Posts Tagged ‘Ecclesiastes’
The Folly of Playing It Safe – Ecclesiastes 11:16
by Paul Earnhart via Biblical Insights, Vol 15, No. 1, January 2015 In Ecclesiastes 11, Solomon continues his admonitions to wise living when facing life’s uncertainties. He has frequently reminded us that we cannot know what will come after us (Ecclesiastes 3:22; 6:12; 8:7; 10:14). God’s providence is shrouded and beyond human wisdom to fathom…
Read MoreLive Joyfully!
by Paul Earnhart via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No 2, February 2015 Text: Ecclesiates 9:1-12 The Preacher concluded the eighth chapter with another of his oft-repeated observations that God’s ways are inscrutable to men, however wise (Ecclesiastes 8:17). Job, in his misery, twice asks plaintively: “But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of…
Read MoreI Can’t Get No Satisfaction
by Rick Lanning Ecclesiastes: Solomon’s Masterpiece Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones fame, both turned 80 years old this year. They have been singing rock-n-roll hits for 60 years. Back in 1972 Dick Cavett interviewed them on his TV show and asked them when they were 29 years old, “Do you think…
Read MoreThe Whole Duty of Man
by Matthew W. Bassford The opening chapters of Ecclesiastes are surely among the gloomiest in the entire Bible. In them, Solomon examines life under the sun and concludes that all of the usual human pursuits are futile and vain. Wealth doesn’t bring lasting satisfaction. The pursuit of pleasure proves to be pointless. The accumulation of…
Read MoreThe Conclusion of the Whole Matter
by David R. Pharr Frank Sinatra was only 54 when he recorded his popular song, “I Did It My Way.” The song may imply his life was nearly over. “And now the end is near, So I face the final curtain.” The lyrics may suggest a full and mostly successful life, with emphasis on it…
Read MoreCould you explain Ecclesiastes 2:26?
Question: Could you explain Ecclesiastes 2:24-26? What is meant in verse 26 by “… while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight …”? Answer: The book of Ecclesiastes is exploring the purpose of life. Solomon shows that…
Read MoreDid Solomon miss out on heaven?
Question: Jeffrey, Another question that I realize we probably can’t really answer. However, since I’ve been curious about it for some time, I thought I’d ask anyway. In the Old Testament, we read of Solomon letting his wives turn his heart from God. “For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives…
Read MoreEnjoy What God Has Given You
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Enjoy-What-God-Has-Given-You.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 50 I. Have you given a gift that wasn’t appreciated? A. “That’s nice, but it wasn’t what I hoped to receive.” B. “Thanks, but it would have been better if you also included …” C. Or worse, it just sits there, not being used D. It’s frustrating to the giver. E. But consider…
Read MoreThe Good Life – Five Lessons from Ecclesiastes
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/2014Fall1TheGoodLife.mp3 by Mike Waters The Good Life
Read MoreDoes Ecclesiastes contain statements that don’t make sense to Christians?
Question: In your article, “Do people know what is happening on earth after their death?”, you plainly state the dead don’t know what happens on Earth. After looking at Coffman’s Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 9 he points out interesting points in the chapter. If dead refers to “dead people” in verse 5, what is meant by…
Read MoreWhy does Ecclesiastes say our spirits return to God, but Jesus says the spirits go to hades?
Question: Why does the Bible say that when we die our spirit returns to God (in Ecclesiastes) and we read the story of the rich man and Lazarus that seems to be in a different location? Answer: “Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher…
Read MoreWho is the one man among a thousand and why couldn’t a woman be found?
Question: What does Ecclesiastes 7:28 mean? Who did Solomon refer to as the one upright man? Was it himself? Did Solomon manage to find a good wife, as some verses from Proverbs and Ecclesiastes seem to suggest not? If yes, how could he love them but not seem to trust or find them good? Can…
Read MoreIs there something wrong with being left-handed?
Question: What does Ecclesiastes 10:2 tell us? Is there anything wrong with left-handedness? Answer: “A wise man’s heart is at his right hand, but a fool’s heart at his left” (Ecclesiastes 10:2). Being left-handed is far less common than being right-handed. It is unusual enough that it is mentioned as a feature of some people.…
Read MoreDo you know what it means to “cast your bread upon the waters?”
Question: Do you know what it means to “cast your bread upon the waters?” Answer: “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, for you do not know what evil will be on the earth” (Ecclesiastes 11:1-2). The phrase is…
Read MoreDoesn’t Ecclesiastes 3:19 teach that there is no difference between men and animals?
Question: Doesn’t Ecclesiastes 3:19 teach that there is no difference between men and animals? Answer: “Moreover I saw under the sun: In the place of judgment, wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, iniquity was there. I said in my heart, “God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a…
Read MoreHow can Solomon’s writings be God’s words?
Question: I read what you said about Solomon’s writing being the words of God, but it seems to me that something must have changed. How do you explain Proverbs 10:15 (in light of James 1:9-10), Proverbs 10:27 (in light of Jesus and John the Baptist), Proverbs 12:21 (in light of people like Hugh Heffner), and…
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