Ecclesiastes

A book that shows the vanity of life without Christ. One of the central themes is, that no matter who you are, whatever your position in life, whether rich or poor, king or subject, young or old, everyone ends up in the same place – the grave. And without the Lord all is vanity.

Author & date

From the opening verse we conclude that Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes.  It is recorded that on his succession  to the throne, God appeared to Solomon and gave him wisdom and understanding, I Kgs. 4:29-34.  He didn’t take heed to his own advice and  went away from the Lord. He loved many foreign women, who turned his heart away from God. This book reveals what he learned when pursuing the  ways of the world. Did Solomon return to the  Lord?  No definitive answer is given in the Scriptures, but the ending of  Ecclesiastes would suggest that he did.

Outline

A. The Preacher’s Statement  1:1-11

1. Author    v1
2. Summary of message v2
3. Central question v3
4. Illustration vv4-11

B. The Preacher’s search 1:12-2:26

1.  Wisdom and Philosophy vv12-18
2. Pleasure 2:1-11
3. Observations vv12-23
4. Conclusions vv24-26

C. The Preacher’s seeing Ch.3-6

1. Pessimism of passivity  3:1-22
2. Consideration of conduct 4:1-16
3. Plainness of practice 5:1-20
4. Discontented  desires 6:1-12

D. The Preacher’s sequitur Ch.7-10

1. The better things 7:1-14
2. The barrier of things vv15-29
3. The business done on the earth 8:1-17
4. The bankruptcy of life 9:1-18
5. The beaten path of folly 10:1-20

E. The Preacher’s summary Ch.11-12

1. Your labour is not in vain 11:1-6
2. Days of light and darkness vv7-8
3. Days of youth 11:9-12:7
4. The preacher still taught vv8-11
5. The conclusion of the matter vv12-14

Notes