Ecclesiastes 1 vs 1-18

Ecclesiastes simply means, “The preacher,” or, “The speaker before an

assembly.” Most are satisfied to conclude that the preacher himself, the

writer of this 12-chapter book, is Solomon. The writer never identifies

himself however he does give a few clues such as he is the son of David

and talks about how he was given wisdom above others. Also, there in

verse one, we have some uses of commas that of course were not there in

the Hebrew. Remove the commas and this has to be Solomon as he was the

only Son of David to succeed him on the throne of a unified Israel. Since

the author never names himself, this is open for discussion.

The theme of the book is exactly what Jesus said in Matthew 16:26. “For

what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own

soul?” This book walks us through life, having and doing everything,

“under the sun,” and from a strictly human perspective has left him empty.

And yet, downshifting later in the book to live for the Lord and walking

with God, he changes his tone from that of great loss to great meaning and

purpose. We watch as skepticism and despair melt away in a recognition of

God in a life.

The richest and most beautifully adorned man in all of history and we glean

this… A discontented life leads to a disappointing life. You never enjoy

what you can buy until you learn to enjoy what you cannot buy.

Discontentment and shallowness find you empty and leave you empty at

the end. One of my greatest concerns is that I get to later in life and see all

that I wasted…

The younger son in Luke 15, the Parable of the Lost Son, it says in verse

13, “The younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and

there wasted his possessions (substance) with prodigal (unruly, disordered,

insurrectionary, lawless) living.” Wasting your substance is the result of

living only for the moment…

We aren’t given a specific timeframe for the writing of this book and

because of the book’s anonymity and non-specific linguistic rendering, it’s

difficult to date this book. If we ascribe the book to Solomon, that means it

is about 3,000 years old as Solomon ruled Israel for 40 years, from

approximately 970 to 931 BC.

The audience of the book originally was the nation of Israel but today it is

for all of the church, really a call to the both the people of God and for

those searching and seeking something more than the discontent nature of

the heart of any person without the Lord… This is the book that teaches us

that all the things, getting and achieving will leave us unsatisfied, but

getting and achieving as the gift of God in our lives is the source of all

fulfillment, joy and satisfaction.

It's been said this way about this book and I love this; The question of this

book is not does God exist and is He there. The author obviously believes.

The question is does God matter… If the answer is no then loss is the

theme. If the answer is yes then gain is the theme.

Ecclesiastes Chapter 1 Verses 1 – 2

 I like a story that gets right to the point! HA! One verse, five times,

vanity (your Bible may say, “meaningless”). The word in the Hebrew

can also mean vapor or breath. The idea is spending, consuming,

using, here one second, gone the next, nothing truly mattering in the

long run. Seconds on the clock that lead to nothing but another second.

 This is the first conclusion of the author, but not his last. This is a

factual and strong statement but what the author will show us as we

step through this book is that his first conclusion is wrong, incomplete.

That EVERYTHING is indeed vanity when life is about self, but

EVERYTHING is indeed filled with incredible value and massive

purpose and advancement when life is lived with and for the Lord!

 Solomon is a lesson in the reality that God can give you great things

and you can waste it all. 1 Kings 2, the kingdom is handed to him at

the age of around 16. Then God gives him anything he wants.

Solomon asks for wisdom. He is given it. Then he marries pharaoh’s

daughter. Perhaps a super wise move in a worldly sense but terribly

unwise in a Godly sense.

 Deuteronomy 7:3-4 says, “You shall not make marriages with them.

You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter

for your son. For they will turn your sons away from following me, to

serve other gods.” And that is exactly what happened. To the point

that when we get to 1 Kings 11, and this is what we read…

 “But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the

daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites,

Sidonians, and Hittites— from the nations of whom the Lord had said

to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they

with you. Surely, they will turn away your hearts after their gods.”

Solomon clung to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives,

princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away

his heart.  For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned

his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his

God, as was the heart of his father David.  For Solomon went after

Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the

abomination of the Ammonites. Solomon did evil in the sight of the

Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David. Then

Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on

the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of

the people of Ammon. And he did likewise for all his foreign wives,

who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.”

 Faith is not wisdom and wisdom is not faith. Faith is its own thing.

And you can be the wisest man or woman that has ever lived and do

the worst, dumbest, most harmful things because you aren’t faithful

and loyal to the Lord.

 Being faithful to the Lord is not that you believe in only one God and

stay a Christian serving one God. Being faithful is continually

investing in the relationship. Solomon’s 700 wives and 300

concubines, did he find satisfaction? Did he discover his worth? NO!

Going after a myriad of false gods… All it got him was less than

nothing! Loss!

 Here’s the practical reality of the emptiness of life without

faithfulness…

Ecclesiastes Chapter 1 Verses 3 – 8

 I love that statement! The eye is physically made for seeing and the

ear is physically made for hearing, and in doing only those things,

they are left unsatisfied. Yet with the eye one can observe. One can lift

their eyes to the Lord.

 With the ear one can listen and learn and take actions to invest…

And things can change tomorrow. Things won’t be the same. But

coast, just do what they’re made for…, intense emptiness!

Ecclesiastes Chapter 1 Verse 9

 Entirely, completely, totally not true! Or, I should say it this way, that

doesn’t have to be true! In your marriage, you can just do the same

things. Waiting and hoping things will change. Or, you can observe,

listen, LEARN and do some things differently or new and all of a

sudden, the grass is greener than it’s ever been!

 You can change your church routine, come earlier, stay later, invite

someone new, on and on and on and on… There is nothing new

under the sun unless you DO SOMETHING! Check this out, I am

made in the image of God… And God is THE Creator! He has given

me the power to create also! Humans are creative beings! SO, create

something! Something NEW that is of value and worth in the

kingdom of God and prove Solomon, the man that had everything and

yet was not loyal to God, prove him WRONG!

Ecclesiastes Chapter 1 Verses 10 – 15

 Solomon, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your

own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and HE will

make your pathway straight!

Ecclesiastes Chapter 1 Verses 16 – 18

 And yet he who increases in faith overcomes the world, 1 John 5:4.

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the

victory that has overcome the world, our faith!” Solomon followed the

guidance of Roxette and listened to his heart. Rather than inclining his

heart towards God. Roxette said that there’s nothing else you can do.

YES, THERE IS! You can learn the importance and value of what you

cannot buy. What you cannot amass for yourself but can only be given

to you and characteristically embedded into you by faithfulness to the

One who is All Mighty!

 Let’s read what is there but not written in this last verse. For in much

FAITH is much joy, and he who increases, increases in substance!

That is the duality presented in this book!