Seeking Life…Finding Death Part 1: Is All I See Vanity? Seeking Answers A Study in Ecclesiastes Lesson 15, January 22, 2012.

Seeking Life…Finding Death

Part 1: Is All I See Vanity?Part 1: Is All I See Vanity?

Seeking AnswersSeeking AnswersA Study in Ecclesiastes

Lesson 15, January 22, 2012Lesson 15, January 22, 2012

Today’s ScriptureToday’s ScriptureEcclesiastes 3:9-15 9What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? 10I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. 11He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. 12I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. 13And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God. 14I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. 15That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

Today’s ScriptureToday’s ScriptureEcclesiastes 3:16-22 16And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.

17I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

18I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

19For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

20All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

21Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

22Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?

Thought for TodayThought for Today

The Almighty has his own purposes. -- Abraham Lincoln

You may delay but time will not.

-- Benjamin Franklin -- ??????

Solomon’s Use of Wisdom Literature Techniques:

• Reflective wisdom – designed to promote thought and contemplation (7:13-14)

• Shock – 1:2 “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity…”6:1 “There is an evil…”

• Repetition – 1:2• Contrast in themes and statements – wise/fool,

righteous/wicked, rich/poor• Proverbial statements – 7:1-8• Rhetorical questions – 1:3

Solomon’s Sensory Observations Lead to Some Inexorable Conclusions:

• The Inexplicable Purpose of God: Man cannot predict it, control it, or explain it: a time for every purpose under heaven (3:1-8)

“[Solomon] now raises a subject characteristic of ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature—the proper time. After all, it is the wise person who knows the right time to say or to do the right thing (Prov. 15:23). . . . In the final analysis [Solomon] powerfully expresses that everything is frustratingly out of the control of human beings."

-- Tremper Longman III. The Book of Ecclesiastes. The New International Commentary

on the Old Testament, p 111.

To every thing there is a season, To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

… … be bornbe born … … diedie… … plantplant

… … killkill… … break downbreak down

… … weepweep… … mournmourn

… … cast awaycast away… … embraceembrace

… … getget… … keepkeep… … rendrend

… … keep silencekeep silence… … lovelove… … warwar

A time to ...A time to ... and a time to ...and a time to ...

… … pluck uppluck up… … healheal… … build upbuild up… … laughlaugh… … dancedance… … gathergather… … refrainrefrain… … loselose… … cast awaycast away… … sewsew… … speakspeak… … hatehate… … peacepeace

“The fact that Solomon utilized polar opposites in a multiple of seven and began his list with birth and death is highly significant. The number seven suggests the idea of completeness and the use of polar opposites—a well-knownpoetic device called merismos—suggests totality (cf. Ps. 139:2-3).“

-- Donald R. Glenn, "Ecclesiastes,“in The Bible Knowledge Commentary:

Old Testament, p. 983.

To every thing there is a season, To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

… … be bornbe born … … diedie

… … plantplant… … killkill

… … break downbreak down… … weepweep

… … mournmourn… … cast awaycast away

… … embraceembrace… … getget

… … keepkeep… … rendrend

… … keep silencekeep silence… … lovelove… … warwar

A time to ...A time to ... and a time to ...and a time to ...

… … pluck uppluck up… … healheal… … build upbuild up… … laughlaugh… … dancedance… … gathergather… … refrainrefrain… … loselose… … cast awaycast away… … sewsew… … speakspeak… … hatehate… … peacepeace

“[The events of the poem] cover a span of human emotions, both positive and negative. These events, however, should not be assigned any moral significance. All of them are proper activities along our timeline. This cannot, however, be the claim for immoral behavior…“

-- G. Scott Gleaves, Seeking a Life that Counts, p. 76.

Some pairs that would not fit:

A time to be wise and a time to be foolish

A time to be righteous and a time to be wicked

A time to be holy and a time to sin

A time to be slothful and a time to be industrious

A time for generosity and a time for greed

A time for oppression and a time for justice

A time for intelligence and a time for stupidity

To every thing there is a season, To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

… … be bornbe born … … diedie

… … plantplant… … killkill

… … break downbreak down… … weepweep

… … mournmourn… … cast awaycast away

… … embraceembrace… … getget

… … keepkeep… … rendrend

… … keep silencekeep silence… … lovelove… … warwar

A time to ...A time to ... and a time to ...and a time to ...

… … pluck uppluck up… … healheal… … build upbuild up… … laughlaugh… … dancedance… … gathergather… … refrainrefrain… … loselose… … cast awaycast away… … sewsew… … speakspeak… … hatehate… … peacepeace

Solomon’s Sensory Observations Lead to Some Inexorable Conclusions:

• The Inexplicable Purpose of God: Man is unable to predict it, control it, or explain it: a time for every purpose under heaven (3:1-8)

• The Unfathomable Purpose of God: Man is unable to determine it apart from God’s revelation (3:10-11)

• The Immutable Purpose of God: Man is unable to alter it (3:14-15)

The Inexplicable Purpose of God: Man is unable to predict it, control it, or explain it: a time for every season (3:1-8)

The Unfathomable Purpose of God: Man is unable to determine it apart from God’s revelation (3:10-11)

The Immutable Purpose of God: Man is unable to alter it (3:14-15)

Solomon’s sensory observations of life under the sun leave him baffled about

the purpose of God

Acknowledge, accept and enjoy the good things that come your way in life – they are God’s gift (3:12-13; 9:7-9; 2:24; 5:18-19; 8:15)

God does things so that man will respect and revere Him (3:14)

Accept the mystery of time and the uncertainties of life (7:13-14)

Anticipate the misery of time and accept that bad times, as well as good times, come to all (7:27-29)

Place yourself in God’s hands for all time (9:1)

Yet Solomon offers some help in dealing

with the vanity of life under the sun

What Solomon Further Saw that Brought Him to Feel that All Is Vanity:

• In the place of judgment, there was wickedness (3:16)

• In the place of righteousness, there was iniquity (3:16)

How can we make the transition from the first 15 verses of Ecclesiastes 3 to verse 16? How are the subjects related, or are they?

Savannaborn Aug 18, 2000

God allows injustice to test men’s heart (3:18-21) Man is no better off than the beasts of the field As one dieth, so dieth the other Man has no advantage over a beast Both return to dust Man cannot know if the spirit of man goes upward or simply goes to

the ground

Solomon’s sees more examples around

him of the vanity of life under the sun

Acknowledge, accept and enjoy the good things that come your way in life – they are God’s gift (3:22; 3:12-13; 9:7-9; 2:24; 5:18-19; 8:15)

God will judge the righteous and the wicked (3:17)

There is a time for every purpose and for every work

Yet Solomon again offers some help in

dealing with the vanity of life under

the sun