Griffin & Phoenix. My name is Mary and I'm from Greenville, Mississippi But this is where I live...

EcclesiastesBET YOU NEVER

HEARD THIS ONE

IN SUNDAY SCHOOL

Griffin & Phoenix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm-7rJKTiGY

GODGOD

WouldGod fitin my circle of friends ?

Would God be any funas a friend?

Is it rightto ask suchquestions ?

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” ― A.W. Tozer

Various Views• Bruce Waltke “Ecclesiastes is the most misunderstood book in the entire Bible.”• Old Scofield Reference Bible Conclusions and reasonings of a man--not truth from God.

Accurately recorded error . . . like Satan's lies in Gen 3

Various Views• But...• Solomon is the author, 1:1, “Son of David”, many parallels between the “author” of this book and the way Solomon is described elsewhere in 1 Kings ($$, wisdom, servants, building projects)• The conclusion of the book says: these are “delightful words” and “words of truth” (12:10); they are like “well driven nails, given by One Shepherd” (12:11)

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Far

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HorsesGold

Wives

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• 24 There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen, that it is from the hand of God.

• 25 For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?

• 26 For to a person who is good in his sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy,

• while to the sinner he has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

ENJOY!

VANITY

ENJOY!

Vanity!

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PROBLEMS?• “Vanity” or “meaninglessness” (NIV) used most

of the time to refer to ALL people, not just the sinner!

• 11:8 But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity

• 12:7-8 then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. ‘Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher, ‘all is vanity!’

• Kaiser is RIGHT when he says that God gives the ability to enjoy life and is pleased when we do so, BUT whatever this “vanity” is, everyone, not just the sinner is getting a full dose of it.

IMPORTANCE & DEFINITION OF “VANITY”Note the bookending of the word… (1:2; 12:8)

From the dictionary:not “meaningless”Transience, Perplexity, Vapor … but where does this come from????

Where else in Scripture is the concept defined?Romans 8 Genesis 3 Ecclesiastes 3

Romans 818 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed20 For the creation was subjected to vanity, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope21 That the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God

Genesis 317 Then to Adam He said, “...Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.18 Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; 19 By the sweat of your face You shall eat bread, Till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

Toil

Death

Ecclesiastes 319 For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other, indeed they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity.20 All go to the same place, All came from the dust and all return to the dust.“Under the sun” (as far as life right now is concerned) the curse will get you just like it gets road kill.

Fuller Definition:Futility, frustration, limitation and ultimately deathwhich every person experiences as a result of living in a sin-cursed world.Or succinctly:Life as a result of the curse

Flat tires

Broken relationshipsFlu, m

ono

Bad breath CancerBills bigger than a paycheck

Bad weather

Car accidentsDeath ofparent

friendme

Solomon's Goal?Show us how to approach life AFTER Eden and BEFORE the Kingdom

Eden KingdomEden Kingdom

Now

Curse

Perfect life

No spin zoneNo cliché zone

Survey of the book1A Introduction, 1:1-111:2 Major point: “Vanity, vanity, laments the Teacher, Absolute vanity. Everything is vanity!All of life is affected by the curse ! ! !1:3 What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun1:4 A generation comes and a generation goes but the earth remains forever.

Genesis 1:2626 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them

rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

Sun, 1:5Wind, 1:6Rivers, 1:7

??

1:11, the problem

Nobody remembers people

1:15 What is twisted cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted. You can’t begin to find a cure for the curse while on earth (under the sun).

He says this because he tried 3 “cures” (sensuality, intellectualism & work) and ultimately found them useless.

2A Main Argument: Obey, Enjoy, 1-112C Sensuality is ineffective, 2:1-112:1-21 I thought in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be vanity. 2 Laughter, I said, is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?

Ecclesiastes 2:33 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

2A Main Argument: Obey, Enjoy, 1-112C Sensuality is ineffective, 2:1-11

Ecclesiastes 2:4-54 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.

Ecclesiastes 2:88 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well the delights of the heart of man.

2A Main Argument: Obey, Enjoy, 1-112C Sensuality is ineffective, 2:1-11

Ecclesiastes 2:10-1110 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. 11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was vanity, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.

2A Main Argument: Obey, Enjoy, 1-112C Sensuality is ineffective, 2:1-113C Intellectualism is ineffective, 2:12-17

2:12 Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. What more can the king’s successor do than what has already been done?

2:13 I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness. 14 The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both.

2A Main Argument: Obey, Enjoy, 1-112C Sensuality is ineffective, 2:1-113C Intellectualism is fruitless, 2:12-17

2:16 For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die!

2:17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is vanity, a chasing after the wind.

2A Main Argument: Obey, Enjoy, 1-112C Sensuality is ineffective, 2:1-113C Intellectualism is fruitless, 2:12-174C The pursuit of labor is ineffective, 2:18--6:9

Ecclesiastes 2:18-2118 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is vanity. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is vanity and a great misfortune.

2A Main Argument: Obey, Enjoy, 1-112C Sensuality is ineffective, 2:1-113C Intellectualism is fruitless, 2:12-174C The pursuit of labor is ineffective, 2:18--6:9

Ecclesiastes 2:24-2624 A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26 To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is vanity, a chasing after the wind.

Although there is no immediate “cure” for the pain of the curse, God wants you to be deeply satisfied in life so when you feel the curse closing in, and you're tempted to run, you will only find that satisfaction if you turn to him not away from him toward your own "cure" (pleasure, work etc).

4C The pursuit of labor is empty, 2:18--6:9Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

1 There is a time APPOINTED for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to heal and a time to kill, a time to build and a time to tear down, 4 a time to laugh and a time to weep, a time to dance and a time to mourn, 5 a time to gather stones and a time to scatter them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to mend and a time to tear,a time to speak and a time to be silent, 8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for peace and a time for war.

4C The pursuit of labor is empty, 2:18--6:9Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

1 There is a time APPOINTED for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to heal and a time to kill, a time to build and a time to tear down, 4 a time to laugh and a time to weep, a time to dance and a time to mourn, 5 a time to gather stones and a time to scatter them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to mend and a time to tear,a time to speak and a time to be silent, 8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for peace and a time for war.

You can’t simply

“choose red” and avoid the

blue!

The curse will find its way

into your life in significant

ways!

2A Main Argument: Obey, Enjoy, 1-112C The pursuit of pleasure is ineffective, 2:1-113C The pursuit of wisdom is fruitless, 2:12-174C The pursuit of labor is empty, 2:18--6:9

3:12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil this is the gift of God.

2


3:19 Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is subject to the curse. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.

3:22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. 3


4:1 Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors and they have no comforter. 2 And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive.


Ecclesiastes 5:18-2018 Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him for this is his lot. 19 Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work this is a gift of God. 20 He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart. 4

2A Main Argument: Obey, Enjoy, 1-111B Even though all of life is under “curse” 1-62B Even though Man does not know . . ., God intends that

man enjoy life as a gift 6-11OR… watch out for these two things that will keep you from enjoying life to the fullest!!!

1C Introduction, 6:10-122C Man does not know WHAT IS GOOD, 7-83C Man does not know THE FUTURE, 9-11

6:12 For who knows what is good for a man in life, during the few and vain days he passes through like a shadow? Who can tell him what will happen under the sun afterwards?

2B Even though Man does not know ... 6-11

1C Introduction, 6:10-122C Man does not know WHAT IS GOOD, 7-8Are you having a good or a bad day?

7:2 It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.

Ecclesiastes 7:55 It is better to heed a wise man's rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.

7:1 A good name is better than fine perfume,

You may not even really know.


3C Man does not know THE FUTURE, 9-119:1 So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God's hands, but no man knows whether love or hate awaits him. We either worry about it, or effectively only live in it.

9:7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do. 8 Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. 9 Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this cursed life that God has given you under the sun all your days of vanity. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.

10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.


3C Man does not know THE FUTURE, 9-11Wise advice in light of the fact that we don't know the future.

11:2 Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.

11:3 If clouds are full of water, they pour rain upon the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there will it lie.


3C Man does not know THE FUTURE, 9-1111:6 Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.

3A Exhortation and Conclusion, 11-121B Exhortation, 11:7--12:8

1C Introduction, 11:7-8

11:7 Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun. 8 However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is vanity.--as age increases so does the grip of the curse


1C Introduction, 11:7-82C Counsel, 11:9--12:7

11:9 Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment.

11:10 So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are vanity.


2C Counsel, 11:9--12:7

12:1 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, I find no pleasure in them 2 before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain;

3 when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop, when the grinders cease because they are few, and those looking through the windows grow dim;


1C Introduction, 11:7-82C Counsel, 11:9--12:7

12:5 when men are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets; when the almond tree blossoms and the grasshopper drags himself along and desire no longer is stirred. Then man goes to his eternal home and mourners go about the streets.

7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. 8 Vanity! Vanity! says the Teacher. Everything is Vanity!

3A Exhortation and Conclusion, 11-121B Exhortation, 11:7--12:82B Conclusion, 12:9-14

Ecclesiastes 12:1313 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. Or “This will make a man whole.”

Would God be any funas a friend?

If you knew him as he really is,there is no one else you’d rather be with

The thief comes only to steal and kill and

destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Jesus

“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.” -

Frederich Buechner

Griffin & Phoenix. My name is Mary and I'm from Greenville, Mississippi But this is where I live...

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