Solomon's Dilemma Resolved - Ecclesiastes
Writer Author Sylvia Huffnagle
Christian Article
:
Bible Teaching
- Fiction No
In the Bible, the book of Ecclesiastes was written by a man, actually
a very wise man, who was seeking for the answers to what life is all about.
His question--is 1ife worth living, when what so many dreams and plans turn out to be vain (empty of substance)? He did not find the answers, but came to a good conclusion, which by the way he did not do himself--that the best course of action in life is to fear God and obey His commandments because there is a final judgment.
But God has answered his questions and problems for us by giving us Jesus Christ. The book of Ecclesiastes is actually a cry for Jesus. Solomon starts out declaring that all of life is meaningless and asks: What profit hath a man of all his labor? He goes on to show by example that life is for nothing. He says, everything comes and goes, but the earth remains--it does its same labor over and over again. He says nothing is new--its been done, seen, accomplished before.
I am here to tell you JESUS FIXED ALL THAT. The Glorious Gospel states that when one gets born again of the Spirit of God, they are a NEW creation and they have a NEW hope, a NEW beginning, NEW goals, a NEW 1ife, and they are to RENEW their minds with the Bible (spiritual thinking for a spiritual life), so that they think like their God instead of like the meaningless world.
In 1Peter 1:18, we see that Christians have been redeemed from the empty manner of life taught by men. They also have a NEW job and that is to help God bui1d, instead of he1ping the devil destroy.
Now let's get into Ecclesiastes and see what Jesus has done for us. Solomon says: That which is crooked cannot be made straight and that which is lacking cannot be counted. But Jesus did make crooked paths, straight and crooked limbs straight and He fed multitudes with food they did not have. He was teaching us that those who abide in Him are not limited to man's estimations and conclusions. Spiritual life is not limited. Jesus said: All things are possible to he that believeth.
Solomon then goes on to bemoan that even seeking wisdom and understanding is meaningless, like chasing after the wind. But for Christians, godly wisdom is essential for them to be effective builders.
Solomon says, he tried laughter and pleasure, wine, and folly and that nothing was accomplished or satisfying. God explains this in Romans 6-8, where He tells Christians how to rule over their sinful nature and yield their members unto righteousness as instruments for good work that they have may have their fruit in holiness and in the end everlasting life.
The fruit of yielding yourself to sin is death. As for wine, it is written: Eph:5:18: And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
A lot of people who want to be good abstain from wine, but they never get filled with the Spirit. The spiritual high is productive, the carnal high is counter-productive. You’ll find this true of all of life’s choices--the choice in favor of the flesh will be counter-productive. The choice to walk by spiritual wisdom is productive.
So then Solomon tried great projects--building great buildings and treasures. He spent himself in labor and found it meaningless, because nothing was really gained and he was destined to leave it behind for someone else. For Christians, his dilemma is solved for Jesus told them to lay up their treasures in heaven and the New Testament tells them to work for the kingdom of God. Thus their work is not meaningless or for nothing.
Solomon concludes that though the wise man walks in light and the fool in darkness, the same fate overtakes them both. This is declared untrue in the New Testament. In fact, Christians are promised the exact opposite. 1Jn:1:7: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
As Solomon thought on these things his heart began to despair--to him life is as meaningless as the insect’s life looks meaningless to us--all we see is that they are born or hatched, they live a short while, they grow and find a mate and then they lay eggs or larva and then die.
Solomon felt that way, because he didn’t have the hope spoken of in Eph:2:12-13: That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 16-18: And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18: For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Solomon then talks about time. He says there is a time to be born and
a time to die. For Christians it is a time to be born again and a time to die to self or selfishness.
He says there is a time to plant and a time to uproot. For Christians it’s a time to plant the Word, and a time to uproot false teachings and notions.
He says there is a time to kill and a time to heal. For Christians it’s a time to kill bad habits and attitudes and a time to be healed of their hurts and wounds.
He says there’s a time to tear down and a time to build. For Christians it’s a time to tear down idols and build up their weapons and armor to fight the liar.
He says there is a time to weep and a time to laugh. For Christians it’s a time to weep for others in their sorrow and laugh with others in their victories.
He says there is a time to mourn and a time to dance. For Christians, they mourn for the lost all the time and dance for joy at the good news of the gospel all the time.
He says there is a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them. For Christians there is a time to scatter the stones of the old building--former manner of life. And a time to gather the stones of the new building in Jesus--1Pt:2:5: Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
He says there is a time to embrace and a time to refrain. For Christians it’s a time to embrace tile truth and refrain from temptations.
He says there’s a time to search and a time to give up. For Christians it’s a time to search for God and give up worldly thinking.
He says there’s a time to keep and a time to throwaway. For Christians it’s a time to keep promises and throwaway their pride.
He says there is a time to tear and a time to mend. For Christians it’s a time to tear the veil that separates them from God and to mend broken hearts with the good news.
He says there’s a time to be silent and a time to speak. For Christians there is a time to speak God’s Words and a time to be silent.
He says there’s a time to love and a time to hate. For Christians it’s always a time to love others and always a time to hate evil.
He says there’s a time for war and a time for peace. For Christians it’s always time to war against the flesh and the devil and time to be at peace with God and peaceful men.
Solomon was concluding that these come and go and for what? For Christian as you can see, it’s for eternity. While meditating on time to take action, remember that sin brought in the negatives. In Rev:19- 20, the negatives are again removed.
In Eccles:3: 11, Solomon says: "Everything is beautiful in its own time. Christians who abide in Jesus will be beautiful for eternity, becoming more beautiful as they progress. With God things always progress, never digress. Again the fading and dying are gone. Oh, death, where is your sting? 1Cor:15:55.
In Eccles:11:l4, Solomon acknowledges God’s sovereignty in all of this. God is in the process of building something here. He is in the process of building, healing, delivering, teaching, and cleaning house. Everyone who lives by faith in God, has contributed something to the building and everyone who continues to hearken to the liar will not be a part of God’s kingdom.
In Vs 19-2l, we see again that man needed the assurance given in the New Testament, that they have a choice; they can be born of God and become a
child of God or they can reject God and become a beast.
In chap. 4:1, he laments because there is no comforter. The New Testament tells us in that the comforter has come. Jn: 14:16-17: And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
In 4:4, Solomon bemoans how man labors to have more than his neighbor and that it is all vanity. Christians are to labor for the Master, winning souls, ministering to needs, witnessing the truth to those who will hear, and giving for the support of the poor.
1Pet:1:3-4: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4: To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
In 6:6, Solomon is tormented with the idea that all end up in the same place. But Christians have the blessed assurance that this is not so. Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
In 6:7, he notes that all of man's efforts are for their mouth, yet he is never satisfied. For Christians I already pointed out that they labor for the kingdom and their renewed minds look at it this way: Phil: 3:7-11: But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8: Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9: And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11: If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Back to Solomon, in 6:12, he says, who knows what is good and who can tell him what will happen? And in 8:7-8 he says no man can know the future. Jesus changed all that: Jn:12-14: I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13: Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14: He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
He says, no man has power over the wind, and over the day of his death. Jesus
had authority over the wind, and over the day of His death. Mk:4:41: And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
Mt:26:52-54: Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. 53: Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? 54: But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?
In 10:9, Solomon expresses the punch line of the devil, "Since there is no tomorrow, whatever you find to do, do with all jour might." and in chap 8:15 he concluded that we might as well eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die. So Paul says, in 1Cor:15:32: If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.
And in Heb:2:14-15: Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15: And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
In 8:12 as in the end of the book, 12:12, Solomon comes to the right conclusion, but he still lived a sinfull life because he didn‘t have Jesus and he was under great temptation. As you can see, Solomon's deliverance would have been in Jesus and eternal life, being born again, new goals, new hopes, and a new spirit. Solomon took this attitude in Ecclesiastes and Solomon fell, you do not have to, you can have Jesus. Your life does not have to meaningless or amount to vanity.
© Sylvia Huffnagle
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