30 Days with Solomon

  The book of Ecclesiastes is overflowing with wisdom.   It is also hard to understand.   Books like this can be read in one sitting, but they deserve to be considered carefully. For that reason, the book has been divided into 30 sections, one for each day.   If that pace doesn't suit you, you can read through Ecclesiastes at whatever speed you like.   But be sure to take time to ponder what it says.   Certain statements may be a bit hard to swallow.   They cut against our normal ways of thinking.   They challenge us.   Others are a bit mysterious.   We may ask, "What is he really getting at here?".   Of course, we have to interpret Ecclesiastes for the present day.   Solomon was writing to the young men in his kingdom.   That was the social structure of his era.   H is wisdom applies to everyone, young and old, male, and female.  But, a little translating might be needed.   When reading Ecclesiastes...

 It is not always easy to know how to interpret the Old Testament. We would like to take the things we have learned from Jesus, Paul, Peter, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and look for them in Ecclesiastes.  But in doing this, we must remember there is "progressive revelation" throughout the Bible. Although there is one unified whole, some truths in the New Testament were not fully revealed in the Old Testament.  Although they were intended to lead to Christ, prior generations were not completely aware of God's plan.  Old Testament saints lived by faith in what had been revealed, just as we do now.  They lived by the light they had received; our light is far brighter with the revelation of Jesus Christ.  (Jn 1:1-5) The Bible is God-breathed and divinely inspired (1 Tim 3:16).  All of it is profitable for spiritual growth.  Solomon’s books, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon have been in the "Megilloth" since the 6th century AD.  Along with Ru...

  Is there any meaning and purpose to be found in this life?  The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity .” What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun ? (Ec 1:1-3, NASB95)   In answer to this question, Solomon reminds us of the futility of our efforts "under the sun."   He claims, "all is vanity". These two phrases, "all is vanity" and "under the sun”, are used repeatedly.     That pretty much sums up his thesis. He systematically takes the most common pursuits of man and shows their emptiness.   And he speaks from experience.   He is no theoretical philosopher, but rather a man who has done it all.   He had it all, did it all, and declares all is meaningless.   The phrase "under the sun" is used 29 times throughout Ecclesiastes. So, what does he mean by this phrase? Another way to say it might be ...

  So, when Solomon repeats, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity" what does he mean?   What benefit do people get from all the effort which they expend on earth? A generation comes and a generation goes, but the earth remains the same through the ages. The sun rises and the sun sets; it hurries away to a place from which it rises again. The wind goes to the south and circles around to the north; round and round the wind goes and on its rounds it returns. All the streams flow into the sea, but the sea is not full, and to the place where the streams flow, there they will flow again. (Ecclesiastes 1:3-7)   He uses the example of nature to show that whatever effort people exert, nothing changes.   He concludes that nothing is ever truly new. Future generations will not remember what we have done.   This cuts deep.   Each of us, I believe, want to know that there was some lasting reason for our time on earth.   We want to know that we made a difference-...

  To understand Ecclesiastes more fully, we must first understand the various meanings of the word translated "vanity".  In the introduction to his book on Ecclesiastes, John MacArthur accurately points out that the term "vanity" is used in at least three ways throughout the book: "In each case, it looks at the nature of man's activity as fleeting , which has in view the vapor-like or transitory nature of life; futile , which focuses on the cursed condition of the universe and the debilitating effects it has on man's experience; or incomprehensible , which gives consideration to life's unanswerable questions." ( 1 Kings 1-11, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes , MacArthur Bible Studies, page xii) These meanings can be discerned by the context in which they are used.   For the passages on wisdom and understanding, incomprehensible is usually meant.   When dealing with life and death, fleeting seems to fit best. When searching for meaning, futile ...

For everything there is an appointed time, and an appropriate time for every activity on earth: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot what was planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. (Ec 3:1-4)   Solomon writes a poetic section about the passage of time (Ec 3:1-8). There is a proper time for everything.  Life is full of many wondrous experiences, and they each have their place.  The passage of time also reminds us of our mortality.  It lets us know how small we are in the grand scheme of things.  It humbles us.    God has made everything fit beautifully in its appropriate time, but he has also placed ignorance in the human heart so that people cannot discover what God has ordained, from the beginning to the end of their lives. (Ec 3:11)   Solomon sees the beauty in the bal...

I also know that whatever God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken away from it. God has made it this way, so that men will fear him. Whatever exists now has already been, and whatever will be has already been; for God will seek to do again what has occurred in the past. (Ec 3:14-15) Now Solomon takes us on a trip beyond the sun.   Up until this point we have remained under the sun, and we have been talking about mankind.   Now we consider God.   The contrast is striking.   With man, his efforts are futile, not so with God.   Man's efforts are easily swept away; God's works are eternal.   Man makes no lasting impact; God's sovereignty is supreme.   No-one can change God's will; we cannot add to it or take away from it.   When man compares himself to God, he sees his weakness and God's power- his futility and God's eternal plan.   Furthermore, God has created us.   We are weak because God has made us ...

  I saw something else on earth: In the place of justice, there was wickedness, and in the place of fairness, there was wickedness. I thought to myself, “God will judge both the righteous and the wicked; for there is an appropriate time for every activity, and there is a time of judgment for every deed. (Ec 3:16-17, NET Bible)   Solomon reigned over Israel from 970-931 BC, which means he sat as ultimate judge of the nation for almost 40 years.   This would certainly give him a unique vantage point on oppression.   The way the strong oppress the weak was one of the most striking illustrations for man's wickedness.   In this section Solomon laments man's inhumanity to his fellow man and the suffering this wickedness causes.   He gives several responses.   God will judge all men, the righteous and the wicked.   Although true justice cannot be found in this life, ultimately God brings final justice.   For the fate of humans and the fate ...

If Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes later in life to the young men in his kingdom it would explain why he develops the topic of work.  Most of their time and energies would be devoted to providing for their families.  Solomon had already indicated that the simple pleasures of life were available to the common man and that enjoying his work was foremost.  But in a fallen world, with human nature as it is, certain perspectives fight against this.  Solomon now lists several attitudes which should be considered: competition, balance, greed, and recognition. In our day they would apply to both men and women. Competition   Then I considered all the skillful work that is done: Surely it is nothing more than competition between one person and another. This also is profitless—like chasing the wind. (Ec 4:4)   This phrase "chasing after the wind" is used nine times in the book of Ecclesiastes.   It denotes a quest that brings no fulfillment.   With all...