Ecclesiastes

  • Author: Solomon
  • Subject: the meaning of life
  • Much dispute over authorship since 16th century.
  • Before that, everyone agreed on Solomon.
  • Many statements can be made to contradict each other if they are stretched beyond their contexts.
  • Generalizations should not be taken too far.
  • Read it as a book, not a collection of one-liners.

Chapter 1

  • Vanity is vainness, not exaggerated self-worth
  • What advantage does man have? (3 – 11)
    • People come and go
    • Nature goes on and on
    • People cannot take in all in or tell it all
    • There is nothing new under the sun
    • No one will remember what we do
  • Proposed Goal 1: Seeking wisdom (12 – 18)
    • Seeking wisdom is an affliction
    • Wisdom cannot fix things
  • Wisdom and knowledge just bring pain

Chapter 2

  • Proposed Goal 2: Pleasure (1 – 11)
    • Laughter is madness
    • Pleasure accomplishes nothing
    • Accumulating possessions and indulging the senses was only temporarily rewarding.
  • Proposed Goal 3: Wisdom versus folly (12 – 23)
    • Wisdom is better, but all die.
    • Neither is remembered.
    • The inheritor may be a fool
  • Proposed Goal 3: Enjoy your work (24 – 26)
  • God gives, so labor is not the goal

Chapter 3

  • Conclusion 1: No joy without God (2:25)
  • Conclusion 2: Everything has its time (3:1 – 11)
  • Conclusion 3: God set eternity in our hearts (3:11)
  • Conclusion 4: But we cannot know all (3:11)
  • Conclusion 5: Just be happy (3:12 – 22)
    • Rejoice and do good, they are gifts from God
    • God made everything exactly right, so fear Him
    • Justice will prevail in the end
    • Everyone dies, no one knows the future
    • So just be happy in what you do.

Chapter 4

Observations:

  • Oppression ruins life (1 – 3)
  • Rivalry accomplishes nothing (4)
  • The fool wastes his life (5)
  • Rest is better than laboring in vain (6)
  • Labor without an heir is vain (8)
  • Teamwork is better than independence (9 – 12)
  • Wisdom is better than foolishness (13 – 16)

Chapter 5

  • Relating to God (1 – 7)
    • Seek to understand, not just perform (1)
    • Be humble when talking to God (2)
    • Time and words do not measure quality (3)
    • Do what you say; God is not fooled (4 – 5, 7)
    • Don’t argue with prophets (6)
  • Having good sense (8 – 17)
    • Do not be surprised by oppression (8)
    • Agriculture, not war, makes riches (9)
    • Love of abundance does not satisfy (10 -17)
  • Conclusion 6: Enjoy work (18 – 20)

Chapter 6

  • Achieving a goal may still be vain (1 – 9)
    • Gaining wealth but not keeping it
    • Long life and many children, but not happy
    • Enjoy what you have, not what you dream
  • Don’t contend with God (10 – 12)

Chapter 7

Keys to understanding life:

  • A good name is of the most value (1)
    • Understanding is better than entertainment (2–6)
    • Oppression & bribery ruin understanding (7)
    • The end is better than the beginning (8)
    • Anger is foolish (9)
    • The ‘good old days’ weren’t (10)
    • Wisdom preserves life (11 – 12)
    • God is in control (13 – 14)
    • Life isn’t fair (15)
    • Don’t go overboard (16)
    • Don’t be stupid (17)
    • Hold onto God (18)
    • In wisdom is strength (19)
    • Nobody’s perfect (20 – 22)
    • Summary of wisdom
    • I only scratched the surface (23 – 28)
    • God made man upright but… (29)

Chapter 8

  • Wisdom (1 – 9)
    • Wisdom improves the moment (1)
    • Obey government
      • For God’s sake (2 – 3)
      • For your own sake (4)
      • Because you understand the truth (5 – 7)
      • Because its power is limited (8 – 9)
  • Justice will prevail in the end (10 – 14)
  • Enjoy the life God has given (15)
  • You cannot know it all (16 – 17)

Chapter 9

God gives:

  • Knowledge of love and hate (1)
  • The same to all: death (2 – 3)
  • Life is better than death (4 – 6)
  • Happiness; God has accepted the good (7 – 8)
  • Joy (9 – 10)
  • Not by our skills (11 – 18)

Chapter 10

  • Be consistent
    • A little folly spoils great wisdom (1)
    • Foolishness will be revealed (2 – 3)
    • Stay the course (4)
  • Wisdom and folly contrasted
    • Position does not indicate wisdom (5 – 7)
    • Folly has its own downfall (8 – 15)
    • Know the marks of good leadership (16 – 19)
    • Don’t complain (20)

Chapter 11

  • Be prepared for good
  • Be generous (1 – 2)
  • It is what it is; move on (3 – 6)
  • Don’t ignore adversity; look at all of life (7 – 10)

Chapter 12

Summation:

  • Remember God all of your life
    • In youth, before the downhill slide (1 – 5)
    • Before death (6 – 8)
  • Wisdom is worth telling (9 – 12)
    • Even though we don’t know everything
    • Wise words prod people
    • Knowledge holds us together
    • Even though it is sometimes hard
  • Bottom line:  fear God and keep His commandments.  Justice will prevail.