Ecclesiastes — Lesson 13

CHRIST AS THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF ECCLESIASTES

Introduction

- Ecclesiastes is a rambling lecture on many aspects of life and its meanings.

- The main thesis or point of the book, stated at the beginning, is found in Ecclesiastes 1:2 -- Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

- Also verse 14 -- I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

- The word vanity occurs 37 times in the book.

- The book depicts the vanity of life of everything "under the sun" and apart from God.

- Ecclesiastes examines five toils under the sun. He attempted, unsuccessfully, to seek meaning from:

- Worldly wisdom,

- Worldly pleasure,

- Wealth and power,

- Altruism and social work, and

- Worldly and ritualistic religion.

- The book also identifies several sources of vanity:

- The sameness and indifference of all things,

- Death as the certain and final end of life,

- Time as a cycle of endless repetition,

- The view of evil as an unexplainable problem, and

- The view of God as an unknowable mystery.

- The pessimism and pathos expressed in the book seems to look to the hopelessness of life without a redeemer and the futility of life without a hope.

- With the coming of Christ, life takes on a different meaning. The book of Ecclesiastes has been described as an expression of the of the need for a saviour.

- If we were to conclude the study of Ecclesiastes with Solomon's views without considering the end of the book, we would emerge with a truly pessimistic view of the meaning of life.

1. What was Solomon's final answer to his extensive search for the answer to the question, "What is good for man?"

- Eccl. 12:13-14 -- Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

- Verse 13 affirms that God is, and he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

- God has given commandments that men are obligated to honor and obey. Here is Solomon's witness to the existence and authority of the Law of Moses.

- The whole business and the whole purpose and the whole intent of God's placing man on the earth is summed up in the thought: Fear (have reverence for) God and obey him.

- Fear and obedience of God are still the basic requirements of man's behavior, and God will hold man accountable for his actions.

- Verse 14. A more positive statement of the biblical doctrine of eternal judgment can be found nowhere else in the Old Testament.

- Hebrews 6:1-2 -- Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

- The announcement of judgment at the end of the book makes it a climax. It could have been that Solomon's conviction of this certainty was the very thing that finally brought him to his senses.

- Solomon had no doubt about the existence and justice of God as his Creator.

- God is mentioned at least 40 times in the book.

- However, Solomon's references to God did not denote a loving relationship with God as his father in the same sense that David spoke of God in Psalms.

2. What does Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 indicate about Solomon's understanding of God? Was his understanding complete?

- He says fearing God and keeping his commandments constitute the whole of man.

- What other passages in the Old Testament reflect the thought about fearing God? What do fear (or reverence) of God indicate?

- Proverbs 1:7 -- The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

- Psalm 111:10 -- The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth forever.

- The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge. However, it is not the end.

- Solomon understands the justice of his Creator. However, he cannot understand the mercy of his Creator, which is embodied in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, where God's justice and mercy meet.

3. For a good portion of his life, Solomon was in a frame of mind in which he believed in God but still experienced despair and confusion. Do individuals experience that same feeling today? What is the solution for this dilemma?

- Solomon never said there was no God. He believed in God but still seemed depressed and confused about his life.

- It's been said that his God was like the moon: there, but not here, controlling the tides of his life but not entering into any personal relationship with him. He had no face-to- face encounter as with Job.

- Solomon's understanding of God seemed largely naturalistic, and nature has been referred to as God's back.

- Ecclesiastes 1:9 says, "there is no new thing under the sun."

- People still seek meaning through earthly wisdom.

- People still seek meaning through worldly pleasure.

- People still seek meaning from wealth and power.

- People still seek meaning from social causes.

- People still seek meaning through ritualistic religion.

- Because these things still fail to bring meaning, we realize how relevant the book is to us today. The book speaks to a deep and universal human problem.

4. How is Christ the answer to the problem of Ecclesiastes?

- One author has said that the Bible is like-life, involving a challenge and a response. Ecclesiastes is the challenge; the rest of the Bible is the response.

- No one wants to admit Solomon's conclusion that "all is vanity." But we can't simply say that we disbelieve it. Solomon presented some very convincing reasons for believing his conclusion, and Christians must refute his arguments.

- Ecclesiastes' basic argument --

- All toil is under the sun.

- All under the sun is vanity.

- Therefore, all toil is vanity.

- Questions that must be asked --

- Is there a toil that is not under the sun?

- Is there a human work that is not confined to this earth?

- Are we not building an eternal kingdom?

- Faithful Christians are destined for eternity with God. Christians are part of the kingdom of heaven. We are the answer to Solomon's question in Eccl 3:21 -- Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

- This answer does not become clear until hundreds of years after Solomon.

- The answer occurs through the paradox of eternity entering time -- God's becoming a man, sharing the life of a man so that man could share the life of God.

- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 7. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 8. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 9. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

- Here is something new under the sun --

- God taking on the form of a man, dying for our sins, being resurrected from death, ascending to return to be with God.

- Because of these facts, we have hope, though the possibility of terror remains real as well.

5. How do Christ's death, burial and resurrection offer mankind a hope that Solomon couldn't understand?

- Ecclesiastes has been called a perfect silhouette of Jesus, the stark outline of the darkness that the face of Jesus fills.

- Romans 3:23 -- For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

- Romans 6:23 -- For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

- Romans 7:24-25; 8:1-2 -- 24. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. so then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. 8:1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

- In various places in the Old Testament there are hints and glimpses of the future life. Solomon seems to have vague ideas of it.

- But it was Christ who brought life and immortality to light.

- II Timothy 1:9-10 -- (. . . power of God in verse 8) Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

- Christ, by his resurrection from the dead, gave the world a demonstration of the certainty of life beyond the grave.

- Solomon, who lived 1,000 years before Christ, could not possibly have the same feeling of sureness about life beyond that Christ later gave the world.

- Christ spoke of a kind of abundance that Solomon didn't understand.

- Luke 12:15 -- . . . take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

- John 10:10-11 -- The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

6. How does a life patterned after Christ contrast with the life of Solomon?

- Galatians 2:20 -- I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I life; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

- A life patterned after that of Christ produces fruit if we submit our wills to the will of God through careful study and practice of his word.

- Love. Agape or selfless love that forms the basis of all godly traits.

- Joy. Spiritual delight and exuberance we have in Christ.

- Peace. Absence of strife in our lives. God, Christ, the cross and the gospel are all concerned with peace. We can know the "peace that passes understanding" in Philippians 4:7.

- Longsuffering. Passive and patient endurance of sufferings and trials. Being slow to anger and show vengeance toward enemies.

- Kindness. Gentle and benevolent disposition toward others.

- Goodness. Active principle of doing good things for others.

- Faithfulness. Loyalty, dependability and reliability. It is "faith working through love" in Galatians 5:6.

- Meekness. Word used by the ancients to describe a wild horse tamed to the bit and bridle. It still had all of its strength, but it was now gentle and kind.

- Self control. Will keep our time, money, influence and talents at work for the only proper master, Christ. It will also keep us free from the moral corruption around us.

7. List some of the specific blessings we have through Christ?

- Ephesians 1:3 -- Blessed the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

- Christians have many great spiritual blessings in Christ.

- Forgiveness -- John 1:29 -- The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

- Redemption -- Romans 3:24 -- Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

- We are a new creature in Christ -- II Cor 5:17 -- Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.

- Cleansing of our sins -- I John 1:7 -- But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

- Joy -- Philippians 4:4 -- Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

- Consolation -- Philippians 2:1 -- If there be any consolation in Christ . . .

- Christ is the solace of our lives -- I Peter 5:7 -- Casting all your anxiety upon him; because he careth for you.

- Strength -- Philippians 4:13 -- I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

- Victory -- I Cor 15:57 -- But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. II Cor 2:14 -- Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the saviour of his knowledge by us in every place.

- Heaven -- II Timothy 4:8 -- Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Conclusion

- David, Solomon's father, in his long and hard struggle to build the kingdom, was forever shouting, "rejoice, shout for joy, sing, praise God."

- Solomon sat in peaceful security on the throne David had built.

- He had riches, honor, splendor, power and lived in almost fabled luxury. He was the one man in all the world whom men would have called happy.

- Yet his unceasing refrain was, "All is vanity."

- God gave Solomon unparalleled opportunity to observe and explore every avenue of earthly life.

- After a great deal of research and experiment that did not include God, Solomon concluded that, on the whole, humanity found little solid happiness in life.

- In his own heart Solomon exhibited a yearning for something beyond himself. Thus the book, in a way, is humanity's cry for a saviour.

- With the coming of Christ, the cry was answered.

- The vanity of life disappeared.

- In its place were joy, peace and gladness through Christ.

- Jesus never used the word vanity but talked much of his joy, even under the shadow of the cross.

- In Christ, humanity found the desire of the ages: life, full, abundant, joyous and glorious life.

- John 10:10-11 -- The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

- And because of Christ's life, death, burial and resurrection, we have hope "as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast . . . " (Hebrews 6:19.


CHRIST AS THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF ECCLESIASTES

1. What was Solomon's final answer in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 to his search for the answer to the question, "What is good for man?"

2. What does Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 indicate about Solomon's understanding of God? Was his understanding complete?

3. For a good portion of his life, Solomon was in a frame of mind in which he believed in God but still experienced despair and confusion. Do individuals experience those same feelings today? What is the solution for this dilemma?

4. How is Christ the answer to the problem of Ecclesiastes?

5. How do Christ's death, burial and resurrection offer mankind a hope that Solomon couldn't understand?

6. How does a life patterned after Christ contrast with the life of Solomon?

7. List some of the specific blessings we have through Christ.

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God's Plan of Salvation