ECCLESIASTES
Seeking Meaning from Worldly Wisdom
- Ecclesiastes has been called the greatest of all books of
philosophy.
- Its goal is to destroy man's belief in himself and in all
his endeavors apart from God.
- The issue is joined between man's ways and God's ways.
- The book undermines every prop on which we might rely
apart from God.
- Ecclesiastes is a living message, designed for every
person of every kind in every age. Our age is increasingly
characterized by its disbelief, disillusionment and
despair.
- Ecclesiastes depicts in graphic detail absolute vanity of
pursuing happiness and contentment through material and
immoral sources -- completely ignoring God and His timeless
will.
- Probably no more relevant message than one that
illustrates the whole duty of man.
- Described as the most modern book in the Bible.
- Ecclesiastes has been called the contrast, the
alternative, to the rest of the Bible -- the question to
which the rest of the Bible is the answer.
- From the beginning (1:2) to the end (12:8), Solomon's
thesis is, "Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher: vanity
of vanities; all is vanity."
- Compare his commentary on "everything under the sun" with
our contemporary situation. This gives us greater
appreciation for his insights about the nature of human
existence.
- Those insights are actually our own as we interpret and
respond to the challenges of our time.
- Ecclesiastes responds to a deep and universal human
need--adequate solution to life's most perplexing question,
"What is the true meaning of life? Is happiness really
attainable?"
- No one before or after Solomon could better ask this
question.
- He enjoyed the greatest degree of wisdom and knowledge,
greatest wealth, unlimited power and control over
government and industry, indulged in pleasure beyond
imagination.
- Solomon serves as trial case for all word to see. Then he
sets forth, like acts in a play, results of his experiment.
- The results reveal that happiness doesn't come through
what we can gain, accumulate, control, or indulge in.
Rather, happiness is attained through a humble life of
faith and trust in God and the performance of His work.
- Solomon considers five toils of man -- all vain, with
each lacking gain that man seeks from it.
- Wisdom -- to be studied today.
- Pleasure
- Power and riches
- Altruism,
- Conventional religion.
Solomon and Wisdom
1. What do we know about Solomon and wisdom?
- When he ascended the throne of David, Solomon prayed for
wisdom to judge the people of God.
- God, pleased with his request, promised, "Behold, I have
done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise
and an understanding heart; so that there hath been none
like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise
like unto thee." I Kings 3:12.
- Queen of Sheba visited Solomon to see if all she had
heard about his wisdom was true. She was amazed that "the
half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceed the
fame which I heard." I Kings 10:7.
- Extent of Solomon's wisdom.
- "as the sand that is on the seashore," which "excelled
the wisdom of all the children of the east, and all the
wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men." I Kings
4:29-31.
- No wonder that "all the earth sought the presence of
Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his
heart." I Kings 10:24.
- Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 -- I the Preacher was king over
Israel in Jerusalem. And I gave my heart to seek and search
out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under
heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man
to be exercised therewith. I have seen all the works that
are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and
vexation of spirit.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that
which is wanting cannot be numbered. I communed with mine
own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have
gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me
in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom
and knowledge. And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to
know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is
vexation of spirit. For in much wisdom is much grief: and
he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
2. If Solomon was the wisest and most intelligent man in
history, we could be assured that he knew the hopes and
fears, dreams and disappointments, triumphs and failures of
humanity. With this knowledge he would know the key to
being happy. But why wasn't he happy?
- As he considers his experience of seeking happiness
through wisdom, he realizes it can't come through wisdom
alone. After all, death comes to everyone, the wise and the
foolish alike.
- This leads him to conclude in 2:14-16 -- "I myself
perceived also that one event happeneth to them all. 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? The I
said in my heart, that this also is vanity. For there is no
remembrance of the wise more than of the fool forever;
seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be
forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool?
- Perhaps in his pursuit and knowledge he became like those
Paul spoke of in Romans 1:21,22 -- "knowing God, they
glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became
vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was
darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became
fools."
- Knowledge is useful only as it contributes to a
productive life of service and to the glory of God, the
source of all knowledge.
3. How does the discussion of Solomon's wisdom compare with
the discussion of wisdom in James 3:13-18?
- James 3:13-18 -- "Who is a wise man and endued with
knowledge among you? Let him shew out of a good
conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye
have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not,
and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not
from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where
envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil
work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then
peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy
and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
4
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them
that make peace. "
- What two types of wisdom does this passage compare?
- Earthly wisdom (3:15)
- Wisdom from above (3:15)
4. How can we recognize earthly wisdom?
- Does not come down from above. Meaning what? Comes only
by human experience and learning.
- Earthly. Origin is on the earth, limited to earthly
values.
- Sensual. Meaning? Same word used in I Cor 2:14 --
Translated "natural" or "unspiritual."
- This describes someone who does not understand spiritual
things. This describes a natural type of wisdom derived
entirely from unspiritual considerations.
- Devilish (3:15) Meaning?
- Said to literally mean demon-like. Shrewd and cunning as
an evil spirit can be.
- Creates jealousy, faction, confusion and every vile deed
(3:16)
5. How can we recognize wisdom from above?
- Why is it said to be from above?
- Source is heaven or partakes of the nature of heaven.
- What are its positive qualities?
- Pure (3:17). Does not seek its own advantage or have
ulterior motives.
- Peaceable 3:17. Unlike earthly wisdom, does not create
confusion. Tendency is to bring about right relationships
of God to man, and man to man.
- Gentle (3:17). Kind, forbearing, making allowances and
reasonable.
- Easy to be entreated (3:17). Not stubborn, dogmatic,
difficult to reason with. Willing to listen, reachable.
- Full of mercy and good fruits (3:17). Compassionate in
attitude, shows the good fruit of practical help to others.
- What are its negative qualities?
- Without variance (3:17). Undivided, unwavering, not
changeable. Not indecisive, changing all the time.
- Without hypocrisy (3:17). Honest and without pretense.
Man of real wisdom won't be insincere.
- What application does verse 18 have to this lesson?
- Fruit of righteousness refers back to the good fruits of
verse 17, or the life of the Christian.
- We should sow in peace (3:18). We reflect our wisdom by
the way we teach and live.
6. What may we conclude?
- A Christian reveals what kind of wisdom motivates him by
the way he lives and teaches.
- We can recognize earthly wisdom as earthbound because of
its wrong values and the discord it produces.
- Wisdom from above produces only good things, motivates
Christian to live and teach in peace.
- Wisdom in which Solomon failed to find happiness or
meaning eventually drifted from being rooted in the fear of
the Lord. Instead, it apparently became earthly in its
focus.
7. How does the wisdom described in Ecclesiastes contrast
with the wisdom outlined in Proverbs?
Proverbs 1:2-7 -- "To know wisdom and instruction; to
perceive the words of understanding; To receive the
instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge
and discretion. A wise man will hear, and will increase
learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise
counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation;
the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. The fear of
the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise
wisdom and instruction."
- Knowledge in verse seven involves a much richer and
deeper meaning than the English word assigns to it. Denotes
a knowledge of God, including total commitment to Him.
- Hosea 4:6 -- God rejected the people due to their lack of
knowledge.
- Psalm 111:10 -- "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his
commandments: his praise endureth forever."
- Proverbs 3:5-7 -- "Trust in the Lord with all thine
heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all
thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be
not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from
evil.
- Proverbs begins and Ecclesiastes ends with advice on how
to read what these books contain:
- Those who study the "words of the wise" should begin with
the fear of the Lord (1:7) and end with the keeping of
God's commandments (Eccl 12:13).
- "Words of the wise" occurs only four times in the Hebrew
Bible, and all four occurrences are in Proverbs and
Ecclesiastes.
- Object of the book of Proverbs is to instruct the
inexperienced (1:4) in the way of wisdom and to further
instruct the mature (1:5).
- How to become wise and not be foolish.
- Course in applied religion. To be wise, one must develop
positive attitudes of patience, generosity, modesty,
trustworthiness, benevolence to poor, etc. Also avoid
pitfalls such as laziness, drunkenness, loose women.
- Book reaffirms God's complete plan and purpose in
everyday life.
8. What does the fear of the Lord have to do with wisdom?
- It's the beginning of wisdom.
- Means reverence or respect for God. Practical attitude of
human behavior that entails obedience and avoidance of
evil.
- What will the fear of the Lord lead to?
- Working righteousness. Acts 10:34-35 -- Truly I perceive
that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone
who fears him and worketh righteousness is acceptable to
him."
- Controlling motive in his life leads individual to
lifestyle of awareness of God's presence. Influences our
disposition and attitude toward God and man.
- Keeping God's commandments. Ecclesiastes 12:13 -- The end
of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his
commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.
- Reverence for God, resulting in love for the heavenly
Father, leads one to keep God's commandments.
- Serving God. Joshua 24:14 -- "Now therefore fear the
Lord, and serve Him in sincerity and in faithfulness."
- Joshua was calling on Israel to rely completely on the
promises given them by God in this covenant.
- In our age, fear of the Lord will cause us, in a free and
moral way, to serve the Lord and Him alone.
- Departing from evil. Job 1:8 -- "There is none like him
on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God
and turns away from evil."
9. Can Christians obtain wisdom?
- Romans 15:14 -- And I myself also am persuaded of you, my
brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with
all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
- I Cor 10:15 -- I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I
say.
- Ephesians 5:8 -- For ye were sometime darkness, but now
are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.
- I Thess 5:5 -- Ye are all the children of light, and the
children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of
darkness.
- Hebrews 5:14 -- But strong meat belongeth to them that
are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their
senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
- II Peter 1:12 -- Wherefore I will not be negligent to put
you always in remembrance of these things,though ye know
them, and be established in the present truth.
- I John 2:21 -- I have not written unto you because ye
know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie
is of the truth.
10. How can Christians obtain wisdom?
- Studying God's word.
- Ephesians 5:15-17 -- "See then that ye walk
circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the
time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not
unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
- Through prayer.
- 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.
Conclusion:
- Prov 9:10 -- "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
wisdom; and the knowledge of the holy is understanding."
- If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, it
follows that those who do not fear the Lord cannot be wise.
- Proverbs 2:10-12 -- "When wisdom entereth into thine
heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion
shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: To
deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man
that speaketh froward things. . ."
- Isaiah 33:6 -- And wisdom and knowledge shall be the
stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear
of the Lord is his treasure.
- Knowledge or wisdom are useful only as they contribute to
a productive life of service and to the glory of God.
- Solomon's wisdom became flawed because he seemed to
forget his admonition in Proverbs that the fear of the Lord
is the beginning of wisdom.
- When God is left out of our lives, there are gaping holes
and huge problems. The alarming thing is that, like
Solomon, we can forget God and become immersed in the
vanity of life.
- Wisdom not tempered with respect and love for God is not
wisdom at all, but is a characteristic of worldliness. This
trait that Solomon sought so diligently, and prized so
highly, became disappointing.
- God gave Solomon wisdom and unparalleled opportunity to
observe and to explore every avenue of earthly life. And,
after much research and experiment, Solomon concluded that,
on the whole, humanity found little solid happiness in
life.
- Because of Christ, the vanity of life disappears for
those who know and serve Him. Life is no longer vanity, but
joy, peace, and gladness. If we fear and respect our Father
and His Son, we can have true wisdom and full, abundant and
joyous life and hope.