Ecc Sermon Week 1

Justin Ashurst

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Intro/Welcome

Book Intro

We are kicking off a New Series today on the book of Ecclesiastes

We will spend the summer going through this book.

This is one of my favorite books

An immensely practical book

Do as I say, not as I do (or as I did)

My parents told me that, they wanted me to learn from their mistakes

Did I listen, well sometime, not all the time.

Most of us, no matter how much we are told, still have to learn by experience.

It is perhaps the ultimate expression of “do as I say, but not as I have done.”

it is a book that explores the meaning of life

as the “teacher” seeks to find meanings, purpose and fulfillment in nearly every endeavor and experience known to man.

And he has some ‘wisdom for us.’

Genre

Ecclesiastes is a genre of Wisdom Literature

Includes Job, Proverbs and the Song of Solomon

It is a daunting book to interpret.

It seems to go all over the place

There isn’t a super clear structure

Reflections, interspersed with proverbs, poems, parables.

It is one of the most honest books you will ever read.

It tells it like it is

brutally honest about life’s injustices, empty pursuits, and perplexing experiences.

Everyone can relate to Ecc b/c it is a book about everyday life and every day questions we all face.

invite your friends

If you’ve ever felt the frustrations of life, then Ecc is the book for you.

Approaching Ecc

In approaching the book of Ecc there are two equal an opposite responses:

Despair or Delight

Hope or hopelessness

What makes the difference?

I believe the author tells us at the end.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 CSB When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: fear God and keep his commands, because this is for all humanity.

Our relationship to God is what makes the difference.

It is God that gives meaning to everything.

The Big Idea in Ecc is this:

The only path to meaning, purpose and fulfillment in this life and the next is through God, everything else is (meaningless) hebel.

Bible

We’ll be in Ecc 1:1-15 today

My name is Justin, one of Pastors

Good to be with you, online as well

Let’ ask God for wisdom as we jump into this book.

Pray

give us wisdom

Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:1–3 CSB 1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 “Absolute futility,” says the Teacher. “Absolute futility. Everything is futile.” 3 What does a person gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun?

Authorship

Who wrote Ecclesiastes? Who is the teacher?

Clues:

the words of the teacher - qohelet

he who gathers in an assembly for teaching.

son of David

King in Jerusalem

Again in Ecc 1:12

Ecclesiastes 1:12 CSB I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

Noice the shift from 3rd person, to 1st person. We see it again predominately at the end of the book (although there is one right in the middle Ecc 7:27) in Ecc 12:8

Ecclesiastes 12:8 CSB 8 “Absolute futility,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile.”

This has led many to believe there are two authors, a narrator or critic and the ‘teacher’ himself.

Tradition says that King Solomon was the Author of Ecc

Though recent scholarship believes it was not Solomon.

I tend to think Solomon was the Author and in fact was the narrator as well.

I’ll post a more in depth video on why I think this is so, but in brief. We read in 1 Kings:

Reasoning

Solomon was the

Son of David (actually the son of Bathsheba)

King of Jerusalem (1 Kings 1:38ff)

given unsurpassed wisdom by God when he asked for wisdom to rule his people (1 Kings 3:12)

Therefore he had the power and the means to pursue all that he did in this book.

He also was given wisdom which is the means by which he goes about his task.

Ecclesiastes 1:13 CSB I applied my mind to examine and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven...

Wisdom is the predominant theme in the book.

Old Solomon

I think Ecc is a book written at the end of Solomon’s life as a reflection on all that he has experienced.

If you know anything about Solomon it was a crazy life.

He was born out of the adulterous and murderous relationship between David and Bathsheba

He was named David’s successor and had to silence any opposition through murder.

He was given wisdom, riches, power and peace by God.

He built the Temple in Jerusalem

He built a much larger palace for himself

He spoke 3000 proverbs, wrote 1005 songs

Later in life he turned away from the Lord 1 Kings 11:1ff

He had 700 wives and 300 concubines

He followed false Gods

His life is a little bit like the prodigal son.

I think in many ways, Ecc is a book of repentance as Old Solomon (the narrator) is reflecting on his life (young Solomon)

This is definitely a minority position.

Part of the reason this makes sense is in Chapter 12 he ends with a plea for those how are young to remember their Creator while they are young.

so that they don’t make the same mistake he did.

Solmon’s Quest

What is it that Solomon was after? What was his quest?

Ecclesiastes 1:3 CSB 3 What does a person gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun?

This is the question he is after.

It is the question that we all ask at some point?

What gain is there?

What is this all for?

Why am I working so hard?

Is there meaning to what I am doing?

Is there any purpose to my struggles?

this is the question Solomon is asking.

Like you and I Solomon is asking the question.

Unlike you and I, Solomon has the means, power and resources to pursue this .

Furthermore he has a special measure of Wisdom gifted to him.

Through Wisdom

How is Solomon going to answer this question?

Through wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 1:13 CSB 13 I applied my mind to examine and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven.

what would you do if you had all money, power and resources?

Tom Brady— there must be something more

Solomon is going to save you the trouble

So then, if anyone could answer this question, it is Solomon.

Solomon is

The Pope, President, Hugh Hefner), Tony Stark (iron man), Stephen Hawking all rolled into one.

Solomon was the wisest, richest, most powerful man of his time.

and tell you ‘you can already have’ what is most important, what is immeasurably valuable

furthermore anyone can

it’s a relationships with God.

Solomon’s Conclusion

What is his great conclusion at the end of all of his explorations?

Ecclesiastes 1:2 CSB 2 “Absolute futility (Hevel, Hevaleem),” says the Teacher. “Absolute futility (Hevel, Hevaleem). Everything is futile.”

Ecclesiastes 1:14 CSB

14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.

“Hevel, hevaleem” (hebrew repetition — holy, holy, holy)

used 38x in the book

Translated as : vanity of vanities, completely meaningless, absolutely futile.

Literally — vapor, mist

carries the connotation: frustration, futility, emptiness, meaningless, senseless, perplexing, vain

Let me tell you about hebel in Ecc:

Hebel

when you get out of the shower and there’s that burst of steam — that is hebel

when a young child that has their whole life in front of them is diagnosed with a terminal illness — that’s hebel

when you work your whole life to build a retirement fund and only to pass away the day after you retire — that’s hebel

When you’ve just paid off your car loan and you total your car the next day — that’s hebel.

when the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer — that’s hebel

when your computer crashes just as you’ve completed your term paper — that’s hebel.

when a husband abandons his family to pursue a romantic fling — that’s hebel

when you reach the summit of earthly ambition and achievement to discover it’s not enough — that’s hebel

when the addict just can’t stop going back to his addiction — that’s hebel

Coronavirus is hebel

You have experienced ‘hebel’ in your life

We have all experienced hebel in our life.

When have you felt the ‘hebel’ of life?

Maybe you are experiencing that right now?

Solomon gives us some examples of Hebel

Examples of Hebel

Nature

Ecclesiastes 1:4–7 CSB 4 A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.

We came and we go, but the earth goes on

5 The sun rises and the sun sets; panting, it hurries back to the place where it rises.

6 Gusting to the south, turning to the north, turning, turning, goes the wind, and the wind returns in its cycles.

7 All the streams flow to the sea, yet the sea is never full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again.

We are all on this treadmill of life

an endless round about

Things happen — but nothing is accomplished.

You make your bed, only for it to be unmade

day after day

endless — meaningless.

Nature itself — seemingly meaningless.

Nothing ever actually changes.

He then moves to the human experience.

Human Experience

Ecclesiastes 1:8–11 CSB

8 All things are wearisome, more than anyone can say.

lit ‘all words’ are wearisome — struggling, striving, troubling

This life is exhausting — what gain is there?

This is hebel

The eye is not satisfied by seeing or the ear filled with hearing.

Why? becuase there is an insatiable thirst within us.

We will never see enough, hear enough, experience enough to be satisfied.

This is hebel

9 What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Can one say about anything, “Look, this is new”? It has already existed in the ages before us.

there is nothing new

11 There is no remembrance of those who came before; and of those who will come after there will also be no remembrance by those who follow them.

No one is going to remember you in 100 years.

Do you remember who your great great grandparents were?

Does anyone else?

No matter how much we strive for significance, impact to leave a legacy — we will simply be unknown gravestones.

This is hebel

Application:

Go to a graveyard this week and look at the names.

Do they mean anything now?

It’s all hebel — Solomon says.

Solomon Concludes

Ecclesiastes 1:12–13 CSB 12 I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I applied my mind to examine and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven. God has given people this miserable task to keep them occupied.

In other words — this life stinks.

Yea, there’s some good times but overall — is it really worth it?

he goes on

Ecclesiastes 1:14–15 CSB 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind. 15 What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.

Absolute futility! — habel, habeleem

a pursuit of the wind — something you cannot control, something you cannot grasp, something you cannot even see.

Everything done under the sun.

Brokenness

Ecc 1:15 is really interesting to me.

What Solomon is describing is brokenness, living in a broken world.

That which is ‘crooked’ cannot be made straight

that which is ‘lacking can’t be counted.

Or as the NLT puts it.

Ecclesiastes 1:15 NLT

15 What is wrong cannot be made right. What is missing cannot be recovered.

The book of Ecclesiastes is a commentary on living in a fallen world.

living in a world of broken

where sin, suffering, sadness and senselessness exist.

Furthermore he uses almost the exact same phrase in

Ecclesiastes 7:13 CSB Consider the work of God, for who can straighten out what he has made crooked?

What does this mean that God made ‘crooked’?

I take this to mean the curses given in Genesis 3

It is the fall, God’s response to our rebellion

Welcome to Ecclesiastes

Depressed?

Ecclesiastes may be the most honest book in the Bible.

Hope in Futility

So if it’s despair or delight…where do we get delight?

Where do we find Hope in this hopelessness of hebel?

God — This is where ends the book.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 CSB 13 When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: fear God and keep his commands, because this is for all humanity.

Our only hope is God.

The only path to meaning, purpose and fulfillment in this life and the next is through God, everything else is (meaningless) hebel.

God in Ecc

God shows up throughout Ecc.

You see this is also littered throughout Solomon’s exploration.

Ecclesiastes 2:24–25 CSB 24 There is nothing better for a person than to eat, drink, and enjoy his work. I have seen that even this is from God’s hand, 25 because who can eat and who can enjoy life apart from him?

Under the Sun

I believe it is tied up in the phrase ‘under the sun’

Many commentators believe this simply means life here on earth, that is literally life ‘under the sun’

Or life on earth without God

But throughout the book there is reference to God.

and even as believers we can still experience hebel

I would say this:

‘under the sun’ means life on earth in a fallen world.

Hope in the hebel comes through trust in God.

a trust that looks like obedience Ecc 12:13

A trust that is ultimately in the resurrection.

This I think is the key to understanding redemption in the hebel.

And this will important for the rest of our study in Ecc

Why do I say that?

Jesus the Power and Wisdom of God

Jesus is the wisdom of God.

Solomon was given wisdom from God

but Jesus is wisdom from God.

1 Corinthians 1:24 CSB 24 Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God,

As wise as Solomon was, he did not know of the resurrection.

His conclusion is right — the best shot is to fear God and obey him.

Jesus is the resurrection (the power of God)

In Romans 8:20-21, I believe Paul gives us the answer for hebel.

Romans 8:20-21

The greek word for ‘hevel’ used in Ecc is ματαιότητι (mataiotees)

and it is used only 2x in the NT

Eph 4:17 and Roman 8:20

Romans 8:20-21 I think gives us the proper understanding of Ecc and Hebel.

Romans 8:20–21 CSB 20 For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it—in the hope 21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children.

Solomon strains and strains to understand what it is all about

why things are the way they are.

repeatedly he says we cannot know what God is up to.

Paul says, we can know this much.

in hope — that we would be free from decay, death, corruption — the stain of sin, the singe of brokenness

into the ‘glorious freedom of god’s children’

hebel is mean to point us back to the only one who gives, life, purpose and meaning

the only one who turns evil to good

who can rebuild - brokenness

restore the wretched

redeem the all things ‘under the sun’

God bless the broken road..

Why? — The Cross

Why?

The Cross as the ultimate example of hebel

The most righteous, delightful, pure, kind, honest, humble human being to ever walk the earth was treated as the most disgusting, despicable, deplorable, degenerate human being to ever exist.

That is hevel

— without the resurrection.

without he vindication of the son of God

the person and work of God.

Paul & the Resurrection 1 Cor 15

In fact, Paul goes on at length at the power and meaning of the resurrection in 1 Cor 15 and do you know what he concludes?

1 Corinthians 15:58 CSB 58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Ecclesiastes 1:3 CSB

3 What does a person gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun?

Solomon asks --- What does a person gain?

Paul say — In the Lord nothing is in vain?

Everything then is gain, in Christ.

This is redemption, the power of resurrection.

Application

How will you respond to Ecc?

What will be your response?

Despair or Delight?

Hope or Hopelessness?

There is Hope

there is hope in the resurrection

this is the glorious message we can bring to those who live in hebel under the sun.

1. Are you struggling with hebel?

Remember the gospel — read romans 8 this week meditate on it.

the best way to make disciples is to be a disciple

Does following Jesus mean we never experience hebel?

not it doesn’t, we will

Romans 8:23 CSB

23 Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

but it does mean we have hope

Peter says a living Hope

that nothing is meaningless, nothing is outside of God’s redeeming power.

This is the hope of the resurrection

Romans 8:20–21 CSB

20 For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it—in the hope 21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children.

Conversation this week with SD

All my pain redeemed

Those who are not transformed by pain inevitably will transmit it.

Biblical Community — we need to encourage one another.

this is our one hope

God’s Word, God’s Spirit and God’s people.

and it is the message of hope that we take the the nations.

2. Who in your life is struggling with hebel?

Share God’s love for them

Show God’s love for them

teach them about the Hope of resurrection.

3. Bless because of Hope

Who could you reach to this week and send an encouraging text, email, note, phone call. Out of the blue

b/c nothing you do in the Lord is in vain.

Let’s Pray

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