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THE NORTHERN KENTUCKY SEARCHER VOLUME 4, NUMBER 2, JANUARY 11, 2004 WHAT IS THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES ABOUT?That is a good question and we can begin to answer it by saying that the book is a sermon – a rather lengthy sermon, but a sermon nonetheless. It has a classic structure. There is a theme, a brief introduction, the development of the theme, and a conclusion. The theme can be simply stated as “What is the chief good?” or “What will give a man happiness and contentment, a meaningful life?” Solomon develops that theme from the basis of natural, human reason and he will show that even by such reasoning, there is only once conclusion that can be reached. The text that launches the investigation and really sets the tone is Eccl. 1:2-4. Solomon wrote, “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labor which he taken under the sun? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.” The book is really the recounting of a quest, the quest of the natural man for the chief good. Or to put it more simply, a man’s quest for happiness from the natural, as opposed to the spiritual approach. The presentation breaks down into 4 areas. (1) There is Solomon’s quest for the chief good, or happiness, by PERSONAL EXPERIMENT. He sought it in wisdom and pleasure. I believe that 2:10 summarizes this approach. The verse says, “And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labor: and this was my portion of all my labor.” (2) Solomon continued his quest by GENERAL OBSERVATION of the world and of human affairs. An example of such observation is found in chapter 7. Consider just a few of the verses found there. In verses 1 – 2, we find, “A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth. It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.” (3) Solomon then turns to PRACTICAL MORALITY, or what is the correct balance for conduct in a man’s life. His words in chapter 8:13-14 address what he had learned. “Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.” (4) Finally, Solomon gives his REVIEW of his quest and his CONCLUSION. Chapter 11:8-9 summarizes Solomon’s review. “But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity. Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.” Certainly, we are all aware of Solomon’s conclusion found in 12:13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” There are those who claim that Ecclesiastes teaches a pessimistic view of life. This is because certain verses and passages are taken out of context and not viewed as part of the message of the sermon as a whole. Admittedly, there is a tone of sadness through the book, but that is because the book deals with some very sober realities. If we take care to examine each verse as it relates to the entire message, we won’t find pessimism, we will find hope. Even though Solomon sees many disturbing things in life, many ironies and problems, he also sees God’s hand and control. Solomon sees light in the darkness, comfort for now, and hope for the future. Ecclesiastes is not pessimistic when properly understood. It is just the opposite. If called upon to pick a purpose for this book, a reason why it was included by God in the canon of scripture, I would say that it is to teach us the emptiness of everything apart from God. Life lived for this world alone is without meaning. As a matter of fact, I think 1 John 2:15-17 can serve as an excellent summary of what Solomon was saying. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” If we get this from the book, we will have understood its meaning. Greg Litmer
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