OVERVIEW
The book of Ecclesiastes is
divided into two parts: the first half is composed of a series of
investigations, and the half section is composed of proverbial wisdom. In the first half of the book, each
investigation considers one of the parameters that govern the conditions of
human life under the sun (i.e., here and now on the earth). The purpose of these investigations is
to determine if a person can find contentment in a world where he is subject to
calamities over which he has little or no control. The purpose of the second half of the book is to consider
how a person is to live so that he is not himself the cause of the calamities
that enter his life.
OUTLINE AND SUMMARY
I. INTRODUCTION (Chapter 1)
Prologue: When a person considers nature and
history, all events seem to follow continuous cycles that have no real
progression or lasting significance (1:1 – 1:12).
Purpose: I, the preacher (Kohelet), set out to determine what manner of life is
best for a man to pursue (1:13 – 1:17).
Problem: The very pursuit of this knowledge increases both pain and
vexation because one becomes acutely aware of the inequities of life (1:18).
II. INVESTIGATIONS OF THE HUMAN CONDITION
Direct investigations of
human life indicate that none of the common pursuits bring either lasting
satisfaction or enduring benefit.
A. First Investigation: The pursuit of pleasure (Chapter 2)
I investigated pleasure
by giving myself to wine, the accumulation of wealth, and sexual delights (2:1
– 2-10).
Problems:
1.
I am
in no way unique (2:12).
2.
I
will die in the same way as any fool and be forgotten (2:13 – 2:17).
3.
I
must leave all that I manage to accumulate to some other person, who may turn
out to be a fool (2:18 –2:23).
Conclusion: There is nothing better for a man to do
than to enjoy his life and consider his toil to be worthwhile. Yet, I realize that the capacity to do
so is itself a gift from the hand of God (2:24 – 2:26).
B. Second Investigation: The pursuit of knowledge (Chapter 3)
God has appointed times
for every event that occurs under the sun (3:1 – 3:8).
Problems:
1.
God
has given man the desire to understand eternal purposes, but man can discover
little more than the fact that God does have a purpose behind all that occurs
on the earth (3:9 – 3:15).
2. Unresolved
evil prospers rather than righteousness and justice. However, God has appointed a time beyond the bounds of this
world where he will bring all people and deeds under judgement (3:16 – 3:17).
3.
When
one considers man’s physical existence, one sees that people are born, live,
die, and return to dust like any beast.
There is no visible difference between the physical life of a beast and
that of a man. (3:18 – 3:12).
Conclusion: Man can never understand the ultimate
purpose behind the events he sees, because their resolution awaits a future
time appointed by God. Therefore,
there is nothing better for a man to do than to enjoy his work, because that is
the portion that God has granted him for this present life under the sun (i.e.,
here and now).
C. Third Investigation: Human relationships (Chapters 4 and 5)
This
investigation examines the various ways that people interact with one another
and seeks to find what manner of life is most advantageous for the individual.
1. Strife between people.
Essentially all deeds involve a rivalry between two (or more) people,
and the stronger of the two invariably dominates. Both seek comfort, yet neither find it. Consequently, the fool’s manner of life
is superior in this instance, because he remains aloof from such rivalries, and
so he eats his food in peace (4:1 – 4:6).
2. The solitary workaholic.
This person lives in self-imposed isolation and amasses personal wealth,
but he never enjoys the fruits of his labor. Such a life leads to emptiness and disillusionment. (4:8 –
4:12).
3.
The popular leader.
Popular leaders rise to prominence with a surge of public support and
enthusiasm, but their supporters will turn and reject them for somebody else
after some period of time (4:13 – 4:16).
4.
False use of religion.
Those who use religion as a gimmick to obtain social standing bring God’s
judgement on themselves (4:17 – 5:5).
5. Personal circumstances.
A person whose contentment depends on circumstances (income,
possessions, or other ‘stuff’) will never be satisfied with or enjoy what he
currently has, and ultimately he must leave it all behind (5:7 – 5:16).
Conclusion: This is what I have found to be
good. It is appropriate for a man
to eat and drink and to see the good in all the work he does under the sun the
few days of his life that God has given him, because this is his portion. Indeed, when a man obtains abundant
riches and the capability to enjoy
that wealth, to receive his portion, and to enjoy his labor, he receives these
advantages as gifts from God.
Because of this, he will not frequently scrutinize the days of his life,
for God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.
D. Summary of the Human Condition (Chapter 6:1 – 6:9)
III. THE VIRTUES OF WISDOM
The practice of
wisdom (chochmah - חכמה- practical wisdom or skill in life) can secure
contentment and avoid bringing calamities on oneself.
Although future events on
earth under the sun have been predetermined by God, no man can determine with
any certainty what these events will be without special revelation. So then, how should a man conduct
himself in daily life (6:10, 11)?
A. The practice of wisdom enables a person to enjoy daily life without bringing calamity on himself.
1. By
constantly remembering ultimate consequences, one can conduct himself with a wisdom
that goes beyond immediate circumstances.
Such wisdom is capable of preserving the life of the one who possesses
it (7:1 – 7:12).
2.
God
has so constituted the present world that periodic misfortunes and injustices
enter every life without exception. The practice of wisdom does not exempt anyone from such
misfortunes, because no human being is without sin (7:13 – 7:22).
3.
I
have sought to understand those things that most affect a person’s life. I have found that the greatest of all
calamities for a man arises from sexual entanglements with a manipulating
woman. Almost every man falls prey
to this calamity at some time during his life (7:23 – 7:29).
4.
The
wise person knows how to conduct himself so as not to bring the displeasure of
the king (human authorities over him) upon himself. This wisdom consists in knowing when to act and when to
restrain action, yet there are circumstances in life over which wisdom has no
power or influence (8:1 – 8:9).
5. The
wicked and the righteous (relatively speaking, for nobody is sinless) do not
always receive what they deserve (good or bad) during this life, but God has
appointed a time for the final judgement and resolution of all matters (8:15 –
17).
Conclusion: Enjoy the life that God has given you
and attend to your own business, because you will never discover the ultimate
purpose behind the events of this world (8:15 – 17).
B. Nobody receives more than one chance at life on this world under the sun, so make the most of it while you can.
1. Regardless
of character or capabilities, every person is subject to exactly same
uncertainties in life and then goes to be among the dead (9:1 – 9:3).
2. You
only have one chance to enjoy life under the sun. Make the most of it, because unexpected calamities can and
do come upon you suddenly (9:4 – 9:12).
C. Wisdom in contrast to foolishness is the greatest possession a person can have, but the benefits of wisdom can easily be destroyed.
1.
People
tend to despise the wisdom of a poor man, even if they should benefit from that
wisdom (9:13 – 9:18).
2.
Any
single circumstance, person, or deed can completely destroy the benefits of
wisdom (9:19 – 10:1).
3.
In
contrast, every aspect of a fool’s life proclaims his character. For example, a wise man will not quit
his post if his superior becomes angry with him: he knows that the situation
will be resolved when the superior’s anger passes (10:2 – 10:4).
4. One’s
very position or occupation can subject him to dishonor and physical
injury. Wisdom does not guarantee
success; rather, success bolsters wisdom (10:5 – 10:11).
5. Words
of wisdom bring delight. Foolish
words are far more numerous but produce no positive results (10:12 – 10:16).
6.
Wise
leaders are a blessing to those whom they lead; foolish leaders are a
curse. In either case, do not
yourself curse those appointed over you even in private, because that matter
can somehow come to light to your undoing (10:16 – 10:20).
D. By using wisdom, you can make provision for the uncertainties of life, but excessive caution can result in total inactivity.
1. Pursue
the activities of your life even though you may not be able to perceive their
profitability (11:1).
2. Diversify
your holdings because you do not know what will happen, and you have no control
over natural events (11:2 – 11:3).
3. Remain
productively occupied despite apparent circumstances because you have no idea
what the future holds (11:4 – 11:6).
IV. CONCLUSION
Seek to enjoy your life
under the sun, but remember that you are responsible to God for everything that
you do.
A. The bright days of youth are good and should be enjoyed, but remember that many dark days may also come (11:7 – 11:8).
B. Young person, enjoy this time of your life, but remember that God will judge everything you do (11:9 – 11:10).
C. Young person, remember your creator before the dark days of old age ravage your body and render the enjoyment of life impossible (12:1 – 12:8).
Epilogue: This book is
a collection of proverbs whose purpose is to guide a person in prudent
living. The final summary of this
instruction is this: Fear God and keep his commandments, because he will bring
all things to judgement.
MY SOAPBOX
There are two major approaches to
the use of scripture: 1) Employ the words of scripture to express one's own
ideas; 2) Analyze the entire text of a book to determine the plan and message
intended by the original author and then apply that message to one's current
circumstances.
About 50 years ago I used to
listen to a radio preacher to evaluate his methodology. Every sentence was composed of phrases
taken from biblical passages, and after each phrase he would cite the
source. He never attempted to fit
the passages into the context from which they came or relate his use of the
passage to the message originally intended. This particular preacher was a Christian, but Jewish
commentators have also used this methodology – in Jewish circles it is called pearl
stringing. In either case,
this methodology usually results in the person merely using words from the
bible to express his own ideas.
The second approach requires much
more effort. It begins with
attitude. First of all, the
individual must realize that his own ideas are always secondary and limited in
scope. Next, he must determine the
content and structure of the whole.
For example, the Torah has been divided into five books, but Genesis through
2 Kings really tells a single story that has been divided into many sub-elements. To understand any of the sub-elements
accurately (e.g., the Joseph narratives), one must have an accurate perception
of its place and purpose within the whole. Other books, notably most of the later prophets, Psalms,
Proverbs, and possibly Song of Solomon, are fundamentally anthologies or
collections. Individual elements
within an anthology may have no direct bearing on any other element within that
anthology, but even anthologies are often organized on the basis of a thematic
pattern.
The above text presents my synthetic analysis
for the book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet.
The objective was to exhibit how each individual vignette fit within the
overall argument of the book. Then
to understand the intended purpose of any vignette, one begins with the whole
and assesses how that vignette contributes to the whole. This having been done, one can draw
personal applications based on the author's intended message
rather than his own ideas.
