Ecclesiastes: Wisdom and Warnings for the Seasons of Life – Part 2

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

  ²    Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher,
            vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
  ³    What does man gain by all the toil
            at which he toils under the sun? (Ecclesiastes 1:1-3, ESV)

1. Life is – “Vanity” = , mist, breath

2. Life is elusive – “a striving after wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14, ESV)

3. Life is repetitive – “nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9, ESV)

4. We will all soon be gone and forgotten – (Ecclesiastes 2:16b, ESV)

5. The wise person discerns what season they are in and acts accordingly – “there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, ESV)

6. The wise person ceases to strive after and receives life as God’s good – “I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; ¹³ also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man. (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13, ESV)

Practical Wisdom from Ecclesiastes

1. Don’t go it .

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. ¹⁰ For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! ¹¹ Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? ¹² And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, ESV)

2. Under and over .

Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. ³ For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words. ⁴ When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. ⁵ It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. (Ecclesiastes 5:2-5, ESV)

3. Find the spot; avoid .

Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? ¹⁷ Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? ¹⁸ It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them. (Ecclesiastes 7:16-18, ESV)

4. the saw.

If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge,
     he must use more strength,
     but wisdom helps one to succeed. (Ecclesiastes 10:10, ESV)

5. your investments.

Give a portion to seven, or even to eight,
     for you know not what disaster may happen on earth. (Ecclesiastes 11:2, ESV)

In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good. (Ecclesiastes 11:6, ESV)

Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

¹⁰ Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

12 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; ² before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, ³ in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, ⁴ and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low— ⁵ they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets— ⁶ before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, ⁷ and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. ⁸ Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity.  (Ecclesiastes 11:9 – 12:8, ESV)

1. Live life and while you are as a way of glorifying God.

Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. (1 Timothy 4:12, NLT)

2. The deterioration of will arrive sooner than you think.

3. is coming for us all.

⁹ Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. ¹⁰ The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth.

¹¹ The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. ¹² My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

¹³ The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. ¹⁴ For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:9-14, ESV) 

4. God and him, because the day of is coming.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
     and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
     (Proverbs 9:10, ESV)

5. For all who receive God’s gift of eternal life by faith in Jesus Christ, our death will not be loss, but .

For the wages of sin is death,
but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:23, ESV)

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
(Philippians 1:21, ESV)