ECCLESIASTES
AN INVESTIGATION OF LIFE
Prepared by Charlie Adkins
Copyright © 2002 Charles D. Adkins. All Rights ReservedTABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction to the Book of Ecclesiastes.................................. 3
Outline of the Book of Ecclesiastes....................................... 4
Chapter 1 Definition of the Task............................ 5
What is New? ................................... 6
Chapter Two An Investigation of Materialism................... 8
Chapter Three The Different Times of Life....................... 10
Chapter Four Still Pictures of Life and Oppression............. 12
Chapter Five Concerning Worship and Labor...................... 13
Chapter Six The Vanity of Riches.............................. 15
Chapter Seven The Difficulty of Wisdom.......................... 16
Chapter Eight The Inability of Man to Know...................... 18
Chapter Nine The Commonality of Life........................... 19
Chapter Ten Concerning Wisdom and Foolishness................. 20
Chapter Eleven Concerning Charity, Life, and Youth............... 21
Chapter Twelve On Growing Old and the Conclusion of the Matter... 22
Why Rejoice? 24
Introduction to the Book of Ecclesiastes
Author: Although Disputed, We will assume Solomon in this class. (Ecclesiastes 1:1)
|
Commentator |
Author |
Date |
1 |
Pulpit Commentary Greek Fathers Latin Fathers Jews |
Other Solomon Solomon Solomon |
300 BC |
2 |
Keil-Delitzsch |
Other |
464-332 BC |
3 |
Barnes (J.M.Fuller) |
Solomon |
|
4 |
Matthew Henry |
Solomon |
|
5 |
Robert Davidson The Daily Study Bible Series |
Other |
|
6 |
DeHoff |
Solomon |
|
7 |
John Waddey |
Solomon |
|
8 |
Bruce Wilkinson/Kenneth Boa |
Solomon |
|
9 |
Robert Pfeiffer |
Other |
250 BC |
Some date the book as late as 4 BC
I believe the book was probably written late in Solomon’s life, after he had allowed his many wives to introduce different forms of idolatry. Perhaps using the wisdom that God had given him at this late date, he could view and understand the mistakes that he had made. The best use we can make of the book is to examine our own lives with lessons that Qoheleth has learned.
Text: Although the book has been accused of being dark and melancholy, we will assume that the purpose of the book is to present an honest and realistic evaluation of life.
The writer asks the reader to participate in his research. He asks numerous questions of the reader. Ecclesiastes cannot be merely read -- it must be experienced -- if we are to profit from its words.
In general, the writer of the book proposes a solution, investigates and pronounces a verdict without a great number of explanations. Put on your laboratory coat. Walk into the lab. Lets start the experiment.
Warning: Many people tend to read into the text of the book, whatever it is that they wish to hear. Many people have turned to passages in Ecclesiastes to prove pet theories and ideas. The book must be evaluated as a whole, in context, and in light of the rest of scriptures. Peter said that people were guilty of wresting Paul’s writings 2 Peter 3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
Translation: The King James Version was utilized to create these questions.
Outline of the Book of Ecclesiastes
Rev. 1 3-31-90
1. All is vanity. The circuits of the sun, the wind, the rivers. Nothing is new. The preacher seeks out wisdom and finds all is vanity.
2. The Preacher investigates mirth and Pleasure. He tries wine, folly, great works, processions, and finds them as vanity and vexation of spirit. That which happens to the fool also happens to the wise. Enjoy good in your labor.
3. There is a time to every purpose under heaven. A man should rejoice and do good in his life. A man will die as a beast will die.
4. The Preacher considers oppression travail, and every right work. He considers one alone, the importance of two together and of the necessity to accept admonishment.
5. Hear rather than speak before God --Keep your vows! The Lord sees those who oppress and pervert judgement. There is hazards of riches. It is proper to enjoy the good of your labor.
6. There is a man with riches but not the power to partake of them, -- whose soul is not filled with good. Do not all go to one place? Who knows what is good for man in life?
7. The importance of a good name. Sorrow is better than laughter. Teachings concerning wisdom.
8. Wisdom is to obey the king's commandment, to every purpose there is time and judgement. Though a sinner prosper -- it is better to fear God, A man can not learn everything.
9. All things come alike to all; There is hope as long as there is life; Whatever y our heart finds to do -- do it with your might; Time and chance happens to all; Wisdom is better than strength.
10. Concerning wisdom and folly
11. The works of God are not known; Light is pleasant; rejoice in your youth.
12. Remember your creator in the days of youth before age and death overtakes you. All is vanity. The conclusion of the matter is to fear God and keep his commandments.
Chapter 1 Definition of the Task
BACKGROUND
All is vanity. The word translated vanity in verse two appears 73 times in the Old Testament. In 72 of them it is translated either vanity or vain, but, according to Strongs, the word can also apply to a vapour or a breath. It is, perhaps, a shadow of the statement of James in the New Testament - “Jas 4:14 . . . ye know not what [shall be] on the morrow. For what [is] your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. (AV)” If our very lives are fleeting and not permanent -- then how can our possessions and works in this world be otherwise? Life is a journey. It is a trip that will take us into eternity. As a traveler pays little attention to his surroundings -- so we need to pay less attention to the affairs of this world and more to the things of our destination.
Note that he has not accused life of being uninteresting. He has just set forth the question, “What profit can a man obtain from all the work that he does.?” It is this question that the writer will address in this book.
He gives us examples of several important cycles in the next few verses. He speaks of the cycle of birth and death in verse 4. Men are born, they grow old and die; but the earth remains until the next generation. The sun rises and sets each day whether we are here to see it or not. The sun’s rising and setting is independant of the birth and death of men.
The cycles of the wind, as mentioned in verse 6 has been scientifically documented -- particularly some of the jet streams. Solomon writes of the water cycle nearly three thousand years ago.
Everything requires work. Much of the work going on around us we may only vaguely even sense. Who notices the work of his heart pumping blood, or of his stomach as it digests his food. Who notices the work of the leaves as they convert the energy of the sun into food for all of creation. Man cannot describe nor explain all of the work that goes on around him.
The eye is not satisphied with seeing something pleasant but soon wearies of the same sights -- regardless of their beauty. The same can be said for the ear. It may delight in the sound of a new song. But as that song is played again and again, the ear becomes wearied of the sound and longs for something new.
But we all live and die and another generation comes on. Each generation has to learn the same lessons. They do not want to learn and profit from what the previous generation has learned. Each is determined to make their own mistakes and to learn in their own manner. For this reason, there is no remembrance of the former things. The lessons that are being learned today, will have to be learned again tomorrow by another generation.
The preacher, who is the writer of this book, was king of Israel. He lived in Jerusalem (the holy city). He defines his mission for us: He wanted to study about everything that is done under heaven. He reminds us of his position as King so as to assure us that he had the ability to undertake the study that he is going to tell us about. Many men attempt things that they do not have the ability to bring to a successful conclusion. Christ mentions a similiar situation in Luke 14:28-30. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. The preacher reminds us that, as King, if any man were to have the resources and the ability to understand, to study -- it would have been him. He invites us to share in the results of his investigation.
He tells us that he has seen all of the works that are done under the sun. As King he could have seen the tasks that men do to make a living from the most humble to the most honorable. In all of it there is nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit. Today is no different. Perhaps it is even worse than it was in Solomon’s day. We live in a throw away world. What we build, or make today -- will be torn down or thrown away tomorrow. Appliances are rarely fixed but discarded for a newer one. So the work of the men and women on the assembly line is discarded. Their work has become vain.
Something that is wrong is wrong. It cannot be justified. If something is missing it cannot be counted. Yes, we have devised a system of numbers to explain something that is missing (negative numbers), but they cannot tell us the things that we do not know. Missing knowlege or understanding remains missing. We cannot explain what we do not know or understand.
The preacher through his study obtained more wisdom than those that were before him in Jerusalem. But wisdom is a vexation of spirit. As we increase in wisdom, we see our own failings better -- and that will cause us grief. As we increase our knowledge, we become more aware of our shortcomings and this knowledge will increase our sorrow.
1. Who is identified as the author of the book? the teacher(preacher) son of David, King in Jerusalem (verse 1)
2. If everything is vain, (meaningless)
Is life uninteresting? no, man must fear & serve God
3. What is the important question asked in verse 3? What profit (gain) does a man have for his labor under the sun?
4. Describe the different natural circuits described in:
a. Verse 4 cycle of birth and death for men
b. Verse 5 cycle of day and night as sun rises and sets
c. Verse 6 cycle of the wind
d. Verse 7 cycle of water rivers, sea, evaporation
5. Do these verses teach that life is a weary, monotonous event? If not, what do they teach? God has set up rules for the world
6. In verse 8:
a. what is there about labour that a man can't utter?
work is on many levels, work I do, work done inside my body by heart, lungs, muscles to do my work. work done on atomic level -- 1 gram of perspiration evaporating takes about 577 calories of heat with it.
b. what isn't the eye satisfied with seeing, or the ear filled with hearing? Give examples. whatever we see we want more, we get tired of hearing the same songs
7. Are verses 9 and 10 still true in the light of twentieth century space travel, computers, nuclear power and all of the new forms of high technology? (see attached essay)
8. Note: Although verse 11 is a simple statement of fact, it has several serious implications.
- Not everything goes into a history book.
- Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it.
9. What did Solomon define as his mission in verse 13? What approach did he intend to use? to seek and search out (study) using wisdom.
10. In verse 15 what is meant by the words crooked and wanting?
crooked (twisted) -- Strongs 5791 crooked, falsifying, deal peversely, turn upside down. Note Jer 17:9-10 heart is deceitful and desperately wicked: who can know it. Living Bible Paraphrase says What is wrong cannot be righted; it is water over the dam; and there is no use thinking of what might have been.
wanting (lacking) -- Strongs 2642 to lack or be deficient We cannot make up for works that we have not done. James 4:17 to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not to him it is sin.
11. What did Solomon believe were the three attributes that would help him on his investigation? (verse 18)
1. come to great estate (grown) --Strongs 1430 to heap up
2. he had more wisdom than anyone before him
3. his heart had more experience with wisdom and knowledge
12. What is the relationship of verse 13 and verse 17 (if any)?
What are the differences between:
What a sore travail (heavy burden God has laid on men)
Gen 3: 16
|
For woman |
For man |
1 |
Pain in childbirth |
Cursed is the ground Bring thorns Bring thistles |
2 |
Desire to husband |
In sweat and sorrow shall you eat of it |
3 |
Husband will rule over you. |
Return to dust |
Wisdom Strongs 2451 skillful, wisdom, wisely, wit
Madness Strongs 1948 folly, madness
Folly Strongs 5531 silliness or foolishness
13. In verse 18, How does grief co-exist with wisdom?
14. What is the relationship between knowledge and sorrow (verse 18)?
What is New?
The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us. ECCLESIASTES 1:9-10
On first consideration this verse, seemingly, is full of error. Possibly it was true once but surely it is no longer correct. The rate of technological growth is astounding for it is expected that man's knowledge will double in the next few years.
Notice the changes that have been wrought in this generation. The magic of television, the miracle of the automobile, and the wonder of the telephone. Surely no one denies that these are new. Can this passage be true?
But before it is tossed into the trash heap of falsehoods and half truths, give it additional thought. The passage says there is no new thing -- it does not say that improvements cannot be made in old ones.
The high speed automobile that kills many, the Apollo that probes at the beginnings of infinity, the nuclear submarine that invades the most desolate depths; all have something in common. They all are forms of transportation -- and transportation has existed ever since man was first able to crawl toward his mother for the love and protection that he craved.
The telephone that spreads the gossip of a town, the television that informs a nation, and the radio that encourages the isolated astronauts all have something in common -- They are all forms of communication; and communication has existed ever since man desired to say mama or to tell a maid that he loved her. The forms have changed -- but the basics remain.
Man desires to travel so with great effort he harnesses other powers to take him. He first captures a horse and rides upon its back. He harnesses the power of steam to proell ships and trains. He takes power from oil to move cars and trains and planes. He attempts and succeeds in using the smallest particle to transport him and his goods, for the atom now powers his submarines.
Man wants to learn about other men, and so he ingeniously develops methods to talk with others. He can now hear the voice of people that he probably will never see; he can even hear their voice long after they have died.
But has man himself changed? Has man any new desires -- desires that the Romans never had -- desires that the Egyptians never had? Does not man still desire the love and the affection of those around him? Does he not want to feel ... wanted?
Man still desires pleasure; pleasure from talking and conversing with other men; pleasure from having possessions; pleasure from leisure. Man is still the same. He has not changed.
Neither have his methods of satisfying his desires changed. He either pursues them morally or immorally. As is shown by the laws he creates, it is still evil for one to steal from another, for one to kill another, for one to hurt another. But men did these things and still they do. When men become self centered and selfish, they even now resort to violent methods of obtaining their desires or that which gives them pleasure. Neither man nor his methods have changed.
The earth has not changed. Man has scarred the surface of the earth in his endless quest for knowledge, and storms and erosion have torn at it but the following statement is still as true as it was the day that it was written.
One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth forever. The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. The wind goeth twoard the sourth, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. ECCLESIASTES 1:4-7
And, so, what is new?
Chapter Two An Investigation of Materialism
BACKGROUND
In chapter two, the preacher-king tells us about his investigation into materialism. He first looks into mirth and laughter and pleasure but it tells us right away that he found them to be vain - for what do they accomplish?
Allowing his wisdom to guide him, he next investigated the use of wine trying to see what was good for men. Matthew Henry is probably correct in his surmise that Solomon was investigating both wine and good food. He wrote several things about wine in the book of Proverbs.
Pr 20:1¶ Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; And whosoever erreth thereby is not wise. Wine will lead you on and promise you much pleasure; but if you are deceived thereby, it will mock you.
Pr 21:17¶ He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: He that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich. Pleasure and riches do not go hand in hand. Pleasure consumes wealth -- it does not create it. And one may think that wine contributes to pleasure, but Solomon declares otherwise.
Pr 23:29-30 ¶ Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
Note that in verse 3, the preacher-king again states the purpose of the book. He is trying to see what is good for men to do -- all the days of their life. He isn’t trying to find what might be good for a season; but, rather, he is trying to find what will stand the test -- what will last for a life time. In verses 4-11 he investigates many forms of materialism. Question 4 below asks you to list each of these in detail. The preacher-king decided that they were all vanity. Like wine, they promised much and delivered little. It makes one remember the words of Christ in Mt 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Solomon now turns his investigation to again focus on wisdom. He discovers that wisdom by itself cannot save. The same thing (death) happens to both wise men and fools. Neither can avoid it. Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So, even wisdom, can also be vain. Paul did not want the faith of the Corinthians to rest in the wisdom of men. 1Co 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. James tells us that God will give us wisdom, if we ask for it. We should remember, however, that as Solomon has stated, wisdom will bring sorrow for ones own sins and shortcomings. Jas 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
The preacher-king now gives us some very important learning from his investigations. Ecc 2:24 There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. In this passage, he tells us that it is God’s will for us to enjoy the good of our labor. Note that he does say -- our labor NOT the labor of someone else. We are not to take unfair advantage of anyone. We are not to cheat, steal, defraud, or steal someone else’s labor away from them. We are to enjoy the good of OUR labor.
1. In verses 1 and 2 what does Solomon propose to investigate first?
mirth (KJV, ASV)
pleasure (interlinear has goodness)
laughter
his final analysis is: what do they accomplish?
2. In verse 3, readers are again reminded of the purpose of this investigation. Please restate the purpose of the experiment that the preacher is conducting.
Ecc 2:3 To see what was good (worthwhile) for men to do all the days of their life.
Ecc 1:3 What profit hath a man of all of his labor which he taketh under the son
Ecc 1:13 to seek and to search what is done under heaven
3. How does one acquaint his heart with wisdom (verse 3) while:
a. giving (cheering) himself to (with) wine
b. laying hold of (embracing) folly
It was a controlled experiment. He just did not abandon himself to wine.
Prov 31:4-7 KJV It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more. (Matthew Henry suggests that King Lemuel may have been Solomon. Lemuel, perhaps, his mother's nickname for him.)
Prov 23:20 Be not among winebibers; among riotous eaters of flesh. (Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat)
4. In verses 4-11, the Preacher investigates possessions and entertainment as a means of achieving objectives. List each of these investigations.
a. verse 4 great works (projects)
houses
temple 1 Kings 6:38 7 years in building
his house 1 Kings 7:1 14 years in building
vineyards
b. verse 5 gardens
orchards (parks)
planted fruits (trees)
c. verse 6 pools of water (reservoirs)
d. verse 7 servants (male slaves) maidens (female slaves)
servants born in my great and small
house (slaves born in cattle (herds and
my house) flocks)
e. verse 8 silver
gold
peculiar treasure (treasure ) of kings and provinces
men and women singers
the delights of the sons of men as musical instruments and that of all sorts (a harem as well, the delights of the heart of man)
f. verse 10 what ever my eyes desired
I denied my heart no pleasure
5. Was Solomon financially successful? (verse 9) So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jersualem. (I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me.
1 Kings 5:22-23 One days provision for the court
30 measures fine flour
60 measures of meal
10 fat oxen, 20 oxen from pasture
100 sheep
harts(deer) roebucks(gazelles) and fallowdeer(roebuck). and fatted fowl
1 Kings 10:14-15 The weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, beside that he had of the merchantment, and of the tarrif of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.
Harpers Bible Dictionary states that several different talents were used. It lists one as being 49,116 grams. This results in over 36 tons. The NIV footnote states that it was about 25 tons. In today's currency 25 tons of gold would be worth 25 x 2000 x 16 x 400 = 320,000,000.00
6. What was Solomon's attitude for the work (verse 10)? my heart rejoiced (took delight) in all the work
7. What verdict did Solomon pronounce on material things? (verse 11). all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun (everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun)
8. Why were these vanity and vexation of spirit? Ecc 5:11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners, thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes.
9. What does Solomon propose to investigate next? (verse 12, note 1:17)
wisdom madness folly
10. Which is better, Wisdom or folly? (verse 13) wisdom is better than folly as light is better than darkness. Note: Light is better than darkness because (1) you can see a danger and avoid it. (2) you can plan where you want to go
11. How are the eyes of wise man in his head? (verse 14) he uses his eyes intelligently and can see.
12. How does a fool walk in darkness? (verse 14) he walks in ignorance
13. In verses 14 and 15 Solomon explains that wisdom by itself will not make one different. He states three reasons for believing this. List them.
the same fate overtakes both
the wise man like the fool will not be long remembered
the wise dieth as the fool -- both must die
14. In verse 17, three truths are presented. Each is more important that the one that preceded it.
Truth one I hated life
because of Truth Two the work that is done under the sun is grievious to me
because of Truth Three for all is vanity and vexation of spirit (meaningless, a chasing after wind)
15. Why did Solomon say in verses 18 and 19 that he hated in work?
Because he must leave it to the one who would come after him
AND who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool
Yet he will have rule (control) over my work
16. What does verses 22 and 23 say that a man has for all of his work?
His days are sorrows (all his days his work is pain and ....)
His work grief
Yet yet at night he can't rest
17. Fill in the blanks.
There is nothing better for a man than he should eat and drink and make his soul enjoy good (find satisfaction) in his labor. This is from the hand of God. (verse 24)
18. What three things does God give to a man that is good in His sight? Ecc 2:26
wisdom
knowledge
joy
What does the verse say that God gives to a sinner?
travail (trouble) to gather and heap up.
Chapter Three The Different Times of Life
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (KJV)
Notice the pattern. As is common with Hebrew poetry, a statement is made and then is restated -- slightly differently.
What is the purpose of this passage? It is easy to accept as beautiful poetry and to skip over, but evaluation is profitable. We evaluate the meaning of even English poetry.
1 To every [thing there is] a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
The first statement in the poem is one general in nature. As the seasons change, so a person’s life changes. Some purposes are more suited for certain seasons. One does not generally plant in winter. As the old adage states, there is a time and a place for everything. The word translated purpose is sometimes translated delight or pleasure.
2 A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up [that which is] planted;
Does this teach predestination? Why not? Heb 9:27 and as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement: It is appointed that all men (except those living at the time of Christ’s return) will die. We have some influence over that time. The Israelites were told to “Honor Father and Mother that your days may be long on the earth” This promise is repeated in Eph 6 with the addition that it was the first commandment with promise.
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
What are times to kill?
We kill animals for food, (Peter in Acts 10 was told to kill and eat)
When God has commanded it. (Suffer not a witch, Stuborn and rebellious child, idolator)
When are times to break down
When wrongs have compiled such that the bad must be torn out before the good can grow. When something has become so rotten that it cannot be saved.
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
What are times to weep or mourn?
weep because other Christians weep (Rom 12:15)
weep and mourn because of sins.
mourn because friends or family have passed on. Even Jesus wept when Lazarus died.
What are times to laugh or dance?
This is perhaps the harder question to answer in light of what is written in Ecclesiastes 7:3
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to tear down and a time to build. What are some things that we should tear down?
1. 1 Pt 2:11 Fleshly lusts
2. 1 Thes 5:22 all appearances of evil
3. Gal 5:19-21 Lists the works of the flesh
What are some things that we should build?
1. 1 Peter 1:5-8 Lists some things that if we continually add to our life we need never fall.
When are some times to refrain from embracing.
1 Cor 7:5 fasting and prayer
6 A time to get, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
INTERLINEAR: A time to seek and a time to give up as lost
A time to keep and a time to throw away
If you were to name some things that a Christian should strive to get -- what would be on that list. I am sure that wisdom and understanding would be on that list.
Ps 119:104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.
Pr 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
In the parable of the lost coin, Christ pictures a woman diligently searching for a lost coin -- and calling her friends to rejoice with her when she found it. Luke 15:9. Have you ever lost something that you valued highly? Were you able to find it? Then you may partially understand what happens in heaven when someone who was lost returns to God. In the parable of the lost sheep in the same chapter of Luke, a man leaves the sheep that he has -- in order to find one sheep that has went astray. He rejoices greatly to find that one. In the parable of the Prodigal Son, which has also been called the parable of the lost boy, We see a son coming back to the fold.
There are somethings that we should lose, however. We should lose friends that cause us to sin. In Mt 18:8 Christ says we should lose even our hand or our eye if they cause us to sin.
1Jo 2:3¶ And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
When I was a kid, there was a song that was popular that said “SILENCE IS GOLDEN”. Sometimes it is. But sometimes it is necessary to speak.
8 A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.
It is easy for us to understand that Christians are to have love in their hearts. We immediately think of such passages as:
Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
1Jo 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
But David says in Ps 97:10 Ye that love the LORD, hate evil:
Paul tells us in Eph 6:13 to put on the armor of God. Armor is used for warfare. In 1 Tim 6:12 we are told to fight the good fight of faith.
Questions on Chapter 3
1. What does verse 10 say that God has given to the sons of men?
travail(burden) see Ec 1:13
Why has God given this to man?
exercised(KJV) humbled(interlinear)
Strong's Concordance: humble, abased chasten
2. How did God make everything (verse 11)?
beautiful note song everything is beautiful (in its own way)
Gen 1:31
very good KJV,NIV and Interlinear
Gen 3:17-18
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
3. What is it that man cannot discover (verse 11)?
No man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end (They cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.)
Dt 29:29
The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealted belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Romans 11:33
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor
Ecc 8:17
No one can find out the work that is done under the sun.
Job 38-41 when God answers Job.
4. What good did the Preacher say that he had found in verses 12-13?
a. rejoice (be happy)
b. do good
c. eat
d. drink
e. enjoy good of his labour (find satisfaction in his toil NIV)
Compare with 2:24
5. What distinquishes this from the belief "Eat, Drink, and Be Merry for tomorrow we die"? (verse 13)
the philosophy eat drink and be merry ... does not promote work, the preacher says we are enjoying the result of our work, ALSO we are told to be greatful because it is a GIFT -- from God.
6. What are the characteristics of anything that God does (verse 14). See also Dt 4:12, Is 55:8-9, Rev 22:18-12
a. it shall be forever (shall endure forever)
b. nothing can be put to it (nothing added to it)
c. nothing can be taken from it
d. It is done so men shall fear before God. (revere)
Dt 4:2 not 12 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neigher shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
IS 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Re.22:13,18-20 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
7. In what two locations has the Preacher discovered iniquity and wickedness (verse 16)? Note Ex. 23:8
a. judgement
b. righteousness(justice NIV)(that which is right or just INTERLINEAR)
Ex 23:8 And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.
8. What is the only re-assurance available to man concerning wickedness? (verse 17) God will judge the righteous and the wicked
9. In verses 19--20 man is ccompared with beasts.
a. As one dieth so dieth the other
b. They all have one breath
c. All go to one (same) place.
d. All are of dust and turn to dust.
e. Describe the meaning of this verse in your own words. 1 Cor 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable
10. In verse 21, the Preacher asks concerning the difference between the death of man or the death of a beast. What is that difference?
the spirit of man rises upward, and the spirit of the beast doeth downward to the earth. Note footnote in RIV. The word if is removed.
11. In verse 22, The Preacher states that there is nothing better for a man than to rejoice in his own works. He gives two reasons for this. List them>
a. It is his portion (lot)
b. who shall bring him to see what shall be after him.
Explain what is meant by each.
a. IT IS GOD'S GIFT FOR US TO ENJOY THE FRUIT OF OUR LABOUR.
b. What we have tried to do for good, may not end up for good, but we should do our best for good, and leave it in the hands of God.
Chapter Four Still Pictures of Life and Oppression
Background:
As part of his investigation, Solomon next looks at the oppressions that are common in this life. These oppressions - particularly when people were powerless to protect themselves from them, convinced him that sometimes it was better to be dead than alive. It might even be better to never have been born.
Do you think that there may be any irony in a king speaking of oppression? How would this relate to the people coming to Solomon’s son asking him to reduce the burdens that his father had put on them. 1 Kings 12:3-4
Although we know that death is not something that a Christian should fear;
Phil 1:23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
Rev 14:13 ¶ And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
We should understand, as Paul did understand, that death is something that comes when our work is done. Death comes when the Lord calls us home.
When Solomon evaluated work, he saw that even a thing as good as work could cause evil. It could cause a person’s neighbor to envy him. The neighbor might envy his ability to do the work or he might envy the fruit of his work. Sometimes people look at the salary that a man draws and envies it -- without ever looking at the toil, struggle, and pressure that the man goes through to earn that salary. He states that it is better to have less, than to be constantly under pressure to succeed. Someone who is always striving and pushing to climb the ladder of success has little pleasure in life. Someone who is satisfied with their lot and does their work the best they can -- and enjoys their work -- has far more pleasures in life.
Solomon than looks at the reasons for work. He sees a man striving and working himself to death -- when he doesn’t even have anyone to leave the fruits of his labor to. He neither takes the time to enjoy the fruits of his work nor does he have anyone in particular to leave it to. He then shows all the advantages of not going through life alone. Question 8 below will ask you to list these reasons. Do you consider them good reasons?
Solomon then declares that it is better to be a poor and a wise youth, than an old King who has set in his ways such that he will no longer listen to godly advice.
The young man may even come forth from a prison to be king, and the people may rejoice in him for a season, but after he has gone, those who come after him will neither remember nor honor him. To strive for this is vanity.
Questions for Chapter Four
1. To what does the Preacher now turn his attention? (verse 1)
a. The oppression that is done under the sun
b. The tears of the oppressed.
2. Who had power available to them (verse 1, Ec 3:16)
a. those who oppressed others, those who misused their positions.
3. Who had no comforter (verse 1)? Those who were oppressed had no comforter.
Who is a Christian's comforter today.
4. In verses 2 and 3, the Preacher laments the oppression by comparing the oppressed to:
a. Those who are dead.
b. Those who have never been born.
Explain this concept in light of Ec 9:4, and Rev 14:13.
Ec 9:4 anyone living has hope, a live dog better than dead lion.
Rev 14:13 Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth. Yea saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
5. Why is a man envied of his neighbor? (verse 4)
a. all travail
b. every right work
This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
NOTE: THERE IS CONSIDERABLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS VERSE IN THE KJV AND THE NIV. THE KJV STATES THAT A MAN IS ENVIED BECAUSE OF THE FRUITS OF HIS WORK, THE NIV STATES THAT ALL ACCOMPLISHMENTS COME BECAUSE A MAN ENVIES HIS NEIGHBOR.
I BELIEVE THE KJV IS RIGHT BECAUSE:
o COVETOUSNESS(greed) IS IDOLATRY (COL 3:5). ALL PROGRESS CANNOT COME THROUGH IDOLATRY.
o IT FLOWS BETTER WITH VERSES 5 AND 6. NOTE INTERLINEAR ON VERSES 5 AND 6
6. A handful with quietness is better than both hands full-- if both hands full are accompanied with: (verse 6, Prov 16:8, Prov 15:16-17).
a. TRAVAIL (TOIL)
STRONGS 5999 worry whether of mind or of body, travail, trouble, wearisome, pain, toil
B. VEXATION OF SPIRIT (A CHASING AFTER the WIND)
7. Describe the person pictured in verse 8.
8. Explain why two are better than one. (verse 9-11)
a. a good reward for their labour (good return for their work)
b. If they fall one will lift the other up
c. If two lie together they will be warm
d. They can help defend each other
When Solomon speaks of two lying together to be warm -- do you think that he is speaking of husband and wife? Why?
9. What are the characteristics of the child described in verse 13? poor but wise
10. What are the characteristics of the king described in verse 13? (note also Prov 27:24) old and foolish
what is the difference between them? One will listen and the other will not.
Prov 27:24 a crown will NOT endure for all generations
11. Who comes out of prison to reign? (verse 14) (see question 12)
12. Who becomes poor? (verse 14).
NOTE: Major difference between KJV and NIV in verse 14. Interlinear does not clearify text.
13. Who is the second child (verse 15)? The one that will follow the king.
14. Explain verse 16.
Chapter Five Concerning Worship and Labor
In chapter five Solomon turns his attention to how one behaves when he goes into the house of God. He warns one to exercise caution when going into the house of God rather than offering the sacrifice of fools. Being rash before God and make great grandoise promises to Him is not wise. God is in heaven. We are in the earth. God made both heaven and earth. In Mat 5:35 Christ reminds us that we are not capable of making even one hair on our head either white or black (without using dyes).
As much business or worry will cause one to have restless dreams, so a foolish person will come using a lot of empty words. When you make a promise to God don’t forget to pay it. Don’t try to weasel out of it. If you have promised to straighten up your life - straighten it up. God doesn’t have any pleasure in fools. He isn’t a man to be decieved by many words and excuses. You may fool yourself, but you will never fool God. God didn’t ask you to make a promise. It is better for you to NOT promise than to promise and not do.
Don’t allow your mouth to make you sin. Don’t try to get out of it by saying, “It was a mistake. I didn’t mean to promise that”. You do not want God to loose patience with you and destroy the works of your hand. Christ and Paul both make comments concerning our being judged by or words or our sayings.
Mt 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Ro 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
Whenever there are a lot of words being said, or a lot of dreams being made; usually there is a lot of vanity.
Psalms 146:
3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.
4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
5 ¶ Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:
6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:
The preacher now continues his investigation by looking into the oppression that one finds into the world. Remember it was Solomon’s subjects that went to his son and asked him to “lighten the load of your father”. 1 Kings 12:4. He tells us to not be surprised if we see the poor oppressed or if we see violent perversion of judgement and justice in the courts in matters before the Law. But he reminds us God is looking and watching. Christ tells us (Matthew 6:25) that His eye is over the birds of the air. Those higher than they are watching. In Heb 9:27 we read that it is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment. There is a court that will remember injustices.
Everyone profits from what the earth provides. Even the King is blessed by the food that grows in the field. I believe that this is another gentle reminder that everything that we have comes from God. However, the preacher warns us about being greedy. If we become greedy, than there is never enough. We always want more. There is a British legend about an old woman who lived in a vinegar bottle. As the story goes, a fairy heard her say that she should live in a cottage -- and granted her wish. The fairy came back expecting thanks, but the woman was now complaining because she lived in a cottage instead of a nice house with people around her. The fairy granted this wish. When the fairy came back expecting the woman to be pleased, the old woman was talking about her neighbors and wanting to live in a mansion with servants. The fairy was getting disappointed in the woman by this time, but she granted the wish anyway. When the fairy came back, the woman was complaining that she should be queen; so the fairy made her queen. Finally the old woman was heard to say that she shouldn’t be queen of such a small country, that she should be queen of a grand country -- so the fairy put her back in the vinegar bottle. Sometimes our own greed insures that we never find joy or happiness.
The concept of wealth is vain anyway. If you get more goods, you have to hire others to look after them. Then what good are they but to look at with your eyes anyway? A man who works honestly for his living is tired at the end of a day and so he will rest well. A man who is wealthy will lie in bed and worry about his riches.
Riches sometimes are kept in hand to the hurt of their owners. Riches can cause one to trust in wealth instead of God and thus cause one to lose his soul.
Mr 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
And Riches will not help a man anyway in the next life. Everything that he has he will leave here when he dies. The old expression “You can’t take it with you” is very true.
Job 1:21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
The preacher is not telling us that one should not labor - since labor and wealth are also vain; but the preacher again states that it is good for us to enjoy the fruit of our labor. God has given it to us to enjoy. It is our portion to labor for our daily bread. We pass our days one at a time and forget what has gone before. In Ps 90:9, a Psalm ascribed to Moses, he tells us that we spend our days as a tale that is told. Our life is like a story - with us as the main character. We don’t look back at earlier pages and are unable to look forward to the end.
1. In verse 1, what does the Preacher imply when he says keep thy foot when you go the house of God? (NIV Keep thy foot) exercise caution
2. The reader is instructed to be more ready to hear (NIV go near to Listen) than to give (offer) the sacrifice of fools.
3. Is the sacrifice of fools evil? YES
4. Verse two implies that the sacrifice of fools is being rash (quick) with your mouth.
5. Why does the verse tell us to not allow our heart to be hasty to utter anything before God? God is in heaven and you are on the earth (refer to mat. by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.) Mt 12:34-36 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure *bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle (careless NIV) word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement. Also refer to Isaiah where God says "My ways are higher than yours" IS 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
6. Could the advice given in these verses be paraphrased as hear much, speak little? yes
7. What brings a dream? (Verse 3) much business (NIV cares) (Interlinear Greatness of the task)
8. How is a fool known? (verse 3) multitude (NIV many) words Notice Prov 10:19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin; but he that refraineth his lips is wise.
Notice also James chapter 3. "The tongue can no man tame"
9. How does one make a vow to God? what are some times that we make a rash vows to God? Do we sometimes try to cloak these vows as "bargains" for God?
10. When we make a vow to God, what are we supposed to do? (mention Jeptha's daughter)(verse 4) defer (NIV delay) not to pay it. (Interlinear Do not wait to pay it)
Dt 23:21-22 When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: For the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee. But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.
Numbers 30 speak of vows to the Lord under the old law. verse 2 If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth. YET a woman's Father or Husband could cancel her oath. A widowed or divorced woman's oath would stand as made.
11. What is worse than not making vows to God? (verse 5) Making a vow and not living up to it.
12. What two things does verse 6 tell us not to do?
a. do not allow our mouths to cause us to sin.
b. do not try to get out of it by saying it was a mistake.
13. IF we violate this command what might God do?
a. God would become angry
b. God might destroy the work of our hands
14. In what two things does verse 7 say there are many vanities? What are we told to do instead?
a. many dreams
b. many words We are told to Fear God.
INTERLINEAR For in the multitude of dreams, both words and vanities abound.
Have you ever known anyone that was always full of big dreams and big schemes, and wanted to talk about them and explain them to you, -- but somehow they were never able to carry them out.
This is a good point to remember the last verses of this book. Fear God and keep his commandments is the whole duty of man.
15. Verse 8 lists three things that we are not to marvel at. What are they?
Although translations vary slightly here, none are really wrong. Using the different translations and the interlinear we can understand what was meant.
KJV NIV INTERLINEAR
oppression of the poor poor oppressed oppression of the poor
perverting of judgement justice denied removing of justice
perverting of justice rights denied removing of righteousness
STRONGS 6664 the right, equity, the just(ice)
16. What reasons does he give that one should not marvel?
KJV For he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.
NIV one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still.
INTERLINEAR - for a high one over a high one is watching and high ones are over them.
17. Who is the profit of the earth for? (What is the profit of the earth?)(verse 9) NIV uses increase. It is for all -- even the king
18. Verse 10 makes two declarations. What are these declarations. How are they similiar? How are they different.
1. He that loves silver will not be satisfied with silver.
2. He that loves abundance will not be satisfied with increase.
similar, both talking about what it takes to satisfy
different, one talks about abundance of money, the other is just about abundance.
contrast this with the way a Christian is to view money. 1 Tim 6:6-10
19. Verse 11 explains why increase of goods may not be satisfactory. What is the only value that the preacher saw in having increased goods? seeing them with the eyes
20 How is sleep to a working man? Does wealth or poverty affect this? Why is this so? (verse 12)
sleep is sweet to a working man, wealth or poverty does not affect this. A working man becomes tired from his work -- and thus is able to rest, to sleep
How is sleep to a rich man? What prevents him from sleeping? Why is this so?
sleep is difficult for a rich man. he worries about his possessions. He does not get physically tired. Sleep was not designed for when we are tired from Mental, emotional, or even spiritual exhaustion.
21. What evil does the preacher describe in verse 13? Were the riches evil? What made them evil?
Riches kept to their owners hurt.
The riches were not evil
The riches were not made evil, the situation was evil
Can you explain how riches can be held to their owners hurt? Buring money instead of investing it (parable of the talents), Hoarding it, instead of doing good with it (parable of rich man and his barns).
22. What happens to these riches? What is the significance that there is nothing for the son? (1 Tim 6:6-11, Ps 49:4-20)
The riches are lost through some calamnity. The INTERLINEAR states that they are lost through an evil use. When nothing is left for the son, this demonstrates the tearing down of the house, any continuation that they may desire through their children.
23. Verse 13 is a paraphrase of Job 1:21. Paraphrase it in your own words. I did not bring anything into this world and I won't take anything out.
24. In verse 16 the preacher describes a sore evil (the life of one who labors after riches) in two statements. What are these?
a. He shall leave as he came
b. He has no profit in his labor (how can a man assure himself profit of his labor?
In verse 17, the man's life is described as:
a. eats in darkness
b. sorrow (NIV frustration) INTERLINEAR grief
c. wrath (NIV anger) INTERLINEAR wrath
sickness (NIV affliction)INTERLINEAR sickness
25. In verse 18, What has the preacher said was good?
a. eat b. drink c. enjoy good in his labor
How long should he do this? all the days of his life
Who gave him this right? God
26. For riches to benefit one, what must be present
a. power to eat therof (NIV able to enjoy them)
b. take his portion (accept his lot)
c. rejoice in his labor (be happy in his work)
d.
When all of these are combined in one gift, who is it from? GOD
27. Verse 20, why would a man not much remember the days of his life? (NIV seldom reflects on the days of his life) God keeps him occupied in the gladness of his heart.
a man unable to do the things listed in verse 19 will ponder his life, and remember the mistakes, the trials, and tribulations
Chapter Six The Vanity of Riches
In our world, riches are greatly sought after and admired. In this chapter, the preacher describes the vanity of Riches. He speaks of one who has been given great gifts, but is not given the opportunity to enjoy them. In Luke 12 Christ tells a parable about a rich man who hoards his wealth. Instead of remembering the poor, he plans to tear down his barns to build greater barns - to hold his wealth. God tells him that he is a fool. He is to die that very night, and he will not have any enjoyment of his wealth. One who puts the getting and acquiring of wealth ahead of everything else, often does not find time to enjoy what God has given him. One, who has less, but takes the time to enjoy the gifts that God has provided, actually is better off. Solomon tells us in
Pr 15:16 ¶ Better [is] little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.
Pr 15:17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.
When the preacher wrote, it was considered a great blessing to have many children and to live a long life. It was considered a great disgrace to not be properly buried. So to make his point, the preacher says if a man has 100 children, and lives to an old age but he doesn’t enjoy his life and ends up with an improper burial, it would have been better for him to not to have been born. One who is still born never has to put up with the cares of this life. He doesn’t have to struggle to make a living, to raise a family, or face any of the trials of life. One who is still born comes into the world in darkness and leaves no name; but it has quiet and peace -- which is denied to the one whose only goal is to acquire wealth, honor and position. Living a thousand years is worthless if those years are full of strife and not good. Even if he lives twice a thousand years - his end is still the grave and what has he profited if all he sought was wealth. Christ asks the same question in:
Mt 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
A man works to fill his appetite. Some people work to fill their stomach. Others work to fill their vanity, their ego. Whatever our appetite desires - that will be what we work to achieve. If our appetite is for self, and our own lusts and desires, that is what we will work for. And we will never be happy. We will always want more. However, if we “hunger and thirst” after righteousness - and we expend our effort after the things of God, then we have promises from God.
Mt 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Joh 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
If we limit our view to material things, the things of this world. Then does it make any difference whether one is wise or a fool? Later in this book we will read that time and chance happens to everyone. But the Christian is told to:
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Tim 2:15
The preacher then gives us a proverb teaching us to be satisphied with what we have. We have a proverb to the same intent that says, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”. Any man, from the poorest to the richest, if he allowed his mind to wander on this of this world and of this life could think of things that he does not have, but would like to have. To not control and focus our desires on things of the Lord is not wise.
1. What common evil does the Preacher report in verses one and two? A man who has been given:
a. riches (wealth)
b. wealth (possessions)
c. honor
d. everything his heart desires
but: God does not enable him to enjoy them, a stranger enjoys them instead.
2. The preacher brings a particular matter to our attention in verses 3-5. What are the two blessings that this man has?
a. have 100 children
b. live 100 years
What are the two trials that this man has?
a. his soul is not filled with good (he does not enjoy his properity.
b. he does not receive a proper burial
What is the verdict on such a life?
An untimely birth (stillborn child) is better
An untimely birth comes in with vanity (without meaning, departs in darkness and his name will be covered with darkness.
THE NIV MAKES THIS PASSAGE CLEARER. IT IS A MATTER OF INTERPRETATION OF THE PRONOUNS.
An untimely birth never saw the sun, or knew anything but has more rest than the other.
Describe the meaning behind the picture.
Matthew Henry states that Those that live in willful ignorance are no better than an untimely birth.
Tis better to Die A Child at Four
Than live, and die so at fourscore.
3. The preacher draws another, related, picture in verses 6-8.
If a man live A thousand years twice told where will he go? the same place
Why does a man work? for his mouth
What does this accomplish? Nothing, The appetite is never satisphied. I eat supper, but I'll be hungry by morning.
What Two questions does he ask of us?
A. what advantage does a wise man have over a fool
B. What does a poor man gain by knowing how to conduct himself before others?
Material wise, neither the wise man nor the fool may be any better off, BUT he has enough for this life (respect of others, comfort), and hope for the next.
Describe the picture of life that he has painted for us.
If we more than double the longest life span achieved by mortal man, it is still but a brief whisper if compared to eternity -- and then death awaits us as surely as it awaited the stillborn child.
Much does not satisphy any better than enough.
4. What is the point of verse 9? What is he trying to teach?
What is the vexation of ones spirit? Be satisphied with what is at hand, do not find it necessary to always want bigger and better things. This is speaking of the need to be content.
Vexation of spirit comes when we desire and cannot have. James 4:1--4
5. What has been named? that which hath been (exists)
KJV states that which hath been is Man,
NIV states that what man is has been known.
INTERLINEAR and it is known that he is man.
Note: God had Adam name the animals AFTER they were created.
Who shouldn't one contend with? one stronger than he. I believe that this is a reference to God. The KJV brings this out a little clearer than the NIV
6. What increases vanity? (see also Is 45:9) WOE TO HIM THAT STRIVETH WITH HIS MAKER
The interlinear actually translates this verse as does the KJV. BUT STRONG's appears to allow either many things (KJV) or many words (NIV) increase vanity.
What does the preacher want to know? How is man any better off?
7. What three questions are asked in verse 12?
A. Who knows what is good for a man in this life?
B. Who can tell a man what will be after him in this world.
C.
8. What are the lessons that we are to learn from the pictures that have been painted and the questions that have been asked of us in this chapter?
Chapter Seven The Difficulty of Wisdom
Who has not tried to teach a child the importance of a good name. Who has not taught one how important it is to be known to be trustworthy, honest, and dependable. This is true even in this world - without even considering the next.
The following passages must be among the ones that have given Ecclesiastes the reputation of being a dark book. There is no doubt that some of these passages are rather weighty. Why does the preacher affirm that the day of death is better than the day of birth? Is this a true statement for everyone? On the day of birth -- all the struggles and trials of life lie before you-- yet to be faced. On the day of death, they all lie behind you with no power to hurt anymore. For a Christian, he is awaiting the joy of meeting his Lord and his God. So, truly, the day of death is far better than the day of birth. BUT, the wicked will be meeting his God unprepared. Once he gets to the other side, he will long for another opportunity to accept the grace that the Lord has provided but he has rejected.
The house of mourning may refer to a house in which someone has recently died. Death is the conclusion of this life for all men -- except for those living when the Lord returns. We all have an appointment with death that we cannot avoid. The living do well to keep this in remembrance and to live in such a way that even in our pleasures we will be found pleasing to God.
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Sorrow is better than laughter because it is a better, more thorough teacher. Laughter and mirth are fleeting. They are light and often offer little in the way of learning. Many temptations come in the guise of pleasure. It is only after a while when it is too late and we are already ensnared -- that they are seen in their true light. Paul writes in Romans of people being worthy of death because they have pleasure in the sins of others. Surely this is a warning for us to beware what gives us pleasure.
Ro 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
What do you seek after? Do you seek things for pleasure and avoid anything that causes pain? The preacher says that a wise man’s thoughts tend toward the house of mourning. We are taught to be sober, to not be lovers of pleasure. James tells us in James 1:5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
It is good to seek after wisdom, but let us make certain that we are mature enough to handle it. A rebuke from a wise man contains more benefit than listening to the song of fools. This should cause us to question even the kind of music that attracts us.
Oppression makes a wise man mad. A wise man realizes that oppression profits no one. Perhaps I can take something from you because I am bigger, or because I have more power and authority. And in the taking you loose that which you had; but I lose also. I become guilty before God and will have to answer for what I have done.
1. What is better than precious ointment?(fine perfume) a good name
What is better than the day of birth? (verse 1) the day of death
Proverbs 22:1 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.
2. Rather than go to a feast, where would it be better to go?
What two reasons does the preacher give for this choice? (verse 2)the house of mourning
A. for that (death) is the end (destiny) [INTERLINEAR -conclusion}of all men
B. the living will (should) take it to his heart
MATTHEW HENRY states that although we were born to uncertainty, a good man does not die to uncertainty. The day of our birth clogged our souls with the burden of this flesh, but the day of our death will set them at liberty from that burden.
3. Why is sorrow better than laughter? (verse 3) the heart is made better (a sad face is good for the heart) [INTERLINEAR - by the sadness of the face the heart is made good]
What is said to be better than medicine? (Prov 17:22) A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
Explain what is meant by the two passages.
We need to accept life as it comes, realizing that it is the way we face trials that will determine how we fare against them. Trials or sorrows are sent to make us better, but we should face those sorrows or trials with a merry heart
4. Where is the heart of the wise? the house of mourning
Where is the heart of the foolish? (verse 4)the house of mirth (pleasure)
Thought Question: Where is your heart?
5. When is it better to hear a rebuke than a song? (verse 5) If the rebuke come from a wise man and the song from a fool [INTERLINEAR the word is translated hear, but STRONG's states that it had stong implications of obedience]
6. To what does verse 6 compare the laughter of a fool? the sound of briars under a pot
MATTHEW HENRY states that as briars burn with a great noise and produce little heat, so the laughter of a fool is flashy and noisy and not an instance of true joy.
7. Verse 7 speaks of two dangerous items. What are they? Why are they dangerous? At first glance the two translations appear quite different, but really they are saying the same thing in a different manner.
A. oppression turns a wise man mad (extortion turns a wise man into a fool) [STRONGS oppression-extortion-thing deceitfully gotten;to be loudly mad or foolish]
B. a gift destroys the heart (a bribe corrupts the heart)
8. Verse 8 makes two comparisons. Why is the one better than the other?
A. the end is better than the beginning
Why?
B. patience is better than pride
Why?
9. Why does verse 9 tell us to be slow to anger? Anger rests in the bosom of fools
10. Why does verse 10 state that we are not to desire the "good old days"? It is not wise to ask such things.
11. Verse 11 states that wisdom provides a profit to whom?
those who see the sun
12. Verse 12 states that money and wisdom have something in common. What can both provide? What does wisdom do, that money does not?wisdom and money is a defense (shelter)
wisdom wisdom gives (preserves) life
13. Why are we told in verse 13 to consider the work of God?
because no one can straighten what he has made crooked.
14. What does verse 14 tell us to be in the day of prosperity?
What does verse 14 tell us to do in the day of adversity?
What is it that God would have us consider.
Keil Deltzsch says in his commentary, "God causes man to experience good and evil that he may pass through the whole school of life. That when he departs hence, nothing will be outstanding which he has not experienced."
In the day of prosperity be joyful (happy)
In the day of adversity -- consider
God would have us consider: God has set the one against the other so that man should find nothing after him. (God has made the one as well as the other, therefore a man cannot find anything about his future).
15. The preacher identifies two more things that he has seen in his life in verse 15. What are these?
A. There is a just man that perishes in his righteousness
B. There is a wicked man that prolongs his days in his wickedness.
16. In verse 16, the preacher advises against two things. What are they?
A. To not be over righteous
B. To not be over wise
What will be the result of not heeding this advice.destroy self
Can you think of examples of this?
A man who criticizes or judges another. Even Michael when did not bring a railing accusation against the devil, he said the Lord rebuke thee Jude 9.
A man who continually tries to convert those who do not wish to be converted.
Is there any similar New Testament teachings?
Mt: 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
17. In verse 17, the preacher advises against two additional things. What are they?
A. do not be overmuch wicked
B. neither be thou foolish
What does he imply will be the result of not heeding this advice. die before your time
MATTHEW HENRY [We sin even in our doing good; there is something defective,nay, something offensive, in our best performances.]
18. What is the result of fearing God as explained in Verse 18?
He will come forth of them all (He will avoid all extremes) [INTERLINEAR For he fearing God shall come out with all of them]
19. What does verse 19 say strengthens a city more than mighty men? Explain. Wisdom
20. What does the preacher decide does not exist? (Verse 20)
There is not a righteous man that does good and sins not. If our righteousness is as filthy rags Is 64:6, How do our sins appear to the Lord.
21 What does verse 21 say that we are not to pay any attention to? Every Word That is said. Why does he say that this is so? You might hear your servant curse you. Would peer pressure be included in this pronouncement?
22. What are we asked to admit doing is verse 22? Curse Others. Strongs defines this word as despising, holding in contempt
23. How does the preacher say that he has tested the knowledge that he has shared with us? (verse 23) He said that he had proven it with wisdom.
24. What is the preacher refering to in verse 24? The NIV makes this obvious. The KJV speaks of that which is far off, while the NIV states whatever wisdom may be
25. What three things did the Preacher propose to do in verse 25?
A. appointed his heart to know
B. To search
C. To seek out the reason of things, .
What did he intend to accomplish?
A. the wickedness of folly,
B. and of foolishness and
C. madness
26. What did the Preacher find bitter in verse 26? The woman whose heart is snares and nets and her hands as bands.
who will escape? He that pleases God
who will be ensnared? The sinner
27. Summarize the last three verses in this chapter.
Chapter Eight The Inability of Man to Know
Who is like a wise man? It is wisdom that enables a man to understand something. Wisdom makes changes in a man that possesses it. It so changes our level of confidence that it even changes the expressions of our face. The hardness, the rudeness, the self centeredness are softened. A wise man is more understanding to others faults. He, himself, avoids rudeness and selfishness.
Solomon then has some words relative to patriotism. He advises us to keep the commandments of the king -- But to never forget what God would have us do. This is very similar to what Paul teaches in Rom 13.
1 ¶ Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
Of course these statements are predicated on the law NOT conflicting with the law of the Lord. Peter said in Acts 5:29
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
A follower of God is to be law abiding. When you said the Pledge of allegiance as a child -- yow made a vow. Solomon says keep that vow. But the early Christians were killed because they refused to submit to emperor worship. We have Christians today, in many parts of the world, being killed, brutalized, and mutilated because they refuse to accept another religion. God must come first.
Wisdom, -- and all followers of God -- should always respect the powers that be. A Christian has a submissive and respectful attitude. He does not put his desires first; BUT he does not have to be a weakling or a push-over. Remembering God in all things causes him to resist evil, even to his own detriment. Remember the prophets, how many of them prophesied the words given them to God to their own detriment.
Rulers are intended as an encouragement for good works. It is intended that they punish evil doers -- of which Christian’s should never be. We should have respect -- if not fear -- for the power represented by government officials. There is a proper time for every matter.
In verse 6, the NIV, KJV, ASV, Darby, all state that a man’s misery weighs heavy on him. The NASV uses the word trouble; YLT uses the word misfortune; But the word translated misery is defined below.
07451 er ra‘ rah or fem. her ra‘ah
from 07489; TWOT-2191a, 2191c
AV-evil 442, wickedness 59, wicked 25, mischief 21, hurt 20, bad 13, trouble 10, sore 9, affliction 6, ill 5, adversity 4, favoured 3, harm 3, naught 3, noisome 2, grievous 2, sad 2, misc 34; 663
Goodspeed actually says that man’s wickedness is heavy upon him. My interlinear says that a man’s evil is heavy upon him. We have all done wrong. When we think of the mistakes that we have made; how we have led others astray by our example or by our invitations; our sin weighs heavy on our hearts and minds. Unless we are one of the ones that Paul speaks of when he says in
1 Timothy 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
There is a time and judgement for everything. We will all face the Judgement of the Lord, -- even if we manage to slip by the judgement of the king. None of us know the future. No one can tell you what is going to happen. These “psychic hot lines” aren’t going to be able to tell you what the future holds. We need to obey the Lord today. Don’t put it off until tomorrow. 2 Corinthians 6:2
(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
The word translated wind in the NIV or SPIRIT in the KJV is sometimes translated either. The NIV, NASV, MOFFAT, GOODSPEED translate the word wind.
The KJV, ASV, DBY, YLT, RSV, LB all translate the word spirit.
07307 xwr ruwach roo’-akh
from 07306; TWOT-2131a; n f
AV-Spirit or spirit 232, wind 92, breath 27, side 6, mind 5, blast 4, vain 2, air 1, anger 1, cool 1, courage 1, misc 6; 378
But you can’t restrain the wind or your spirit when it comes time for it to depart. You don’t have power over death. You can’t escape death. There is no discharge from that war. Even wickedness cannot deliver you from death.
The preacher moves on, indicating some things that he has seen while studying events under the sun. He says that he has seen that power over another can cause you hurt. We have all heard the phrase power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The NIV, RSV, include a phrase indicating that one man lords it over another implying that there is a misuse of power involved.
GoodSpeed agrees with Keil and Delitzsch when he changes the phrase to be:
All this have I seen, having devoted my mind to all the work which is done under the sun, at a time when one man has power over another to injure him.
Moffat has a similar statement:
All this I saw, as thoughtfully I pondered what goes on within this world whenever men have power over their fellows, power to insure them.
Matthew Henry, perhaps, has the better explanation of the passage - since he explores both paths when he says -- What hurt men do to others will return, in the end, to their own hurt. If it does not happen naturally, sometimes God will bring such things about. Remember the story of Naboth’s vineyard in 1 Kings 21? After Naboth was slain because King Ahab wanted his vineyard, the Lord sent Elijah to pronounce judgement upon him.
One of my favorite passages in Proverbs says:
Proverbs 27:19 As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.
People treat each other pretty much the way they are treated. Did you ever hear the expression?
Evil for good is devil like.
Good for good/evil for evil is man like
Good for Evil is God like
Moffat translates verse 10
Then I saw bad men being borne to burial, carried to their rest, while the pious had to leave the sanctuary and were forgotten in the city.
Sometimes the wicked go to their grave apparently never receiving recompense for the evil things they have done while good men are not even allowed to stand in the sanctuary and are soon forgotten.
If this happens, because retribution is delayed, men are embolden to be evil and to turn from righteousness.
Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
Sometimes a sinner fares well... for a time ... in THIS life, BUT there is a judgement coming in which he must face his maker. If he has not obeyed Christ, he will face judgment ... and justice --something that may only rarely be seen in this world. Because a man does not always receive righteous judgment in this world, the preacher says, “ Man does not have anything better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; while enjoying the fruit of his labour”. The preacher reminds us to consider even while we do this that it is a gift from God. In Ecclesiastes 11:8 he further adds the warning that God will judge us according to how we have done this. Eat - Drink - Be Merry from the preacher is NOT a free ride to do anything that we enjoy. We are to consider God and appreciate the gifts that he has given us by using them in a manner that would please our Heavenly Father.
This chapter finishes with a warning that man can not understand the work of God. He can not even discover everything that is done under the sun. There are some things that man will never learn - no matter how hard he investigates or studies the problem. Sometimes he may think that he has found an answer, only to later realize that man’s answer was wrong. I do not know what knowledge about this life that God has reserved for Himself. I know men have tried to say where this line exists. They said that man would never go to the moon. But God has allowed this. This verse emphatically states that some knowledge God has reserved for himself. The preacher does not identify which knowledge has been reserved only for God.
1. In verses 1-3, the preacher advises us in serval matters.
A. Whose commandment are we to keep?
B. What are to NOT to be hasty in doing?
C. Where are we not to stand?
2. What exists with the word of a king?
3. Who will avoid evil? (verse 5)
4. What two things does a wise man's heart discern? (verse 5)
A.
B.
5. What does verse 6 say exists for every purpose?
6. What two reasons do verses 6-7 provide for man's misery?
7. What does verse 8 say that man cannot escape?
The preacher specifically identifies 3 things that will not provide an escape. Name them.
A.
B.
C.
8. What does verse 9 say that can happen to a man when he rules over another?
9. Why does verse 11 say that the heart of man is set to do evil?
10. What does the preacher say in verse 12 that will not shake his conviction that it will be well with them that fear God?
A.
B.
11. What will happen to the wicked as a result of not fearing God (verse 13)?
12. What is the paradox that the preacher describes in verse 14?
13. Why was mirth commended in verse 15?
A.
B.
C.
D.
14. What is the point being made in verse 12-15?
15. What was the result of learning wisdom and seeking to understand the business of the earth? (verses 16-17)
7
Chapter Nine The
Commonality of Life
As the last chapter was coming to a conclusion, the preacher told us that even though a man sought to find out the work of God, he would not be able to discover it. After considering this, the preacher has come to the conclusion that the righteous, the wise, and all their works are in the hand of God. This should serve as a warning for the unbelievers that they are not in control of even their own lives -- no matter how much that they think they are. To the believer, it is a very comforting thought to know that he is in the hands of a loving God. The writer of Hebrews 13:5 states that he will not fear what men may do to him, because the Lord has promised to be with him. It is this confidence that is demonstrated in Phippians 4:13 where Paul stated that he could do all things through Christ which gives him strength. None of us knows what awaits him. Our future is in the hands of God. We don’t know whether the future holds love or hate. Love and hate are such basic emotions, if we can’t know that -- how can we expect to know anything else. How many times have your first impressions been wrong. How many times have you ended up loving someone that you initially didn’t expect to like; or, being uncomfortable around someone that you though that you would come to care for very much.
All of us have a common destiny. The righteous, the guilty, the good, the pure, the impure, those that serve God, and those that don’t. We all have a common destiny. We KNOW that we will die. Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
While men live their hearts are full of evil and madness and then they join the dead. Even when we try to do good we make mistakes.
Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Our hearts can even fool us into thinking that we are pretty “nice” people.
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Even the best that we can do has seeds of unrighteousness. I once knew a man that was a preacher that spent so much time in bible study that he almost lost his son. His son thought the church had stolen his father and for a while did not want much to do with the church. No one can deny that bible study is a good thing -- but we need to try to be aware of the needs of those around us.
The preacher makes a contrast to things that he has said earlier in the book. He has earlier said that he envied the dead. But here he says while there is life there is hope. A living dog is better than a dead lion. We can change our final destiny as long as we are alive. We can change from following the way of the world, from being materialistic, sensual, perhaps even extremely wicked -- to following and serving God while we are alive. Dogs were pretty well despised in bible times. The preacher is saying that something that is despised -- and alive is better than something that is honored -- and dead. This is because that we can change our final destiny -- while we are alive.
The living know that they will die. BUT, life demands that we hide from this fact. How would you ever get anything done if you sat in fear that you were going to die in the next hour, or the next week. The knowledge that OUR death is coming - is a knowledge that we often hide from. The dead have no further reward in this life. The dead do not have any portion under the sun. David reminds us of this fact in Ps 146:
3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.
4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
When men die, their ability to control things of this life is gone. They have no further reward in this life. Their memory will be forgotten. Oh, their influence may linger a few years -- but only while LIVING men remember them. The things that they loved, or hated, or envied will no longer have an influence over them. For years I thought this (and similar) verses was telling us that the dead did not know anything of this life. Now, I am not so sure. Hebrews 11 -- the great faith chapter of the bible lists many great men of faith who have lived and died before us. Hebrews 12 starts out:
1 ¶ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Perhaps the righteous dead are witnessing our struggle and cheering us through our journey. Perhaps the passage only means that their lives serve as a witness to us -- showing us how we should live. The LORD has not given us many details as to exactly what life after death will be like. We do not have a book of Lazarus (John 11), a book of Dorcus (Acts 9), or a book of Eutychus (Acts 20); to tell us what happens after death. If God wanted us to know these details, he had plenty of opportunity to allow men who had been raised from the dead to tell us about it. Those of us who believe, just accept what Paul has written about the next life in 1 Corinthians 2:9
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
But because we know that we are going to die, and we don’t know when -- the preacher has some advice for us. He tells us to go our way, eat with gladness, drink with a joyful heart. It is NOW that God favors what you do.
2 Corinthians 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
Dress nicely, annoint your head with oil. Enjoy life with your wife whom you love all the days that God gives us.
Proverbs 19:14 House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD.
God expects us to love our husbands and wives. When a husband and wife truly love each other, life is much more enjoyable. The bible says that to have friends, one must show himself friendly
Proverbs 18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
How long has it been that we have been “friendly” with our wives. If we tried to be “friendly” would they be so surprised that they would be suspicious and ask us what we were wanting?
The preacher then tells us to do with our might what our hands find to do because we can neither work nor plan from the grave.
Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
We need to remember the adage “If it is worth doing -- it is worth doing right”. We need to always do the best we can, showing a prayerful, thankful attitude to God, because in this world there are no guarantees. The fastest person does not always win the race. The strongest army does not always win the battle. The wise do not always have bread. Wealth does not always come to the brilliant. Skilled men do not always have positions of importance. Time and chance happens to all of us. We don’t know or understand the times that surround us. Men are caught in evil situations just as birds are caught in a net. Evil things fall upon us suddenly. The death and destruction of the Twin Towers came out of the blue. No one could have predicted or avoided that catastrophe.
1. What does verse 1 tell us is in the hand of God?
A.
B.
C.
2. Verse 2 states that everything happens the same to what groups of people?
A. and
B. and and
C. To him that and
D. and the
E. he that and
3. What is the evil that the preacher writes about in verse 3?
4. What two things does verse 3 say are in the heart of man?
A.
B.
Compare this with the passage in Jer 17:9-10
5. How long does verse 4 allow hope?
6. What do the living know?
What do the dead know?
Why do the dead not have a reward?
7. Verse 6 lists 4 things that the dead no longer have?
A.
B.
C.
D.
8. If God accepts our works, -- what do verse 7-9 say that he gives for our portion?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Chapter Ten Concerning Wisdom and Foolishness
While the preacher was studying life, he learned many things. In this chapter he presents to us some of the warnings and proverbs that he has learned.
A man can be wise in most of his dealings, but if he tolerates foolishness in himself even in small areas, his reputation as a wise man will suffer greatly. The preacher uses an example of dead flies in a bottle of perfume. The dead flies cause the perfume to be putrid and undesireable. A little folly will cause a man’s wisdom to be despised.
A wise man’s heart is on his right side. The right hand is the symbol of dexterity, strength and justice. But the foolish man’s heart is on his left side. The left hand symbolizes awkwardness, ineptness, and general lack of ability. Yes, a fool proclaims himself a fool by his walk. He goes places, does things, and associates with people that a wise man would avoid.
Proverbs 22:3 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.
1 Corinthians 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
If your boss, or someone else that has the rule over you, gets angry with you; do not forsake your post and your duty. Yielding (or calmness as the NIV states) can cover great transgressions. Sometimes rulers (or bosses) make great mistakes. They promote the wrong men, and leave better men sitting unrecognized in obscurity. For this reason, the preacher says that he has seen princes walking while servants rode.
The preacher then gives us several proverbs which the wise will take as warnings.
If you dig a pit, be careful lest you (or someone else) fall into it. Pits are dangerous for any that is around them. This is true on the moral plane as well as the physical. If you participate in things that have no moral worth, they may eventually trap you and you will fall into their “pit”. Paul tells us that there are some things that we should:
Col. 2:21(Touch not; taste not; handle not; 22 Which all are to perish with the using;)
Work, and effort has risks and dangers associated with it. If you break down a hedge, beware that a serpent does not bite you. I learned this lesson the hard way once when we were taking down a fence. Yellow jackets had built a nest in the ground next to one of the fence posts. We didn’t know they were there. When we tried to pull the post, the yellow jackets swarmed us. If you cut wood, you are endangered by the effort. How many times have you heard of someone being injured while chopping wood with an axe (or felling a tree with a chain saw)? Misplaced or hasty effort on the spiritual plane can cause hurt also. Remember how often Christ spoke to the religious leaders of His day about their attitudes and actions?
Matthew 7:
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
When we try to point out others faults, we must always make sure that we are not hypocritical -- or we can end up doing more harm than good.
Cutting wood is made much easier -- and less dangerous -- by sharpening the tool. We can prepare ourselves to be better servants of the Lord.
2Tim 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Just as a man must study in order to learn the skills necessary to practice a trade in a manner that will not cause him and those around him to be ashamed of his efforts; a Christian must study the Word of God in order to rightly apply its words. Certain virtues should become a part of our life so that we will become effective in doing the Lord’s work. Peter lists some of these:
2 Peter 1:
¶5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
Serpents will bite without being charmed. The words of a babbler also bite. The old adage sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can ne’er hurt me ... is simply not true.
2Tim 2:16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
Vain talk will tend to cause someone to go further into unrighteousness. The preacher tells us that a wise man’s words helps him to find acceptance. He adds that a fools words start with folly and end with wickedness. A fool talks a lot, but his own words will ruin him. Matthew Henry says that “Many who are empty of sense are full of words.” The bible has always taught us that a man’s words are very important.
Proverbs 25:11 Solomon tells us that a word fitly spoken is like apples of Gold ...
Matthew 12:37 Christ tells us that we will be justified or condemned by our words.
James 3:1-12 James reminds us that horses are turned with a bridle in their mouth; ships are turned with a small rudder; and men can do a great deal of damage with their tongues. He warns that our tongues are an unruly evil and can not be tamed by any man.
A fool becomes so weary of work that he doesn’t even know how to get to town. He spends his effort on useless and wasteful tasks instead of righteousness and following after God.
The preacher declares that leaders who are too young and who take advantage of their position will bring trouble on a land. These rulers view their position as one that provides privilege instead of requiring service. A good leader will view his office first in the light of his responsibility.
The preacher provides a few final proverbs in the final verses of this chapter. Any thing worth having requires work. Even your house will decay and fall apart if you do not provide the required maintenance. A party may make you laugh; wine may give momentary pleasure; but money answers everything. Matthew Henry explains this passage “Money of itself answers nothing; it will neither feed nor clothe; but, as it is the instrument of commerce, it answers all the occasions of this present life”.
Don’t curse the king or the rich- for they shall be told. Indeed, it is better to not say (or write) anything that you would care for the world to know.
1. What does verse one compare a little folly in a wise man to?
2. Where is a wise man's heart?
Where is a foolish man's heart?
What does this mean?
Thought Question: Where is your heart?
3. If a man is a fool, what happens when he walks along the way?
4. What does verse 4 say pacifies great offenses?
Can you think of examples of when this has occurred?
5. What are the evil or error that proceeds from the ruler as identified in verses 5-7?
What is set in dignity?
What is set in low places?
What is set on horses?
And what walks as a servant?
What is the evil associated with each of these?
6. Explain the conditions described in verses 8-10.
What will happen to the person who digs a pit?
What will happen to the person who cuts a hedge?
What will happen to the person who moves stones?
What will happen to the person who cuts wood?
What causes a person to use more strength?
What is wisdom good for?
7. What is NOT required for a snake to bite a person?
What is a babbler like?
A wise man's words have what associated with them?
What happens to a foolish man's words?
8. What is the beginning and end of a foolish man's words?
Who is known for talking a lot.
What two things can't a person know?
What wearies one?
9. When is a land troubled?
When is a land blessed?
10. What two things cause a building to decay?
11. What is the purpose of a feast?
What does wine do?
What does money do?
12. Why does verse 20 say that one should not curse the king or the rich?
Chapter Eleven Concerning Charity, Life, and Youth
The preacher continues with telling us about the proverbs he has learned while studying life.
In the course of this book, the preacher has told us many times to enjoy the fruit of our labor. He has insisted that the fruit of our labor was a blessing from God. When he tells us to cast our bread upon the waters, he is now telling us that we should share the blessings that God has given us with as many people as we can. We never know when we will be in need; perhaps, someone that we have previously helped will be able to provide us with the aide that we may desperately need.
When the clouds are full of water, they provide rain to the earth. When we are well blessed by God, it is fit that we provide help to those around us who may be in need.
When a tree falls in the forest, it will lie just where it falls. It will not be moved to a better spot. When we are no longer able to provide help to others, when we pass from this life, we will meet our Maker - just as we were when we died. We do not want to delay our charity; we need always to be a blessing to others. Christ warned:
John 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
We need to consider how we use the gifts -- and the abilities -- that God has given us. He has not given us all the same amount of time on this world. We need to use the time that he has given us wisely. In two different passages we are told to redeem the time. Eph 5:
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
and again in Col 4:
5 ¶ Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
The Apostle Paul also wrote in Galations 6:
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
If we sow selfishness, we will reap the fruit of selfishness -- and I am quite sure that we will not be pleased with the crop. The preacher tells us that we can always find a reason to delay worthy actions. A farmer that watches the wind will be afraid to plant his seed. One that watches the clouds will be afraid to begin his harvest - for fear of rain. I am not a farmer, and do not claim to know much about farming. But, one summer when I was in high school, I worked on a farm. I helped the farmer bring in some hay that had been cut - and then had gotten wet. It was many times heavier than it would have been had the hay been dry. And even after all of the work required to gather it, I am not sure that he was able to use the hay after it had been gathered. Like the farmer who fears the rain, we can always find GOOD reasons to delay worthy actions.
You may ask, “How will I know what I should do?”. The writer now reminds us that there are many things that we can never know for a certainity. He lists three things that remain a mystery to men even to this day.
1. We do not understand the way of spiritual matters.
2. We do not know how bones of a child are formed in the womb of its mother.
3. We cannot understand the works of God.
If a man doesn’t know what he should do - what is he to do? The preacher suggests - Do your work to the best of your ability. Don’t keep your hand from doing good. You do not know which of your efforts may be blessed with success. You might get lucky -- they might all be so blessed.
Life has many blessings. The light of life is sweet. Men much prefer to enjoy life than to contemplate death. But we have been warned -- even if we have many wonderful years -- death is coming! And our life is short when it is compared to the days of eternity. We should not get so carried away with our plans that we forget God. James describes it in James 4:
13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
The preacher tells a young man to enjoy his life; to do what he believes should be done; but remember God will call us into account for the way that we have lived our lives. Put sorrow away from your heart. Sorrow will come to all of us. But don’t give it a home. When grief comes into your life -- grieve. Then put it away. Don’t give sorrow and grief a home. Life is too short! Sin will come into our life. You are not perfect. You will make mistakes. But don’t let sin make its home in your heart. Put it away. Sweep it out of your life and your heart with the cleansing power that Christ provides ( 1 John 1).
1. Why are we told to cast our bread upon the waters? (verse 1)
2. Why are we told to give a portion to 7, and even to 8.
What is being taught in verses 1 and 2? (verse 2)
3. When will the clouds empty themselves? (verse 3)
How will a tree lay?
What is meaning of the parable?
4. Who will not sow?
Who will not reap?
What is the meaning of the warning? (verse 4)
5. Name three things that verse 5 says that we do not know?
A.
B.
C.
6. What two things does verse 6 tell us to do?
A.
B.
What three things does it say that we do not know?
7. What does verse 7 speak of being sweet?
What does it say is pleasant.
What is it speaking of?
8. What are the two characteristics of the man described in verse 8?
A.
B.
What is he advised to remember?
What two reasons are given that he should remember this?
A.
B.
9. Who is told to rejoice?
What is he told to rejoice in?
What two places is he told to walk in?
A.
B.
What warning is the young man given?
10. What two things are the readers in general told to do?
A.
B.
What does the preacher conclude is vanity?
A.
B.
Chapter Twelve On Growing Old and the Conclusion of the Matter
1. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
As we are coming to the close of the investigation that was started at the beginning of the book, the preacher, continuing the thought from the last chapter, speaks directly to the young. He tells the young to remember God, their Creator. Don’t wait -- until you are old and do not have many days left -- to make the decision to turn to God. When you are young, the days are pleasant; but if you live, evil days are coming. Days in which life may seem more an ordeal than a privilege. When one is old, it is necessary to live with the accumulated results from every decision that has been made - both the bad and the good. Sometimes it is required that we live with the results of other peoples decisions. Some people have to live with the results of abuse, of encounters with drunken drivers, or other evil actions. As the preacher wrote about earlier, sometimes chance causes us grief. We are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Many people live lives full of hard work, sometimes without enough food or medical attention. Sometimes the accumulated results of our bad decisions and the other events of our lives, may very well cause us to say that there is no pleasure in our days. The good Lord is willing to forgive sins, even when we are old, but he does not remove the consequences of sin from our life -- even if the sin was committed by someone else. God gives us free choice. My free choice can cause you harm.
The preacher wants us to realize how important it is to serve God when we are young. Our lives pass quickly, so he describes what it is like to grow old.
2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
We were told to remember God - before the light of the sun, or moon, . . . or candle become darkened because of our failing eyesight. I have worn glasses for many years. As I passed certain ages, the eye doctors told me what to expect. They told me how my eyes would change and what kind of lenses that I would need as I became older. They warned me when cataracts began forming in my eyes. Failing eyesight is normal -- and even expected as we age.
When you get older, you don’t expect the skies to clear, the clouds to dissipate, and the sun to shine; rather, problems come back to back. When you are young, you may get sick. If you do you generally expect to get well quickly and to not experience sickness again for a while. But when you get older, the aches, pains, and sicknesses of old age come back to back. When you get over one illness, another comes -- just like clouds returning after a rain.
The preacher now describes old age in a series of word pictures that he paints for us. The first is a comparison of Old Age to a house-hold.
3 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble,
and the strong men shall bow themselves,
and the grinders cease because they are few,
and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;
Picture a big elegant house with many servants. Imagine the servants whose job is to care for the house. They are required to do the delicate, intricate tasks that maintain the home in its elegant state. Now image the keepers of the house shaking and trembling such that it is difficult or even impossible for them to perform their tasks. Can you see them handling the delicate china or doing the fine sewing. The keepers of our body’s house, our hands, also shake as we become old. Sometimes our hands shake so much that it becomes difficult to do the necessary things to preserve life. We require help from others for even little things.
Imagine the servants whose job it is to do the heavy, physical labor. It is their job to replace the concrete walls that erosion has damaged. It is their job to carry the heavy roofing material up to repair leaks in the roof. Now image these strong men being bent such that it becomes an effort for them to even carry themselves. They obviously can no longer perform their job. The strong men of the body, our legs, become bent and can no longer take us where we would like to go. Our ability to do the Lord’s work is hindered by our feeble condition.
Now image the servants who prepare food (including grinding the meal) for the entire household. Consider the situation as many leave for other jobs and are not replaced. The cooking (and grinding) for the entire household falls on fewer and fewer people. The grinders of our body are our teeth. The grinders cease because they are few. We can’t eat what we would like, because of the condition of our teeth.
In a large household, there is always someone that watches the street to see if there are guests approaching. Imagine the house as it gets older and no one is able to clean the windows -- and the windows get darker and darker because of the accumulation of dust and grime. It becomes difficult to even see the street. This could be speaking of the cataracts that grow on our eyes as we age. Cataracts darken, dim, and blur our vision such that we can no longer see clearly to welcome friends and strangers -- or even to study the Lord’s word.
The doors to the house, once open in welcome to the visitor, to the guest, and even to the stranger; now stand closed. This could be referring to the lips which remain closed -- instead of voicing welcome or inviting someone to share in a meal - because the sound of grinding is low since the number of the grinders is few.
As a bird in the front lawn will quickly rise in flight if some child strays near it, so will the elderly rise from sleep at the slightest disturbance. Sleep comes fitfully - broken by sounds in the night, fears of the morning, perhaps even by pain and sorrow.
Music is for the young. As we age, our hearing, and our ability to enjoy music, is brought down. Listen to the young as they turn up bass boost on their sound equipment. As you grow older, you will need to turn down the bass and turn up the treble.
The preacher then makes several very pointed observations about aging.
5 Also [when] they shall be afraid of [that which is] high,
and fears [shall be] in the way,
and the almond tree shall flourish,
and the grasshopper shall be a burden,
and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
All of us have some fear of heights, but as we get older, the fear of heights, of climbing becomes even more pronounced. Because of the experience that our age has provided, we become more aware of the dangers around us -- which prompts us to have many fears along the way. Fears that the young ignore or carelessly dismiss (and, thereby, occasionally fall prey to).
The almond tree, I am told, has beautiful white blossoms. As we age, even the color of our hair changes, lightens, grays, and may become white. Tasks that would have been considered trivial become a burden as we age. Sometimes just performing the necessary things to sustain life become a burden.
Many of the things that created desire when we were young, no longer hold any attraction for us as we get older. As our time on earth shortens, often our desire for the things that it has to offer will also diminish. We are getting ready to go to our “long home”. Mourners go about the street. Our friends that we love and care about may precede us into death. Life is short. We need to live every minute in a way that will please God.
1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
To emphasis this point, the preacher then takes us to the well, or water spring, where water for the house hold is obtained.
6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed,
or the golden bowl be broken,
or the pitcher be broken at the fountain,
or the wheel broken at the cistern.
7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was:
and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
A cord is used to pull the water from the well in a bowl or bucket to be poured into a pitcher to carry to the house for drinking purposes. Perhaps a wheel is used to pump the water out of a cistern up to a fountain that you can dip your pitcher into.
Water is a necessity of life. But if the silver cord is broken - you can’t pull water from the well. When the silver cord of life breaks, and the soul and spirit truly are separated -- only God can join them together again. Some have said that the golden bowl may represent the golden bowl of our skull; and the wheel pumping the water may represent our heart as it pumps our life blood through the body. If any of these break, then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and our spirit will return to God that gave it. Death is inevitable. We know that we will die, we just don’t know when, or how. We need to contemplate death, and be ready always to meet our maker.
The preacher reminds us one final time that life is vain. There is nothing of all your labor in this world that you will be able to carry out with you. There is nothing in this world that you will be able to come back for. When Job lost everything that he had -- while he was still living -- he said in Job 1:
20 ¶ Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
The only things in this world that we will be interested in after we die:
1. Did we please the Lord? Did we die in fellowship with God?
2. Did we do everything that we could to see that our family, our brethren, our friends were living to please to the Lord?
Sometimes we don’t know or understand what is the right course to help others. Sometimes we make mistakes. Sometimes sin overcomes us and we just plain do something that we know is wrong. That doesn’t mean that we should quit trying to live a Christian life. We shouldn’t allow mistakes to force us to quit. Let us learn from our mistakes and press onward from those mistakes.
Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
The preacher was wise. He has told us many things about life. He told us many proverbs. It is up to us what we will do with this knowledge. We can learn it with our minds and never put it into practice in our lives. That would truly be a shame. He has given us some real wisdom about life that we can find in no other textbook. Let us hope that we will allow these “goads” as the King James Version says -- to prod us into using these new insights that the preacher has given us to improve our lot, our family’s lot, and the lot of all those around about us.
We should note, however, that a proverb is not a promise. A proverb is a statement that is generally true; but there are exceptions to all proverbs. We should never look at proverbs as promises from God and then demand an explanation from God if something does not work out just the way we thought it should. That would go against everything the preacher has taught us. He has taught us to accept life as it comes to us; to try to do the best we can in everything that we do; to look to God and try to please him in everything that we do; to be thankful for what God has given us; to remember to help those less fortunate than ourselves; and to enjoy life. It is a one way trip. Make the most of it in a way that will be pleasing to God.
The preacher concludes with these final words of wisdom.
12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13 ¶ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
1. When are the young to remember their creator?
2. What is coming for the young (if they continue to live in this world)?
3. Discuss the imagery that the preacher uses to describe the ailments of old age? Which ones do you think are particularly pertinent.
4. Where does the spirit return to?
5. Of what passage in the Old Testament does this remind you?
6. What did the preacher conclude was vanity? (verse 8)
7. Why did the preacher teach the people?
What three things does this verse say that the preacher did?
A.
B.
C.
8. What Three Words are used to describe what the preacher has written?
A.
B.
C.
9. What are the words of the wise to be compared to?
A.
B.
10. What two things does the preacher warn us of in verse 12?
A.
B.
11. As the conclusion of the matter, What two things are a man advised to do?
A.
B.
Why does the preacher affirm this is good advice?
A.
12. Name three kinds of work that the preacher declares will be brought into judgment.
A.
B.
C.
Why Rejoice?
Although the book of Ecclesiastes is often called a dark book, in the 12 short chapters that comprise the book, the preacher tells us to rejoice at least 6 times. His point seems to be to take life as it comes, live it to the fullest, and enjoy it. Take pleasure in your life; enjoy the fruit of your labor. Take pleasure in your family. Appreciate your youth -- don’t wish it away. BUT always remember there is a judgment in which we will face God.
Ecclesiastes 2:24 There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.
Ecclesiastes 3:12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
Ecclesiastes 3:22 Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
Ecclesiastes 5:18-19 Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.(19) Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.
Ecclesiastes 9:7-9 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.(8)Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.(9)Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 11:8 But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.
Ecclesiastes 11:9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
As we consider the instructions given by the preacher amidst the hustle and bustle of today’s world, when it seems that everything is driven by the ticking of a clock, and problems arise quicker than they can be acknowledged much less solved, one could question, What do I have to rejoice about?
Any number of trials could be listed as reasons for a lack of joy. There are always problems being encountered at the international political level because of greed, corruption and ignorance. Problems can be listed at every level of state, county and local government. These serve as constant reminders that problems will always exist, and that they will exist on a personal level. There will be difficulties on the job, with finances, with children, with neighbors and friends, with family, and finally the problems caused by sickness and death. What is there to rejoice about?
Thoughts such as these, delude one into believing that joy is determined by environment, by external conditions only. But that is not the case. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. Joy is a sacrifice that can be made to God. Joy exits within. Each person will decide if he will be joyful or depressed. Each person must decide what he has to rejoice about.
If allowed, the conditions of life that surround us can lure us into either ecstatic emotional highs, -- or despairingly deep depressions. Neither condition is right, and neither should be considered normal for the Christian. Often one will lead into the other, and a person so affected appears to be on a perpetual emotional roller coaster. One day the world is beautiful and everything is wonderful; the next, events have changed and that person's world has collapsed. They experience a devastating depression.
God did not intend that his people be so afflicted. He has given every Christian reasons for rejoicing. He has provided each Christian with some measure of physical and spiritual blessings in which the Christian is to rejoice. He has provided instruction how to rejoice. He has warned us not to rejoice in certain things. If these instructions are followed, Life can be much more joyful, and much less dependent on the affairs of the world that surround us. After all, the Christian is to be in the world, not of the world.
It is hoped that any Christian -- after studying the following passages of scripture -- could answer the question "Why should I rejoice?". However, being able to answer the question is not enough. One must have faith to incorporate these facts into ones innermost being, and then live them, if he is to answer the question convincingly -- Why Rejoice?
1. WHY SHOULD A CHRISTIAN REJOICE
A. PRAISE (AND JOY) IS COMELY FOR THE UPRIGHT
Psalms 33:1
1 Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: [for] praise is comely for the upright.
B. JOY CAN BE A SACRIFICE TO GOD
Psalms 27:6
6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.
C. IT IS A FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
Galations 5:22
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
D. A CHRISTIAN IS COMMANDED TO REJOICE
Philippians 4:4
4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: [and] again I say, Rejoice.
1 Thessalonians 5:16
16 Rejoice evermore.
2. WHAT SHOULD A CHRISTIAN REJOICE IN?
A. REJOICE IN WHATEVER YOU PUT YOUR HAND TO.
Deuteronomy 12:7
7 And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.
Deuteronomy 12:18
18 But thou must eat them before the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that [is] within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.
Psalms 128:1
1 A Song of degrees. Blessed [is] every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways.
2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy [shalt] thou [be], and [it shall be] well with thee.
3 Thy wife [shall be] as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.
Proverbs 14:21
21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy [is] he.
Proverbs 15:23
23 A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word [spoken] in due season, how good [is it]!
Proverbs 21:15
15 [It is] joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction [shall be] to the workers of iniquity.
Ecclesiastes 3:12
12 I know that [there is] no good in them, but for [a man] to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it [is] the gift of God.
Ecclesiastes 3:22
22 Wherefore I perceive that [there is] nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that [is] his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
Ecclesiastes 5:18
18 Behold [that] which I have seen: [it is] good and comely [for one] to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it [is] his portion.
19 Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this [is] the gift of God.
B. REJOICE IN WHAT THE LORD HAS GIVEN YOU
Dt 14:26
Deuteronomy 26:11
11 And thou shalt rejoice in every good [thing] which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that [is] among you.
Joel 2:22
22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.
23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first [month].
C. REJOICE IN THE HOLY NAME OF THE LORD
1 Chronicles 16:10
10 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.
D. REJOICE IN THAT THE LORD REIGNS
1 Chronicles 16:31
31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let [men] say among the nations, The LORD reigneth.
Psalms 97:1
1 The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad [thereof].
E. REJOICE IN YOUR SALVATION
Psalms 9:14
14 That I may show forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.
Isaiah 12:3
3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
Isaiah 61:10
10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh [himself] with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth [herself] with her jewels.
Habakkuk 3:17
17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither [shall] fruit [be] in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and [there shall be] no herd in the stalls:
18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Psalms 51:12
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me [with thy] free spirit.
F. REJOICE BECAUSE HE HAS GIVEN HELP
Psalms 28:7
7 The LORD [is] my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
Psalms 146:5
5 Happy [is he] that [hath] the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope [is] in the LORD his God:
G. REJOICE BECAUSE OF HIS MERCY
Psalms 31:7
7 I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;
Psalms 90:14
14 O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
H. REJOICE IN GOD'S JUDGEMENTS
Psalms 48:11
11 Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments.
Psalms 67:4
4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.
I. REJOICE IN GOD'S HOLINESS
Psalms 97:12
12 Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
J. REJOICE IN THE WORK (THE DAY) THAT THE LORD HATH MADE
Psalms 118:23
23 This is the LORD'S doing; it [is] marvellous in our eyes.
24 This [is] the day [which] the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
K. REJOICE IN GOD'S WORD
Psalms 119:162
162 I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.
Jeremiah 15:16
16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.
L. REJOICE IN THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS THAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU
Proverbs 5:18
18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
Proverbs 23:24
24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise [child] shall have joy of him.
25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.
Proverbs 27:9
9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so [doth] the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.
Psalms 127:4
4 As arrows [are] in the hand of a mighty man; so [are] children of the youth.
5 Happy [is] the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
Ecclesiastes 9:9
9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that [is] thy portion in [this] life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
M. REJOICE FOR PERSECUTIONS FOR BEING RIGHTEOUS
Matthew 5:11
11 Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Luke 6:22
22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you [from their company], and shall reproach [you], and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.
23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward [is] great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
James 5:11
11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
1 Peter 3:14
14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy [are ye]: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
1 Peter 4:14
14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy [are ye]; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
N. REJOICE IN FAITH
Romans 15:13
13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
O. REJOICE IN OBEDIENCE
Proverbs 29:18
18 Where [there is] no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy [is] he.
John 13:17
17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
Ecclesiastes 11:9
9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these [things] God will bring thee into judgment.
10 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth [are] vanity.
3. WHAT DO SCRIPTURES DECLARE WE SHOULD NOT REJOICE IN?
A. REJOICE NOT AT FAILURE OF ENEMY
Proverbs 24:17
17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:
B. REJOICE NOT IN GOODS NOR PLANS
James 4:16
16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
Hebrews ll:24
24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharoah's daughter;
25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
4. HOW DO SCRIPTURES DECLARE THAT I AM TO REJOICE
A. REJOICE WITH TREMBLING
Psalms 2:10
10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
B. REJOICE WITH TRUST
Psalms 5:4
11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
C. REJOICE WITH MY WHOLE HEART (IN PRAISE TO GOD)
Psalms 9:1
1 To the chief Musician upon Muthlabben, A Psalm of David. I will praise [thee], O LORD, with my whole heart; I will show forth all thy marvellous works.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.
D. REJOICE WITH OTHERS
Romans 12:15
15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
How Does A Christian Receive Comfort?
God is our comforter
Psalms 23:4
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
2 Corinthians 1:3
3 Blessed [be] God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
God's word is our comforter
Psalms 119:75
75 I know, O LORD, that thy judgments [are] right, and [that] thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.
76 Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.
Romans 15:4
4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
1 Corinthians 14:3
3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men [to] edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
1 Corinthians 14:31
31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
The Holy Spirit was promised as a comforter
John 14:16
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 [Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
John 14:26
26 But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Acts 9:31
31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
Our Faith Should provide comfort
Romans 1:12
12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
Our Love for each other should provide comfort
Philippians 2:1
1 If [there be] therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
Colossians 2:2
2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
Christians should comfort each other
1 Thessalonians 4:18
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with ther trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shalll we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
11 Wherefore comfort
yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
Appendix
Vanity used in Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 1:2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
Ecclesiastes 1:14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Ecclesiastes 2:1 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
Ecclesiastes 2:11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 2:15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
Ecclesiastes 2:17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Ecclesiastes 2:19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.
Ecclesiastes 2:21 For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
Ecclesiastes 2:23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
Ecclesiastes 2:26 For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Ecclesiastes 3:19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
Ecclesiastes 4:4 Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
Ecclesiastes 4:7 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 4:8 There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.
Ecclesiastes 4:16 There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Ecclesiastes 5:7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
Ecclesiastes 6:2 A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
Ecclesiastes 6:4 For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.
Ecclesiastes 6:9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
Ecclesiastes 6:11 Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?
Ecclesiastes 7:6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
Ecclesiastes 7:15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.
Ecclesiastes 8:10 And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.
Ecclesiastes 8:14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.
Ecclesiastes 9:9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 11:8 But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.
Ecclesiastes 11:10 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.
Ecclesiastes 12:8 Vanity of vanities, saith the preac
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Commentary by C.F. Keil and F. DELITZSCH translated M. G. Easton by Hendrickson Publishers 1989, ISBN 0-943575-24-9