## Intro to Ecclesiastes

I. His Initial Reasons. 1:4-2:26

A. Futility of Cycles 1:4-11

B. Futility of Wisdom 1:12-18

C. Futility of Wealth and Pleasure 2:1-11

D. Futility of Materialism 2:12-23

E. Conclusion 2:24-26

II. His Deeper Observations. 3:1-10:20

A. God's Design for Life 3:1-22

B. Futility of Life 4:1-5:20

C. Futility of Riches 6:1-12

D. Counsel for Living 7:1-10:20

III. His Final Conclusions. 11:1-12:14

A. Live by Faith 11:1-6

B. Life is Short 11:7-12:7

C. Obey God & Fear Him 12:8-14

Introduction. 1:1-3

A. Author. (1-2)

1. Solomon is the accepted author of the book.

2. Rabbis taught that Solomon authored the Song of Solomon when he was a young man, the Proverbs in middle age, and Ecclesiastes in his old age.

3. He describes himself as the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

4. The "Preacher" is a title given to an official speaker who calls an assembly.

B. Aim or Thesis of the book. (3)

1. Is life worth living?

2. Solomon uses the word "vanity" thirty-eight times in the book.

3. The meaning of the word is emptiness, futility, or nothingness.

4. When he uses the term "vanity of vanities" he is talking about the supreme condition of emptiness or futility.

I. His Initial Reasons. 1:4-2:26

A. The Futility of Cycles 1:4-11

1. Nothing is changed. (4-7)

a. The earth v4

b. The sun v5

c. The wind v6

d. The sea v7

2. Nothing is new. (8-11)

a. Man wants something new because everything in this world ultimately brings weariness, and people long for something to deliver them.

b. Man has a longing to be satisfied and fulfilled.

c. The world provides nothing new to them.

d. Man is only a cog in a wheel, the endless cycles of God's natural creation serves only to illustrate the futility of all things.

e. Solomon observed that life goes on with or without man, so he is insignificant.

B. The Futility of Human Wisdom. 1:12-18

1. He set about to increase his wisdom.

2. He wanted to understand it all

3. He observes that all of the accomplishments of man are vanity (meaningless and empty) and vexation of spirit (like chasing the wind). (14)

4. With all of man's knowledge, there are still things that are lacking. (15)

5. He reached the point where he said to himself, "I've been chasing the wind also!"

6. He found that the answer to meaningful life did not lie with the posession of great wisdom, that it only brought more heartache. (18)