Lessons From Ecclesiastes – Lesson 5

After showing a vivid look of how things look thru the lens of No God and No Eternity. Solomon then gave a good look thru the lens of the truth that there is a God and an Eternity and that the true God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy.

Then Solomon set out to show the truth of that by sharing some of God’s wisdom. And by doing that he is proving the truth of the correct world view over and over again.

We stopped last time in Chapter 7 verse 19 with the value of wisdom.

Ecc 7:19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.

Wisdom strengthens you in many ways. In your heart and in your actions. It helps you and guides you to walk in a way that pleases God and in a way that He can bless you and it helps keep you away from danger and from making foolish choices that hurt yourself or others.

The truth that wisdom strengthens you is a great truth to hear. It is pleasant to hear that truth.

But all truth is not pleasant to hear. Some truths are not fun to hear but they are still true and they are still important to hear and to acknowledge.

Ecc 7:20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

Not a single just man upon earth. There are many that do good things but not one of them is exempt. They also still sin. That is because all men are sinners.

Solomon knew the truth of Romans chapter 3.

For any man to get saved and turn to God and ask for mercy he first must understand that he needs saved and that he needs mercy.

First was the look at what Atheism looks like, that in itself should make nobody want that. Then contrasted to that is a look that there a God and an eternity and everything you do is remembered.

There is eternal purpose and meaning to life. And God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy and wisdom is great because of how much it strengthens you.

And then you are a sinner.

So you see the contrast of the no God view and the truth and then you learn about God and what He does. This should make the reader want God and not the atheist view. Great but wait. You can’t have a relationship with God unless you admit you are a sinner.

Ecclesiastes is written in the style of organization of thought. So verse 20 is not out of order. It is in the exact place it should be.

Enough now has been said about the goodness of God and His ways. Time to hear you are a sinner. After you realize there is a God and He is good and are thinking about a relationship with Him you must be told you are a sinner.

Solomon plainly states it in a straight forward way and then he gives one example.

Ecc 7:21 Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:

Ecc 7:22 For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

Do not listen to everything those that work for you say. Why? Because sooner or later you will hear them talk about you behind your back and say nasty things about you. This is sin.

When you hear that you will be upset. Possibly very angry. But wait. You have done the same thing to others. We have all said something bad about others.

Kids will say something under their breath when told to clean their room. Or against the teacher they don’t like. Adults will say things about the boss. Especially when the boss messes up or makes a decision we don’t agree with.

Examples could almost be endless. It is sin. Jesus taught treat thy neighbor as thyself. No one wants other to curse them behind their back, but people do it anyway.

This example is so common that Solomon does not have to pound the truth home. All men are sinners.

Some might then think but what about…. And what about…

The next thing Solomon brings up is that even with God giving wisdom, which Solomon had received in abundance, it is still impossible for man to know everything.

Ecc 7:23 All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

Ecc 7:24 That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?

The answer to the rhetorical question who can find it out? Is no one. God is far above us. You can never understand everything and you cannot answer everything.

That is no excuse for not seeking truth and wisdom. For there is much that you can learn from.

And I don’t know if this next thing he has to say is what they call irony. Solomon say in his search to know and seek he sees the danger of the sinful woman.

I say this might be called irony because what got Solomon in the end is all of his strange sinful idol worshiping women.

Ecc 7:25 I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:

Ecc 7:26 And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

Ecc 7:27 Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:

Ecc 7:28 Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

Ecc 7:29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

Solomon had many strange women.

1Ki 11:1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;

1Ki 11:2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.

1Ki 11:3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

700 wives and 300 concubines. That is 1,000 women. And Solomon looked at all of them when he wrote Ecclesiastes and said he could find 1 good man out of a thousand but a woman among all those have I not found.

He looked at all of his woman and they were all had hearts that is snares and nets and their hands as bands.

And Solomon said whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

Solomon should have escaped from all of those women. He knew better in this area but gave in to his sinful flesh and in the end it got him.

I need to clarify two things here so you don’t misunderstand me.

First what Solomon says in no way means that there are no good women. There are.

There are Rahab’s and Ruth’s and Abigail’s and Esther’s.

He just did not see any. Why?

Some people are only attracted to the wrong type. For example some women are only attracted to bad men. O’ they want to be treated right, but they refuse to be attracted to a good man. So it is bad relationship after bad relationship.

Treated wrong by guy number 1 and then guy number 2 and then guy number 3. Is it because there are zero good guys out there. No. Of course not. She is only looking at bad men.

I think it is fairly obvious that Solomon was like that. He had 1,000 bad women because Solomon was only attracted to bad women.

Solomon knew the truth of the warning from God that is recorded in 1 Kings 11:2 for it is also recorded in the books written before they entered the promised land.

And Solomon looked at all his women and saw they were not one good one among them. And he knew God would be pleased if he escaped them. But he did not do it.

He knew better. But clave to them in love. That is in the sinful flesh type.

I believe this is here in Solomon’s own words for several reasons.

It proves the point that all men are sinners including the penman of scripture.
Solomon writing this himself proves that Solomon knew better. He knew both God’s Word on it, and Solomon knew this thru the wisdom that God gave and Solomon thru personal expectance knew this. Solomon looked at his women and saw they were no good.
I also believe this is a warning in a way. Here is a man who had God given wisdom, and he had many God given blessings. The Bible also says Solomon loved God. And he ruled well for God for decades. And he did a great job for God in building the temple and in his part in the dedication. And Solomon was a man who God visited twice.

And he still failed. In the end Solomon put his flesh over the Lord.

Since that happened to a man like Solomon then it can happen to any Christian who lets their guard down. Backsliding is a real danger to even the most devote Christian and it happened to Solomon when he was old. Showing the danger never goes away.

A Christian can live for God for 40 years or more and then bam. Backslides and falls into some terrible sin.

Let’s move on.

The next section some title Keep the King’s Command

Ecc 8:1 Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.

Ecc 8:2 I counsel thee to keep the king’s commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.

Notice it is not blindly keep the king’s commandment but in regard to the oath of God. So as long as what the king says is not against what God says.

You may not like what the king commands but as long as it does not go against God then respect the position of the king.

Ecc 8:3 Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.

Ecc 8:4 Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

Ecc 8:5 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment.

Still talking about obeying the commandment of the king that is not against God. If you obey then you will not receive evil for it.

Ecc 8:6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.

Ecc 8:7 For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?

Ecc 8:8 There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

Ecc 8:9 All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.

Ok. If the king is not ruling well. There is a time for judgment. And no man has power to retain his own spirit as far as in the day of death. And any wickedness the king is into will not deliver him.

And a king can rule over another to his own hurt. The context is day of death and judgment. So if the king is off in a bad way, still obey his commands that do not go against God’s commands and know that in the end the king will be judged for it.

Next Those Who Fear God Will Do Well

Ecc 8:10 And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.

Ecc 8:11 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.

Ecc 8:12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:

Ecc 8:13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

We have talked about it before many times so I will not go into depth here. Judgment is often not executed speedily and that emboldens the wicked to do more evil. But they are not getting away with anything.

Judgment will come and it will be well with them that fear God.

The next section thru verse 17 Solomon brings up again the fact that Man Cannot Know God’s Ways

Go to Chapter 9.

Death Comes to All

Ecc 9:1 For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.

Ecc 9:2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

Ecc 9:3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

Ecc 9:4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

Ecc 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Ecc 9:6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

This time the presentation of Death comes to all is not done thru the wrong world view of the atheist. Verse 1 says in the hand of God.

And while he says the dead know not anything he is clear to point out in verse 6 done under the sun. So when death comes he says in verse 3 they go to the dead. So it is not the atheist view you die and that is it.

This is you die and you still exist, you leave this earth and therefore do not know anything that happens on earth after that because you go to the dead.

So we have had all men are sinners, and proof given of that. And now we have all men will die

And in verse 1 that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God.

All men are saved by faith. Faith to be faith must be expressed. In the N.T. we have full revelation of Jesus and the cross so we express that faith by believing and turning from and turning to God and calling upon the Lord with a repentant heart.

In The O.T. they had promises of the coming of the Messiah. The expressed their faith by turning from and turning to the Lord and believing in those promises. And they expressed that by doing the sacrifices and the other things God said to do.

That the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God. Is talking about saved believers and they are doing good works and they are in the hand of God.

Enjoy Life with the One You Love

Ecc 9:7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

God does not accept the works of the wicked. So this section of enjoy life with the one you love is talking about saved believers. And since God now accepts them because they have faith and are expressing it.

Then they are to eat with joy.

Ecc 9:8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.

Ecc 9:9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.

Ecc 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Vanity is not used in the same context as it was in the first 2 chapters in that look thru the no God world view.

Here it is used in a section of scripture where God is mentioned. So even if a man is a believer there are many things in life that are empty, they are vain, things that do not matter in eternity.

There is no way to live life in this sin stained world and totally avoid all of those things. That is the context of the way the word vanity is used here.

So believers are to eat with joy. That is being thankful and acknowledge the blessings of God and accept your portion in this life.

And work and do not be lazy about it. Find something to work at and do it with might.

Enjoy the life you were given by God and be faithful to the wife of your youth. Do not throw her away when she gets old.

And notice it is wife singular. I know the thought come to mind. Solomon you hypocrite. Advise for us but not for yourself in this area.

This is the way God designed it to be; one man and one woman for life. Building a life together believing in God and working and being joyful and thankful for the blessings of God.

Put it all together so far in the big picture view.

First was a look thru the no God atheist world view. You live you die, that is it. No one remembers you and some else gets your stuff. All of life is vanity and vexation of spirit because there is no meaning and no purpose to life.

Next a look thru the correct world view that there is a God and an Eternity. Everything you do is remembered by God. There is eternal meaning and purpose and this God gives wisdom, knowledge and joy.

Examples are then given of this wisdom and knowledge.

Then all men are sinners. Examples given.

Judgment comes slow but it is guaranteed to come.

Then all men die.

The truth that wisdom is better than folly.

And the truth that the righteous are in the hands of God and that God accepts their works.

So what should men do?

Build a life, be faithful to the wife of your youth and eat your bread with her before God with joy.

Basically choose God. Choose God’s wisdom over folly. Work hard, build a life, build a good name, do this before God while being joyful and thankful to Him.

The meaning of life should be coming clear.

Since God sees all and remembers all and because He will judge all in the end.

Then chose God and His ways and live for Him and it will be well for you. Completely well for you in Eternity.

And in this life you will still have issues but it will be better with God. Because you will have His blessings and His wisdom strengthens you more than 10 mighty men.

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