OVERVIEW:
The vanity of wisdom apart from God (chapter 7); the vanity of hoping in government (chapter 8); the vanity of life’s unfairness (chapter 9); the vanity of foolish living (chapter 10); the vanity of selfish living (chapter 11); the vanity of forgetting God (chapter 12); Solomon’s conclusion of the whole matter.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
As we make our way into Ecclesiastes 7 in today’s reading, perhaps we should note that we are entering into the 666th chapter in the Bible. If you are not familiar with the number 6-6-6, it is the number of that “man” that Revelation 13:18 refers to as the “beast”; the “man” that 2nd Thessalonians 2:8 refers to as “that Wicked”; and 1st John 2 refers to as the “antichrist”. Coincidentally enough, note that this 666th chapter just happens to inform us that “…there is a WICKED MAN that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.” (Ecclesiastes 7:15) Additionally, coincidentally enough, Revelation 13 just happens to inform us that “that Wicked” man, the “beast” or “antichrist”, is going to receive a life-ending head wound at the end of the first 3 1/2 years in the Tribulation Period, and yet, he will “prolong his life in his wickedness” as Satan literally inhabits his body, and continues his rampage for the last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation Period, as Satan in human flesh.
Wouldn’t you know, that in this same 666th chapter in the Bible (Ecclesiastes 7), not only do we “just happen” to find the “WICKED MAN” but we also “just happen” to find his female counterpart from the book of Proverbs, the “STRANGE WOMAN”! She is the “woman” that Revelation 17 says is riding on the back of the “BEAST” or, “that WICKED MAN”! In other words, she is the “harlot and fornicating religious system” that the ANTICHRIST will use to unite the world religiously during the Tribulation Period! (Revelation 17:3–6) With that in mind, check out the warning Ecclesiastes 7:26 gives concerning her: “And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.” Check it out: a perfect description of what will take place religiously on this planet during the Tribulation!
Though we are most definitely commanded by God to “incline our ears unto wisdom” (Proverbs 2:2), Solomon lets us know in 7:23 that even acquiring wisdom will not bring us fulfillment in life if it is done apart from God. While we are commanded to seek it, the fact is, real wisdom (God’s wisdom, as opposed to “the wisdom of this world” — 1st Corinthians 1:20–21; 2:6; 3:19) is not actually the result of seeking wisdom but is a by-product of seeking God! (Ecclesiastes 2:26; Ephesians 1:17; James 1:5)
Chapter 8 deals with the vanity of hoping in government or politics to make everlasting change. If this world will ever experience real change, it will be because believers in Jesus Christ take both the “privilege” and “responsibility” of our entrustment with the gospel (1st Thessalonians 2:4), and faithfully carry out our mission, seeing God change hearts, one soul at a time! The laws of government and/or the policies of politicians and other government leaders can only change behavior. Only God Himself has the power to change people’s minds and lives by changing their hearts through the new birth! No law on earth is perfect, but Psalm 19:7 declares that God’s is! No man’s judgments are altogether true and righteous, but Psalm 19:9 declares that God’s are! Our hope must be placed in God and His glorious gospel not the government!
Chapter 8 and verse 11 is worth noting on several fronts. The verse states that “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” Note that the principle revealed in this verse has key applications:
- In a NATION. This principle provides a perfect explanation as to why the death penalty in America and many other countries in the world is not an effective deterrent to crime. The average wait on death row is over 10 years! Not quite what you’d call being “executed speedily”, that’s for sure!
- In a HOME. Another practical application of this verse has to do with the disciplining of our own children. Rather than disciplining at the point of infraction, most parents allow their child’s disobedience/wrong doing to cause them to become more and more frustrated and angry, while continuously hurling idle threats concerning consequence. Our failure to discipline “speedily” sets our children on a collision course for their hearts to become “fully set in them to do evil”.
- In a CHURCH. A pastor/leader always needs to give extreme carefulness to make certain that he has properly assessed what appears to be some type of “evil work” being carried out by an individual, or a group of individuals in the church, lest he get the facts wrong. Acting in haste, without careful assessment, can damage people, not to mention, do significant damage to the pastor’s on-going leadership. However, once a situation has been properly and biblically assessed to be an “evil work”, it is incumbent upon the leader to deal with the situation “speedily”, lest the problem fester and spread like a cancer throughout the fellowship.
As we make our way into chapter 12, Solomon has some choice words of wisdom to impart to young people. Many times, young people get the idea that since they “have their entire lives before them,” (or so they think! — Proverbs 27:1) they can live for themselves NOW and get serious about God and His mission LATER, after they’ve done the things they want to do, after they’ve “sown their wild oats”, as it were. In chapter 12 and verse 1, Solomon is trying to let us know just how whacked that kind of thinking actually is! Solomon dogmatically states and pleads with young people to: “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.” Solomon is purporting in this chapter the audaciousness of offering to the holy, Creator God our “left-overs” rather than our very best! In stark contrast to presenting ourselves to the Lord as a strapping and vivacious young man or woman with unending promise, potential and possibility (12:1a), in 12:1b–7, Solomon paints a picture of us presenting ourselves for the Lord’s use at a time in life when we are so decrepit, that:
- Life, itself, is a burden. (12:1b)
- We have one health crisis after another. (12:2)
- Our hands are shaking and our knees are bowing and weak. (12:3a, b)
- Our teeth are falling out. (12:3c)
- We’re losing our sight. (12:3d)
- We’re losing our hearing. (12:4a)
- We awaken from sleep at the slightest sound. (12:4b)
- Our voice is deep and weak. (12:4c)
- We become afraid of heights, and all kinds of other minor things. (12:5a, b)
- Our hair turns white…just before turning loose! (12:5c)
- The smallest things become a hassle. (12:5d)
- The desires that used to drive us are no longer there because we’re about to die. (12:5 e, f)
- Our body, in general, is just falling apart, until it is thrown in the ground and returns to dust. (12:6–7)
Oh, may the words of Solomon that come to us by Divine inspiration arrest the very soul of every young man and young woman today: “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth…”
In light of all that Solomon experienced in his life “under the sun”, Solomon concludes that everything in life all comes down to this: “Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (12:13) After being born again, those two simple pieces of advice will take us far in our journey!
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
- As THE POOR WISE MAN — Ecclesiastes 9:14–16 (2nd Corinthians 8:9 tells us that Jesus Christ became poor, so that He, by His grace, might make us rich.)
- As THE CREATOR — Ecclesiastes 12:1 (John 1:1–3, 14)