take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry” (Luke 12:19).
Bible study tip: According to John 4:24, “God is a Spirit.” Yet, the Bible often references God as having features most often associated to mortal man or other beings. For example, the Lord is said to have “wings” (Psalm 17:8), “eyes” (Psalm 34:15), “ears” (Numbers 11:18), a “face” (Genesis 33:10), and “hands” (Genesis 49:24). When these features are attributed to God, the Bible student should not only observe the reference to which feature, but ask why this feature was mentioned and what it means.
Sunday, Day 8—Church Day (no devotional)
Monday, Day 9—The Vanity of Pleasure
Tuesday, Day 10—All Pleasure, No Grief
Wednesday, Day 11—Church Night (no devotional)
Thursday, Day 12—Amusement at the Expense of Others
Friday, Day 13—They Rose Up to Play
Saturday, Day 14—They That Count It Pleasure
Day 8: Church Day
James 5:5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.