It has been called the Sphinx of Christian literature, the white elephant of the Canon of Scripture. It is an enigma for Bible students, a book that by its very nature is a mystery.

THE TITLE OF THE BOOK

1. Hebrew Title: Qoheleth.

The title is taken from the very first sentence of the book - "the words of the PREACHER." The Qahal is the assembly, the congregation. The Qohelet is the one who addresses that assembly.

The fact that the title has a feminine ending is not particularly significant. Most ancient titles and designations of office had a feminine ending.

2. Greek Title: Ekkhsiasths.

Our English title for this book is taken from the Greek Septuagint, the translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek. It means, "Assembly-speaker, preacher." It is related to the Greek word ekklhsia ("church").

 

MESSAGE OF THE BOOK

This book is a sermon. It includes bad news and good news. The "bad news" has given the book a bad name. The reason for this is that the Preacher does not given simple pat answers to complex problems.

The main question asked in this book is this: What is life all about? The Bible is not afraid to raise the hard issues. It asks why should I try to be good? Does it matter?

After all, sometimes things go better for me when I don't try to serve God. So why bother? The people in our generation are asking these same questions. This book ought to be studied by all of our young people. There is only one answer to the questions that are being asked by people today. The answer is found in the living God.

Francis Schaeffer said that if he had an hour to talk to someone about Christ, he would talk for the first 45 minutes about how there are no answers. He would teach about the hopelessness of man. Only then would he share Jesus as the answer. And that is what Ecclesiastes does.

AUTHORSHIP

1. A number of factors seem to point to Solomon as the Author.

a. The author identifies himself as "the son of David, king in Jerusalem" (1:1; see also 1:12).

b. His wisdom.

He describes himself as having "magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me" (1:16).

c. His building activities.

He tells of his building houses, planting vineyards, making garden and parks and irrigating an entire forest.

d. His wealth.

He relates the greatness of his wealth, stating twice that it was more than all who preceded him in Jerusalem (2:7; 2:9).

Tradition.

Both Jewish and Christian tradition is uniform is attributing this book to Solomon. It was not until after the Reformation that anyone suggested that the book may have been written by someone else.

2. It has been noted by scholars that there are several problems with Solomon being the author of this book.

• The name of Solomon is not once mentioned while both Proverbs and the Song of Solomon DO mention him by name.
• The author calls himself "king in Jerusalem," a phrase which is never used of any Hebrew king.
• When the writer describes himself as having "magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me" (1:16), it seems that he is implying more than merely himself and King David. Remember that it was David who first took Jerusalem and made it an Israelite capital city. There had been no previous Israelite kings in Jerusalem prior to David.

On the other hand, there were many kings over Jerusalem prior to David, some of who are even mentioned in the pages of the Scripture.

• Non-royal language of the writer.

There are several places where the writer makes observations which would be unlikely in coming from a king such as Solomon.

For example, in Ecclesiastes 10:17 he says, "Blessed are you, O land, whose king is of nobility and whose princes eat at the appropriate time - for strength and not for drunkenness."

Another example is Ecclesiastes 10:20 which says, "In your bedchamber do not curse a king..."

However, we would not expect the author to write from the point of view of his kingship since this is a philosophical treatise rather than the edict of a head of state.

There is an entire body of Jewish literature known as the Pseudepigrapha ("false writings") which are intended, not to deceive, but as a legitimate literary device in which the author takes on the persona of a famous character from the past. Plato does something similar in his dialogues and the device is well-used by modern writers.

 

DATE OF WRITING

Assuming that Solomon is indeed the author, the book would have been written around 945 B.C. It seems to have been written later in Solomon's life.

Solomon had been one of the greatest of the Hebrew kings. His reign was one of peace and prosperity. It has been said that what David won through war, Solomon preserved through peace. And yet, there was a dark side to Solomon's reign. With all of his reputed wisdom, he found himself turning away from the Lord. It began very gradually. He entered into marital alliances with the surrounding countries. He took to be his wives the daughters of the surrounding pagan nations. And as those wives came to Israel, they brought with them their pagan gods.

Ecclesiastes is a journal of a man's search for meaning in life. Much of that search takes place apart from God. And the conclusion will be that life apart from God is empty.

THEMES

1. The futility of life "under the sun" (1:2, 14).

Life without God is meaningless. When we take God out of the equation, the world makes absolutely no sense. You are born in one hospital and you die in another hospital and what happens in the "between time" doesn't change either of those facts.

And to make matters worse, the world is a bad place. Life is often unjust. Good people suffer and bad people prosper.

2. The importance of serving God throughout life (11:9 - 12:1, 13-14).

The author shows that the meaning of life is not to be found in experiencing the things of this world. True meaning is found only in serving the Creator.

 

KEY WORDS AND PHRASES

THE PLACE OF ECCLESIASTES IN THE CANON

1. Its Place in the English Bible.

Ecclesiastes is centrally located in our English Bible.

The five Poetical Books of which Ecclesiastes is a part each deal with one of the major problems of mankind.

• Job is man on his face before God.
• Psalms is man on his knees before God.
• Proverbs is man sitting and being instructed by God.
• Ecclesiastes is man yet to stand before God.
• Song of Solomon is man's experience of falling in love.

2. Its Place in the Hebrew Bible.

The arrangement of books within the Hebrew Bible is markedly different from that which is found in our English Bibles (our English Bible follows the order found in the Septuagint).

Ecclesiastes was a part of five books known as the Megilloth - the "Rolls." These five books were read at special feast days throughout the year.

Note: The English equivalent dates are only close approximations.

Ecclesiastes was read by the Jews each year at the Feast of Tabernacles - that time when the Jews would gather to Jerusalem and build booths in which they would reside for that week.

A booth is a temporary shelter. And they would read this book which would remind them that life is temporary and that only those things you do for the Lord will make a lasting difference.

The focus of this book is to show that nothing in this life will satisfy the needs of man's heart. Only the enjoyment and the service of God will bring lasting happiness.

Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? (1 Corinthians 1:20).

This is the same message which Ecclesiastes brings. It teaches us that the wisdom of the world does not bring true knowledge. Our wisdom is founded in Christ. The Gospel is the wisdom and the power of God. The ultimate answers to the questions which Ecclesiastes raises are found in the person of Jesus Christ.

THE EMPTINESS OF LIFE

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

In the movie "City Slickers" Billy Crystal plays the part of a man who is going through his mid-life crisis. He has passed the summit of a lackluster career and his work is no longer satisfying. He realizes that his vacations of late have been a vain attempt to retain his youth and he notices that there are hairs beginning to grow out of his ears.

One day he has been asked to address his son's fourth grade class as part of a job learning program. He stumbles about and then says to them, "Value this time in your life, kids. This is the time in your life when you have choices. It goes by so fast. When you are a teenager, you think that you can do anything, and you do. Your twenties are a blur. In your thirties you make a little money, raise a family, and wonder, ‘What happened to my twenties?' In your forties, you grow a pot belly and another chin. The music starts to get too loud and one of your old girlfriends becomes a grandmother. In your fifties, you have a minor surgery - you call it a ‘procedure.' In your sixties, you have a major surgery and the music is still loud but that doesn't matter because you can no longer hear it. In your seventies, you and the wife move to Florida and you start having dinner at 2 in the afternoon, lunch at 10 in the morning, and breakfast the night before. You spend most of your time wandering around malls looking for the ultimate low-fat yogurt and muttering, ‘How come the kids don't call?' In your eighties you have a major stroke and end up babbling to a Jamaican nurse whom your wife can't stand, but who you end up calling, ‘Momma.'"

It is this kind of empty and futile existence that we see displayed in the book of Ecclesiastes. This theme is introduced in the first two verses of the book.

INTRODUCTION - THE THEME OF EMPTINESS

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity." (Ecclesiastes 1:1-2).

The book begins by introducing both the author as well as the theme of the book. He wishes to set forth at the very beginning who he is and the subject of his writing.

1. Introduction of the Preacher.

The writer of the book opens by introducing himself. He does this in three ways.

a. He calls himself the "Preacher."

The Hebrew word is Qoheleth. It describes one who addresses the assembly, the congregation.

b. He is the son of David.

David was the king. The Preacher is the son of the King.

c. He is king in Jerusalem.

David had a number of sons. But only one of them became king in Jerusalem. That was Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba.

It is interesting that all three of the titles used here by the author can be applied to Jesus Christ. He is the Preacher, the proclaimer of good news. He is the Son of David. And He is the king who came to His own in Jerusalem and who reigns forever in the New Jerusalem.

Though there are similarities between Solomon and Jesus, there are also some very important differences.

Do you remember the story of Solomon? At the outset of his reign as king, the Lord appeared to him in a dream and offered to him anything he would ask. Solomon could have asked for greatness or glory or riches or political security or long life. Instead, he asked for WISDOM. And the Lord rewarded him both with wisdom as well as with all of those other things.

This was a man who had it ALL. He had power and glory and wisdom and a long life in which to enjoy all of it. And in the end, his conclusion will be that it is all empty - that it is vanity.

2. Vanity.

The word "vanity" is the Hebrew word that literally refers to a small breath of wind, a breeze. This is seen in Isaiah 57:13 where we read:

But the wind will carry all of them up,

And a breath will take them away.

When used figuratively, refers to that which is "worthless, vain or empty." This was also the name of Adam's son, Abel.

When you wanted to emphasize a point in Hebrew, you repeated it. Jesus did this ("Truly, truly"). By repeating this word ("vanity of vanities"), the writer expresses the superlative. He does the same thing in the Song of Solomon ("Song of songs"). The idea here is that there is an emptiness which is above all other emptinesses. The Preacher wants to emphasize and underline and boldface this point.

ALL IS EMPTY!!!!!

Don't take it from me. Take it from Solomon. Take it from the wisest man who ever lived. Take it from the man who tried everything there was to try, who did everything there was to do. Take it from the King of the Upper Class. It is all empty.

If you are looking at life only "under the sun," it will be empty. The optimist says that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. But Solomon suggests that light is probably only the headlamp of an oncoming train.

EMPTINESS IN THE FACE OF NATURE

What advantage does man have in all his work which he does under the sun? (Ecclesiastes 1:3).

Having given the answer, the Preacher now asks the question. What advantage does a man have in anything he does in this life? What's the use? Why are we here? Why do we work and labor and strive?

You've heard about the man who climbed the ladder of success, only to find that it was leaning against the wrong wall. Is there a right wall? Why do we climb?

The scope of the question is seen in verse 3. It is under the sun. That is the perspective from which this question is asked. It looks at life down here as opposed to life "up there." It looks at life from man's perspective rather than from God's perspective. It looks at life "under the sun" instead of at life "over the sun."

Is this a Christian perspective? No! It is a humanistic perspective. When you look at this life only, it doesn't make a lot of sense. It is empty. This is confirmed in the New Testament.

If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:19).

If life is only viewed from our earthly perspective, then there isn't much for which to live because you really don't make much of a difference. You are born in one hospital and you die in another hospital and in between you try to stay out of any hospitals. But eventually you die. And when you compare your life with the world around you, it is your life that comes up short. This is illustrated in four areas:

The Preacher points to each of the basic elements - Earth, fire, wind and water - to show how the world frustrates man.

1. Illustrated in the Perpetualness of the Earth.

A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. (Ecclesiastes 1:4).

We always tend to feel that we are the "now" generation. But today's novelty is the material of tomorrow's garbage heap. Old age doesn't make you any wiser. It only teaches you the transience of life. The older you get, the more you see people die and the passing of your generation. And there is a dreary sameness to each generation which you can only see in its passing. It teaches us the transience of life.

2. Illustrated in the Rising and Setting of the Sun.

Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; and hastening to its place it rises there again. (Ecclesiastes 1:5).

As each generation comes and goes, so also each day comes and goes with a regular and monotonous passing. Chuck Swindol said, "The problem with daily living is that it is so DAILY."

3. Illustrated in the Wind.

Blowing toward the south, then turning toward the north, the wind continues swirling along; and on its circular courses the wind returns. (Ecclesiastes 1:6).

All winds move in circuits, either clockwise or counter clockwise. There are regular weather patterns which are repeated again and again. They remind us of the continuing "sameness" of life.

4. Illustrated in the Cycle of Water.

All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again. (Ecclesiastes 1:7).

Water from the ocean is evaporated and carried over the mountains where it condenses in the cool air and rains on the mountains and flows down in rivers into the ocean where it is again evaporated in an unending cycle.

In each of these areas, there is an unending "sameness." But YOU are not the same because you are here today and gone tomorrow. And when you are dead and buried, the sun will continue to rise and set and the winds will continue to blow and the rains will continue to fall and they will not even notice the fact that you are gone.

THE EMPTINESS OF MAN'S EXPERIENCE

Now the preacher takes all of the unending cycle and applies it to man's experience. There is something wrong. It seems to us as though it is nature that ought to be transient while man is the one who ought to be permanent.

1. The Lack of Satisfaction.

All things are wearisome; man is not able to tell it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear filled with hearing. (Ecclesiastes 1:8).

Notice the three activities of man mentioned here.

• Telling
• Seeing
• Hearing

The point is that you always want more. Have you seen a good movie? Read a good book? Watched a magnificent sunset? Enjoyed a restful vacation? Delight in a special experience? It is never enough. It never satisfies, for ultimately you want MORE.

2. The Lack of Novelty.

That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun.

Is there anything of which one might say, "See this, it is new"? Already it has existed for ages which were before us. (Ecclesiastes 1:9-10).

We live in an age of novelty. We have seen things in our day of which our ancestors did not even dream.

• Space flight
• Computers in every household
• Instant media

And yet, with regard to human nature, there is a mundane similarity to the people of the past. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

Parents know this. They watch their kids and they remember when they used to do the same things their kids used to do. And they find themselves saying the same things that their parents used to say to them.

3. The Lack of Remembrance.

There is no remembrance of earlier things; and also of the later things which will occur, there will be for them no remembrance among those who will come later still. (Ecclesiastes 1:11).

Even when you DO accomplish something significant, it is eventually forgotten. My father was an officer in the United States Air Force. He flew in three different wars and he received a handful of medals. I have some of those medals, but in some cases I don't even know what they signified. A few generations from now they will likely find their way to a dumpster.

I have a couple of degrees from college and seminary. But after I am dead and gone, they were be mere wastepaper.

There isn't much that we do that is noticed while we are alive and there is even less that will be remembered after we are gone. Your entire life will one day be condensed onto a single line of a neglected tombstone.

What do you know about your great-great grandfather? What were his accomplishments? His dreams? His aspirations? Do you even know his name? (I don't).

Life is transient. Everything you have and everything you are will one day be forgotten. And that is the message of Ecclesiastes. It portrays life "under the sun." It is a rather depressing picture. It is depressing because life without God is always depressing.

The good news is that God has not left us "under the sun." For Christians, life is not "under the sun" but rather WITH THE SON. And that makes all the difference in the world. There is a little rhyme taught to me as a child which goes:

"Only one life, will soon be past,

Only what's done for the Lord will last."

There is a principle here. It is the principle of permanence. The only permanent things are our service to the Lord. They may be forgotten in this life, but they are written where it counts.

THE GREAT EXPERIMENT

Ecclesiastes 1:12 - 2:26

Most people in America have a basic dissatisfaction about their lives. This dissatisfaction manifests itself in many ways. People are dissatisfied with how they LOOK. There are those who think that they are too heavy. Or others who think that they are too skinny. And so they work out and apply cosmetics and nip and tuck and attempt to change their outward appearance. They join spas and they go to beauty salons and they adorn themselves in the most up-to-date styles, all in an attempt to look better.

People are also dissatisfied with what they KNOW. We have entered the communications age. We are bombarded with information in books and newspapers and magazines and television and E-mail and Internet.

People are also dissatisfied with what they HAVE. Merely look at how many lottery tickets are purchased each day, each purchaser hoping that he or she will strike it rich so that they can have more money to obtain more stuff.

People are also dissatisfied with their RELATIONSHIPS or the lack of them. There are single people want to be married and married people want to be single.

And people are dissatisfied by what they DO. Most people are not particularly happy in the jobs and careers in which they find themselves. It isn't merely a matter of how much money they are paid. Most people find themselves working at jobs which they feel don't really matter.

There was once a man like that. A man who sought to find satisfaction in himself, in his possessions, in his relationships and in his accomplishments. His name was Solomon.

We already know what became of his search for satisfaction. Solomon presented his thesis statement in verse 2 - that all is vanity- all is emptiness. Now he proceeds to prove his statement through his own experiences.

THE FRUSTRATION OF WISDOM

12 I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13 And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

14 I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.

15 What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted.

16 I said to myself, "Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge."

17 And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind.

18 Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain. (Ecclesiastes 1:12-18).

When Solomon was a lot younger, he had an encounter with God. God appeared to him one night in a dream and told him, "You ask me whatever you want and I will give it to you." What a deal! To be given anything, no matter how big! For what would you ask? What is you heart's desire?

Solomon asked for wisdom. He asked for "an understanding heart" to be able to lead the people of God and to be able to discern between good and evil (1 Kings 3:9).

The Lord commended his choice. The Lord said to him, "You could have chosen wealth or a long life or conquest over your enemies, but you didn't. And because you asked for wisdom, I am not only going to make you the wisest man of all, but I am going to give to you all of those other things as a bonus."

Solomon took that wisdom which was given to him by God and he worked it. He set out upon an intellectual journey to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven (1:13). He looked and he studied and he thought and he pondered. What did he find? He found that rationalism ultimately has no answers that satisfy. It is all empty. If intellectualism brought fulfillment, then our colleges and universities would be "Camelots" of peace. But it isn't so. Knowledge doesn't make you happier. It has just the opposite effect. It brings grief (Verse 18). Increasing knowledge results in increasing pain (1:18).

THE FRUSTRATION OF PLEASURE

1 I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself." And behold, it too was futility.

2 I said of laughter, "It is madness," and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?"

3 I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives. (Ecclesiastes 2:1-3).

The next thing that Solomon did was to invest in the pleasures of life. That is the slogan of today's lifestyle - "If it feels good, do it!" That is the message given in our advertisements and in our commercials. You only go around once, so eat, drink and be merry! The technical term for this is HEDONISM.

Solomon tried pleasure. He tried comedians. He tried laughter. And he even livened it up with the best of wines. He ate and he drank and he tried to be merry. He was an ancient man with a modern lifestyle. But it was all to no avail. There are several lessons that we can learn from Solomon's experiences:

1. Sensual pleasures make promises that lack staying power.

They can be enjoyable for a time. But after awhile, the fun fades, the limelight loses its luster and the amusements just aren't as amusing as they used to be. This is true of...

• Drugs
• Sex
• Alcohol

It is true of any kind of physical pleasure. The pursuer of pleasure continues to strive for more and more because the thrill gradually wears off. Eventually it is an empty thrill.

I can remember the first time I ever went to Disney World. What a thrill! The rides were exciting. The food was good. The entertainment was entertaining. But no longer. I will be satisfied never again to visit the Magic Kingdom. It has lost its magic for me. The thrill just isn't there anymore. And physical pleasures and entertainments are always like that.

2. Sensual pleasures offer to open your eyes, but in reality they blind us.

How do they blind us? By making us feel as if the quest for pleasure is the most important thing in life. Empty pleasures blind us to those things in life which bring real happiness because they divert our attention from them.

James said that they "wage war in your members" (James 4:1). The lie of the serpent in the Garden was, "Do this and you will know more, see more, feel more." But the truth is that a lifestyle of self-gratification only leads us away from the important things of life - from family, friends and God.

3. Sensual pleasures disillusion us, making us cover-up artists.

When the good feelings begin to fade away, our tendency is to begin to pretend that we are having fun, even when we aren't.

Sometimes this disillusionment takes another form. Once the party is over any you are faced with the emptiness of your quest, then your reaction is one of ceasing to search. Instead of deciding that you have been searching for your answers in the wrong direction, you decide that there are really no answers to be found.

Colleges and universities are full of people who have come to this conclusion. They are without hope. They are empty. And they are no longer searching for answers because they have concluded that there are no answers.

 

THE FRUSTRATION OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1. The Accomplishments of Possessions.

4 I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself; 5 I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; 6 I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees.

7 I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. (Ecclesiastes 2:4-7).

Solomon was the epitome of the Yuppie. He had it all. What he didn't have, he didn't want. After all, he was a KING. And he made sure that he had more than any other king who had reigned in that part of the world.

Solomon made Israel a first-rate nation with building projects that were the wonder of the ancient world. A thousand years later, people were still talking about the glory of Solomon's Temple. His reign was the golden age of Israel.

2. The Accomplishments of Wealth.

8 Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men -- many concubines.

9 Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. (Ecclesiastes 2:8-9).

Solomon had MONEY. He took the old saying that money can't buy happiness and he tested it by collecting the treasures of the nations.

It was always party time in Jerusalem. There was song and there was sex and there was the enjoyment of every worldly pleasure. And it all of this, Solomon kept his wits about him, using his intellect to enjoy life to the fullest.

3. The Accomplishments of Present Enjoyments.

All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor. (Ecclesiastes 2:10).

There was not anything that Solomon wanted that he did not take to himself. And when he had gotten it all and studied it all and built it all, then he set out to enjoy it. He wasn't like the man who slaved to be rich only to die before he could enjoy the benefits of his labors. Solomon became rich while he was still young. He was like the bumper sticker on the Cadillac that says, "I'm spending my children's inheritance."

4. The Emptiness of Accomplishments.

Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 2:11).

Even though he had it all and knew it all and built it all, Solomon concluded that it was ultimately meaningless.

It isn't that you cannot accomplish things. It is that once you accomplish them, they provide no lasting fulfillment. Alexander the Great conquered the entire known world before he was 30 years old and then wept that there were no more worlds to conquer.

 

THE FRUSTRATION OF DEATH

12 So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly; for what will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done?

13 And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.

14 The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one fate befalls them both.

15 Then I said to myself, "As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?" So I said to myself, "This too is vanity."

16 For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die!

17 So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind. (Ecclesiastes 2:12-17).

In case you hadn't already noticed, Ecclesiastes uses the term "wisdom" and "wise" in a way that is different from the way in which it is used in Proverbs.

Ecclesiastes is not talking about God's wisdom. This is wisdom "under the sun." This is the wisdom of the world. This is the wisdom of Albert Einstein and of Isaac Newton and of Plato and Aristotle and Carl Sagan and David Thoreau and Spinoza.

Solomon had made it his life's ambition to be WISE. He reasoned that it is better to be wise than to be a fool. A wise man looks to see where he is going while a fool is blinded by his foolishness.

Is it better to be wise of foolish? Is it better to be known as a serious intellectual or as a fun-loving party animal? Is it better to go through life with your head in a book, or with your head in a buzz?

The short term answer is obvious. The person who seeks after wisdom lives in a world where the lights have been turned on - where "light excels darkness." Only a fool operates in a dark room.

But in the final analysis, they both end up in the same place. Both the fool and the wise man eventually die and end up in the grave.

Solomon realized that the same thing happens to the wise man that happens to the fool. It doesn't matter if you have an I.Q. of 60 or 160. In each case, you are born and you live and then you die. The fool doesn't live any longer than the wise man. Neither escapes death.

And when you die, you are quickly forgotten. Before my own father died, I came across some old family pictures. There was one with the name inscribed on the back - Joel Armour Stevenson. I believe it to be my father's grandfather. But when I asked him about it, he couldn't remember. In the space of two generations, a man and his wife who had borne four children had been forgotten so that their own grandchildren couldn't even remember their names.

Solomon's disillusionment turned to bitterness. He "hated life" (2:17). He found himself hating all of his accomplishments. They mocked him because he realized that they would not last.

Go to Israel today and visit Jerusalem. Where is Solomon's Temple? Where are the magnificent palaces? Where are the rich stables? It has all been destroyed. Only some of the weathered foundation stones remain for the rummaging of grey-haired archaeologists.

THE FRUSTRATION OF LIFE

18 Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me.

19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity.

20 Therefore I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun.

21 When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil.

22 For what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun?

23 Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity. (Ecclesiastes 2:17-23).

Solomon realizes that, no matter what he has collected or built or accomplished, he will have to leave it all behind when he dies. You will never see a hearse with a U-Haul. But that is not the worst of it. To make matters worse, you do not really know if the person to whom you leave all of your inheritance will be deserving of that inheritance.

It doesn't matter that you have acted wisely in whatever you have built and in whatever you have invested your time and effort and finances. There is no guarantee that the person to whom you leave it will act wise or whether he will squander it.

Indeed, Solomon will spend 40 years in building a united kingdom of Israel and making it into the premier nation of the world of that day. It will take his son, Rehoboam, only a few months to tear apart the nation. At Solomon's death, Rehoboam will meet with the elders of Israel and he will act so badly that 10 of the tribes of Israel will secede from the union.

But that is not all. A few years later Egypt will invade Rehoboam's weakened kingdom and he will attempt to bribe the Egyptians by stripping off the gold from the Temple that Solomon had built.

As a result, Solomon says that he came to hate the fruit of his labor for which he had labored. There is a lesson here. It is that the fruit of your labor will not endure. The only thing that will last is the fruit of the Spirit.

From where are you seeking fruit? What are you sowing? What kind of seed are you planting? If you only look at life "under the sun" then the only fruit you will enjoy will be the fruit of your own labor. Solomon has shown what will happen to such fruit. It will be passed to another and you don't even have a guarantee as to whether he will make a full use of it or merely throw it away. It is only the fruit of the Spirit that will endure.

CONCLUSION

24 There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.

25 For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?

26 For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God's sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind. (Ecclesiastes 2:24-26).

Solomon's conclusion is a gloomy one for those who would find significance for life "under the sun." His conclusion it that this is as good as it gets. He concludes that "there is nothing better" - literally, "not good for a man except to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good."

• Man has only limited enjoyment from the things that he does. That has been the conclusion of each of Solomon's experiences. These things do give pleasure, but only for a time.
• If a man who had everything there was to have in this plane of existence investigated everything that there was to investigate and still came back with emptiness, then fulfillment must lie on a different plane.

If there is nothing but nothing under the sun, then our only hope must lie above the sun. Most people have their focus so riveted to the here and now that they completely ignore any other dimension. Such a path leads to emptiness and eventual frustration.

• Satisfaction is a gift from God. It is only when the Lord enters the picture that a man can find fulfillment in any of his labors. When you place God first in your life and serve Him with all that you do, only then do you find true and lasting satisfaction.

THE SEASONS OF LIFE

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22

One of the popular hit songs of the 1960's was produced by "The Byrds" and entitled, "Turn, Turn, Turn." The words for this song were taken from this chapter of Ecclesiastes. In some way, the words of the Preacher hit a responsive chord in the youth of that era. His message is no less relevant for us today.

TIMES AND SEASONS

1 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven

2 A time to give birth and a time to die;

A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.

3 A time to kill and a time to heal;

A time to tear down and a time to build up.

4 A time to weep and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn and a time to dance.

5 A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.

6 A time to search and a time to give up as lost;

A time to keep and a time to throw away.

7 A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;

A time to be silent and a time to speak.

8 A time to love and a time to hate;

A time for war and a time for peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).

The Preacher opens in verse 1 to an introduction of the principle that there is a proper time for everything. He is speaking of those things which take place "under heaven." As was true in the last chapter, so now also the Preacher is giving us a picture of life as it exists "under the sun."

It has been said that there are four seasons to a man's life:

• There is the time when he believes in Santa Claus.
• There is the time when he no longer believes in Santa Claus.
• There is the time when he is Santa Claus.
• There is the time when he looks like Santa Claus.

This chapter also presents the seasons in a man's life. It does so by way of a series of contrasts. There are fourteen contrasts presented. These contrasts cover nearly every event of life. They seem to be presented in chiastic form.

1. A time to give birth and a time to die (3:2).

The Preacher begins by looking at the two extremes of life. These are the bookends of your earthly existence. There is a time when you are born and there is a time when you die and everything else takes place between these two times.

Nearly every other time mentioned in this chapter involves a choice on your behalf. You can decide when to plant or when to uproot or when to kill or when to heal or when to weep or when to laugh or when to mourn or when to dance. But there are two things you don't decide. You don't decide when to be born. And you normally don't decide when you will die.

2. A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted (3:2).

The Preacher is speaking to people who live within an agricultural economy. If he were speaking today, him might say that there is a time when you punch in to go to work and there is a time when you punch out to go home.

3. A time to kill and a time to heal (3:3).

It is noteworthy that the word used here for kill is NOT the same word as is used in the ten commandments for murder.

4. A time to tear down and a time to build up (3:3).

Buildings have their life expectancy in the same way that people do. There are times when it is appropriate to build and there are times when the most constructive thing to do is to tear a building down.

5. A time to weep and a time to laugh (3:4).

There is a proper time for the manifestation of emotions. There are times when we Christians ought to weep and there are times when we ought to laugh the laughter of the redeemed.

C.S. Lewis described pain as God's megaphone. He whispers to us when we laugh, but He shouts to us when we weep.

6. A time to mourn and a time to dance (3:4).

This forms a parallel couplet with the previous line. Those who weep are the same as those who mourn. And those who laugh are the same as those who dance.

7. A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones (3:5).

The throwing of stones was a part of the method of execution of criminals. It describes a rejection of that person, not only from society, but even from life. On the other hand, the gathering of stones would be for constructive purposes - to build a house or a wall or even an altar to the Lord.

8. A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing (3:5).

This also seems to be in chiastic parallel with the preceding line. It is again relational in nature. There is a time to mend relational fences and there is a time to avoid making up.

Embracing was a form of greeting in the ancient world. There is a time for hellos and there is a time for good-byes.

9. A time to search and a time to give up as lost (3:6).

You cannot spend your entire life searching for that which has been lost.

There comes a time when you have to face the facts that what is lost is now lost and can no longer be found.

Men often go through a mid-life crisis in which they attempt to regain their youth by doing youthful things - a young way of dressing, a new sports car, a new wife. But it doesn't work. There is a time to give up such things as lost.

If you want to feel young, hang around young people. If you want to feel old, try to keep up with them.

10. A time to keep and a time to throw away (3:6).

Everything that you now own will one day be thrown away. That does not mean you should throw it all away now. But perhaps it DOES mean that you should take care to what you cling too tightly.

This also applies to relationships. Parents, there comes a time when you have to begin to let go of your children. Begin to allow them to make their own decision and even to make some of their own mistakes.

11. A time to tear apart and a time to sew together (3:7).

This seems to be in chiastic parallel with the previous phrase. The idea of "tearing apart" is often used of rending garments in a time of grief or of crisis. There comes a time when the crisis is over and the grief is passed and that which has been torn is sewed back together.

12. A time to be silent and a time to speak (3:7).

There have been times when I have regretted speaking. And there have been times when I have regretted my silence. Wisdom comes in knowing when to speak and when not to speak.

13. A time to love and a time to hate (3:8).

We read that God both loves and that He hates. The hatred of God is directed against sin. And there are times when we ought to hate, too. We ought to hate injustice and hypocrisy whenever we see it.

14. A time for war and a time for peace (3:8).

This and other passages in the Scriptures indicate that there are times when warfare is just and right - specifically when it involves defense from outside aggression.

 

APPROPRIATENESS OF TIMES

9 What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils?

10 I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.

11 He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end. (Ecclesiastes 3:9-11).

Having stated all of the various activities of life, the Preacher now comes to a summarizing question. Of what profit are all of these activities? This is a rhetorical question. It expects an obvious negative answer. The Preacher has spent the last two chapters demonstrating that these various activities have no ultimate profit.

What good is it to be born if you eventually die? What good is it to plant if that which you plant is eventually uprooted? What good is it to throw stones if they must eventually be regathered? What good is it to go to war if you will eventually make peace?

One of the household chores that I have always found to be frustrating is that of mowing the lawn. No matter how well you mow it, the grass grows and it must be mowed again a week or so later.

The Preacher says that he has observed this phenomenon. And notice that he brings God into the equation. I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves (3:10). It is God who has appointed our activities. We ought to view those activities as being done in the service of the Lord.

He has made each one to be appropriate in its time (3:11). The word translated "appropriate" is - "beautiful." It is used to describe the beauty of Sarah (Genesis 12:11,14), Rachael (Genesis 29:17), Esther (Esther 2:7), and the daughters of Job (Job 42:15). It is used to describe both men and women - Joseph is said to have been beautiful of form and beautiful of face (Genesis 39:6).

There is a design to life. And it is a beautiful design. The problem is that you do not see the entire story in this life. And because you do not see the entire story, you miss the beauty.

God has made us in such a way that we are not satisfied with life as it exists "under the sun." God had made us so that we always want to know the whole story. He has also set eternity in their heart. That is the good news. The bad news is that, even though we have eternity in our hearts, we are not able in ourselves to lay hold of eternity - yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.

You will never have all of the answers in this life. And that is by design. God has structured it to be that way.

What does it mean that God has set eternity in our heart?

• It means that God has given to us a sense of eternity - a sense of thinking of and imagining life beyond our own short lives.
• It also means that man desires this eternal life.
• It means that man has a desire to understand God's entire program. This is why man has pursued science and philosophy as well as theology. We have been gifted with a desire to understand all of creation.
• It also means that man has a hunger for God Himself.

"Our Heavenly Father has provided many delightful inns for us along our journey, but he takes great care to see that we do not mistake any of them for home." (C.S. Lewis).

There is a longing for home - a call deep in the human spirit for more than life can provide. This itch which we cannot scratch is part of God's plan.

 

MAN'S RESPONSE TO TIME

I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime; 13 moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor -- it is the gift of God. (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13).

Here we see a repetition of the same Hebrew phrase which was used in Ecclesiastes 2:24 - "there is nothing better" - literally, "not good for a man except to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good." He is indicating that this is as good as it gets in this life.

That you rejoice

That you do good while you live

That you see the fruit of your labor

And that you recognize all of this as a gift from God.

In the last few years, I have been learning to enjoy the journey of life. It hasn't been an easy lesson. I am task-oriented by nature. I tend to be one of those people who is always reaching for a goal. And that is okay as long as the goal is Christ. But in the process of that reaching, I am learning to enjoy the precious life that God has given. Enjoy the NOW. It will never come again.

GOD'S SOVEREIGN POSITION OVER TIME

14 I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.

15 That which is has been already and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by. (Ecclesiastes 3:14-15).

What we do is temporary. Even man's greatest and most enduring monuments will one day crumble into dust. In modern Egypt there is a team of construction workers whose task it is to maintain and occasionally rebuild and reinforce the Sphinx. It has lasted for over 4000 years. But it is decaying. And like all of man's works, it will one day pass.

1. God is Eternal.

And His work brings about eternal results. His plans are long range in nature. He is building for eternity.

When God wants to grow a squash, He does so in 6 months. When He grows an oak tree, He takes 20 years. When He raises up a man, He takes a lifetime.

2. God's Plan will not be Compromised.

God knows the end from the beginning. History is His story. The past and the future are equally open to Him.

 

GOD'S TIMELY JUDGMENT

16 Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

17 I said to myself, "God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man," for a time for every matter and for every deed is there. (Ecclesiastes 3:16-17).

When you look at life as it exists only "under the sun" there does not seem to be much in the way of justice. Bad people do bad things and get away with it. This even extends to places of judgment and places of righteousness.

You can find evil within the courts of law. Lawyer jokes abound - and there is good reason for it. In this life you will find perversions of justice.

You will also find evil in places that are supposed to be righteous. The church has been rocked by scandals. And this has happened in every age. Those who are in positions of spiritual leadership are seen to have feet of clay.

But in the same way that there is a time and a season for everything under the sun, there is also a time when God shall judge all men. The books eventually DO get balanced. Evil IS eventually judged. Righteousness IS eventually rewarded.

MAN'S TIME ENDS IN DEATH

18 I said to myself concerning the sons of men, "God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts."

19 For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity.

20 All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust.

21 Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth? (Ecclesiastes 3:18-21).

The Preacher opened this chapter by stating that there is a time for being born and a time to die. He comes now to speak of death. This is one sense in which we are not much different than the animals.

Notice the specific points of comparison between man and beast. They all relate to how we die:

1. We Both Die.

I can remember when, as a child, I witnessed the death of a beloved pet. It was a long-haired dachshund named Fritz. He had been hit by a car and I watched the life drain out of him. I have seen a lot of people die since in my career in the fire department. And in this, we are not dissimilar from the animals.

2. We have the Same Breath.

The word for "breath" is Ruach. It can be translated either "breath" or "wind" or "spirit." We have life in the same way that animals have life. We are born and we grow and then we die and we stop breathing, all the same as the animals.

3. All go to the Same Place.

This is not speaking of heaven or hell. It is speaking of the body. It dies and it goes into the ground. It doesn't matter if the process used is burial or cremation. One is merely faster than the other. In either case, the body eventually decays. And you cannot tell just by looking at the process of death that a man's spirit is any different from an animal's spirit. Indeed, we would know nothing of life after death from mere observation.

How do we know that there is life after death? We know it through FAITH. We know it because a dead man rose up from the grave to tell us about it. We know about it on the word or a Galilean carpenter who was crucified, dead and buried and who rose again and promised that we would also one day rise.

 

APPLICATION - MAKE THE MOST OF THIS TIME

I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him? (Ecclesiastes 3:22).

The Preacher repeats the conclusion to which he came in verse 12. He repeats that conclusion now almost word for word. It is that you should make the most of this time that you do have. Life is precious. And it is short. And eternity is long. Make the most of the NOW.

Vince Foster, deputy counsel to President Clinton, spoke to the 1993 graduating class of Arkansas University School of Law only six weeks before his death. His words now echo back to us from somewhere in eternity. A portion of what Mr. Foster said to several hundred young lawyers on that historic day:

"You have amply demonstrated that you are achievers willing to work hard, long hours and set aside your personal lives. But it reminds me of that observation that no one was ever heard to say on a death bed, ‘I wish I had spent more time at the office.' Balance wisely your professional life and your family life.

If you are fortunate to have children, your parents will warn you that your children will grow up and be gone before you know it. I can testify that it is true.

"God only allows us so many opportunities with our children to read a story, go fishing, play catch and say our prayers together. Try not to miss a one of them. The office can wait. It will still be there after your children are gone."

ONE IS THE LONELIEST NUMBER

Ecclesiastes 4:1-16

We live in the Information Age. It is the day of instant news, instant entertainment, and instant communication.

When my brother first moved to Germany to serve as a missionary pastor, we would write letters back and forth which would take weeks and sometimes months to make the crossing. Now we write E-mail back and forth in a single day. And yet, with this growing technology and its corresponding ability to communicate, people are finding themselves more alone than ever.

THE LONELINESS OF OPPRESSION

1 Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them.

2 So I congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living.

3 But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 4:1-3).

The Preacher begins this section dealing with acts of oppression. He will speak more of oppression in the next chapter. But here is it a vehicle to speak of those who are ALONE in the face of oppression. It is bad enough to be oppressed. But it is much worse to be oppressed when you are alone.

As a result of the misery of oppression, the Preacher comes to the conclusion that it is better not to be alive than to be alive and to be so oppressed.

Job felt this way. In the midst of his sufferings, he said, "Let the day perish on which I was to be born" (Job 3:3). He asks, "Why did I not die at birth?" (Job 3:11).

Verse 1 says twice that they had no one to comfort them. The good news is that we have a Comforter. God Himself has sent to us His own Spirit so that we might be comforted in Him. He has promised to wipe away our tears. But that is not all. He has also given to us His own body - the Church.

I love the story of the little girl who had been sent to bed and who called out to her mother, "Mommy, I'm afraid to be all alone in my bedroom. I want someone to come and to be with me" Her mother replied, "It's okay, honey. The Lord is with you in your bedroom." And the little girl called back, "But I want someone with skin on!" The Church is Jesus with "skin on." We are here for one another.

THE RIVALRY OF COMPETITION

4 I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

5 The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.

6 One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind. (Ecclesiastes 4:4-6).

The Preacher notices the spirit of rivalry and of competition that exists within man. Man is by nature competitive. He desires to be the best as what he does. And this spirit of competition can lead to covetousness.

The Preacher says that this is empty. It is empty because there is always someone who is just a little better. And even if you succeed and find yourself out to be the very best at what you have endeavored to accomplish, what did it get you? Your accomplishment is only temporary. And you find that it is lonely at the top.

What is the answer? One possible answer is to drop out. This is the answer of the fool. He says, "Because there is always someone better and because it is lonely at the top, I'll merely sit back and never try to accomplish anything." He "folds his hands and consumes his own flesh." This is given by way of a proverb. It is a matched set. These two proverbs take the two extremes of competition and set themselves over against one another.

THE EMPTINESS OF SUCCESS

7 Then I looked again at vanity under the sun.

8 There was a certain man without a dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, "And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?" This too is vanity and it is a grievous task. (Ecclesiastes 4:7-8).

How do you define success? If it is defined only in terms of YOU, then you are going to be a failure. The Preacher takes the example of a man. This is a man alone. He has no dependents. No family. No brother or son or anyone to whom he can leave a family inheritance. Our hypothetical man works his entire life and amasses a fortune. But there is no one to whom he can leave it. For what has he labored? For the sake of work? For the sake of success? The truth is that success is NOT its own reward. And if you are working just to accumulate wealth, then you are in for a sad surprise.

THE STRENGTH OF TOGETHERNESS

America is the land of the lonely. We cultivate loneliness in our culture. We take pride in being independent and alone - we even have a Declaration of Independence.

Men especially are raised with this sort of macho attitude. You are portrayed to be a man if you can stand alone as a survivor and a winner and on top. But one of the very first decrees of God following the creation of man was that "it is not good for man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18). Think about that! Loneliness in Paradise. Indeed, loneliness can take place anywhere - even in a crowd.

The Preacher lists four reasons why it is better not to be alone.

1. Togetherness Increases the Reward.

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.(Ecclesiastes 4:9).

Two people working together can get more done than one alone. And two can live nearly as cheaply as one.

I'm told that during the Depression, there was a popular song that said, "Potatoes are cheaper, tomatoes are cheaper, now's the time to fall in love." Even the IRS recognizes the advantage of this by giving some tax breaks in that regard. But this principle is not limited to marriage. It relates to ANY type of partnership.

2. Togetherness Provides help in time of Trouble.

For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. (Ecclesiastes 4:10).

In the fire service, we do everything in TEAMS. The number one rule of fire fighting is that you never freelance - you never go into anything alone. This way, if you get into difficulty, there is a partner to help you.

3. Togetherness Warms Body and Soul.

Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? (Ecclesiastes 4:11).

Take two coals, heat them up and then separate them and what happens? Their heat will be extinguished. They cannot generate sufficient heat when they are alone.

I've noticed that my wife and I do a lot more cuddling when it's cold. Why? Because of shared bodily warmth. That is true both physically, emotionally and spiritually.

That is why it is so important for the church to meet together. We come together to create a bonfire of fellowship that we might set one another aflame with a zeal for serving the Lord.

4. Togetherness holds up under Attack.

And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. (Ecclesiastes 4:12).

If two is better than one, then what is better than two? THREE! That is the definition of the Church - Jesus said, "Where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst" (Matthew 18:20).

 

THE TRANSIENCE OF POPULARITY

13 A poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction.

14 For he has come out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom.

15 I have seen all the living under the sun throng to the side of the second lad who replaces him.

16 There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him, for this too is vanity and striving after wind. (Ecclesiastes 4:13-16).

Now Solomon moves from the general to the specific. He gets personal. He uses HIMSELF as an example. After all, HE is the king. And here are the life lessons which he learned as king. They apply both to kings as well as to leaders in any endeavor.

1. Wisdom is very important to a leader.

It is better to be on the bottom and to be wise than to be on top and to be foolish. Why? Because if you are wise, then you will be able to make your own way to the top and then you will know what to do when you get there.

The king in Solomon's illustration is an old and foolish man. There is a lesson here. It is that age does not necessarily bring wisdom. The only thing that comes automatically with age is wrinkles. Age can be accompanied with a mule-headed stubbornness and there is no fool like an old fool.

2. Everyone admires the self-made man; the one who achieved success on his own.

No one admires the fellow who had it all handed to him. This is the contrast which Solomon presents.

But when we come to verse 16, we see that even the popularity of the wise boy who rose to become king is fleeting - the ones who will come later will not be happy with him. This brings us to our third point.

3. All Popularity is fleeting.

Today's stars are tomorrow's has-beens. This wise young man who rises through the ranks to become the king does not retain his popularity. Those who saw him climb to the top may admire him, but those who come later and who only see his success without seeing the effort it took for him to get there mistakenly conclude that it must have been handed to him in the same way of the first king.

Popularity is fleeting. It doesn't last. But a real and true friend DOES last. He is one who will take your part when everyone else is trying to take you apart. It was my older brother who introduced me to folk music. One of my favorite songs was a tune sung by Simon & Garfunklel in the early 1970's. It speaks of friendship:

When you're down and out,
When you're on the street.
When evening falls so hard, I will comfort you.
I'll take your part - when darkness comes
And pain is all around,
Like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down.

Jesus did that. He is the bridge to bring us across the chasm of our guilt and our sin. He is the bridge to bring us home. And He says, "No longer do I merely call you servants and disciples, but now I also call you friend."

WISDOM IN THE HOUSE OF GOD

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

This chapter presents something of an interlude. Up to this point, the Preacher has be