Inspiration from Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes ranks among my favorite books because it deals with practical issues that are common to man - one that reaches across many millenia. Other then Proverbs, the other OT books deal with history and the call to repentance.

Ecclesiastes teaches one about values in life and what is important. We live in an age in which there is much that works to distract us from our walk with the LORD. The writer tried everything and his conclusions are simple "vanity, all is vanity." But it is fascinating to read why this is the case. Want to join me in this journey of looking at Eccles.? If you want to post on a different chapter, I suggest you do it from the lead post and type in the chapter number in the subject box.

One thing I would like to draw attention to are the questions Solomon asks, his conclusions and the reasons.
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Ecclesiastes 1:1-8 NASB:
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,
“Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”

3 What advantage does man have in all his work
Which he does under the sun?

4 A generation goes and a generation comes,
But the earth remains forever.

5 Also, the sun rises and the sun sets;
And hastening to its place it rises there again.

6 Blowing toward the south,
Then turning toward the north,
The wind continues swirling along;
And on its circular courses the wind returns.

7 All the rivers flow into the sea,
Yet the sea is not full.
To the place where the rivers flow,
There they flow again.

8 All things are wearisome;
Man is not able to tell it.
The eye is not satisfied with seeing,
Nor is the ear filled with hearing.

COMMENT:

The question: What advantage does man have in all his work
Which he does under the sun? v.3

Yes, why work? Why do I exist? What am I to accomplish?

One looks around and hears the wind? It keeps on coming and it goes and returns - continuously.

Or, look at the rivers - they run into the sea but the sea never gets full! Ever see the Mississippi pour its waters into the Gulf? But the ocean water stays at the same level.

And we love to look at nature: the mountains, the flowers, the animals, the scenery (man has been able to capitalize on this wonder by promoting tourism to see the beauties of nature). But we never tire of it. Neither do we tire of beautiful sounds: the song of the birds, the waterfalls, the rustling of the leaves, the sound of a newborn baby, the voice of a loved one and on and on...we never tire of it do we?

Why? How can this be? I feel overwhelmed with the largeness of it all. My imagination has a problem wrapping itself around this phenomena. I am little, I am me existing in the rural part of Mississippi...Nature, when studied, demonstrates a intelligence far beyond my imagination, does it not?

Why do I exist?

"""Why do I exist?"""

Because it pleases God.

Ephesians 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

I love you too, which pleases me

In Christ: Phillip

Because it pleases God.

How well do we understand this principle?

Ecclesiastes 1: 9-11 NASB

9 That which has been is that which will be,
And that which has been done is that which will be done.
So there is nothing new under the sun.

10 Is there anything of which one might say,
“See this, it is new”?
Already it has existed for ages
Which were before us.

11 There is no remembrance of earlier things;
And also of the later things which will occur,
There will be for them no remembrance
Among those who will come later still.

COMMENT:

The original question: "What advantage does man have in all his work..?" burns within the human heart.

Why do I do what I do?

What motivates me to do what I do?

What motivates me to think like I do?

Solomon informs us that:

1. That which has been is what will be.
2. There is nothing new under the sun.
3. People forget what has been done in the past.
4. People will forget in the future what will be done today.

So, what advantage does man have in all his work? why work so hard? or work at all? You can't do anything new and what you do will be forgotten in time to come....

Why?

Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 NASB

12 I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13 And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

14 I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.

15 What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted.

16 I said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”

17 And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind.

18 Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.

COMMENT:

Solomon is in pursuit of answers to the question, "what advantage does man have in all his work?" v.3

Solomon was king over Israel and while doing so set his mind to learn by wisdom all that has been done under the sun. This pursuit was divinely energized. 1Kings 3:12.

(Wisdom - is doing the right thing based on knowledge. Or, knowledge applied.)

In his pursuit of wisdom he said he saw all the works that had been done under the sun. He noticed that what is crooked cannot be straightened and there is an overwhelming amount of things that need fixing. In the process he became very wise, much wiser then anyone before him. And his conclusion? Wisdom brings much grief, and increasing knowledge brigs pain!

So what good can one accomplish by pursuing knowledge and wisdom if it brings grief and pain?

Ecclesiastes 1: 12, 18 NASB

12 And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

18 Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.

COMMENT:

"It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with." Why is this quest to seek knowledge and wisdom a grievous task? It is God given...Why? Solomon says it is grievous...

Then in v. 18 he says that wisdom brings grief and increasing knowledge results in pain... Why?

Look about you and we see much that needs fixing and we know beyond a shadow of a doubt what should be done. But we are helpless to initiate any fixing. No one wants our assistance and their refusal pains us because we know the outcome of the grief they will be inflicting upon themselves. It pains us...Since this is the case what can a person do other then pray? God seems to be so painfully slow because he is dealing with stubborn minds who refuse to bend their stubborn wills, among other things.

And there are other things that need fixing but resist it...doesn't do a whole lot for our emotional comfort...

But why did God inflict this task upon mankind?

Ecclesiastes 1:1-2 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

This is why God never intended man to live by his own wisdom and why Christ was slain before the foundation. God never intended man to live without a God nature, which is Christ in the believer. Adam chose a devil nature, "Your father the devil".

God wanted us to have the Person of Christ in us that our nature would be of our Father God. That is why we must be born again.

Revelation 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

Revelation 5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Just for Gods elect; Ephesians 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

This is why God created man, He wanted children in His house, He wanted to be a Father, there is only One begotten and He is begotten in every son that believes.

Now we are the children of God and wisdom is for all eternity.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Not in mans wisdom but God's wisdom in Christ.

In Christ: Phillip

Amen, Phillip!

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 NASB

1 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself.” And behold, it too was futility.

2 I said of laughter, “It is madness,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”

3 I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives.

4 I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself;

5 I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;

6 I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees.

7 I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem.

8 Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men—many concubines.

9 Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.

10 All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor.

11 Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.

COMMENT:

Solomon decided it would test life with pleasure. His rule was that it would please the eye, provide pleasure for the heart and brings satisfaction. What were these things that he did?

1. Laughter. (Comedy?)
2. Wine -to stimulate the body and mind.
3. Built houses.
4. Planted vineyards.
5. Planted gardens and parks.
6. Planted all kinds of fruit trees.
7. Dug irrigation ponds.(large enough to irrigate a forest of trees!!!
8. Had slaves, homeborn slaves.
9. Flocks and herds - larger then any who preceded him.
10. Collected silver and gold.
11. Acquired the treasure of kings (he had a throne overlaid with ivory).
12. Music.
13. Women - many wives and concubines.
14. Wisdom - so great that he even knew he was the greatest.
15. Self-satisfaction in his accomplishments.

In face of all this, he says it is vanity and striving after wind....

OBSERVATION:
To be able to accomplish all this would require a skilled staff of persons to manage it and bring it all to fruition. He must have had a wonderful, capable staff, one willing to work.

Have you ever noticed how so many times people who are so skilled, and accomplished are unhappy? Modern education is promoted to assure its students that if you get this degree or another you will be able to make a lot of money. Once people get more all it does is increases their appetite for more and it is never satisfied so more is acquired and more...thanks to credit cards!

Where do I find my satisfaction? Am I obsessed with the acquisition of things? Do they satisfy in the long run? Solomon says "no."

If works, accomplishments, women, music do not do this, where do I find satisfaction? This is a question one has to deal with daily...

This expression "For myself" occurs six times in these verses. When I noticed it this bothered me..after thinking about it a while I knew why.

The fellowed lived only for himself. What brought him pleasure and delight he got, nothing was denied him. Even in the acquisition of it all his wisdom stayed with him - he always did things rightly and correctly - sounds like a perfectionist.

But.

But he says all is vanity and striving after wind. OOOhhh...But is this not the way life is: when one lives only for his own pleasure, satisfaction with no regard for the welfare of others in the end it leaves one feeling so empty? Unless you have been bribing your friends with gifts, it will distance you from people although in Solomon's case this may not have been the case. (Scripture says God granted him peace with his neighboring kingdoms.)

This scripture reminds me of a motto many displayed on their walls when I was a child: "Only one life 'twill soon be past. Only what is done for Jesus will last."

Ecclesiastes 2:12-17 NASB

12 So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly; for what will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done?

13 And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.

14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one fate befalls them both.

15 Then I said to myself, “As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?” So I said to myself, “This too is vanity.”

16 For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die!

17 So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.

COMMENT:

Just what good does wisdom do a body?

Both the fool and the wise die. And are buried.

And in time no one will remember the wise person. His memory recedes into the misty arena of forgottenness, just like the fool.

It is true that wisdom excels folly, but when all is said and done, what lasting value is in it?

We want to make a difference in life, one that will succeed in making the world a better place that when you were born.

But you know what? It ain't a bit better now then it was when I was born; if anything, worse. So, what have I accomplish in my sojourn of 64 years? [EDIT] Many wiser men then me have lived and are living, yet it is no better.

Do I consider life, my work grievous? Perhaps if I am doing it to make a name or hope to do something that impresses people....is this my goal? Solomon says it is vanity and striving after wind.

"Striving after wind" - one can never catch it, can never see it, but you can see its effects. If it is a strong one, it brings destruction. If it is a breeze, it will pollinate flowers, producing fruit and seeds...Still, you can never catch it nor hoard it for future use. So is wisdom.

What do I expect to accomplish today? and for what reason? and purpose?

Many wiser men then me have lived and are living, yet it is no better.

More commentary on this observation.

My generation is so very intelligent, or at least they think so. I have heard great minds work to understand the complexities of life, the mysteries of the WORD, reasoning and thinking more. All acting very wise, believing they got it all figured out with the end result being that they think they know better then God what man should do or be.

And you now have apostasy.

All because men think they are so wise.

Ecclesiastes 2:18-23 NASB

18 Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me.

19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity.

20 Therefore I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun.

21 When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil.

22 For what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun?

23 Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity

COMMENT:

The question Solomon asks "what advantage does man have in all his work? is reiterated here.

Solomon says "I have worked hard with wisdom, knowledge and skill to create all these things, but for what good? The man who comes after me has not worked with them (or shown any interest in them?)" ...implying he is ignorant in knowing how to care for all these things which means they will likely go to pot.

Solomon worked hard, he acted wisely. He laid awake at nights pondering whether the man who comes after him will be a wise man or a fool.

Who will benefit from my hard work? Who will be able to maintain it? and I worked so hard and no one else is interested enough in it. (Then he leaves his legacy to one who has not labored with them.)

Two important points:
1. In training children, parents need to bring their children alongside them and teach them the value of work and how to progress on with it after your demise. (Last week my 56 YO cousin died unexpectedly. Just two weeks earlier he sat down with his sons and explained to them all about his business, how it works..at the time they thought it odd but now consider this act Providential.)

2. How many times will our gifts be appreciated? If someone has not worked for it, will it be respected and revered? Will they know how to care for it and maintain it?

So, then, what good does all my work?

""So, then, what good does all my work?""

I guess that depends on who we work for and where our treasure is.

In Christ: Phillip

""So, then, what good does all my work?""

Phillip wrote:

I guess that depends on who we work for and where our treasure is.

And this is exactly what the next verses teach us. Let us take a look!

Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 NAS

24 There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.

25 For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?

26 For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

COMMENT:

Aaahh...doing it with God and for God! that is where the delight enters in. Makes everything worthwhile.

When God is involved in your work it produces satisfaction, pleasure on the personal level. There is no drudgery. To understand that God is interested in our work, that our work reflects Him bring honor and glory to Him!

Working without God brings a lot of drudgery. One feels like he is spinning his wheels for - who? Someone else...

How to be content is a lost art in our world of excessive consumerism. That is not where God is and it produces depression because you will never have enough; obsession with collecting is an indication of dissatisfaction..

In my walk with the LORD I noticed a wonderful blessing bestowed upon me: the blessing of creativity. I am one born with none whatsoever - I am dreadfully practical, all the way. However, as I grow in my walk I am finding that God is giving me the ability to think outside the box and figure out how things can be made beautiful. And in the process there is so much pleasure and joy. And I know this all comes from God - I ain't got it naturally.

In my work in the GHs, I get so tired and it becomes a drudgery. Then I recall how God led us to this business and the opportunities to witness to the public...ahhh. Then I remember this is the forum upon which God placed me to minister to those that need encouragement - and how wonderful this is! Since my emotions run out of gas quickly, I must get a daily refill to enable me to go on...

Work is a delight, a joy, a pleasure when you are yoked up with Him!

Ecclesiastes 3:1,2 NASB

1 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—

2 A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.

COMMENT:

In v. 2-9 the writer discusses issues, none of which involve sin, but things we confront in life: do I do it this way or that? When a body is young and naive, one believes that he has life all sorted out and knows exactly how things are and should be done ALWAYS, will sometime find himself at a crossroads, not knowing for sure which road to take. And you will find that sometimes you do one thing and at times the opposite will be done - and it is right for the moment and the future. The following verses are clear that one cannot with any certainty say "I always do...this way!" like as though it is an absolute. If this is your mentality you will eventually find yourself in a place where you will do the unthinkable.

There is a time for everything...

A time to give birth....once conception has occurred there will be a birth, whether it will be alive or dead, there will be a birth. You cannot wish it away. A female body has only a limited time in which it can conceive and birth a child. Yes, there is a time and not a time when it can happen. God ordained it to be so - and he is so very wise...many seniors are ever so thankful it is such.

There is a time to die...Oh, a controversial topic. Yes, there is a time to die. It is unavoidable, it is certain. Man works to postpone it but it is inevitable. Since this is the case one must prepare himself for this inevitability.

How much resources are expended to prevent this from happening? It is shameful, is it not? My sister, who is an RN, informs me how so many patients are confined to the ICU in the hospital with no chance of recovery...and who pays for this care and the meds? Is it right to expect others to pay for something that has no chance of recovery? Where is God in all this mix? Why is it so difficult to lay this before the heavenly throne and tell God you surrender this persons' well-being to his care? Are we so afraid God will choose to take this life? And if you are ready to go, why fight it? Are you uncertain about your salvation?

On the other hand, no violence is done to take meds to make life comfortable. "Take a little wine for your stomach's sake" so says Paul to Timothy....and Osteo Bi-Flex does work to ease arthritic pain...:-)

Yes, there is a time for birthing and a time to die....when this reality sinks into our consciousness it will make a huge difference in how we view life and take it seriously, that we are here for only a short time and for a purpose. And what is that? Are we squandering our life in selfish pursuits? Or, are we living to please God? to walk with Him?

Ecclesiastes 3:3 NASB

3 A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up.

COMMENT:

Life has provided us with an object lesson on this principle yesterday and within the recent two weeks when a rash of storms laced with tornadoes swept through the south, including our area.

God allowed these tornadoes to rip up, tear down and scatter. Living through something like this makes one think seriously about his standing before a holy and righteous God. I would guess most of these people that died because of the storm had no idea their lives would be shortened before the day was out. And so it can be for anyone. Storms are not a respecter of persons, wealth or privilege: it is an equal destroyer.

Did I panic yesterday when told a tornado was headed our way? My DH said I did. I think I was just being sensible in that I wanted to get out NOW and down't want to be here when it came. And it came, roared over our town and touching down in the countryside destroying grain bins, etc.

A time to heal. God will be there to heal those who suffered emotional trauma if they want it. And it all begins by making certain you have all your sins under the blood. No other means will work in the long term.

And there were many incidents where God's protecting hand kept people from injuries. Here are two:

1. Our DIL got the call from the school that she needed to get the children NOW because a tornado is coming. She did but upon leaving decided to take another road, a gravel road west instead of heading south like she always did. Had she gone south she could have driven almost into it (It touched down several hundred feet east of this road.). This tornado scattered tin along the road moments later, right were she was.

2. A tornado struck Scooba, MS. The weather service called a school at Geiger, AL warning them that it is headed their way and that they had only 8 minutes to evacuate. They did and 8 minutes later the tornado ripped off the roof of this building.

Storms gives God an opportunity to manifest his care for his creatures. When things go well, we take it all for granted. Human nature.

God is good, even in the middle of storms.

Ecclesiastes 3:4-6 NASB

4 A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.

5 A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.

6 A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep and a time to throw away.

COMMENT:

The past week we had so much drama that it provided us with a different perspective of these verses, something that would not have occurred without it.

A time to weep; a time to search and a time to give up as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away.

What do we need to throw away? or give up as lost? When should a person laugh? or, when is it inappropriate?

As we viewed the destruction caused by the tornadoes I get the sense that God cares nothing for material things. Buildings shredded, debris everywhere. Yet, in the midst of the shredding process there are stories of God's protection of people, so marvelous that it defies any explanation other then divine intervention. But then, not all experienced it. So, how can one explain that? But such is life and it is a waste of energy to try to understand.

Time to keep and a time to throw away - a time to relinquish our hold on what we consider dear so we can reevaluate what really is important. Things do not last, but souls do.

In the midst of all this people are becoming so much aware of their own mortality and the endtimes, like one older gentleman told me, "what happened is what I have been told would since I was a young boy." "What is that?" I asked. "That these things will happen in the end times, just before Jesus returns."

Perhaps we needed this reminder about the fragility of material things...big strong structures pushed over like toothpicks...

Yes, all of us have a tornado story and it is good for us...

Ecclesiastes 3:7 NASB

7A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent and a time to speak.

COMMENT:

These verses - a time to and a time to- opposites, both true depending on circumstances. This should make us aware that there are things that are not absolute and we do well to live this way, kind of knocks the props out from under your opinions and/or way of doing things.

Now, a time to shut up and a time to speak. Or, if you want to say it nicer, a time to listen and a time to speak.

Listening. How well do we listen? It is by listening that one can speak wisely, speak with grace empowered by the Holy Spirit. How many times do we listen with our emotions and respond accordingly? and we get into trouble? Some people do not have the speaking skills that others do and can easily be misunderstood, so clarification is essential for good communication. So, how well do I listen? Do I listen with my spirit and mind? Makes a huge difference on how well you respond when this is done.

Another aspect of speaking....sometimes it just plain ain't appropriate to speak, even when you know what is up or down. You know that speaking will evoke a firestorm of a sorts so how should one respond? At CPC we were given wise counsel: "Choose your battles wisely, not all things are worth fighting for or against." This can only become a rule in our heart when the Holy Spirit dwells there.

Thank God for wise counsel....

Ecclesiastes 3:9-11 NASB

9 What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils?

10 I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.

11 He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.

COMMENT:

Once again, why am I here for? In chapter 1:13 the writer informs us, " I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with."

These questions about life, reason for living is God given. He wants us to ask, to search and experience a sense of frustration with our ignorance. Only when we have arrived at this point in our knowledge will one be receptive to his revelation.

God set eternity in our hearts is a fascinating concept! It is the sense that perhaps there is a beginning somewhere and there certainly must be more to life after the physical death one sees all around us. People seems to know, hence the search for meaning. Even the most primitive cultures have a sense of a supreme being who controls what man cannot.

Ahh, God is so wise...it is when man works to justify his sin that he turns a deaf ear to the obvious...(I heard something similar a few days ago when discussing the tornadoes that ravished parts of the south....the speaker worked to discount the divine implications of these storms, in contrast to many who say that God is warning us...) God does uses nature to speak to us - if we want to see and hear .
EDITED for clarity