ECCLESIASTES 3: 1-22
The Book Of Ecclesiastes:
Encourages Us To HONOR God And OBEY His Commandments.
BOOK OUTLINED:
THE SEARCH FOR SIGNIFICANCE:
EXPLORATION:
IS EVERYTHING IN VAIN:
VANITY IN DOING:
VANITY IN HAVING:
EXHORTATION:
IS LIFE LIVED WELL:
USING LIFE FOR GOOD:
GOOD FROM GOD'S POINT OF VIEW.
ADVANCE HIS KINGDOM, GLORY TO GOD.
SOURCE OF TRUE LIVING:
Ecclesiastes Is A Type Of Philosophical Inquiry,
The Teacher Is Beginning An Intellectual Journey.
BIG QUESTION: IS THERE LIFE BEFORE DEATH ?
Can We Fix What Is Wrong With Ourselves? NO.
Can Lasting Joy Be Found In This Life ? YES.
CONTENTS:
TAKEN FROM THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HUMAN LIFE.
TAKEN FROM MANY VARIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES.
SOLOMON’S CONCLUSION:
TO HONOR GOD AND OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS.
THE CONTRAST:
HUMAN WISDOM VERSUS GOD'S WISDOM:
Paul Wrote In Contrasting Human Wisdom With God’s Wisdom:
For You Who Are In Christ Jesus,
He Became For Us Wisdom From God;
For Righteousness And Sanctification And Redemption;
Paul Quotes:
Jeremiah 9:23–24 That All Boasting Should Be In The Lord Only.
Not In Ourselves And Our Wisdom And Our Strength.
Our Human Wisdom And Strength
Gains For Us Nothing Of Any Lasting Value.
Knowledge Is Good And Commendable.
2 Timothy 2:15.
But It Cannot Save Us.
James 2:19.
WORD TRANSLATED: VANITY:
IT LOOKS AT THE NATURE OF MAN’S ACTIVITY ON EARTH:
1) FLEETING: Which Means Vapor-Like.
2) MEANINGLESS: Which Focuses On Despair.
3) INCOMPREHENSIBLE: Which Refers To The Mysteries Of God's Purposes.
SUMMARY OF BOOK:
THE ONLY HOPE OF A GOOD LIFE:
PREPARING OURSELVES FOR HEAVEN.
THE ONLY REASONABLE RESPONSE:
BELIEF IN HIM BY FAITH.
THE ONLY EXPECTED RESPONSE:
OBEDIENCE TO OUR SOVEREIGN GOD.
God Precisely Works Out All Activities Under The Sun.
God Has A Perfect Plan Revealed In His Perfect Time.
God Discloses Only What His Perfect Wisdom Dictates.
God Holds All Mankind Accountable.
God Will Doom A Life To Vanity If God Is Not Taken Serious.
God Will Doom A Life To Fleeting Meaningless Worthlessness.
DIVINE BLESSINGS ARE TO BE ENJOYED.
DIVINE JUDGMENT IS COMING.
THE VANITY OF THE WORLD SYSTEM:
All Is Vanity Said The Preacher Without The Life Of God In You.
MEANING: IN CHRIST As We Know Through Revealed Scripture.
THE VANITIES OF ECCLESIASTES:
HUMAN WISDOM AND HUMAN EFFORT:
HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT:
THIS STUDY: HUMAN LIFE 3:18-22.
HUMAN RIVALRY 4:4
HUMAN SELFISH SACRIFICE 4:7-8
HUMAN POWER 4:16
HUMAN GREED 5:10
HUMAN ACCUMULATION 6:1-12
HUMAN RELIGION 8:10-14
REVIEW:
The Preacher Began His Search For Meaning In Life.
Observing The Futility In The Cycles Of Nature And Life.
Beginning With Human Wisdom.
Having Already Been Blessed With Great Wisdom From God.
Which He Used To Search Out The Value Of Human Wisdom.
His Conclusion Concerning Such Wisdom Providing Answers ?
Trying To Find The Answer In Human Wisdom
Was LIKE Grasping For The Wind.
Human Wisdom Was The Source Of Much Grief And Sorrow.
Ecc 1:4-18.
SO HE BEGAN TO LOOK ELSEWHERE.
Of His Efforts To Explore The Value:
Pleasure, Wine, Folly.
Of His Search To Find Meaning:
Through The Acquisition Of Wealth.
Through Great Accomplishments.
IS TRUE LIVING FOUND IN:
ACHIEVEMENT, POSSESSION, PLEASURE, OR WORK ? NO.
WHAT PROFIT IS THERE:
IN LIFE: When Viewed From An Earthly Perspective?
IN OUR LABOR: When We Fail To Consider God’s Will In Life?
NOW, FOCUS ON THE PREACHER'S OBSERVATION:
HUMAN LIFE FROM PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS.
OUTLINE:
I. THE VANITY OF PLEASURE AND POSSESSION. 1–11.
2. THE VANITY OF WISE LIVING. 12–17.
3, THE VANITY OF ACCOMPLISHMENT. 18–23.
4. FINDING CONTENTMENT IN THE GIFTS FROM GOD. 24–26.
REMEMBER: INCOMPREHENSIBLE: Refers To The Mysteries Of God's Purposes.
1. THE INCOMPREHENSIBLE PURPOSES OF GOD:
ALL THINGS SERVE GOD’S DIVINE PURPOSE.
To Everything There Is A Season,
A Time For Every Purpose Under Heaven.
Ecc 3:1-8.
He Has Made Everything Beautiful In Its Time.
Ecc 3:11a.
Whatever God Does It Shall Be Forever.
Ecc 3:14-15.
YET MAN IS UNABLE TO FIND OUT GOD’S PURPOSE.
God Has Put It In Man To Search Out This Purpose.
Ecc 3:9-11a.
BUT No One Can Find Out The Work That God Has Done.
Ecc 3:11b.
SOLOMON ANSWERS WHY GOD DOES IT THIS WAY.
GOD DOES IT THAT MEN SHOULD FEAR BEFORE HIM.
ECC 3:14C.
TO REVERENCE GOD AND THEREFORE SEEK TO PLEASE HIM.
ACTS 17:26-27.
A. God Has Made Man A Inquisitive Creature.
B. God Has Made Life So That We Are Always Seeking:
For Something Better.
For Some Purpose.
THE PREACHER’S CONCLUSION:
1. THERE IS NOTHING BETTER THAN TO:
A. Rejoice And Do Good.
Ecc 3:12.
B. Eat And Drink And Enjoy The Good Of All Your Labor.
Ecc 3:13a.
2. YET THE ABILITY TO DO SO IS THE GIFT OF GOD:
A. So One Must SEEK THE MERCY Of God.
Ecc 3:13b.
B. Knowing That God Will Require An Account Of Our Actions. Ecc 3:15b; Cf. Ecc 11:9; 12:14.
WITHOUT REVELATION WE CAN'T DISCERN GOD’S PURPOSES.
WITHOUT BLESSINGS WE CAN'T ENJOY THE FRUIT OF LABOR.
THEREFORE ANY EFFORT TO LIVE WITHOUT GOD
CAN ONLY BE VANITY
AS WE WILL FIND HIS PURPOSES INCOMPREHENSIBLE.
THESE INCOMPREHENSIBLE PURPOSES:
ARE REINFORCED BY OBSERVING:
2. THE INJUSTICE AND OPPRESSION OF MEN:
A. WHAT THE PREACHER SAW:
1. Wickedness In The Place Of Justice.
Ecc 3:16.
2. Power On The Side Of The Oppressor.
With No Comfort For The Oppressed.
Ecc 4:1.
PROMPTING THE PREACHER TO THINK:
MAYBE IT IS BETTER TO HAVE NEVER LIVED.
Ecc 4:2-3.
B. WHAT THE PREACHER REASONED:
1. God Will Judge The Righteous And The Wicked.
Ecc 3:17a.
2. God Will Somehow Use Injustice And Wickedness For Good.
Ecc 3:17b.
GOOD FROM GOD'S POINT OF VIEW IS GOD'S WILL IS DONE.
3. God Allows Injustice To Challenge Mankind:
Ecc 3:18-21.
C. WHAT THE PREACHER CONCLUDED:
1. Our Purpose And Value: By Rejoicing In What God Has Done.
Ecc 3:22a.
2. God Has Allotted This Time For Us. Life On Earth Goes On.
Ecc 3:22b.
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