The Book of Ecclesiastes

I love the way Ecclesiastes describes the earth’s amazing water cycle. Here is how Compton’s Encyclopedia describes what happens: “Water . . . evaporates from the surface of the oceans into the atmosphere . . . Steadily moving air currents in the earth’s atmosphere carry the moist air inland. When the air cools, the vapor condenses to form water droplets. These are seen most commonly as clouds. Often the droplets come together to form raindrops. If the atmosphere is cold enough, snowflakes form instead of raindrops. In either case, water that has traveled from an ocean hundreds or even thousands of miles away falls to the earth’s surface. There it gathers into streams or soaks into the ground and begins its journey back to the sea.”

This remarkable process, which makes life on dry land possible, was well described about 3,000 years ago in simple, straightforward terms in the Bible: “All streams run into the sea, yet the sea never overflows; back to the place from which the streams ran they return to run again.”—Ecclesiastes 1:7, The New English Bible.

Originally posted by Job_38
 Anyone else read this book yet? I find it to be a great book for those struggling with trying to understand God and the world. It "tells it as it is" as some like to say. I read it and see how true it is and am just utterly amazed on how I can use it to observe things at school that cause my mouth to drop. It talks about how the fool multiplies his words and I see it and.

 

 Whoa, I just got hand-tied trying to "speak." I suggest everyone to read it.

 

 God is God and we are not.

-Steven Curtis Chapman.

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Yes, there are some good and true things I've read in Eccl.  What I learn most from it though is how an extremely wise man stooped so low to come to some of the conclusions he came to.  It shows how important it is to not only know what God wants but to obey it as well.  I've included one commentators note:

According to one commentary:

"Ecclesiastes is the book of the natural man whose interests are confined to the unstable, vanishing pleasures and empty satisfactions of those who live merely "under the sun."  The natural man is not aware that all the affirmative answers to life are to be found in Him Who is above, not "under," the sun.  The natural man grovels in the dust and finds only earthworms, while the spiritual man may soar on wings like eagles (Isa 30:31) above all that is futile and disapointing, and may live in the consciousness of God's companionship, favor, and incomparable, everlasting rewards. 

The "Wisdom" of Proverbs is not the "wisdom" of Ecclesiastes.  The former is Godlike, the latter is usually human.

Throughout this book not once is the Supreme Being recognized as "Lord". The word used to designate Him is invariable the one that may be applied to God or to idols -"Elohim," the God recognized "under the sun." The wisdom which is thus limited can end only in "a miserable business"  and in vexation of spirit until it finds "the wisdom that is from above"(James 3:17) "the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto out glory" (1 Cor 2:7) 


 

*sigh* sorry quaff, this book is the wisdom of God and it is quite apparent. Taken in context the statements from this book are simply amazing how they describe life. amazing wisdom from God himself through a man.

Originally posted by LouisBooth
*sigh* sorry quaff, this book is the wisdom of God and it is quite apparent. Taken in context the statements from this book are simply amazing how they describe life. amazing wisdom from God himself through a man.

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Well Louis,

That's quite contradictary to what Solomon himself says in chapter 1:13 "And I applied myself by heart an mind to seek and search out by human wisdom all human activity under heaven.  It is a miserable business which God has given to the sons of man with which to busy themselves"

Do you really believe that God is telling us through Soloman that He gave us a miserable business?  In verse 16 Solomon writes "I entered into councel with my own mind"  V 17 "And I gave my mind to know practical wisdom and to discern the character of madness".  Do you believe God led him to do this? 

Please Louis, answer those questions.  Don't give me some inane answer like "nope". 

How about Chapter 2 verse 3 "I searched in my mind how to cheer my body with wine - yet at the same time having my mind hold its course and guide me with human wisdom".  Please list for me the times that God might lead you to get drunk to show how you can continue to make Godly decisions while being in such condition.

How about chapter 3 verse 19 "a man has no preeminece over a beast".  Imagine that, God says we are "made in His image".  But Soloman says we're lower than the beast. 

2 Tim 3:16 says; "Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching. . .reproof. . .correction, for instruction. . .in righteousness.

Through the Eccl scriptures we are taught that doing things according to our own wisdom is futile, empty, and vanity. We are corrected for thinking things according to our own wisdom.  And instructed not to follow the same course that Solomon took according to what he wrote in this book. 

Now, let's take your logic into other portions of scripture.  How about when Adam said, "the woman you gave me".  Did God initiate that statement.  How about when Cain said, "Am I my brothers keeper?

How about when Abraham and Issac, both lied to a king regarding their wives being their sisters. Were those statements initiated by God. 

How about when Baalam refused to prophesy against Israel but instructed the enemy on how they themselves could cause Israel to fall?  Would you say he was doing what God told him to do? And that God had it written in the Bible so we can copy it?

Again, 2 Tim 3:16 says; "Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching. . .reproof. . .correction, for instruction. . .in righteousness. 

In all these instances we're supposed to learn how NOT to do things.  What is NOT righteousness.




 

"That's quite contradictary to what Solomon himself says in chapter 1:13 "And I applied myself by heart an mind to seek and search out by human wisdom all human activity under heaven. It is a miserable business which God has given to the sons of man with which to busy themselves" "

yes, and the verses are a conclusion of Godly wisdom about those activites. If you want to cut this book out of your bible, go ahead, but just don't claim to be biblical.

"Please Louis, answer those questions. Don't give me some inane answer like "nope". "

All scripture is God inspired according to a passage in timothy, are you saying Paul is wrong also?

"And instructed not to follow the same course that Solomon took according to what he wrote in this book. "

Exactly, but along the way Soloman came to some great conclusions that God gave him, such as the statement made in 7:14

"How about when Adam said, "the woman you gave me". Did God initiate that statement. How about when Cain said, "Am I my brothers keeper?
"

In context those are inspirited scripture. Now if you read them in context you will see that. they are also not conclusions based on something, they are statements specifically applying to that person, where as the statement I usually quote is a statement applying to all life and to everyone.

Again, if you want to cut that book out of your bible, go ahead quaff, just don't claim to be biblical in your teaching. Oh..and a side note, don't use "my logic" and then misapply it please. Thanks.

hobs, your wrong.

I also offer this as a good view of the book:
http://www.pbc.org/dp/stedman/adventure/0221.html

Originally posted by LouisBooth
hobs, your wrong.

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It is interesting that people who love God and want so badly to do His will can still have such wide disagreements on topics like this. I know you (Louis) love the Lord and if we actually lived near each other or went to the same church there is nothing you would not do for me in the Lord. Yet these glaring differences occur. Lord bless you brother. We do not see eye to eye on a number of issues, but I do not doubt for one instance your love for the Lord and your faithfullness to His word. Someday we will visit each other in heaven and praise Him together! With all sincerity of heart I pray the Lord bless you and keep you till the end and that your joy be filled.
Love you brother
Hobs

Thanks Hobs. I'm sure you're a great Guy, as I have stated before, but I don't discount God and the authority of his word, nor do I like to take things out of context. That's I think where our disagreement lies.

Originally posted by LouisBooth
Thanks Hobs. I'm sure you're a great Guy, as I have stated before, but I don't discount God and the authority of his word, nor do I like to take things out of context. That's I think where our disagreement lies.

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We don't like to take scripture out of context either Louis.  We also don't like to attribute to God what a man, during a time of defiance toword God discovered.  Read 1 Kings chapter 11 and see what God felt and did about Solomons rebellion.

Because of God's promise to David, he did not divide the kingdom up during Solomon's reign, but he did do during Solomon's son's reign.  All because of Solomon's rebellion.  It's written, right in that chapter.

I agree with that, but that doesn't matter, the scripture is the wisdom of God, or it wouldn't be scripture. As it says, all scripture is God breathed. All scripture is good for teaching, thus this book is a great witness to us to show that God makes the good and the bad times.

I always assumed Solomon was just feeling a bit depressed when he wrote Ecclesiastes. I like it, though its nice to find someone in the bible who agrees when you're in the sort of mood that says "everything is horrible except God".

This wonderful book is probably the Bible's only bold faced "philosophy" discussion..and its a daring. Man seeks so much, and yet comes up empty handed....drugs, work, pleasure...all good temporary stuff..but utlimately not satisfying......

Near the end, when the death comes for us all......we are reminded of something we all knew at the beginning of our faith.....Serve God.....Obey God....Know God.....thats the answer.

Originally posted by Martin Luther
This wonderful book is probably the Bible's only bold faced "philosophy" discussion..and its a daring. Man seeks so much, and yet comes up empty handed....drugs, work, pleasure...all good temporary stuff..but utlimately not satisfying......

Near the end, when the death comes for us all......we are reminded of something we all knew at the beginning of our faith.....Serve God.....Obey God....Know God.....thats the answer.

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Aint that the truth! Life as described by Solomon in Eccl. is empty. Perfect decription of life in disobedience to God.

Thank's for sharing brother.

Barbara

I totally agree quaf, and as you see there are bits of Godly wisdom he learned through that trying time, such as Ecc 7:14 You can see his conclusions are usually very Godly wisdom, like 7:29.