Youth, Aging and Death Youth, Ecc 12:1 Remembering your Creator in the days of your youth is essential. Yet, every attempt has been made in our society to talk youth out of believing that God is the creator.  The condition of our society is evidence that youth do not retain...

Ecc 11:1-10 is about lessons from nature, sunlight, and youth. Scattering, Sowing, and Reaping 11:1 Cast is to send forth by throwing.  Bread can be literal or figurative.  Waters can be literal or figurative.  Herein we find interesting lessons from nature. A good example is in Prov 31:20 “She stretcheth...

In Ecc 10:16-20 Solomon gives us some practical wisdom about drunkenness and gluttony, slothfulness and idleness, feasts, wine, and money, and private curses. Drunkenness and gluttony. v.16-17 When thy king is a child AND thy princes eat in the morning.  Josiah was a child, 2 Chr 34, and had the...

In Ecc 10:1-15, Solomon elaborates on his wise understanding of folly. Folly in Reputation, v.1 Practically speaking, this is true.  The ointment of the apothecary can have a sweet smell, as in Ex 30:34-35.  But if a few flies die in the confection, the savor is going to stink with...

In Ecc 9:11-17, Solomon recorded some observations he had about time, chance, and wisdom.  These are profound nuggets of truth. Time and Chance Happeneth to Them All In Ecc 9:11, time and chance happeneth to all people.  That is, we can’t always attribute bad circumstances, that change the expected outcome...

The verses in Ecc 9:1-10 read like thoughts that occurred through a long period of observation and meditation upon life down here under the sun and God’s involvement in these things.  We call this lesson The Hand of God, Life, Joy, and Diligence. A declaration concerning three things (v.1-3): The...

In Ecc 8:16-17, Solomon applied his heart to know wisdom and to see the business under the sun.  In the process, he thought he might find out the work of God under the sun. You can see some of the business he did in Ecc 2:3-10.  He made great works...

This lesson contrasts those who fear before God, Ecc 8:12, with those who don’t fear before God, Ecc 8:13.  The way that ‘before’ is used in these verses means “under the jurisdiction of”. We are all under God’s jurisdiction.  That is, we are all subject to God’s judgment.  God is...

A wise man’s heart discerneth several things that we see in Ecc 8:5-11. A wise man’s heart discerneth Time and Judgment, Ecc 8:6-7 To every purpose there is time and judgment.  Solomon didn’t say to every “event”, but to every purpose.  What he’s saying here is not an exact match...

In Ecc 8:1, Solomon asked, “Who is as the wise man”?  A wise man fears the Lord.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  So, if he is “as” the wise man, he will fear the Lord.  See Prov 24:21.  And the wise man will keep the...