This morning, I want to go through a study.
We're going to jump all over it. Crazy ass, these back and forth.
But hopefully at the end, we kind of bring the book of
Ecclesiastes into focus and I believe it's a very interesting
book, it's really kind of fun to read.
It's it's we've just kind of gone through that with our daily
reading thought, too awful long ago and and I thought I'd pull a
lesson from the archives and and teach on Ecclesiastes, basically
life Under the Sun is what we're going to Notice this morning,
the Book of Ecclesiastes is kind of considered maybe one of the
saddest books because it doesn't, if you just carded kind
of start reading and you focus on the negative things that kind
of brings a lot of sadness to to a person's hard.
But I believe it's easily understood and, and helps us in
our daily Christian Living. The writer seems to speak of
people who teach that materialism.
Is a good thing in life and that man is mortal and will not
exist. Course, after this Earthly life
is over and and to that the motive in life is to gratify
ourselves and and get everything we can out of life.
Because when life is over, were just it's done.
That's all there is to it, it'll end in death but Ecclesiastes
certainly is not a book that we should ignore.
In the materialistic society that we live.
I think it's a good thing to understand the meaning of what
is written in this book and And and the message of course that
the preacher has to say here also with our youth oriented
society that we live in because now in a person's youth, they
are told to just enjoy life and live it up and live for the
moment and feels good, do it and all those kinds of things.
And I believe that it also talks about a person that's older in
life, as well as those that are younger in life and how to focus
on certain things. so, In our introduction to Ecclesiastes in
the Hebrew Bible. The Burke book is called
Coca-Cola. Which means the words of the
preacher. The term suggests one who
gathers people to gather and speaks to an assembly, an
ecclesiastic or a preacher. The translators of the
Septuagint version. Call it Ecclesiastes with AK
instead of a sea Which also means preacher and is derived
from the word, Ecclesia. The author, many believed to be
Solomon when the rider speaks and talks about all the things
that he's done and all the wealth that he's had in the
wisdom and everything like that. It's picture of what we read
about Solomon. What he did there are some that
say, no, it can't be solemn. It's one of David's descendants
and things like that, but for the present time, we will stick
with Solomon or just basically calling the writer if you want
to say. But he's talking about the words
of the preacher. So the author now, ABS the
searches for the meaning in life, and Ecclesiastes, 1 and
13. And I set my heart to seek and
search out by wisdom, concerning all that is done under Heaven.
This burdensome task God has given to the sons of men by
which they may be exercised. So now the author talks about
this search, And using, and is seeking for, for what there is
in life. And the meaning of life, if you
want to say, the purpose of the book is to make the reader stop
and think about their responsibility to God and living
a higher and Holier life while here in this life on Earth
getting ready for the life beyond the grave.
In other words to the Christian, we understand that there's more
than just this life And the writer is talking about and and,
and, and reflecting on the life that he's lived and trying to
reason out will, if all this is for nothing, then what is their
life? If that's the question.
So Solomon search pertains to life Under the Sun living in
this world. In other words, this phrase life
under the sun Excuse me. Get ahead of myself here.
This phrase life Under the Sun is use 29 times in 27 verses.
So Solomon is looking for, looking at life, from Mostly a
worldly point of view and he says here in first, the first
chapter verse 3, what prophet has a man from all his labor in
which he toils under the sun, So, we work.
We go to work every day. We do everything.
We're supposed to do, and we provide for our families and we
work ourselves crazy and What profit is it for all this toil
and all this hard work under the sun?
So in verse 2, he says, vanity of vanities says the preacher
vanities of vanities all is Vanity.
Now, I'd we just watched the introduction to Ecclesiastes and
I got this last little bit here from that video.
That was posted on the church's Facebook page, and it comes from
the Hebrew word heavily, heavily all is heavily.
No, most English Bibles translate heavily as
meaningless. And is used 38 times in
Ecclesiastes, but it has a deeper meaning that in the
Hebrew, it is translated as Vapor or smoke, and is referring
to something that is temporary and fleeting like a wisp of
smoke. Also, how life is an enigma or a
paradox, like smoke it appears solid, sometimes we can't even
see through it. It's very thick, but if you
grasp at it, there's nothing there.
You can't grab a Of smoke. You can't grab ahold of wind
because there's nothing there. Even though we can see it.
Even though it's something that looks solid, we can grasp at it
and nothing is there. It's futile, it's useless,
meaningless emptiness, figuratively, something
transitory and unsatisfactory unsatisfying since the things of
this world are going to pass away with it.
They are temporary. Of course, this vanity is
referring to life Under the Sun. Notice the 14th.
Verse of chapter one, I have seen all the works that are done
under the sun. And indeed, all is Vanity and
grasping for the wind All the effort one makes in life as far
as this Earthly life is concerned as like a grasping of
the wind or a vexation of spirit of Praise which occurs seven
times and maybe otherwise translated feeding on wind.
Modern Hebrew grammar, grammar translates the word rendered to
fixation a constant, but unsatisfied seeking after
something. The urge for man, always wanting
to go further after knowledge and Earthly things we've seen
people that are driven that are driven after just the things of
this world and they just won't let anything stop them and
that's what he's talking about because they're never satisfied,
the things of this Earth do not satisfy us.
For what we really strive for in life and that is the things that
are higher and Holier in life instead of the things of
temporary. Use on this Earth.
Striving after wind or windy effort chasing the wind, the
preachers message seems to be very negative about life.
The major theme is the vanity of Life vanities use 35 times in
twenty nine verses So keeping all this in mind a chasing after
the wind and the meaninglessness things that we do in life.
Keep that all in mind as we go through this study of
Ecclesiastes. So in verse 3 he says what
prophet hath man of all his labor Strong's says, a defines
that as preeminence or gain, or, in other words, what gain is
there from all of our life here on Earth?
Now, this doesn't mean and all of our hard work here on Earth.
doesn't mean that we all just go out and quit our job because
it's meaningless, That isn't what it means.
But in other words, if we're working after worldly things,
and that's our Focus. And it's vanity.
Then what's the purpose of doing?
All that, what's the purpose of putting importance on those
things? What's the game?
The things of this Earth will come to an end when the earth is
destroyed According to second Peter 2 and verse 10.
Nothing a man Labor's for will be left afterwards.
So no man can get anything more out of life and what he puts
into it. This means that if a man lives
for fleshly things, temporal things only he will have nothing
left at the end because all that will be destroyed.
But the preacher uses such words as joy and rejoice and enjoyment
and joyfully. In his description of things
throughout Ecclesiastes. So there's got to be something
that's good. In fact, the Book of
Ecclesiastes provides us Counsel on how to get the most out of
life to find joy in a life that is filled with vanity or
meaninglessness. If all this is meaningless on
this Earth than where can we find joy?
If its of no value then why are we doing all this?
Notice the second chapter verses 22 through 24 for what has a man
for all his labor and for the striving of his heart with which
he has toiled Under the Sun, for all his days are sorrowful, and
his work burdensome even in the night.
His heart takes no rest. This also is Vanity.
Nothing is better for a man that he should eat and drink.
And that his soul should Rejoice should enjoy good in his labor.
This also, I saw was from the hand of God.
So there's something that is joyful in life.
And we're going to notice more about that to find joy.
We must first face the reality of the vanity of life though.
There's vanity and pleasure Ecclesiastes, 2 and 10.
I said in my heart, come now, I will test you with mirth.
Therefore, enjoy pleasure, but surely this also is Vanity.
There's vanity an Earthly labor Ecclesiastes to an 11, then I
looked on all the work that my hands had done and on the labor,
in which I had toiled. And indeed, all was vanity.
And grasping for the win, there was no profit Under the Sun,
notice for chapter 4 and verse 4.
Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work of man
and envied by his neighbor. This also is Vanity and grasping
for the wind their vanity and human wisdom, Ecclesiastes, 2
and verse 15. I said in my heart as it happens
to the fool, it also happens to me.
And why was I then more wise than I said in my heart.
This also is Vanity. There's vanity and all life
please. Yes, he's 2 and 17.
Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the
sun was distressing to me for all is Vanity and grasping for
the wind. Vanity is.
Leaving leaving an inheritance that second chapter verses 18
through 21. Then I hated all my labor in
which I had toiled under the sun because I must leave it to the
man who will come after me and who knows, whether he will be
wise or a fool yet, he will rule over all my labor and which I
have toiled and in which I have have shown myself.
Why is Under the Sun? This also is Vanity.
I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor wouldn't which
I had toiled Under the Sun. For there is a man whose labor
is with wisdom knowledge and skill that he must leave his
Heritage to a man who has not labored for it.
This also is Vanity and a great evil.
We work hard. And when we die, all of our
labor and all of our assets go on to someone else.
So he says it's meaningless and he talks about the preachers
observations of life that he has lived.
He says, In chapter 3 verses 19 through 21 for what happens to
the sons of men. Also happens to animals one
thing before all's them as one dies.
So dies, the other surely they all have one breath, man.
All has no advantage over animals.
For all is Vanity, all go to one place, all are from the dust and
all return to dust. Who knows?
The spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward in the spirit
of the animal, which goes down. To the Earth, he talks about his
observations of the vanity of crier, acquiring riches over
family. And Chapter 4, verses 7 through
8, then I returned. And I saw vanity Under the Sun,
there is one alone without companion, he has neither Sun
nor brother. Yet there is no end to all his
Labor's nor is his. I satisfied with riches but he
never asked for whom. Do I Toil and deprive myself?
Of good. This also is Vanity and a grave
misfortune. The vanity of loving, abundance,
fifth chapter and verse 10. He who loves silver will not be
satisfied with silver. Nor he who loves abundance with
increase. This also is Vanity.
The vanity of wealth. Ecclesiastes, 6 and 2.
A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor so
that he lacks nothing for himself of all.
He desires yet, God does not give him power to eat of it for
a foreigner consumes it as his vanity and is an evil
Affliction, the vanity of foolish laughter 7:6 for like
the crackling of thorns under a pot.
So is the laughter of the fool. This also is Vanity.
The vanity of Injustice in this life, life is not fair.
Notice 18:14. There is a vanity, which occurs
on Earth that there are just men to whom it happens.
According to the work of the wicked again, there are wicked
men to whom it happens. According to the work of the
righteous, I said that this also is Vanity.
Chapter 9, verses 1 through 3 4. I considered all that is in my
heart so that I could not so that I could declare it all that
the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of
God. People know neither love nor
hatred by anything they see before them.
All things come alike to all one event happens to the righteous,
and the wicked to the good, to the clean, and the unclean to
him, who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice.
As is the good. So is the sinner.
There, he who takes an oath as he who fears an oath.
This is an evil in all that is done under the sun.
That one thing happens to all truly, the hearts of the sons of
men are full of evil Madness, is in their hearts while they live.
And after that, that they go to the Dead.
See, life is not fair, think good things happen to good
people and they happen to bad people.
Bad things happen to good people and they happen to bad.
People talks about the vanity of childhood and youth, therefore
removed sorrow from your heart and put away evil from your
flesh for childhood and youth are vanity.
In other words, there's a time to grow up.
And there's a time to be a child, and some people have a
problem with growing up. But it's in vanity.
So he says he talks about this conclusion, the preachers
conclusion and that stated in verse 1 of chapter 1 and verse
2. Vanity of vanities, says the
preacher vanity of vanities. All is Vanity, that's what the
start was. Now he goes to verse 14, I have
seen all the works that are done under the sun and behold all is
Vanity and vexation of spirit or grasping for the wind.
Many have come to the same conclusion and followed maybe
into depression, or worried about all the things that go on
in this world, worry about and worry and worry and worry about
everything that goes on in this world.
But the preacher wanted us to learn and know how to find joy
in this life. And you can have joy in your
life in this life. Even with all the things that
are going on around us, we can find joy.
Even though. This world may be so depressing
and meaningless. So, let's notice a little bit
about the joy in life. I get ahead of myself yet.
The preachers experience of Joy. He talks here, he says whatever
my eyes desired. I did not keep from them.
I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure for my heart
rejoiced in all my labor and this was my reward for all my
labor. Nothing wrong with that.
Nah, nothing wrong with being satisfied and having joy in your
hard work. Reward of his labor, was a joy
in doing it. I know that that many of us
don't find joy and in hard work and and getting sore and getting
hot and getting sweaty and and having blisters on your hands
or, or whatever it may be, Sometimes, you know, when we
were kids and our parents told us to go mow the lawn, or to
stack the wood or bring in the wood or chop, the wood or roof
the house, or paint the house or whatever it was, you know, we
had to get several beatings in the meantime to be able to get
those things accomplished. We didn't have fun doing that
but you know as we grow up and we go on and we get a, we get a
job and we get a vocation We can stand back and we can look at
our work and we can find joy in that we can find satisfaction in
that. So he says, in this was my
reward from all my labor. The preachers observations.
About joy and other words he says nothing is better than
enjoying simple things. And what we do The ability to
enjoy what you have and what you do comes from God.
Nothing is better for a man than that, he should eat and drink
and his soul should enjoy good in his labor.
This also I saw was from the hand of God. for who can eat or
who can have enjoyment more than I God, gives wisdom and
knowledge and Joy says for God. And in the second chapter verse
26, for God, gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who
is good in his sight. But to The Sinner, he gives the
work of gathering and collecting that he may give to him who is
good before God, this also is Vanity and grasping for the wind
man should rejoice and do good. All soaked, lazy ass 23 and
verse 12. I know that nothing is better
than for them than to rejoice and due to do.
Good in their lives. We can find joy in doing good
for others. And for God as well, every man
should enjoy the good of their labor because it is the gift of
God, chapter 3 and verse 13. And also that every man should
eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor.
It is the gift of God. The gift of God.
This is the enjoyment of the simple.
Good things in life. Like friendships.
Like a good meal. Like family.
Like a good day. Fishing.
A good day hunting. Good day, playing golf or just
enjoying the scenery and the sunny day and life out maybe in
nature camping, or whatever it may be.
The simple things of life, it doesn't take money to enjoy
God's creation and what God has provided for us.
This is a gift from God. So he goes on to talk in chapter
3 and verse 22. So I perceive that nothing is
better than that. A man should in rejoice in his
own words. For that is his Heritage for who
can bring him to see what will happen after him.
Again, this is one's Heritage and it's the gift of God.
Notice chapter 5 verses 18 through 20.
Here's what I've seen, it is good and fitting for one to eat
and drink and do. Joy, the good of all his labor
in which he toils under the sun. All the days of his life which
God gives him for. It is his Heritage, as for every
man to whom God has given riches and wealth and given him power
to eat of it to receive his Heritage and rejoice in his
labor. This is the gift of God for he
will not dwell. Unduly in the days of his life
because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.
For he shall, he shall not much remember the days of his life,
because God, answereth him and the joy of his heart. even
though, we go through struggles and hard times, we seem to not
remember all those hard times and sadness and difficulties
because of the joy, what we give from sitting back and just
enjoying the simple things of life and rejoicing in the work
of our labor. so, in the day of prosperity, Rejoice.
And in the day of adversity, we stopped.
And we think on God, Notice 7:14 in the day of prosperity would
be joyful but the day of adversity, consider.
Surely God has appointed one, the one, as well as the other so
that man can find out nothing that will come after him.
We take the good and the bad. We should stop and think about
the cause and learn from problems that we've had in
mistakes that we made. Certainly we consider those.
And some of those we created by ourselves for ourselves.
We've made bad choices in life and we pay the cost and we pay
the price for those things and they are joyful.
So we stopped and we think about those things and we pray to God
and we think about Godly things. The one thing is though that we
will not get to keep our possessions after this life.
So he recommends enjoyment of the fruit of one's labor. 8:15.
So I commend enjoyment because a man has nothing better Under the
Sun than to eat drink and be merry for this will remain with
him in his labor, all the days of his life which God gives him
under the sun. Now, that doesn't mean that we
just quit our jobs and we go out and we sit on a Mountaintop and
we just sit there and we don't do anything about that because
we're enjoying God's creation and we don't have any
responsibilities. No, that is not what he's
saying. He's saying, enjoy the fruit of
your labor, enjoy life. It is, as it is given to you,
don't spend all your time and all of your talent and
Everything on gaining things in this world.
So, the preachers conclusion. First, accept that life is not
always fair and we are not in control.
Good things happen to good people, as well as bad people
and bad things. Happen to good people, as well
as bad people, when we actually put our trust in God, we will
learn to accept life the way it is.
And not the way that we think it ought to be.
We all see how other people live their lives and we think that's
the way my life needs to be. That's the way my life ought to
be. No, accept it for what it is,
and go on worry worrying about things that are meaningless and
putting so much importance on them, is a waste of our time and
our energy. Doesn't God doesn't care whether
we're rich or poor, he doesn't care about our status in life.
That doesn't concern him what he concerns, what concerns him and
he's cares about is our service to him.
So he says eat drink and be merry.
He says express your joy and how you live.
He says live joyfully with your wife whom you love.
Enjoy your youth. But remember, you will be
accountable. In Ecclesiastes. 11 verses 9 to
9 through 10 Rejoice, O man in your Youth and let your heart
cheer you in the days of your youth, walk in the ways of your
heart and in the sight of your eyes.
But know, that, for all these, God will bring you into
judgment. Therefore, remove sorrow from
your heart and put away evil from your flesh for childhood
and youth or vanity. It goes on to say, remember your
creator in the days of your youth.
Before the difficult days come and the years draw near when you
say, I have no pleasure in them. so, when you're young, We have
high hopes of everything that we want to accomplish in that we
will be in life. But the life without God is a
life that is void of satisfaction.
There's no pleasure in that life.
True. Pleasure in that life.
There's no satisfaction to the soul, so don't be deceived by
the meaningless things and don't focus on those things that are
of no value. Remember your creator while
you're young? The person that doesn't remember
their creator will make it to the end of the latter part of
their life. They look back on the younger
years. And they look at their life and
they say I had no pleasure, no true pleasure because I didn't
remember my Creator in the days of my youth. as their life's are
coming to an end, if not living a life for God, when that time
comes, The things of life will be of less interest.
You know, when I see older folks, they they have pleasure
in their life because they're looking for something that is
much better than this life. And that's where we get our joy.
They'll have joy in their declining years.
But now this is the conclusion to everything.
The preacher has mentioned in this book.
He says in the 12th chapter and verses 13 through 14.
Let us hear the conclusion to the whole matter, fear God, and
keep his Commandments. For this is man's all or in the
King James version says, this is the duty of man, the whole duty
of, man, A life of living for God will not be meaningless or
like chasing after the wind. This is your whole meaning in
life. This is the conclusion to
everything that the preacher has analyzed and he's looked at his
life and all the labor and all this, but he's done through life
and where had they find Joy? He found joy in God's creation.
He found joy in his hard work and he found joy in the fact of
serving God and keeping him first and obeying his
Commandments. That's where he found.
True Joy. The things of this life, bring
temporary Joy temporary but the things of God bring lasting Joy.
That will last forever. So this is all that counts.
This is all that has any value. This is it.
To serve God, fear God and keep his Commandments.
Then he goes on to say, in verse 14, for God will bring every
work into judgment including every secret secret thing,
whether good or evil. So even though life isn't fair,
even though we think we may got a bad deal even though things
didn't work out for us, the way that we wanted them to Even
though we come up against all kinds of problems in life and
all kinds of hurdles and all kinds of obstructions and people
don't treat us, right? And people don't treat us Fair.
Sometimes we seem like there's no reward for our hard work here
on this Earth and everything that we've done that all of it's
just been for nothing. God will bring every work into
judgment. Do make it fair one of these
days. Absolutely.
For our your life of Living and obeying his Commandments, he
will make it fair for those that decide.
They don't want to live a life of serving God, he will make it
fair, he will bring every work into judgment.
Whether good or evil. So life Under the Sun is Vanity.
There's no meaning to strive for only Earthly things without God.
There is no real meaning in life without God you will not be able
to truly enjoy your time on Earth because you all you're
striving for is Eve Earthly things that have no value life.
Under the Sun, can be filled with joy, though.
Experiencing the joyful, memories of Life, the memories
of family, the memories of loved ones.
The good times, the things that you've enjoyed in life.
With God, guide us in keeping our priorities, in life straight
and with God, to bless us with wisdom, and the ability to enjoy
what good there is in life, to find joy, in the vanity of life.
He says, remember your creator fear God, and keep his
Commandments. Today, that especially means for
us to obey Christ Our Savior and obey the gospel Plan of
Salvation and Obey God's Commandments, Mark 8 verses 34
through 37, when he had called the people to himself and his
disciples also he said to them whosoever desires to come after
me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me for
whosoever desires to save his life, will lose it, but
whosoever loses his life for my sake.
And the gospels will save it for.
What will it profit? A man, if he gains the whole
world and loses his own soul, Or what will a man give in exchange
for his soul? So if this world and all the
striving for things of this world is of no value as
meaningless as like grasping for the wind, And let's place our
importance on things that are meaningful in life.
And following Jesus. Ran across this quick poem that
might Chris will put out it somewhat kind of says a little
bit about it. How our priorities in life are
talk about the Working Farmer. He wasn't ready, Sunday morn,
the cows were lowing needed corn.
A lot of hanging night before done took its toil and made him
sore. So as he lay there in his bed
and random thought ran through his head, if he could miss a
little church, he'd be no longer in the Lurch.
There'd be more time for him to do the daily chores that made
him stew. And so with pillow under her
head he closed his eyes and hugged his bed with blanket,
soft and covers. I'm the church.
Could wait, no one would mourn. No need for him to rush to
prayer show up next week. No one will care hid toss a bit
more in the plate, an extra five would expedite.
Expiate his conscience, pure would praise.
The more today was his to snooze and snore.
And so it was down on the farm, the Lord's Day passed, without
alarm more weeks rolled around, like, pretty please and bent his
back, but not his knees. The day once his now his became
and dodging Church became his game but soon he felt the toils
of Life. His heart was fraught with awful
Strife to one dark night with great alarm.
He set things, straight down on the farm.
He went to bed ahead of time and woke up before the morning
chime, he milked the cows and slop the Hogs, he gathered eggs
and fed the dogs, he even found the time to pray a custom new to
start the day. Then by and by as And a pass, he
knew his faith was back at last and as he mused, it finally
came. So to the wind and reap life
Spain. so, the life of doing things, for our pleasure, doing
things that are comfortable doing things that please us Four
things here on this Earth. Have no value.
Serving God has value. Has joy and pleasure.
We enjoy the things God has left to us and the work of our hands
and our hard labor. We enjoy those things here on
Earth but that's all temporary and goes away, but serving God
is forever. And will bring true Joy.
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