Sermon Tone Analysis

Sermon audio available [[here|http://www.firwoodchurch.com/podcast/ecclesiastes-under-the-sun-part-1-the-reality-check/]].

! 1. INTRODUCTION

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/The Problem with Ecclesiastes/

Ecclesiastes is a difficult book; difficult to translate, difficult to interpret and difficult to reconcile within the broader canon of Scripture.

The language is unusual, there are words and phrases that are not used anywhere else in Scripture.

There are some words that are not found anywhere else in ancient literature.

The themes are difficult to pin down.

There are moments in which the writer appears to be plumbing the depths of despair and, at other times, he appears to encourage the reader to live a full and joyful life.

This has led commentators to take widely differing views with regards to the overall meaning of the book, some arguing that the writer is an agnostic, others that he is orthodox; some that this book is pessimist in its view of life and others that the writer is an optimist.

Similarly there are difficulties in understanding how Ecclesiastes fits in within the broader canon of Scripture.

‘Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise.

Why should you destroy yourself?’

(Ecclesiastes 7:16) does not seem to fit with the broad exhortation of Scripture to pursue holiness.

Or, ‘There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil.’

(Ecclesiastes 2:24), seems to run in the face of other biblical text which exhort sobriety and warn against gluttony.

Consequently, Ecclesiastes is oftentimes neglected in our personal bible study and neglected even more from the pulpit.

The difficulty is quite simply this; what do we do with a book where the central message appears to be, ‘All is vanity’, or, as the NIV puts it, ‘Everything is meaningless’, (Ecclesiastes 1:2, 14, 2:17, 19, 23, 3:19, 4:4, 8, 16, 6:2, 11:8 and 12:8)?

The starting point of this twenty-two part series, then, is to ask why believers in the light of the revelation of the New Testament and the cross should study the book of Ecclesiastes.

I intend, therefore, to set out seven reasons why Christians should study the book of Ecclesiastes.

I take the first five of these reasons from the prologue and the final two from the final chapter of the book.

! 2. THE REALITY CHECK

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/i.

Solomon intends this book to be read by the believing community/

The book begins by introducing the speaker/writer of Ecclesiastes,

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

(Ecclesiastes 1:1)

Our first task is to identify the speaker.

We are told two things that help us identify the voice behind Ecclesiastes.

We consider the second point first, we are told that the speaker is ‘king in Jerusalem’, later, as we will consider next week, we are told that this king, ‘acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before [him]’ (Ecclesiastes 1:16) and that he ‘became great and surpassed all who were before [him] in Jerusalem (Ecclesiastes 2:9).

Furthermore, we are told that this king is ‘the son of David’.

As has been observed by other commentators, the designation, ‘son of David’ can be taken to refer to anyone who is of the line of David.

Indeed, the New Testament describes Joseph as a son of David (Matthew 1:20).

It is my view, however, that despite some recent commentators who argue for a later date, that the speaker takes great pains to describe himself as Solomon, the son of King David and the greatest of all Israel’s kings.

How does any of this persuade us that this book is of value to believers living in 2009 and in the light of Christ Jesus?

It is significant that Solomon refers to himself as ‘the Preacher’ (other versions translate this as ‘Teacher’ (NIV)).

The Hebrew word, ‘Qoheleth’, here translated to ‘Preacher’ is unique to the book of Ecclesiastes.

The root of this word is, however, used elsewhere in relation to Solomon.

Indeed, at the dedication of the temple the root word is used in reference to Solomon assembling the Elders of Israel (1 Kings 8:1) and speaking to the assembly of Israel (1 Kings 8:14).

The designation Preacher carries the connotation that Solomon is one who convenes the believing community and then proclaims God’s word.

The superscription, ‘The words of the Preacher’ (Ecclesiastes 1:1) states Solomon’s intention for this book.

He imagines himself speaking these words to God’s people.

We can be sure that there is great value in reading, studying and preaching the words of this book, because this is how Solomon intends Ecclesiastes to be approached.

/ii.

Solomon intends us to feel the extent of our fall and the futility of the human condition/

'Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher,

vanity of vanities!

All is vanity.

What does man gain by all the toil

at which he toils under the sun?

A generation goes, and a generation comes,

but the earth remains forever.' (Ecclesiastes 1:2-4)

/a.

The scope of Solomon’s enquiry/

Solomon uses the prologue to set out his terms of reference, his scope of enquiry.

Ecclesiastes anatomises activity, life, ‘I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind’ (Ecclesiastes 1:14).

Some commentators have erroneously argued that Ecclesiastes promotes a secular outlook on life.

It is important that we consider carefully what Solomon intends when he considers all that occurs ‘under the sun’ in order to understand the extent of his conclusion that ‘all is vanity’ (v.

2).

A clue to understanding what Solomon intends by the designation, ‘under the sun’, is found in verse 3 where Solomon asks, ‘What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?’.

There is here, I think, a reference to the Genesis account of creation and the fall.

We recall how, after the man and women rebelled, God cursed the ground and, as a result, work became difficult, tiring and frustrating (Genesis 3:17-19).

God then sent the man ‘out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken’ (Genesis 3:23).

In turning his attention to all that takes place ‘under the sun’, Solomon is not denying the existence of God or the involvement of God in the world in which we live.

Rather Solomon limits his enquiry to this fallen world with all of its frustration, difficulty and toil.

The prologue makes plain the scope of this enquiry, verses 3 and 4 address the activity of man; verses 5 to 7, the futility of creation; verses 8 to 11, the meaninglessness of mankind’s insatiable need for satisfaction.

The phrase ‘under the sun’ is, therefore, probably best understood alongside similar New Testament references to this ‘present age’ (Galatians 1:4, 1 Timothy 6:17 and Titus 2:12), ‘present time’ (Romans 8:18) and this ‘present world’.

Consider, for example, Paul’s warning that believers abstain from becoming involved in the sinfulness of this world in which we live, Paul’s exhortation is grounded upon a fundamental truth regarding this present world,

For the present form of this world is passing away.

(1 Corinthians 7:31).

Paul understands that all we see around us is temporary and that the world in its present form will pass away with Christ’s return and that there will be a new heavens and earth.

This leads me to my next point.

/b.

Solomon’s conclusion/

Solomon, throughout Ecclesiastes, repeatedly concludes that ‘all is vanity’ and so, we must ask, what Solomon intends by this.

The NIV translates ‘vanity of vanities’ (v. 2) as ‘Meaningless, meaningless’, alternatively this same word could be translated as ‘useless’ and, in truth, the Hebrew word contains all three meanings.

Translated literally, the Hebrew word is very close to that of ‘vapour’ and the words suggests emptiness and a lack of substance or content.

In verses 2, 3 and 4, Solomon concludes that mankind’s toil is ‘vanity’, we work, but gain nothing, we toil and yet we barely make a dent on the world around us,

'A generation goes, and a generation comes,

but the earth remains forever.' (Ecclesiastes 1:4)

Those of us who work feel this frustration as one week rolls into the next and yet little changes.

Our garden is clear of weeds today, but in a week, a month’s time we will be out there again toiling the earth; we empty the pallet on the production line, only for it to be replaced with yet more stock and the inbox of our email is as full today as it was last week.

Solomon concludes that, ultimately, such pursuit is vanity, empty, futile and meaningless.

But Solomon’s target is greater than the mere ‘nine to five’ grind.

Solomon is nailing something fundamental about the human condition.

All of us crave significance; we want to feel as though we have made a difference.

We long to leave something permanent in our wake; we strive after preserving a legacy.

Solomon recognises that such endeavours are futile and, as an entire generation passes from the earth, the earth continues to revolve on its axis unmoved.

James picks up on this same point (it is important to remember that Solomon’s observations are, in fact, consistent with the whole of Scripture),

'Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.

What is your life?

For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.'

(James 4:13-17)

Both James and Solomon understand that our life is transient and fleeting and we are powerless to extend our life by even an hour, ‘[…] which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?’ (Matthew 6:27).

Our life, endeavour and legacy are, ultimately, beyond our grasp.

We are but a mist, our life but a vapour.

We come and we go, the universe remains.

Solomon concludes that such toil, this search for significance is futile, vanity and, ultimately, meaningless.

/iii.

Solomon intends us to feel the weight of the brokenness of creation/

'The sun rises, and the sun goes down,

and hastens to the place where it rises.