ECCLESIASTES

Introduction (1)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     The book of Ecclesiastes is the 21^st book of the Bible.

 

B.      It falls into a section some call “Wisdom Literature.”  Others refer to it as one of the “Books of Poetry.”

 

C.     There are several verses of Ecclesiastes that are very familiar to many.

1.       “…and there is no new thing under the sun” (Eccl. 1:9).

2.       “…all is vanity and vexation of spirit” (Eccl. 1:14).

3.       “To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven” (Eccl. 3:1).

4.       “…a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Eccl. 4:12).

5.       “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil” (Eccl. 8:11).

6.       “Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savor…” (Eccl. 10:1).

7.       “He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it…” (Eccl. 10:8).

8.       “Cast thy bread upon the waters:  for thou shalt find it after many days” (Eccl. 11:1).

9.       “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth…” (Eccl. 12:1).

10.   “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:  Fear God, and keep his commandments:  for this is the whole duty of man” (Eccl. 12:13).

 

D.     Yet, as a book, very few individuals have ever studied it.  As we make our way through it, we will find many of the words to be very applicable to how many people feel about life in this world, including Christians.

1.       The inspired writer has the ability to show us two sides of a coin.

2.       In his book, Against the Grain, Ray Waddle, writes:  “Ecclesiastes is the oddest book in the Bible, perhaps the strangest sacred writing in the history of religion.  Its spirit defies the rest of scripture.  It has a skeptical bent.  At times it is recklessly harsh and despairing” (15).  On the same page, he also writes:  “Yet Ecclesiastes’ message is not a meltdown of pessimism.  He refuses to drain the earth of spiritual consequence.  He believes God exists.  God is sovereign, in control.  Wisdom and common sense both urge one human response:  reverence.  We should feel awe for this Creator” (15).

 

E.      In our lesson this morning, we are going to briefly introduce this book.

 

I.                    THE AUTHOR

 

A.     The very first verse reveals the author of the book (Eccl. 1:1).

 

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

 

1.       NOTE:  The author does not expressly state his name.

2.       However, if we take the author at his word, our minds are immediately drawn to Solomon. 

a.       Solomon was the son of David by Bathsheba (2 Sam. 12:24).

b.      Solomon was the only son of David who was “king in Jerusalem” (1 Kings 1:38-40).

 

B.      There are other indications within the book that point to Solomon’s being the author.

1.       His wisdom (Eccl. 1:16)

 

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.

 

2.       The author was a builder (Eccl. 2:4-6).

 

I made me great works; I builded me houses…

 

3.       A man of great wealth (Eccl. 2:7-8)

 

…also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:  I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings of the provinces…

 

4.       He mentioned Jerusalem 5 times (Eccl. 1:1, 12, 16, 2:7, 9).

 

C.     Just be aware that there are many individuals who do not believe Solomon is the author of this book. 

1.       They believe it was written much later than Solomon by a nobleman among the Jews of his day. 

2.       He causes us to lean toward Solomon in order to give his writing authority.

3.       “And for more than a hundred years now, the main centers of biblical scholarship have rejected the ancient notion that Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes.  They say the book was probably written many centuries later, perhaps no earlier than 250 BCE, by an unnamed Jewish philosopher or by his students after his death, reconstructing their notes from his open-air lectures” (Waddle, 21).

 

II.                 DATE

 

A.     The date of a book always coincides with the author of the book.

 

B.      Solomon reigned in Jerusalem for forty years from 970 B.C. to 930 B.C.

1.       It was a time of great peace in Israel.

2.       Too, it was a time of extreme prosperity.

3.       In addition, Solomon was able to strengthen his forces and accumulated great power.

 

III.              RECIPIENTS

 

A.     Solomon does not set forth a specific recipient in the book (See Luke 1:4).

 

B.      It appears to be a thesis done by Solomon for the benefit of all mankind.

1.       The word “man” is found 60 times in 52 verses (See Eccl. 1:3-4).

 

What profit hath a man of all his labor which he taketh under the sun.  One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh:  but the earth abideth forever.

 

2.       Solomon uses himself as a test case for all men upon the earth (See Eccl. 1:12-2:26).

3.       His conclusion is definitely one addressed to every human being (Eccl. 12:13-14).  In it, he notes the whole duty of man.

 

IV.              THE OCCASION

 

A.     Solomon has been granted great wisdom by God (1 Kings 3:12).

 

B.      Solomon was also granted great wealth (1 Kings 3:13).

 

C.     Solomon’s kingdom was a kingdom of peace.

 

D.     Thus, Solomon had time to do something that others had never had the privilege to do.  He had the time to contemplate and to experiment.

 

E.      The question that he helps to answer is a universal one:  “Why am I here?”

1.       What is man’s purpose for being on the earth?

a.       To enjoy pleasure?

b.      To work with his hands:

c.       To accumulate wealth?

d.      To amass all of the human wisdom he can?

2.       These are the things Solomon had the time to investigate.

a.       “And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under the sun…” (Eccl. 1:13).

b.      “I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure…” (Eccl. 2:1).

c.       “I made me great works…” (Eccl. 2:4).

d.      “And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy…” (Eccl. 2:10).

 

F.      NOTE:  There are a lot of people who do not really understand why they have been created and put on this earth.  They are seeking the very things that Solomon sought long ago.

 

V.                 THE THEME

 

A.     If we look at a word that is found often in the book, we will conclude that the theme of Ecclesiastes is:  “All is vanity.”

1.       The word “vanity” is found 33 times in 28 verses in the book.

2.       The book begins with the idea that “all is vanity” (Eccl. 1:2).

 

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity.

 

a.       Strong (1892):  emptiness, vanity, transitory and unsatisfactory

b.      BDB:  vapor, breath, vanity

 

B.      There is one thing in particular that makes all that men do here appear to be vanity, that is, die.

1.       Regardless of what we do on this earth, we will eventually go to the grave.

a.       Ecclesiastes 1:4

b.      Ecclesiastes 2:16

c.       Ecclesiastes 3:2

d.      Ecclesiastes 3:19-20

e.       Ecclesiastes 5:15-16

f.        Ecclesiastes 9:3

g.      Ecclesiastes 12:7

2.       In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve violated the command of God in the Garden of Eden. 

a.       There were severe consequences for their actions (Gen. 3:16-19).

b.      What if God allowed man to continue to live on the earth, but had not intervened on his behalf spiritually?

c.       The result is what is found in the book of Ecclesiastes.

1)      Man would labor and toil.

2)      Man would seek to be satisfied with all kinds of things on the earth.

3)      Then, man would just die.

4)      A life like that is really vain, that is, empty.  There is no satisfaction in it at all.

5)      Just to think about it causes us to have “vexation of spirit.”

 

C.     However, the book does not end with a message of despair.  It ends very positive and upbeat.  It reveals to man exactly what he needs to focus on while on the earth (Eccl. 12:13).

 

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:  Fear God, and keep his commandments:  for this is the whole duty of man.

 

D.     Theme:  A relationship with God fills an otherwise empty life with purpose.

 

VI.              KEY VERSES

 

A.     Without a spiritual purpose, life is vain (Eccl. 1:2).

 

B.      With God, man has a purpose (Eccl. 12:13).

 

C.     NOTE:  These two verses are two-sides of the same coin.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     Ecclesiastes has 12 chapters and 221 verses.

 

B.      In the weeks to come, we will be gleaning the wisdom left to us by the wisest man who ever walked the earth other than Jesus Christ.