ECCLESIASTES MEMORY CHALLENGE. THEME: Vanity Under the Sun

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1 THEME: Vanity Under the Sun ECCLESIASTES MEMORY CHALLENGE OUTLINE: I. INTRODUCTION: THE PREACHER S SUBJECT (ECCLESIASTES 1:1-11) II. OBSERVATION & COUNSEL: THE PREACHER S SERMONS (ECCLESIASTES 1:12-10:20) III. CONCLUSION: THE PREACHER S SUMMARY (ECCLESIASTES 11-12) KEY CHAPTERS: The Futility of Solomon s Life Experiences (Ecclesiastes 2) The Seasons of Life (Ecclesiastes 3) Godly Counsel in Old Age (Ecclesiastes 12) KEY PASSAGES: Ecclesiastes 1:14 I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. Ecclesiastes 3:1, 14 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him. the sovereign design of God Ecclesiastes 4:9, 12 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor and if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. the value of companionship/friendship Ecclesiastes 7:2 It is better to go to a house of mourning (e.g. funeral) than to go to a house of feasting, because that is the end of every man, and the living takes it to heart. Ecclesiastes 7:13-14 Consider the work of God, for who is able to straighten what He has bent? In the day of prosperity be happy, but in the day of adversity consider God has made the one as well as the other so that man will not discover anything that will be after him. ref. Job 2:10 Ecclesiastes 8:12-13 Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly. But it will not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God. the wicked prosper for a season but are then damned in hell for eternity, so fear God! Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going. work hard and play harder; eat, drink, be merry; live life to its fullest for the glory of God because come tomorrow, you are one day closer to death than you are today. Ecclesiastes 10:2 A wise man's heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man's heart directs him toward the left. evidence Solomon was a Republican (just kidding!) Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. bookend to Solomon s writings, ref. Prov. 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. KEY PEOPLE: The Preacher Solomon; 3 rd king of Israel (1 Kgs. 1:32-37); son of David and Bathsheba (2 Sam. 12:24); writer of some 3000 proverbs and 1005 songs (1 Kgs. 4:32) 52

2 I. INTRODUCTION: I. OVERVIEW: Ecclesiastes is the fourth of five poetical books in our English Bible (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon), and the last of three Wisdom books (Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes). It is interesting to observe that the historical, poetical, and prophetical sections of the Old Testament are of approximately equal length in terms of the chapters they each contain (e.g. historical books 249 chapters; poetical books 243 chapters; prophetical books 250 chapters). 3 DIDACTIC BOOKS KEY THOUGHTS KEY SUBJECTS Proverbs Wisdom Description and fruits of the righteous man Ecclesiastes Futility The way of God Job Trial Crucible of testing 3 DEVOTIONAL BOOKS KEY THOUGHTS KEY SUBJECTS Psalms Worship Meditations and worship of the righteous man Song of Solomon Love The way of God Lamentations Destruction Crucible of judgment In the Hebrew Bible, the Book of Ecclesiastes is further grouped with Song of Solomon, Lamentations, Ruth, and Esther to form the five Megilloth writings, or rolls. These books would be then read by the Jews at annual feasts or holidays: Song of Solomon (Passover), Lamentations (9 th of Ab, which commemorated the destruction of the Temple), Esther (Purim), Ruth (Pentecost), and Ecclesiastes (Booths/Tabernacles). The Feast of Booths/Tabernacles was the Jews most joyous feast of the year, celebrating God s deliverance from Egypt and provisions throughout the wilderness wanderings (Lev. 23:33-44). It was the last of the seven festivals that God ordained for the people to observe, during which time the people lived in booths or huts made of boughs (Neh. 8:14-18), and sacrificed a total of 189 animals over a seven day period (Num. 29:12-38). In addition, this feast celebrated the autumn harvest of fruits and olives (Ex. 23:16), and according to Zech. 14:16, will be celebrated during the millennial reign following Christ s Second Advent. It is truly a book focused on joy, not sadness, in spite of its many pessimisms concerning life. For this reason, the book would have been read publicly on the third day of the Feast of Booths/Tabernacles, possibly because of its emphasis on the enjoyment of life. In this, the book of Ecclesiastes serves as a lasting reminder to the Jewish nation, and to us as New Testament believers, that God is the source of all that is truly good and that man s efforts here upon the earth are futile, vanity, if not lived in the pursuit of God s glory. In other words, life without God is meaningless. Life cannot be lived with God because God does not share life, rather He gives it; but life must be lived in accordance to God, that is, in obedience to Him. 53

3 Although many specific details concerning the immediate setting of the book of Ecclesiastes are unknown, this lack of information only serves to let the book shine forth in its essential quality, as a timeless and contemporary message to all generations. With this said, it is believed that at the time of the book s composition, the Israelite kingdom was still united and in its golden era, though Solomon s sins and later taxation had begun to unsettle the Jewish nation. At this time, Israel s enemies were at peace with one another, and deep thought, man-centered philosophy had become the primary pursuit of those in Solomon s court, even to the point of crowding out God s wisdom. As such, the book of Ecclesiastes highlights or creates an antinomy of sorts, as it is at odds with the reality of its day. II. III. TITLE: The title for the book of Ecclesiastes comes from the opening phrase, The words of the Preacher (1:1). The Hebrew word for preacher is Qoheleth, which is from qahal, meaning to assemble. In this basic form the word means, one who convenes and speaks at an assembly, or a preacher. We find this meaning consistent with the Greek as well, ecclesiastes, from which we get the word ecclesiastic. Our English title is thus derived from the Latin Vulgate and LXX. The word, preacher, is used seven times in the book of Ecclesiastes (1:1, 2, 12; 7:27; 12:8, 9, 10) and is found no where else in the Old Testament. AUTHOR: Though the author is not explicitly stated by name in the text, we are nevertheless, provided with internal evidence by which to identify the author as Solomon. For example, the author refers to himself as the son of David, king of Jerusalem (1:1). In addition, the following descriptions found in this book coincide with what is known about Solomon from the historical record of 1 st Kings. Reference is made to the author s unrivaled wisdom (1:16; 1 Kgs. 4:29-30); his opportunities for pleasure (2:3), his extensive building projects (2:4-6; 1 Kgs. 10:14-28); his wealth and wives (2:8; 1 Kgs. 7:1-8; 11:3); his fame (2:9); and his collection of proverbs (12:9; 1 Kgs. 4:32). All of these facts help to point to Solomon as author since no other descendent of David has measured up to such specifications. If the above information were not enough to point to Solomonic authorship, there are also marked similarities between the overarching theme of Ecclesiastes (e.g. the fear of the Lord ) and his other writings (e.g. Proverbs). With this said, Ecclesiastes abounds with proverbs and proverbial statements, and further reveals teachings that are common to both (e.g. Eccl. 10:8-12). Moreover, Jewish tradition attributes Solomon as being author of this book. Still, scholars have debated authorship for centuries and in the sixteenth century, following the lead of Martin Luther, abandoned the traditional view of the Solomonic authorship of this book. Instead, Luther and others have argued that linguistic evidence (given that 13% of the book is written in Aramaic) points to an exilic or post-exilic dating of the book. As such, they feel that the book was composed by an unknown author who used Solomon as his central character. Evidence supporting this post-exilic dating, however, is highly inconclusive, especially in light of the discovery of four fragments of Ecclesiastes at Qumran (Dead Sea Scrolls), which refute any late dating of the book. 54

4 IV. DATE: It is probable that someone like King Hezekiah, who assembled a portion of Solomon s proverbs (Prov. 25:1), could have likewise assembled the book of Ecclesiastes from Solomon s writings sometime between B.C. Nevertheless, the wise sayings themselves would remain that of Solomon and would date to between B.C. To be specific, it is thought that the book of Ecclesiastes was composed by Solomon during the latter years of his life and reign, following his demise (thousand wives and worshipping of false gods) but after being rebuked by God and restored before his death (1 Kgs. 11). As such, scholars date the composition of this book to around 935 B.C. V. THEME: Throughout the book of Ecclesiastes, the author shows two opposite life views. First, he views things around him as the natural man (1 Cor. 2:14) would do, without the light of divine revelation. The conclusion that Solomon comes to over and over again in this book is that both views, both quests for truth, All is vanity! Here is arguably the wisest man to ever walk the face of the earth, apart from Christ, saying that man s efforts to understand reality is futile. Such a frustration serves to show us that according to God s perfect design, if we are to know truth, it must come by way of God s revelation (Isa. 29:14; 1 Cor. 1:19). Thus, Solomon likewise writes as one to whom God has revealed Himself, which gives man s observations and conclusions in life a ring of surety and hope. For example, we find phrases such as Everything God does will remain forever (3:14) juxtaposed against All is vanity. This pattern of alternating perspectives continues throughout the entirety of the book. By this, Solomon sets forth in the book of Ecclesiastes a God-centered worldview that comes about exclusively through the teachings of Scripture. Still, it should be noted that when Solomon writes from this second perspective, it is not as one who knows the full NT revelation of God. Rather, he views life as a man who knows and worships God primarily as Creator. This is confirmed by the fact that every time the name of God appears in Ecclesiastes, the word Elohim, which is the name especially associated with God s work of creation (Gen. 1:1), is used. The name 55

5 Lord (YHWH), which speaks of God as Redeemer-Savior, does not appear in the book at all. This is significant as the book, if you remember, was probably composed immediately after one of the most difficult times in Solomon s life, one that we would classify as being spiritually backslidden. Thus, the book of Ecclesiastes serves to point the reader beyond a mere head and heart knowledge of God to one that also encompasses the will as well (Mk. 12:30). As the law was designed to lead men to Christ, so this book is designed to lead those under the sun to a life in the Son. By this, Solomon stresses that true wisdom is found in Christ alone. Christ became for us wisdom (1 Cor. 1:30), that is, to those who would confess with their mouth Jesus as LORD and believe in their heart that God raised Him from the dead (Rom. 10:9). VII. LESSON: The book of Ecclesiastes is a compilation of personal reflections of a man at the end of his life. In this, Solomon is looking back over all the empty pursuits that have dominated his desires, similar pursuits that dominate the lives of men as a whole. As a result, what we have in this inspired book is probably one of the most sobering reminders of life found in the OT. This book is packed with wisdom that is critical for our understanding. But the key to our understanding lies in the attention we pay to the author s repeated statements concerning different elements and accomplishments of life. Time and again, Solomon refers to life as vanity, futile, meaningless. Now Solomon is not simply a grumpy old man who is trying to deny everyone of having fun. Rather, he is issuing a passionate plea, a warning, to those in their youth (12:1-7) to learn from his mistakes and not to repeat them in their own lives. Solomon is saying, I have been there, done it and here is how to view it all with an eternal perspective in mind! As such, Ecclesiastes is a book that investigates life and tells what kind of life is worth living. It records the quest of soul who sees only vanity all about him until his eyes are opened to the hope offered by God. It is a statement of human wisdom that tells us how man perceives his world, God and the facts of life. It is a confession of pessimism and futility when God is excluded and joy and happiness when God is included. Throughout Ecclesiastes, Solomon presents the position of one who is searching for truth, reality and the meaning to life. From this vantage point, then, it would be correct to say that the book of Ecclesiastes is a book of philosophy. With this in mind, philosophy can be defined as the investigation of causes and laws underlying reality. Simply put, philosophy is man s search for truth. But more than this, it is man s love of man s wisdom. Generally speaking, there are two main schools of thought in philosophy: empiricism and rationalism. Empiricism says that human experience, especially the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste), is the only source of knowledge. This is to say, man can know only what he experiences. On the other hand, rationalism says that human reason is the prime source of knowledge and of spiritual truth. In other words, man can know only what he can mentally grasp. A study of the book of Ecclesiastes shows truth vainly being sought for in both of these ways: (1) I made ; I got ; and so forth (2:4, 7) this is empiricism; and (2) I set my mind to know (1:17) this is rationalism. 56

6 Thus, the central message of this divinely inspired book may be stated in the form of three propositions: The Bankruptcy of Rationalism: When you look at life with its seemingly aimless cycles (1:4f) and inexplicable paradoxes (4:1; 7:15; 8:8), you might concluded that all is futile, since it is impossible to discern any purpose in the ordering of events. The Futility of Empiricism: When you pursue and experience all the pleasures life has to offer (2:1-23), you might, likewise, conclude that all is futile, since it is impossible to have any lasting satisfaction from things and possessions. The Fulfillment of Truth: In spite of all things being vain/futile, life is to be enjoyed to the fullest, realizing that it is the gift of God (3:12-13, 22; 5:18-19; 8:15; 9:7-9). Only the wise man will live his life to the fullest as he lives in obedience to God, recognizing that God will eventually judge all men (3:16-17; 12:14). VIII. SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS: Without question, Ecclesiastes is a perplexing book, partly because its perspectives and purposes are not clearly understood. Additionally, it is one of only a few OT books that is not quoted in the New Testament, though some NT verses closely resemble truths expressed in Ecclesiastes (e.g. Rom. 8:20; James 4:14); and early church fathers cited from it occasionally (Hermas, Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and Origin). Still, the purposes of Ecclesiastes are plainly presented to us in order to show the futility of pursuing materialistic, earthly goals as an end in themselves. In this, the book points to God as the source of all that is truly good. The theme of the book, then, may be stated in this twofold manner: (1) every pursuit of man is futile if God is excluded; and (2) only God s work endures, so that only He can impart true value to man s life and service. In keeping with the central message and purpose of this book, there are certain phrases and key words that aid in our interpretation, giving us greater understanding into the author s intent in his writing. These include: (1) under the sun, used 34 times in the book of Ecclesiastes, it refers to the earthbound, temporal outlook and experience of the natural man, those who are unsaved. (2) vanity, used 39 times, expresses the futility of human wisdom (2:15-16), human labor (2:19-21), human purpose (2:26), human rivalry (4:4), human avarice (4:8), human fame (4:16), human insatiety (5:10), human coveting (6:9), human frivolity (7:4), and human awards (8:10, 14); (3) God, used 40 times, and always the name Elohim, which refers to God as Creator. The familiar OT name of Lord, YHWH, does not appear in the book; (4) meaningless, used 33 times, this is another nuance of the idea of vanity and futility found in Ecclesiastes. It can mean transient, breath-like, fleeting, empty, or worthless; and expresses the truth that life without God is meaningless; and (5) wisdom, used 54 times, is synonymous with righteousness or holiness, and is used by Solomon to describe the heart of a person who truly knows and follows God. 57

7 Additionally, the literary style of Ecclesiastes is constructed in such a way that it allows the preacher, or philosopher, to share his observations, reflections, reasonings, and conclusions with the reader in terse, brief lines, often in poetical form. In this, the main body of the book (1:12-12:7) can be divided into six sermons or discourses. Each sermon, then, expounds on two chief subjects: vanity/futility and hope. By this, Solomon first shows the hopelessness of life under the sun ; and then shows the reality that hope can only be found in God who resides above the sun. Thus, the first part of each sermon is mainly the author s observation of life (e.g. all is vanity ); and the second part of each sermon is his instruction and counsel concerning life (e.g. fear God ). II. OUTLINE: I. THE PREACHER S SUBJECT (ECCLESIASTES 1:1-11) Solomon is frank and straight to the point as he has reached the end of his life. It is as if he does not have time to mince words. So, at the very outset of this book, he introduces his thesis statement, the premise of this book, All is Vanity! By this, Solomon is saying, Here is your life in a nutshell: you are born, you mature from a child to a youth to an adult, you pursue various things such as women, wealth and worldwide fame, you die, we mourn, then laugh, split up your stuff, eulogize you, now you are nothing more than a memory. This is the cycle of life. Life is short and then you die. Today, you are one day closer to death than you were yesterday. Now many of us would simply call Solomon morbid for thinking like this, but Solomon, I believe, would call himself a realist. Because of the brevity and vanity life s pursuits has to offer, Solomon is going to propose through this book that fullness in one s life can only be experienced in light of having an eternal perspective. In other words, the worldview that should dominate our minds and hearts is one that focuses upon a life with God at the center, a life that forsakes the pleasures and pursuits of this world under the sun in order that we may store for ourselves treasures in heaven for a life with God above the sun. a. HE STATES HIS TEXT: (Eccl. 1:1-2) i. The Futility Felt 1. Vanity of vanities! All is vanity. Solomon s thesis 2. ref. Rom. 8:20-22 b. HE STATES HIS TOPIC: (Eccl. 1:3-11) i. The Frustration Felt 1. The endless cycles of life illustrate the monotonous futility of all things. Creation is subject to futility because of sin (Gen. 3:17-18). II. THE PREACHER S SERMONS (ECCLESIASTES 1:12-10:20) In these sermons, Solomon is going to provide a detailed account of some of the things he had sought, seen, and studied in his life. Herein, he is going to share the many failures, frustrations, 58

8 fallacies, and facts of life with us as readers. But his conclusion is always the same; all of life is vain if not lived with and for God. a. SERMON #1: (Eccl. 1:12-3:15) i. The Fun Followed (Eccl. 1:12-2:11) 1. Human Wisdom (1:12-18) a. striving/chasing after the wind meaning a futile activity as the wind can never be caught b. over Jerusalem before me Solomon is saying that of all those who were over the city of Jerusalem (Melchizekek, Adoni-zedek, Saul, David) none have amassed such wisdom and wealth as he has 2. Pleasure (2:1) 3. Laughter (2:2) 4. Wine (2:3) 5. Building an empire (2:4) 6. Nature (2:5-6) 7. Authority (2:7) 8. Collecting (2:8) 9. Music (2:8) 10. Sex (2:8) 11. Greatness (2:9-10) ii. The Futility Felt (Eccl. 2:12-23) 1. Weariness (2:17) 2. Selfishness (2:18) 3. Despair (2:20) 4. Hopelessness (2:21) 5. Grief (2:23) iii. The Fulfillment Found (Eccl. 2:24-3:15) 1. Enjoy Life From God (2:24-26) 2. Recognize God s Sovereignty (3:1-15) a. 3:1-8 record Solomon s famous time poem. The word time is used 29 times in only eight verses. b. He ponders God s design for all the events of life and concludes that they are divinely appointed. c. He reasons that man yearns for purpose and design. This is man s pursuit in philosophy, to find the meaning of life. The seasons break up the monotony of life (unless you live in Florida), but when you stop and think about it, these endless cycles of seasons become monotony in and of themselves. 59

9 b. SERMON #2: (Eccl. 3:16-22) Furthermore, I have seen under the sun i. The Futility Felt (Eccl. 3:16-21) 1. Injustice (3:16) 2. Inevitability of judgment (3:17) 3. Inevitability of death (3:18-21) ii. The Fulfillment Found (Eccl. 3:22) 1. Men should be happy in his activities c. SERMON #3: (Eccl. 4-5) Then I looked again i. The Futility Felt (Eccl. 4:1-5:17) 1. Oppression (4:1-3) 2. Workaholic for nothing (4:4-12) 3. Uncertainty of success (4:13-16) 4. Hypocrisy in worship (5:1-7) 5. Hoarded riches (5:8-17) ii. The Fulfillment Found (Eccl. 5:18-20) 1. Enjoy life from God (5:18) 2. God must keep us glad (5:19-20) d. SERMON #4: (Eccl. 6:1-8:15) There is an evil which I have seen under the sun.. i. The Futility Felt (Eccl. 6) 1. Riches fail to satisfy (6:1-2) 2. Early death appears best (6:3-6) 3. Men always want more (6:7-9) 4. Man is finite (6:10-12) ii. The Fulfillment Found (Eccl. 7:1-8:15) 1. Understand God s wisdom (7:1-8:9) a. One of few occasions where Solomon uses proverbial statements. On this occasion, it is in order to set forth the advantages and limitations of wisdom. 2. Fear God openly (8:10-13) 3. Enjoy life from God (8:14-15) e. SERMON #5: (Eccl. 8:16-9:10) I gave my heart to know wisdom.. i. The Futility Felt (Eccl. 8:16-9:6) 1. Man cannot discover wisdom (8:16-17) 2. Many events are beyond man s control (9:1) 3. All men face death (9:2-6) 60

10 ii. The Fulfillment Found (Eccl. 9:7-10) 1. Enjoy life from God (9:7-9) 2. Grasp your opportunities now (9:10) f. SERMON #6: (Eccl. 9:11-12:7) I again saw under the sun.. i. The Futility Felt (Eccl. 9:11-15) 1. Success in life is unpredictable (9:11) 2. Length of life is unpredictable (9:12) 3. Success does not go to the strong (9:13-15) ii. The Fulfillment Found (Eccl. 9:16-12:7) 1. Wisdom is better than strength (9:16-18) 2. Wisdom explains life s uncertainties (10) a. This chapter is one of only a few places in Ecclesiastes that contains a few groups of proverbs on the subject of wisdom and folly. 3. Do not always play it safe (11:1-6) 4. Seek God in your youth (11:7-12:7) III. THE PREACHER S SUMMARY (ECCLESIASTES 12:8-14) Following Solomon s exhortation to those in their youth, that they should remember God now before old age and poor health overtake them and life s pleasures vanish from their grasp, he now recaps his entire argument and findings in a brief synopsis. He begins his concluding thoughts by restating the opening thesis ( All is vanity! ), detailing his educational program (12:9-10), expressing the high value of his instruction (12:11-12), and providing a closing admonition to his readers (12:13-14). Man is thus to life and enjoy it as a gift (2:24; 5:18-19; 8:15; 9:7-9); make the most of every opportunity in life (9:10); and live life with reverence and awe toward God accompanied by the thought of His future judgment (12:13-14). a. HE RESTATES HIS TEXT: (Eccl. 12:8) i. The Frustration Felt 1. Vanity of vanities! All is vanity. b. HE STATES HIS CONCLUSION: (Eccl. 12:9-14) i. The Fulfillment Found 1. Human wisdom offers no help (12:12) 2. Fear God and keep His commandments (12:13) 3. Prepare for future judgment (12:14) 61

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