#944 Ecclesiastes 7 Bonum Nomen

A good name is better than precious ointment,

and the day of death than the day of birth.

2 It is better to go to the house of mourning

than to go to the house of feasting,

for this is the end of all mankind,

and the living will lay it to heart.

3 Sorrow is better than laughter,

for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.

4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,

but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

5 It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise

than to hear the song of fools.

6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot,

so is the laughter of the fools;

this also is vanity.

7 Surely oppression drives the wise into madness,

and a bribe corrupts the heart.

8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning,

and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

9 Be not quick in your spirit to become angry,

for anger lodges in the heart of fools.

10 Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?”

For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.

11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance,

an advantage to those who see the sun.

12 For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money,

and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.

13 Consider the work of God:

who can make straight what he has made crooked?

14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.

15 In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. 16 Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? 17 Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? 18 It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.

19 Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.

20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

21 Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. 22 Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.

23 All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me. 24 That which has been is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out?

25 I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness. 26 And I find something more bitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her. 27 Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things— 28 which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. 29 See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes. Ecclesiastes 7 ESV

Ecclesiastes 7

1-12

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

The Beatitudes

2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Anger

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Lust

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

Divorce

31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Oaths

33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

Retaliation

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Love Your Enemies

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5 ESV

13-14 We look as far as we can under the sun, and the thought of God's predetermined rule causes some men to disavow the reality of their origin, or look to themselves for answers. Noah chose rather to submit and build for 120 years, mocked and derided by the whole of the earth at that time. Faith was demonstrated in his obedience, rather than a nihilistic contention of being placed at odds against the world, or forsaking instruction because he could not see the world after. The theme of "under the sun",  "chasing the wind", "vanity", continues in the thoughts of the preacher. He is not shying from the questions that come to his mind, prosperity or trial, God is in control, be joyful, be considerate. 

…8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. 10 That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.… 2 Corinthians 12: 8-10

15-18 Look again, under the sun, and men must confess, and here also choose, the righteous sometimes die for being so, and the liar is often exalted in a fallen world. What is the motivation in always being upright, telling the truth, when others believe the end justifies the means? If the end is not a right relationship with God, the glory and honor of the Creator, then it is only self righteousness or situational ethics, and only to a perceivable end. 

…3 For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end and does not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and not delay. 4 Look at the proud one; his soul is not upright— but the righteous will live by his faith— 5 and wealth indeed betrays him. He is an arrogant man never at rest. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, and like Death, he is never satisfied. He gathers all the nations to himself and collects all the peoples as his own.… Habakkuk 2: 3-5

19-20 

9 What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin. 10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. 11 There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.… Romans 3: 9-11

21-22 Don't be so easily offended, especially considering that you have been cause for offence yourself. Think of a time you have wronged someone and they have forgiven you. If you are a Christian then the cross is all the motivation you should ever need. A gentlemen that I worked with once made a comment on social media about someone in high standing in the company. It was crass, and those that worked for the CEO immediately reacted, and were like those, "quick to shed blood", but he considered it and the contribution this man makes to the business, and he said, "I'm sure worse things have been said about me." He kept a good employee, and he showed mercy, which helped me remember to do the same. Satisfying my ego should never come into play.

13 For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. 14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  James 2: 13-14

23-29 

“The honest admission of failure to find wisdom – of watching it in fact recede with every step one takes, discovering that none of our soundings ever gets to the bottom of things – this is, if not the beginning of wisdom, a good path to that beginning.” (Kidner)

b. I applied my heart to know, to search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things: Given his under the sun premise, his meaningless life could not be made meaningful by the attainment of wisdom. D. Guzik

13 As a fair exchange, I ask you as my children: Open wide your hearts also. 14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?… 2 Corinthians 6: 13-15

“His fruitless search for a woman he could trust may tell us as much about him and his approach, as about any of his acquaintances.” (Kidner)

ii. “Such as he knew her to be in Oriental courts and homes, denied her proper position, degraded, uneducated, all natural affections crushed or underdeveloped, the plaything of her lord, to be flung aside at any moment. It is not surprising that Koheleth’s impression of the female sex should be unfavorable.” (Deane)

iii. “He found that a harem did not provide the appropriate companion for man. How much better he would have been with one good wife, such as he speaks of in Ecclesiastes 9:9 and Proverbs 31!” (Wright)

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#943 Ecclesiastes 6 Sun Dried Ravioli

There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: 2 a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil. 3 If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life's good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. 4 For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. 5 Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he. 6 Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good—do not all go to the one place?

7 All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. 8 For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? 9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

10 Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he. 11 The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? 12 For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun? Ecclesiastes 6 ESV

Ecclesiastes 6

1-9 What good is great wealth without contentment? I have seen people have everything that I thought should make a man happy, but those around him enjoyed it more than he. Extended years upon this chasing after the wind, only makes the soul more desperate, begging for rest.

10-12 All the final questions are answered in God. It all becomes clear in Christ. You cannot mediate for yourself, stand before a Holy God. Yours are only words; His word is life. He knows your days and your frailty; God knows what is best for His creation.

…13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. 14 For He knows our frame; He is mindful that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are like grass—he blooms like a flower of the field;… Psalm 103: 13-15

…32 For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, that we can take each other to court. 33 Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both. 34 Let Him remove His rod from me, so that His terror will no longer frighten me.… Job 9: 32-34

…5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all— the testimony that was given at just the right time. 7 For this reason I was appointed as a herald, an apostle, and a faithful and true teacher of the Gentiles. I am telling the truth; I am not lying about anything.… 1 Timothy 2: 5-7

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#942 Ecclesiastes 5 Babbling Dreamers

 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2  Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. 3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words.

4 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.

The Vanity of Wealth and Honor

8 If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. 9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.

10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? 12 Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.

13 There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, 14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. 15 As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. 16 This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? 17 Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.

18 Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. 19 Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. 20 For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart. Ecclesiastes 5 ESV

Ecclesiastes 5

1-3 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God - Consider your way, Who is this God, what does He mean in all of this? Come prepared to hear, study the words of the One you approach. Do not offer sacrifice as a token; God must be worshiped in spirit and truth. When we read the law given to Moses, we are impressed with details. You could not offer a sacrifice with blemish, and so do not come merely of duty or on the outskirts of ritual, but sincerely, and with understanding. Be slow to speak, and do not offer up distracted, vain repetitions. I love the way my pastor reads through the songs before we sing, to know that we are not singing just to get through a ritual, but to help direct the heart to worship the living God. 

…15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. 16 Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil! 17 Learn to do right; seek justice and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.”… Isaiah 1: 15-17

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom.… James 4: 7-9

4-7 It is not the thought that counts, fulfill your vow. For when dreams increase, and words grow many, there is vanity. Many like to sound spiritual by making long prayers, calling attention to themselves. Look, I had a dream, see how deep and spiritual I am, or let me interpret that for you. 

…24“Can a man hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD. 25“I have heard the sayings of the prophets who prophesy lies in My name: ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ 26 How long will this continue in the hearts of these prophets who prophesy falsehood, these prophets of the delusion of their own minds?… Jeremiah 23: 24-26

8-9 Do not be amazed at the matter - It is no shock that wicked men produce wickedness. You can trade one type of tyrant for another. It is best to be concerned with the production of the land which all rides on. Everyone has to eat, but the more  bureaucracy, the heavier the weight, the more disconnected from the reality of what actually matters. 

“Without the field he cannot have supplies for his own house; and, unless agriculture flourish, the necessary expenses of the state cannot be defrayed. Thus, God joins the head and feet together; for while the peasant is protected by the king as executor of the laws, the king himself is dependent on the peasant; as the wealth of the nation is the fruit of the labourer’s toil.”

ii. “Some read it thus: Rex agro servit, The king is a servant to the field.” (Trapp)

10-17 The honest laborer earns his sleep, but the lazy glutton tosses on his bed. He is not satisfied nor can be, for with his wealth comes anxiety, and with the knowledge of one who has more, comes the new bar of satisfaction. 

18-20 Whatever your lot, under the sun, find enjoyment in your work, and in the fruit of your labor. Do not look upon riches as an entitlement but a blessing from God. 

23 Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men, 24 because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3: 23-24

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#941 Ecclesiastes 4 Striving After Wind

Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them. 2 And I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. 3 But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.

4 Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

5 The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh.

6 Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.

7 Again, I saw vanity under the sun: 8 one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business.

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

13 Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice. 14 For he went from prison to the throne, though in his own kingdom he had been born poor. 15 I saw all the living who move about under the sun, along with that youth who was to stand in the king's place. 16 There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind. Ecclesiastes 4 ESV

Ecclesiastes 4

On the side of their oppressors was power - Solomon must have traveled to many kingdoms, and he had many slaves in his own land. He built a place of incredible wealth, but no matter how well the poor may have fared under his rule, no matter how justly he pursued their cause, he could not remove every tear. The most wise will often miss a traitor in their midst, and God required of kings that they be servants and shepherds of good. When he witnessed the tears of the oppressed, he realized a common flaw, that the power was on the side of the oppressors. People say that power corrupts, but I would argue that they are already corrupt, and those that cannot see that will be the more so. How many people are you willing to hurt to get your way, protect your power, prove your point? To discern through the ego leaves a mess, hypocrisy grows rampant, and then like Job's friends we ultimately consider the oppression as fitting to someone who is obviously less worthy than ourselves. 

…53 But the people there refused to welcome Him, because He was heading for Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them.… Luke 9:53-55

2-3 With no certainty of eternity, or of justice after this life, then it was better to be already dead if it were but asleep, nothing. Men still reflect such at funerals, "they're in a better place, that great fishing hole in the sky, the happy hunting grounds, riding his motorcycle just like he would have wanted,"  if heaven were as we wanted or if there was nothing after this. I am always silent at that part of a funeral since I have never been to heaven, but I am certain it is much greater than they describe. Many times I have sat and wondered if they knew the only way to be right with God, I have shared that, and against a rather hard and angry heart, I have hoped against hope for that moment that I read about in the story of the thief on the cross. When I wanted to believe that there was no God, that everything came from nothing, and so would return to the same, then I realized that justice was a very untrustworthy tool that men used for power. What they did seemed wrong to me, but by what means could I establish that they were wrong? 

Solomon could only praise the dead this way because at his time he had no certain knowledge of the world to come, and he wrote most of Ecclesiastes with an under the sun premise. If he knew and accepted what happened to the unrighteous dead, he would never say such a thing. “Men, like silly fishes, see one another caught and jerked out of the pond of life but they see not, alas! the fire and the pan into which they are cast that die in their sins.” (Trapp)

Come from a man's envy of his neighbor - Keeping up with the Jones', I was satisfied until I saw what he had. My plate was magnificent until I saw what had been prepared upon his. Truly, I could eat what I had and be full, and there would be left over, but while my other neighbor is sick at home starving, I am angry at the portion of meat on the other's table. I must work harder, longer, or else I will always be falling behind in the race for toys. 

…16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, or his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. Exodus 20: 16-17

5-6 The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh - He will not even work for what he envies, but he hates and brings his own demise. It is better to work and be content.

The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh: Solomon here answered the tendency for those jealous of the success of others to be lazy. Like fools, they fold their hands and do nothing – and so waste away. Yet it wasn’t the success of their neighbor that made them waste away; the foolish, lazy man consumes his own flesh. D. Guzik

7-8 A man with no family, who works to store up for himself, that which he will not take the time to enjoy. We can be too idle but also too busy, never contemplating why?

9-12 Family, friendship, compassion, caring, helping, building up; it is good for our souls not to be the only voice we hear. It is good to provide protection for others and likewise to receive. Take great care in who you choose to share this life with.

17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. 18 Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored.… Proverbs 27: 17-18

13-16 An old king, anyone of authority,  who cannot stop to hear wisdom, will easily be improved upon. Those who think their title makes them right, will be wrong and proud of it. 

Yet those who come afterward will not rejoice in him: As Solomon thought of this young man who achieved much and became famous, he understood that the fame would be short-lived. Even if it lasted his entire lifetime (which would be rare and remarkable), it would not live on much beyond his own life. With his under the sun premise, this thought brought the familiar conclusion to the Preacher: Surely this also is vanity and grasping for the wind. D. Guzik

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#940 Ecclesiastes 3 To Everything

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

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;

6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;

a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 a time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.

The God-Given Task

9 What gain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; 13 also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.

14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15 That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.

From Dust to Dust

16 Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. 17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. 18 I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. 19 For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. 20 All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? 22 So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him? Ecclesiastes 3 ESV

Ecclesiastes 3

1-8 Truly poetic, and it has inspired others in song, but like a chorus stuck in my head, it become just sounds unless I stop to dissect the words. Everything inside of time and space is on this clock, even the Universe has a beginning and an end, decreed from eternity, a place we cannot here observe.

“The repetition of ‘a time…, and a time…’ begins to be oppressive. Whatever may be our skill and initiative, our real masters seem to be these inexorable seasons: not only those of the calendar, but that tide of events which moves us now to one kind of action which seems fitting, now to another which puts all into reverse.” (Kidner)

A time to be born and a time to die - My birth and end of life are all but the same glance from eternity, yet I did not call the one nor do I know for certain when then other will come, but I know it is in God's hands. When I was young I pondered controlling my departure, picking the time, and I chased things that would hasten it, but came to see this also as vain. Birth is so often tied to joy as death is to sorrow.

A time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted - Sewing seed and reaping harvest. These are in accordance with earths orbit around the sun, the rainy season, cold and summer, spring and fall. The rural life is tuned to this.

A time to kill and a time to heal - There are some things in this life that require the highest form of capital punishment. Men and women scream for justice after the murder of a loved one, justice is met, and healing commences. As swift as justice may come, healing can take all the rest of a man's days. 

…5 And surely I will require the life of any man or beast by whose hand your lifeblood is shed. I will demand an accounting from anyone who takes the life of his fellow man: 6 Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind. 7 But as for you, be fruitful and multiply; spread out across the earth and multiply upon it.”… Genesis 9: 5-7

…3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Then do what is right, and you will have his approval. 4 For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore it is necessary to submit to authority, not only to avoid punishment, but also as a matter of conscience.… Romans 13: 3-5

A time to weep, and a time to laugh - Some things are ill conceived outside their time. We are instructed to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those that rejoice. Compassion requires empathy, though we may prefer distraction, take care lest we increase sorrows with laughter and dancing at inappropriate times. 

A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together - Ancient customs included sewing stones and salt in an enemies fields, making it difficult to cultivate. Gathering stones may be a reference to boundary fences, building altars, houses, walls. David gathered stones and then cast them from his sling. When the woman was caught in adultery, Jesus stood between those who would gather up stones and the woman, as her advocate. They judged as hypocrites do, not concerned with the wrong, but for their own motives. We should not judge others for what we are guilty of, no, first remove the mote from our own eyes, then we may see clearly to help our brother or sister with theirs.

…6 They said this to test Him, in order to have a basis for accusing Him. But Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with His finger. 7 When they continued to question Him, He straightened up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.” 8 And again He bent down and wrote on the ground.… John 8: 6-8

This list also shows us the need to take full advantage of the time God gives us (Ephesians 5:16, Colossians 4:15). “Many a man loseth his soul, as Saul did his kingdom, by not discerning his time. Esau came too late; so did the foolish virgins. If the gale of grace be over-past, the gate shut, the drawbridge taken up, there is no possibility of entrance.” (Trapp)

9-12 He has put eternity into man's heart - Whether the atheist, Christian, Jew, etc.., all have defined a way to deal with this unction, inclination. Deny, embrace, or ignore; it is all an opinion, and it flows outwardly into the way a man will conduct himself.

“God made man in his own image; and nothing more surely attests to the greatness of our origin that those faculties of the soul which are capable of yearning for, conceiving, and enjoying the Infinite, the Immortal, and the Divine…. Every appetite in nature and grace has its appropriate satisfaction.” (Meyer)

ii. The well-known missionary and author Don Richardson used the phrase eternity in their hearts to describe the phenomenon of redemptive analogies in most all aboriginal cultures. Almost every culture has traditions, customs, or ways of thinking that reflect basic Biblical truth, and these can be used by missionaries to explain the gospel.

“The Preacher’s vast researches have found nothing in the finite earthly realm which can satisfy the human heart intellectually or practically… This is the nearest he comes to Augustine’s maxim: ‘You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they can find peace in you.’” (Eaton)

…14 When a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, until my relief comes. 15 You will call, and I will answer You; You will desire the work of Your hands. 16 For then You would count my steps, but would not keep track of my sin.… Job 14: 14-16

14-15 Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it - God is effectual in His decree, calling, and redemption. Creation is His, Salvation belongs to Him. No matter the level of our comprehension, one thing understood, supplies much freedom from want and despair, God is Sovereign over all. His word is complete.

1 Hear now, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances I am teaching you to follow, so that you may live and may enter and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. 2 You must not add to or subtract from what I command you, so that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God I am giving you. 3 Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal-peor, for the LORD your God destroyed from among you all who followed Baal of Peor.… Deuteronomy 4: 1-3

16-22 Judges can be crooked, the outwardly pious can be notorious sociopaths. If there is no eternity, if this is but an accumulation of trillions times trillions of happy accidents that turn on this light of life, then what difference is there between my end and the dogs? And, what then is my boast of more intellect, of tools, buildings and projects? It is all not to be remembered by me, for I will no longer exist, and my legacy, will at some point, be distorted, forgotten. He lives on in their thoughts and memories, you say, as all those fade away. 

This is a significant problem under the sun. If man does not have to reckon with eternity; if this life is all there is, then many of the wicked and evil people win and many good and righteous people lose. The idea of karma does not consistently work – at least not in this life. D. Guzik

“The distinction between man and beast in annulled by death; the former’s boasted superiority, his power of conceiving and planning, his greatness, skill, strength, cunning, all come under the category of vanity, as they cannot ward off the inevitable blow.” (Deane)

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#939 Ecclesiastes 2 Circling

I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3 I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4 I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5 I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man.

9 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

The Vanity of Living Wisely

12 So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. 13 Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. 14 The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. 15 Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. 16 For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! 17 So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind.

The Vanity of Toil

18 I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, 19 and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, 21 because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? 23 For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity.

24 There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, 25 for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? 26 For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. Ecclesiastes 2 ESV

Ecclesiastes 2

1-8 In the first paragraph alone, he leaves off from the wisdom that comes from above, what God has revealed, what He has decreed. He tests himself with pleasure, but though the rivers are always flowing, the sea is never full. He indulged his every appetite, analyzed his excess, but was still chasing the wind. Other kings had as the symbol of their greatness, a great many slaves and concubines, he did the same, but this still felt lacking, and toilsome. He indulged his every sexual fantasy, but this sacrifices God's original design and intent; it offers no parallel way or way back. Solomon built up the kingdom in economics and infrastructure that dwarfed  past administrations. He was brilliant, but also used his mind outside of God's boundaries. He was a student of the passage below, but when he saw the income potential of going back to Egypt, emulating Egypt, buying horses and chariots from Egypt, he became an arms dealer. Solomon bought in bulk from Egypt and sold these military goods to the kingdoms north, which in future generations would be used against his own people. He sold out the next generation. The care for his many wives and resulting children became a burden on the people, which showed his heart to be lifted up above his brethren. If we are all made in the image of God, then his many projects should not have been on the backs of slaves; this was vain. 

When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;

15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the Lord thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.

16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the Lord hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.

17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

18 And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:

19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:

20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel. Deuteronomy 17: 14-20

9-11 So he became greater than all before him, by the measure that men use. This greatness of kings, tyrants, governors, by measure of wealth and folly, puts others low. "I cannot believe by the authority of God's word that this should be withheld, so I tested everything." 

…18 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light, because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.… John 3: 18-20

…25 So Jesus declared, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in authority over them call themselves benefactors. 26 But you shall not be like them. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines? But I am among you as one who serves.… Luke 22: 25-27

12-17 He compares the ways of wisdom, madness and folly, and he finds wisdom taking the logical lead. It is more pragmatic, functional, but yet he must admit in the end, that both he and the fool share the same fate of death. It is in Christ only where this becomes only a shadow, in light of eternity men may partake in that which is of lasting value. 

20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have complete boldness, so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. So what shall I choose? I do not know.… Philippians 1: 20-22

18-23 He comes to detest his work, and this is on a grand scale. I have watched family vultures, waiting in dead trees, hoping for the carcass of the parent, the orchard that their father planted. They want but will not do for themselves, or have done much but still feel entitled to more. Love is lost to them, plunder is all they hope for. Solomon must be considering the state of his spoiled sons, and he detests the thought of passing to them what he has worked hard to make. They will not appreciate or rule as wisely, but his excesses will become their mark. He is restless of mind, so much that he cannot turn it off to sleep, wandering the dark halls of madness, trying to see what cannot be seen.

…28 The LORD uprooted them from their land in His anger, rage, and great wrath, and He cast them into another land, where they are today.’ 29 The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law. Deuteronomy 29: 28-29

24-26 

But we must enjoy good in our labour; we must use those things to make us diligent and cheerful in worldly business. And this is the gift of God. Riches are a blessing or a curse to a man, according as he has, or has not, a heart to make a good use of them. To those that are accepted of the Lord, he gives joy and satisfaction in the knowledge and love of him. But to the sinner he allots labour, sorrow, vanity, and vexation, in seeking a worldly portion, which yet afterwards comes into better hands. Let the sinner seriously consider his latter end. To seek a lasting portion in the love of Christ and the blessings it bestows, is the only way to true and satisfying enjoyment even of this present world. - Matthew Henry

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