ECCLESIASTES [22 - 26 MAY DAY 143- 147]
INTRODUCTION
Hang around the older men and women. We would hear how they see life. They speak of their achievements when they were young but now much of it are forgotten. What pleasure they pursuit but never satisfied. They see different values in life now in contrast when they were younger. We tend to dwell more about lives and draw deeper conclusion as we get older.
Have we paused and asked questions about the meaning of life? How have we been responding to life as we reflect on the activities, busyness and challenges we are facing? Ecclesiastes is about how one looks at life and seeks to draw some meaningful conclusion.
Ecclesiastes from Ecclesia, Greek word for church, and in English, Ecclesiastic is a clergyman, a priest, a pastor. A preacher or one who assembles or one who speaks or preaches to an assembly, or the speaker of the house of life. He is speaking about the meaning of life to anyone who will listen. Verse 1. "The words of the preacher, The son of David, King in Jerusalem." So we know by verse 1, the author is Solomon. He was old at this time as he looked at the experiences he had gone through. The book in three simple sections.
Chapters 1- 4 Solomon's search. to see what a happy life is, With all the labour and achievements; he sees life is vanity of vanities. This is mentioned 37 times sums up Solomon's mode of thinking everything in life seems tasteless, predictability in life, a cycle just goes on and on and on and on with nothing new.
Chapters 5 -10 Solomon's sayings - in several different areas of life. False worship, chapter 5, hoarding wealth, chapters 5 and 6, living foolishly, chapter 7 and 8 through 10. Solomon voices that righteous people suffer, and ungodly people sometimes don't suffer. He saw that as an injustice. However, suffering in the hands of an all-powerful, all mighty, all loving God is very, very useful.
Chapters 11 -12 Solomon's solution. Have fund yet to know God does judge.
make the kind of choices that, in the end, you will not regret "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments., For this is mans all" (12:13)