Book of Ecclesiastes

Outline of Chapter One

I. Prologue to the book (1:1-3)

A. Author identified (1)

B. Theme stated (2)

C. Question raised (3)

II. Futility observed in the cycles of life (1:4-11)

A. Nothing seems to change (4-7)

B. Nothing seems to satisfy (8)

C. Nothing is new under the sun (9-11)

III. The futility of human wisdom (1:12-18)

A. The preacher describes his search (12-15)

B. The preacher applied his God-given wisdom(16-17a)

C. The preacher concludes (human) wisdom is futile (17b-18)

MAIN POINTS

Introduction / Prologue

Futility observed in the Cycles of Life

Futility of Human Wisdom

How does the author describe himself?

Ecclesiastes 1:1 ESV

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

Theme of Ecclesiastes?

Ecclesiastes 1:2 ESV

Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

Solomon starts off with the conclusion (first scene in movie is the end)

A man viewing his life from the outside in

The term vanity means breath - meaningless

Any thing man does apart from God is meaningless in the end

James 4:15 ESV

Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

What is the key question in this chapter?

Ecclesiastes 1:3 ESV

What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?

What Illustrations are given to show the futility observed in the cycles of life

Ecclesiastes 1:4–7 ESV

A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. 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.

You live, you die

Cycle of nature is endless and is vain

What is never satisfied?

Ecclesiastes 1:8 ESV

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

Acts 17:21 ESV

Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

Why is there nothing new under the sun?

Ecclesiastes 1:9 ESV

What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.

Why do we think something is new?

Ecclesiastes 1:10–11 ESV

Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has been already in the ages before us. There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after.

Man did not discovery gravity

We don’t discover any thing new

Travel example (hyper loop)

What did the Preacher determine to do and why?

Ecclesiastes 1:13 ESV

And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with.

Having seen the works done under the sun, what did he conclude and why?

Ecclesiastes 1:14–15 ESV

I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted.

What did he acknowledge he had attained?

Ecclesiastes 1:16 ESV

I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”

What did he set his heart to know?

Ecclesiastes 1:17 ESV

And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.

What conclusion did he draw and why?

Ecclesiastes 1:18 ESV

For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

If there is nothing but nothing under the sun that has any meaning, then our only hope for meaning and satisfaction must be ABOVE the sun - outside of ourselves

For every universal, innate need of man, there is an available and corresponding satisfaction

Huger - Food

Sex - spouse

The search for meaning, for satisfaction, for lasting value, for life beyond death is a universal human experience can be satisfied - BUT NOT by any thing material, human or earthly - only be God!

Why role does wisdom play in the life of mankind?