ECCLESIASTES Part 1: A MESSAGE FOR ADULTS—WORK HARD, GO TO FUNERALS, BE SERIOUS.

Posted bySteven WalesPosted inThe Bible is Not a Children's Book, wisdomTags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ecclesiastes is misunderstood because a few influential preachers have described it as cynical words from Solomon during a period in his life when he was not following God. However, Solomon encourages readers to worship and obey God nearly twenty times in twelve chapters.

A better understanding is that this is a book for ADULTS. Ecclesiastes confronts readers with the hardest truths of life, truths children cannot grasp, and that adults don’t talk about, perhaps fearing they will destroy someone’s faith.

But Solomon faces hard truths head-on, confident our faith will not die but grow. He argues you should face hard truths, go to funerals, and take life seriously enough to obey God who is your Judge.

HARD TRUTHS SOLOMON WANTS US TO FACE:  

  1. Life is not fair: good people suffer and bad people prosper (8:14).
  2. Life can be absurd: random chance affects everything (9:11).
  3. There is a time for everything, even war (3:1-8).
  4. There is no one on earth who does not sin (7:20).
  5. There is evil where there should not be: in government and law enforcement (3:16, 8:11).
  6. When you gain great wisdom you gain great sorrow (1:18).
  7. Even reading, writing, and studying books can make you weary (12:12).
  8. When you gain great possessions, the stress of ownership ruins your sleep (5:12).
  9. Money never satisfies (5:10).
  10. There is nothing new under the sun—your achievements are not a big deal (1:9, 2:11).
  11. No one knows the future (7:14).
  12. Funerals are better than birthdays, because funerals give wisdom (7:2).
  13. No matter what you achieve—you CAN’T take it with you (5:16).
  14. After you die, everything you achieved may go to fools (2:19).
  15. After you die, everything you achieved will be forgotten (1:11).
  16. After you die, YOU will be forgotten (1:11, 2:16).
  17. The wisest way to live is to enjoy your food (8:15), enjoy your family (9:9), work hard (9:10) and enjoy your work (2:24), enjoy being young (11:9), enjoy being old (11:8), and remember and obey your Creator and Judge, remember He has already accepted your works (9:7), He gives you JOY (2:26, 5:20), and it is He who put a sense of ETERNITY in your heart (3:11).

God, give us the courage to face hard truths. Prepare us to talk about them with the lost and grieving, and equip us to point others to the hope found only in Jesus.

ΑΩ

Published by Steven Wales

Dad's Daily Devotional began as text messages to my family. I wanted my teenagers to know their father was reading the Bible. But they were at school by then. Initially, I sent them a favorite verse or an insight based on what I read each day. That grew into drafting a devotional readng which I would send them via text. I work as an attorney and an adjunct professor, and recently wrote a book called HOW TO MAKE A'S.

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