OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY
LECTURE 34
ECCLESIASTES & SONG OF SOLOMON
ECCLESIASTES
Ecclesiastes is the Greek rendering of the word “Koheleth”, which means ‘Preacher’. The word ‘preacher’ is mentioned 4 times in the New Testament, and 7 times in the Old… and all 7 are in Ecclesiastes.
Many say that another fitting title could be “The Confessions of Solomon”.
Ecclesiastes is basically written in a flesh-centerred, humanic view for the most part. Of course, it has strong spiritual teachings overriding it all.
1. ALL IS VANITY
1:1-3 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
Things keep going on; nothing really changes (sun, wind, rivers, nothing new under the sun…). What’s the point of it all?!!... This should be the view of a typical lost person; what’s the point?! They work 40 to 50 hours per week, and for what?! Oh, there’s a little enjoyment here and there, but most of it is the ‘daily grind’ in this ‘work-a-day world’!
But, for a Christian, one can see beyond all this; they see that all is not vanity. The only thing that is vain is what lost people do (and, sadly, many saved folk); the pointless life they lead… A Christian’s life should be ‘glory, glory’, not ‘vanity, vanity’!
2. ENJOY PLEASURE
2:1-3 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
He built houses, had gardens and orchards, pools, cattle, servants, lots of money. He sought to enjoy all the pleasures that this world had to offer. This seems to be the endeavor of most Americans; to ‘enjoy pleasure’; to have a good time; to party; to buy things; plant things; build things; save up lots of money… They say in their heart, “Go to now…and enjoy pleasure”!
2:11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun. 17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. 22 For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? 23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
Famous folk, rich folk, Hollywood actors, Rock stars, etc., become ‘great’ and ‘increase more than all’ but in the end they ‘hate life’…everything starts becoming ‘grievous’ to them; even though they have lots of stuff, lots of fame, lots of money, lots of influence, they still have travail, grief, sorrows…just like everyone else (and usually more of them!). This is ‘vexation of heart’ and ‘vanity’ indeed!
3. THE CYCLE OF LIFE
Eccl 3:1-3 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;….
God has created life, nature, weather, to follow cycles. Global Warming and then Global Cooling, every 30 years.
Wars and then Peace; economic growth and then recession/depression. Democrats x 4 years, then Republicans x 40 years !!! By God’s design, things repeat themselves… your life will follow cycles…. history surely does… wars.
Understand the big picture; don’t get all caught up in the microscopic view of things in your day to day life.
4. THREEFOLD CORD
Eccl 4:9-12 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
There’s strength in numbers. Being all alone in something is weak and often doesn’t work out.
We should send out Missionaries 2 x 2 (not 1 plus their family).
The more numbers we have united in our church body, the stronger we are; it is synergistic.
A family is relatively small in numbers, but can be a cord not quickly broken if it is ‘together’, unified, tight.
5. READY TO HEAR
Eccl 5:1-2 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
Come to church ready to hear. Sounds easy, but do you? Many come ready to talk to their friends; or come ready to relax; or come ready to impress others; or come ready to impress God; or come ready to get rid of their guilty conscience…
Come more ready to hear…to hear the truths of God’s word. So ready that you are on the edge of your pew!
Many times we are more ready to talk than to hear; we end up missing a lot God has for us, and potentially are rash with our mouth and speak negatively about things and hurt others; so, let thy words be few.
6. AN EVIL DISEASE
Eccl 6:1-2 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
Does it seem like you work real hard and try and get ahead in this world, but you don’t seem to be getting anywhere?!
Does it seem like the government is taxing (taking) away your power to enjoy the fruits of your labor?! Or maybe it is the Credit Card companies that eat up your ‘riches’. You might be saving up for your retirement, but you may die before you can enjoy it… It is an evil disease to strive to have a comfortable life only to lose a lot of it to the government, to thieves, to an untimely death! How well are you enjoying life these days?... 50 hours a week at ‘the job’, and for what?!
7. LIFE ISN’T FAIR
Eccl 7:15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.
It doesn’t seem fair when a wicked Hollywood actor lives to be 80 and has good health and lots of money and success, and a very righteous real person dies at age 45 in a tragic accident, had had poor health most of his life, was only making minimum wage, and lived in an old trailer.
Some will almost shake a fist at Heaven and say “Why!?”. Bad things can happen to good people. And, Liberals can win an election! It just doesn’t make sense or seem fair. Life isn’t fair. Chance affects us all. There will be the odditites; but don’t let that fool you: the righteous tend to fair much better in this old world than do the wicked; and they fair a trillion times better in the next world!!! All they that shall live godly shall suffer persecution….The way of the transgressor is hard…
8. FEAR GOD
Eccl 8:12-13 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.
There will be a few wicked folk that seem to still have things ‘going their way’, but in general things don’t. Their life is one misery after another. But this you can be sure of: ‘it shall be well with them that fear God’! “Well” here doesn’t mean ‘going their way’; it means going God’s way; it means that your life will be very blessed.
Look at Elvis Presley’s life…..Michael Jackson’s….Ted Kennedy’s….Barrack Obama’s… “it shall not be well with the wicked…because he feareth not before God”!
9. ONE EVENT
Eccl 9:3,9,10 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
“As it is appointed unto men once to die; but after this, the judgment”. There is one event unto all. We’re all going to die someday (short of the Rapture). Are you preparing for that grand event?! Make the best of your life; for once you are dead, your work on Earth is done (for the Lord). Why spend your life living for yourself?! Quit living all for you, and that half-heartedly. It’s time to totally ‘change gears’ and realize you’re going to die and to start getting busy for the Lord?!
10. BIRDS
Eccl 10:20 Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.
People have ‘ways’ of finding out about what you say about them. Pastors and parents especially do! God has a way of getting the important little ‘rumor’ to the right person.
11. O YOUNG MEN
Eccl 11:9,10 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.
Young person, you want to do what you want to do and not listen to your parents, grandparents, pastor??? Know thou that for all these things that you are doing, God will bring thee into judgment! Childhood and youth are vanity…silly…selfish…unpredictable…rebellious. Put away evil from thy flesh!
12. IN CONCLUSION
Eccl 12:8 Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity. 9 And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. 10 The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. 13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
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SONG OF SOLOMON
The following is taken from “Understanding the Bible” (An Independent Baptist Commentary)
By David H. Sorenson (B.A., M. Div., D. Min.) (Northstar Ministries)
Pastor Warner’s comments are in [brackets]
Introduction to the Song of Solomon: John Gill wrote,“This book is entitled, in the Hebrew copies, “Shir Hashirim,” theSong of Songs. The Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions call it,“the Song;” and the title of it in the Syriac version is, “the Wisdomof Wisdoms of the same Solomon; that is, the same who wrote thetwo preceding books.” This book is an allegory, re-presenting thelove between Christ and the church. The primary figures are therelationship and affection that exist between a bridegroom and hisbride, an emblem often used in Scripture. The book is sometimesreferred to as ‘Canticles.’ Scofield wrote, “The book is theexpression of pure marital love as ordained of God in creation. . . .The secondary and larger interpretation is of Christ, the Son and His heavenly bride, the Church.” Solomon undoubtedly wrote thisbook during the earlier, spiritual years of his reign.
Overview of Song of Solomon chapter 1: The allegoryclearly is of a bridegroom and his bride. The clear implicationis of Christ and the church. The chapter therefore expresses thebride protesting her unworthiness yet the grace of thebridegroom (verses 1-6). The bride and groom yearn for eachother (verses 7-8). Then, the bride pours out a beautiful poem ofpraise of her great Bridegroom (verses 9-17).
1:1 The book commences by announcing its title, The songof songs, which is Solomon’s. A love song above all others isheralded. The author clearly is Solomon.
1:2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: forthy love is better than wine.
[This verse sets the stage for the remainder: an intimate love relationship between a wife and her husband.]
4 Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hathbrought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoicein thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the uprightlove thee.
The picture is of an oriental wedding wherein the bridalvirgins (attendants in modern terms) stayed near the brideduring the wedding feast (i.e., honeymoon). They were notprivy to the intimacy between the bride and groom, but werenearby rejoicing with her. The greater picture however clearly is of the blessedunion of Christ and the church at the great wedding supper ofthe Lamb. In the broader scope ofeschatology, the virgins may in fact be redeemed Israel at thewedding supper of the Lamb. See Matthew 25:1-13 and theparable of the ten virgins.
5 I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem,as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
There has been numerous propositions about thesignificance of the term black. Perhaps the simplest is thatSolomon’s bride was from Africa. I Kings 3:1 makes clear thathis first wife was an Egyptian, the daughter of the sitting Pharaoh.Others have suggested that the bride in question was ashepherd girl and therefore darkly suntanned. Those given tospiritualizing have suggested that her blackness signified hersinful condition.In the greater allegory of the church and Christ, it is clearthat our Lord is taking to Him a gentile bride. That seems to bethe point here in this verse.
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Overview of Song of Solomon 2: The dialogue between thebride and groom continues in verses 1-7. Then in verses 8-13,there is the anticipation and joy of the bride at the return of herbeloved husband.
2:1 I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.
Inasmuch as the next verse speaks of the bride, the speaker hereclearly is the groom. He thus likens himself to two beautifulflowers. Sharon was (and is) the coastal plain along the southwesterncoasts of Israel. There grows there a lovely rose-likeflower. [Jesus is often referred to as ‘The Rose of Sharon’.]
4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and hisbanner over me was love.
Whereas the previous verse spoke ofromantic interludes in private, here the focus turns to times ofpublic togetherness. (The oriental custom was often for the men to ignore theirwives at such functions.)