Ecclesiastes 1-3

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Ecclesiastes 1

Ecclesiastes 1:1-2 Whether this was written by Solomon or not is debated by theologians. It doesn’t matter - this is God’s perspective on life that is only lived looking for meaning and purpose in earthly life without reference to Him. (12:1) It is devoid of meaning. 

Ecclesiastes 1:3-11 What follows is a list of things that cannot provide ultimate meaning, however satisfying they may seem at the moment: career/work; ancestors/descendants; nature and science; current events; political power; the wisdom of man; our own activity. 

• Ecclesiastes 1:3 Jesus said, “Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28-30) He also said, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Mark 8:36-37) Money cannot satisfy in the long run, even though there is satisfaction in accomplishing worthwhile things through hard work.
• Ecclesiastes 1:4 We used to think the earth remains forever. Now we know that, on different time scales, life as we know it will end. Probably the nearest-term ending will be environmental catastrophe (unless ‘artificial intelligence’ kills us off first). But God will create a new heavens and a new earth. (Revelation 21:1)
• Ecclesiastes 1:5-9 Is the natural rhythm of life something God gives us to enjoy? Do we try to find meaning in the ups and downs of life instead of seeing it as a pointer to finding meaning in Him?
• Ecclesiastes 1:10 Science discovers new things about the natural world. It is news to us, but not to God.
• Ecclesiastes 1:11 Scripture preserves history, but do we learn from it, or repeat the mistakes of our predecessors?

Ecclesiastes 1:12-14 What is meaning? It is something outside of us that makes sense of life. The burden God laid on man after the Fall was to chase the wind and ultimately discover that it is just air in motion. That is what human philosophy apart from God amounts to.

Ecclesiastes 1:15 Straightening what is crooked is not impossible, but it took the blood of Christ on the cross, applied to our hearts, to do it. And we have to participate in receiving that provision. Not mentioned here, but because of demonic opposition in the unseen realm, merely human self-improvement programs won’t in the long term.

Ecclesiastes 1:16-18 This is one of the primary pointers to Solomon as the author. God promised Solomon in a dream that He would give him what he did not ask for—both wealth and honor—so that in his lifetime he would have no equal among kings. (1 Kings 3:13) However, Solomon also learned that wisdom brings grief, but grief ultimately brings meaning by stripping away the superficial. 

 

Ecclesiastes 2

Ecclesiastes 2:1-3 Pleasures are a gift from God, but are not an end in themselves. Jesus explained what things in life are truly blessed in the beatitudes. (Matthew 5:3-11)

Ecclesiastes 2:4-11 Fruit trees provide healthy and tasty food, but Paul described the fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23) The result of hard work, major projects, can delight the heart for a season, but ultimately, unless it is part of building God’s kingdom, it has no lasting value. 

Ecclesiastes 2:12-16 Wisdom excels over folly in this life, but Solomon errs in saying that the same fate overtakes the wise and the foolish. Not all lives have the same outcome. (Revelation 20:22-24) 

Ecclesiastes 2:17-23 Perhaps depression and despair are a major step to salvation. How do worldly psychiatrists treat depression, apart from pointing people to ultimate meaning found in Christ? Striving, laboring with grief and pain, is the curse that is a direct result of the fall of man. (Genesis 3:17-19)

Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 We need to beware of acknowledging God with lip service, but living our lives our own way, not His. We can receive what He gives us with joy, but should always remember Jesus’ high priestly prayer for us. He prayed that the love God the Father (YHWH AB) has for us may be in us, just as He (Yeshua HaMashiach) is in us. (John 17:25-26) 

Ecclesiastes 3

Ecclesiastes 3:1 The circle of life, and the tension of opposites. Aristotle defined virtue as an excellence giving rise to actions that constitute a “golden mean” between deficiency and excess. For Aristotle, such an excellence must be cultivated to be maintained and can be lost if neglected; it is not a fixed or innate trait. The virtues, besides being concerned with means of action and passion, are themselves means in the sense that they occupy a middle ground between two contrary vices. Thus, the virtue of courage is flanked on one side by foolhardiness and on the other by cowardice. But in these couplets that follow we find different types of opposites.

The circle of life on earth does not reflect eternity. We read later of John’s vision of the eternal Jerusalem (of which there is a song), in which there is no curse, no night, and the servants of the Lamb will reign forever. (Revelation 22:3-5)

Ecclesiastes 3:2 Birth and death gate our lives. Are they set by fate? The time of birth is pretty much set as about nine months after conception. But the time of death may be known to God, but we typically don’t know it until shortly beforehand. Sowing seeds is typically in the spring, we pull weeds all summer, and harvest in the fall. This is normal life.

 

Ecclesiastes 3:3 In war, there is a designated strategy, not with killing as the goal, but as the means to an outcome. But wars end and the healing of relationships is essential to prevent a return of hostilities. Old buildings need to be torn down if they are beyond repair, and new buildings erected in their place; in our lives, we need to remove the garbage habits and lifestyle that sin has entrenched, and build our character on the truths of God and His redemptive power.

Ecclesiastes 3:4 Weeping and mourning are essential parts of grieving, and in this world there will be occasions where there is no other way to appropriately exist - such as death of a loved one. But we should not let grief define our life permanently, because God also gives us events of great joy - weddings, births, family reunions, anointed worship in His presence, the defeat of evil. 

Ecclesiastes 3:5 The collecting of stones to build an altar, or the foundation of some structure, is laying the basis for security, for life. On the other hand, we see that when God judges evil redemptively, He sends agents to tear down altars that have been built to false gods, be they supernatural fallen angels or worldly desires. Embracing others appropriately includes both relationship and timing. Both a hug at a wedding and a hug at a funeral are appropriate, but when someone is communing with Jesus, it is best to not distract them until they have completed their spiritual transaction. 

Ecclesiastes 3:6 When people are missing, we search for them, but in the aftermath of a major disaster, the search for survivors eventually becomes a recovery mission, i.e., a hunt for the remains. Or they are declared missing and presumed dead. In this life, we eventually give up. God searches for the lost to rescue and bless them, but ultimately there will be a day of judgment. That is, those who do not want to be in God’s Presence ultimately will be allowed to permanently stay away from Him and His people. That is giving up. God isn’t actually throwing people away, but He isn’t keeping them. This is free will.

Ecclesiastes 3:7 The veil in the temple was torn when Jesus breathed His last. (Mark 15:38) Jesus’ death mended the relationship between God and man. The disciples were silent (mourning) until the resurrection, but on the day of Pentecost, Peter spoke boldly. We need the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to know when to speak and when to shut up. Sometimes we create opposition by speaking truth, but we should do so anyway if the Lord so leads. There are many other passages on when and how to speak. 

Ecclesiastes 3:8 God is love. (1 John 4:8) Jesus told us to love our enemies and pray for those who despitefully use us. (Matthew 5:43-44) He corrects a misreading of the Law of Moses. The Law says you should love your neighbor (Leviticus 19:18), and subsequent teachers had added ‘… and hate your enemies’. The Law said that they should not seek revenge nor bear a grudge. When Solomon said there was a time to hate, we can only speculate about what defines that time. Almost certainly, what Jesus said should be our guiding principle. 

War and peace are serious matters. Starting a war seldom has positive outcomes. We can turn to secular history to see that World War 1, the Vietnam war, invasions of various counties (most recently Ukraine, but earlier the German invasions of Poland, Russia, France) had disastrous outcomes in the end. On the other hand, the American Civil war completed the abolition of slavery, albeit at great cost. About 700,000 people were killed, over 2% of the U.S. population. Peace is a huge blessing that warmongers despise. Pax Britannica, from 1815 to 1914, enabled the London Missionary Society to plant seeds for the spread of the gospel to the entire world. There will be peace during the millennial reign of Christ. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pax_Britannica

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Missionary_Society

Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 What God does will endure for eternity. We don’t have much insight into the unseen realm, but what Jesus revealed is enough for now. We can’t add to what God plans to do, but we can and should do what He tells us to do. Only in eternity will we see how His plan fits together. 

Ecclesiastes 3:16-17 The depravity of man is fully described by Paul. (Romans 3:10-18) John described the final judgment. (Revelation 20:22-25) The books will be opened. (Revelation 21:12) 

Ecclesiastes 3:18-21 Both animals and man were made from earth, dirt. (Genesis 2:7,19) Man was given the charge to rule over animals. (Genesis 1:26) Whether this is an advantage or a duty to serve is a matter of perspective. All will die as regards our earthly bodies (except Enoch and Elijah), but on earth animals are (mostly) subject to humans. There is often a symbiotic relationship of camaraderie and affection. In the Law, there is a requirement to sacrifice animals as an offering for sin, and a distinction between clean and unclean animals. When Solomon asks who knows about spirits ascending and descending, he did not know that Jesus knows. (Matthew 25:46; John 3:15,36; 10:28; 17:3)

Ecclesiastes 3:22 Seems like a rather hedonistic philosophy. Solomon was not here advocating sensual indulgence, he is talking about work. It is fitting that if God has called us to a work, then we should enjoy doing what He says, and leaving the outcome in His hands. Work produces fruit, even though we may not always see it. That is faith.