Ecclesiastes 1:1-8

Mark

Ecclesiastes • Sermon • Submitted 7 months ago • Presented 7 months ago

Ecclesiastes 1:1–8

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Introduction

Name

Anglication of Greek ekklesiates meaning “preacher”

From the root word ekklesia meaning “assembly” or “congregation”

Hebrew title Qoheleth “one who calls or gathers” the people

All in Ecclesiastes and since it is a title it is capitalized

Author

While it is technically anonymous, Solomon is the most widely accepted author of Ecclesiastes

Most likely written late in his life, no later than 931BC

The structure follows his moral odyssey

Some doubt saying the language is too modern for Solomon’s time

No better alternatives that match the descriptions of “the Preacher” given in the text

Wisdom Lit

Part of Megilloth - Five Scrolls, read on Sukkot or the feast of Tabernacles or Booths

Ruth, Song of Solomon, Esther, and Lamentations

Esther on Purim twice

Ruth on Shavuot - when the 10 commandments were given

Song of Solomon - Passover

Lamentations on Tisha B'Av - commemorating the destruction of the first and second Temple

Themes

The overall theme of the book is that it is imperative that we trust in God in this fallen and ultimately temporary world

Some interpret it as a statement of pessimism, some optimism, religious and philosophical skepticism, some of faithful belief ect

But viewed as a whole it describes the futility and temporality of this life and this world and how we should trust in God over anything we can do or in the world itself.

Outline

Verses 1-3 are the introduction

1:4-2-26 Gives the Preachers first list of vanities

Natural world

Wisdom and knowledge

Worldly pleasures and accomplishments

1

Ecclesiastes 1:1 “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.”

Again the word Preacher is the Hebrew title Qoheleth either spelled with a Q or a K and means, leader or speaker of the assembly, like a preacher

This verse is used by both camps for and against Solomon being the author. Those against say that “the son of David” can refer to any descendant of David, as Joseph was called son of David in Matthew 1:20 and also Christ was many times.

2

Ecclesiastes 1:2 “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”

Vanities of vanities is saying the greatest of vanities, similar to Lord of lords. The preacher starts off by saying that everything is vanity, meaning temporary.

The Hebrew word is hebel, which is the same Hebrew spelling of Adam’s first son Abel, who was killed by Cain. This word is used 38 times in Ecclesiastes, which is more than half of all the uses in the whole Old Testament. It can also be translated as temporary, meaningless, senseless, futile, striving after wind, a bubble, mist among others. Ecclesiastes may also have been an influence on Paul in Romans 8 when talking about how creation was subjected to futility, Romans 8:20 “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope”

3

Ecclesiastes 1:3 “What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?”

After saying everything is temporary and fleeting he asks what are we doing here on earth, why do we work. He’s asking what is the meaning of life?

Also just as the word vanity in verse 2 is the same Hebrew word as Abel, hebel, the word man in this verse is the same Hebrew word as Adam.

The mentioning of toiling reminds us that we, man and the very ground, are cursed. The ground to be hard and unyielding, bringing thorns and thistles, and us to toil in working the ground, sweating under heavy labor just to produce food.

So in this cursed and fallen world, cursed and fallen due to the sin of Adam, everything is fleeting and temporary. Why do we keep going, what is there really to do?

The phrase “under the sun” is used in Ecclesiastes 28 times and means on earth or under the heavens and highlights the distinction between man, who is under the heavens, and God who is in heaven. We are under God and under his curse.

4

Ecclesiastes 1:4 “A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.”

Verse 4 is the start of the vanity of the natural world and is saying:

Man is born, lives for a brief moment and dies, but seemingly the earth remains unchanged, and this goes on generation after generation. We know that the earth and all of creation will pass away but looking strictly through the eyes of fallen man without the plan of God and redemption in view, the world stays and we come and go.

5-7

Ecclesiastes 1:5–7 “The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again.”

Verses 5-7 show the cyclical nature of the world, the sun comes up in the east, goes overhead and sets in the west, just rise again in the east. The wind blows and is gone, then comes again and again in a big circle. All the rivers and streams eventually flow into the seas and oceans but they do not affect the sea level, even if the river flows into a land locked sea that does not empty into the larger ocean like the Dead sea which the Jordan flow in but no river flows out to the sea. But it never gets full or overflows.

8

Ecclesiastes 1:8 “All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.”

Verses 8-11 are a recap of what has been said so far. Verse 8 calling back to verse 3 when it asks why do we work if everything is temporary and fleeting. All our work produces is weariness. What ever we do, see, or hear does not satisfy us. We must remember that these lines and sayings are said without God in mind.

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