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LESSON 1:
I've been
thinking some lately about the Book of Ecclesiastes.
I recently read
where one writer said it presented the most "pessimistic" view
of life he had ever seen!
I personally
believe that any book with GOD in it cannot be completely
pessimistic! And in Ecclesiastes the proper noun "God" occurs
36 times in twelve short chapters!
Another scholar
wrote that the book was "fatalistic!" He detected that old
"what will be, will be" attitude in its pages!
Yet again, God's
Will for mankind and the earth on which he lives is not simply
some mechanical scheme of things forced on all creation! No!
On the contrary, Ecclesiastes shows a man making multitudes of
choices and being encouraged to enjoy life, life as a gift from
God! God's goal is not to be some celestial Dictator ... but a
loving Heavenly Father!
Others seem to
feel that Ecclesiastes is pseudonymous. Pseudonymity describes a
book that frankly "lies" about its author! It gives a false
name to its originator! And if not that, they say, Ecclesiastes
is at least anonymous ... having no named author!
But what do they
do with Ecclesiastes 1:12? "I the
Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem."
That sounds like
an author's attempt at identification to me! A successful
attempt I might add!
"King over
Israel" narrows the search for the writer ... quite a bit!
He of course is
Solomon, son of David.
I have a question
today.
Why all the
"detracting" terms about the Books of the Bible?
Why have we
fallen into such dark days of "criticism" of the Word of God?
I'll just share
with you what I think of Ecclesiastes, the Book.
It is "inspired"
of the Holy Spirit! God breathed!
It is "helpful"
to any man or woman seeking to live a godly life too! Other
words that I could have used here are "advantageous" or
"profitable!"
"All scripture is given by
inspiration of
God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness." 2nd Timothy 3:16
The adjective
"profitable" ("ophelimus" in Greek) also means valuable or
useful!
Furthermore the
Book is so designed by God, its True Author, to foster
"maturity" in the lives of Believers! Of course this is
also an accurate portrayal of the entire Body of Scripture.
Paul's classic
2nd Timothy "Bible Inspiration" Passage just quoted above
continues by saying ... "That the man of
God may be perfect,
throughly furnished
unto all good works." (2nd Timothy 3:17) That little
adjective "perfect" (in Greek = "artios") means "fitted or
specially equipped or complete!" The Bible leaves the diligent
Christian student "fully furnished" to serve God ... and that
Bible includes the Book of Ecclesiastes!
It is in the
"Canon" of Scripture! It is one of the sixty six Books of the
Bible! It is not to be discarded!
I frankly have no
"criticism" of Scripture.
It is inerrant,
without mistakes!
But the
Scriptures DO have some "criticism" of me ... and I had best
listen and learn and repent and trust our loving Heavenly Father
to help me grow in His marvelous Grace!
By the way, let
me show you how that "questionable" little Book of Ecclesiastes
ends. "Let us hear the conclusion of the
whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this
is the whole duty of man." Ecclesiastes 12:13
Now a Book that
labors for twelve chapters to reach THAT grand climax can't be
bad! It ends at the foot of the Throne of Almighty God!
There we had best
fall prostrate and worship!
Glory to His
Name!
And ... thank God
for the Bible ... His perfect Revelation to lost mankind,
bringing him to Calvary!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 2 ... POSTED ON
MONDAY MORNING, JULY 11, 2005, AT 10:30 AM
The Book of Ecclesiastes is important.
In fact, it's inerrant (without mistakes)!
It is, as all Scripture, inspired of God!
Yet it is unusual!
It may be the most unusual Book in all the
Bible.
Someone recently said that the Book contains
no historical references at all!
Not one word about any war Israel may have
fought or any succession of Kings in Judean history!
It is in reality a Book of philosophy.
I'm using philosophy in its good sense.
It literally means "love of wisdom."
But ... wait a minute!
Sometimes too many historical notes in a book
will render it useless after a while!
Read a science book published ten years ago
for example!
Or last year's newspaper!
By being "dateless" Ecclesiastes well may
have rendered itself eternal!
And eternal Truth it does contain!
For example ...
Solomon, in Ecclesiastes, says the God can
never be fully understood! He is omniscient! His
Ways are higher than our ways! "He
hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath
set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the
work that God maketh from the beginning to the end."
Ecclesiastes 3:11
And God is eternal! "I
know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing
can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth
it, that men should fear before him."
Ecclesiastes 3:14
And God is the Judge of all!
"I said in mine heart, God shall judge the
righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for
every purpose and for every work." Ecclesiastes
3:17
Plus ... God hears all we say!
"Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not
thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for
God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy
words be few." Ecclesiastes 5:2
God's work and God's will cannot be changed!
"Consider the work of God: for who
can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?"
Ecclesiastes 7:13
And NOT to fear God is a big mistake!
"But it shall not be well with the
wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are
as a shadow; because he feareth not before God."
Ecclesiastes 8:13
And, contrary to popular belief, even an
afterlife (an eternity ahead) is in the Hands of God!
Writing about man's death, Solomon says:
"Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the
spirit shall return unto God who gave it." Ecclesiastes
12:7
And, of course, Solomon's final conclusion to
his great Book: "Let us hear the
conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his
commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."
(Ecclesiastes 12:13) That's about as powerful an ending as
any of Scripture's sixty six books!
So ... while it's true that Ecclesiastes
contains no specific historical events ... it is also true that
it is loaded with eternal truths!
And why would a man want to anchor a book in
the "Times" ... when "Eternity" is so much more important?
That's what one of our problems is today.
We spend too much time reading "The Times!"
(When we should be reading the eternal Word
of God!)
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 3 ... POSTED
THURSDAY MORNING, JULY 14, 2005, AT 8:00 AM:
Many writers today deny that Solomon wrote
Ecclesiastes.
However, I believe that the first verse of
the Book strongly indicates that Solomon is the human writer.
Of course the Holy Spirit is the Real Author!
He has inspired all Scripture!
Let's read Ecclesiastes 1:1.
"The words of the Preacher, the son of
David, king in Jerusalem."
Now, who can that be ... but Solomon?
He is the son of David!
And while David did have many sons (from too
many wives) ... only one became King!
And that one was Solomon!
If we accept Scripture literally ... and we
must ... Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes.
The noun for "preacher" here is "qoheleth"
and means one who gathers truth or one who proclaims it!
One who calls an assembly!
I like the fact that Solomon, in his early
life, was a godly man who showed every evidence of loving the
Lord.
Having tried to answer the question of
authorship ... let's move on to the question of date.
When (at what point in his life) did Solomon
write Ecclesiastes?
And this is an important question I might
add.
Even in the Bible, the human writer's age can
be a contributing factor in what he says ... and can further add
to the "context" of the given Book. In other words, the
Holy Spirit "uses" such details to shape the Message of the
Text.
Even Paul (it seems to me) emphasized certain
truths earlier in his ministry ... then more advanced truths
later in his life! He of course was "growing in grace!"
And the Lord ... through inspiration and inerrancy ... allowed
that "growth" to beautifully appear!
I doubt that the argument between Paul and
Barnabas (over John Mark), the "fight" recorded in Acts 15,
would have occurred at all in 2nd Timothy, when Paul was older
and more mature.
So ... when did Solomon write Ecclesiastes?
I have one textbook back in my study at home
that says he wrote it during "mid-life." The preacher called it
Solomon's mid-life "crisis!" He may have been trying to
just be "cute" ... but I believe he was wrong in his time
assessment.
BY the way ... stay faithful to God and honor
His dear Word ... and you will not necessarily HAVE to
experience a mid-life crisis!
I have come to the place that I believe
Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes when he had become an old man.
As you know ... after becoming wealthy and
successful and sensual ... Solomon fell into sin! He
backslid on God!
I believe Ecclesiastes probably records his
laments and sorrows and vanities ... having lived in sin for so
long!
It is his testimony that
"the way of transgressors is hard!" (Solomon
himself said that in Proverbs 13:15!)
Ecclesiastes well may be his record of
repentance and of his returning to the Lord ... having lived
such a terrible life in his later years!
And WHY do I feel he is older as he writes
the Book?
Partly because of his accurate description of
old age in chapter twelve. This account is written by one
who has experienced such weakening.
"Remember now thy
Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not,
nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure
in them; While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars,
be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: in the
day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong
men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they
are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened, and
the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the
grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird,
and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low; also
when they shall be afraid of that which is high,
and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall
flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire
shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners
go about the streets: or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the
golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain,
or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust return
to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who
gave it." Ecclesiastes 12:1-7
Notice that here Solomon's eyesight is weak!
He can't see the sun, moon or stars any longer.
His limbs and legs are no longer strong and
stable. They "tremble."
His teeth have fallen out ("grinders").
He can't hear as well either ("sounds"
and "music" are low).
His strength is abated (grasshoppers are
heavy).
And the "long home" is apparently death's
door.
That's old age!
Solomon, an old man, is surely telling us
that the only way to enjoy life and to live it to God's glory is
to stay away from sin ... and to love the Lord with all one's
heart!
And to do so all one's days ... not just half
of them!
Additionally ... do remember that David,
Solomon's Father, had also written about being old and having
learned some things! Example is a powerful teacher!
Here's a "taste" of something David said:
"I have been young, and now am old;
yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging
bread." Psalm 37:25
Of course, you have every right to disagree
with me. You may feel he wrote Ecclesiastes as a young man
or soon after becoming King. I will not be ugly to you for
that ... not at all!
But it just appears to me that these are the
words of an old sorrowful man who backslid from God ... and is
sorry for what he's done!
And don't forget his great closing to the
Book ... "Let us hear the conclusion of
the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this
is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring
every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it
be good, or whether it be evil."
Those are the last two verses of
Ecclesiastes!
Pretty good I'd say!
Especially for an old man.
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 4 ... POSTED
MONDAY MORNING, JULY 18, 2005:
The Book of Ecclesiastes is one of the least
studied portions of the whole Bible.
I've even heard Bible Teachers encourage
young preachers to "stay away" from it!
But ... it IS the Word of God!
And, as such, it is "profitable" to us,
preparing us for "all good works!"
Remember, "All
scripture is given by inspiration of God, and
is profitable ... that the man of God may be perfect,
throughly furnished unto all good works." 2nd Timothy
3:16-17
One of the most
frequent "criticisms" I've heard from Bible-believing circles is
that Solomon was a wretched old backslider and could have
written nothing spiritually valuable!
(By the way, who
are we to "criticize" the Word of God? It's much better to let
it "criticize" us!)
But ... IF we
believe that the Holy Spirit is The Real Author ... Solomon
didn't write it anyway! He was just the human instrument
through which it came!
However, still
... we must address this issue of Solomon's spirituality!
Most all of us
would agree that he began his reign living for God. His initial
obedience, his prayer life, his building of the Temple ... all
point to a desire to please God! For example ...
"Now when Solomon had made an end of
praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt
offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled
the house." 2nd Chronicles 7:1
It seems to be in
the later half of his administration that he fell into sin.
"And Solomon did evil in the sight of the
LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his
father." 1st Kings 11:6
Sensuality
overcame him too. "And he had seven
hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his
wives turned away his heart." 1st Kings 11:3
All this is a
matter of record.
But surely,
according to Scripture, Solomon MUST have repented in his later
life, as an elderly man.
Now I realize there
is NO record of any such repentance in the historical books of
the Old Testament.
But, I believe,
the very Book of Ecclesiastes IS the Record of Solomon's
repentance!
Here's one reason
why.
The Scriptures
teach us that "holy men
of God" wrote the Bible, under the inspiration of the
Spirit of God! "For the prophecy came not
in old time by the will of man: but
holy men of God
spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2nd Peter
1:21
This indicates
that IF Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes (which Ecclesiastes 1:12
says) he was a "holy man"
of God!
And, by the way,
it is NOT written by a young Solomon either ... but by an older
man, a man nearing the end of his life and thinking a great deal
about his soon coming death!
Therefore, he
MUST have repented ere the Holy Spirit again used him to write
his "swansong," his last word and testament, Ecclesiastes!
(Remember that he had already written Proverbs and Song of
Solomon!)
But here's the
"crowning" evidence that Solomon had made things right with the
Lord ... his "conclusion" to all the reasoning in Ecclesiastes
(all the results of living "under the sun" without being in
fellowship with God) ...
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and
keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For
God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret
thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
And, friends,
those are the last words Solomon ever wrote!
I'm just not
going to believe the HOLY Spirit came upon a backslider and used
him to write 12 chapters ... a whole Book ... of the Bible!
King Manasseh
repented ... surely King Solomon did too!
And didn't you
repent also ... when you were saved?
Jesus said:
"I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent,
ye shall all likewise perish." Luke 13:3
Plus,
if you're a Believer in right standing with God at this moment,
you've learned the Christian art of repentance as well!
Paul, in 2nd
Corinthians 7:8-11, has a whole "how-to" paragraph on repentance
in the life of a growing born-again child of God!
I rest my case.
Thank God for the
Bible ... including the little Book of Ecclesiastes! And praise
Him too for the "holy"
men who were "moved" of God to do the writing!
Simply stated,
God forgives sin!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 5 ... WRITTEN
TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2005:
The last Ecclesiastes Article I wrote (Lesson
4 above) suggested that Solomon was an elderly man, one who had
erred from the ways of the Lord, and was repenting from his
sins.
Making things right with God!
Here's an overview of WHY I believe this to
be so.
Ecclesiastes is at first the record of a life
dismally lived with God omitted!
That's why it begins as it does!
"Vanity of vanities,
saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity."
Ecclesiastes 1:2
That noun for "vanity" (in Hebrew = "hebel")
means empty or vain or just plain "air!"
Here's what one lexicon says ... word for
word:
"Hebel" is from the stem word "habal" (haw-bal') ... a primitive
root; to be vain in act, word, or expectation;
specifically to lead astray: KJV-- be (become,
make) vain.
I have capitalized its "key" idea!
"To lead astray!"
Is that not exactly what happens when we
leave God out of our lives? We are led astray! We
wander from Truth!
Excepting its designation as a proper noun
(the name "Abel") ... its first use in the Bible occurs in
Deuteronomy 32:21. "They have
provoked me to anger with their vanities!"
See?
Vanities here are sins!
And Jeremiah says that "vanities" are just
"idols!" See Jeremiah 10:14-15 with me:
"Every man is brutish in his
knowledge: every founder is confounded by the
graven image: for
his molten image
is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.
They are vanity,
and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation
they shall perish."
Vanities = idols!
It is not an accident that "hebel" (vanity)
occurs nearly 40 times in the short Book of Ecclesiastes!
Solomon is showing us the sad results of
living life apart from God!
Here's what Solomon was taught as a young
King: "And thou, Solomon my son,
know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect
heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all
hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts:
if thou seek him, he
will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast
thee off for ever." 1st Chronicles 28:9
Solomon, in the last half of his reign, had
forsaken God ... and God had "cast off' the King ... because of
his many sins!
Ecclesiastes records the results of such a
depraved lifestyle!
Solomon's sorrow for having lived in sin so
long!
But ... good news ... the Book also records
the King's desire to repent and get right with God!
I am telling you today that Solomon's
prodigal use of "vanity" in His Book of confession
(Ecclesiastes) just proves and illustrates the GUILT which his
sins had produced!
Without God ...
... all life is vanity ...
(Ecclesiastes 1:2 and 14)
... including mirth and pleasure!
(Ecclesiastes 2:1)
... including money and wealth!
(Ecclesiastes 5:10)
... including one's very health! (6:2)
... including all the world's foolishness!
(7:6)
... including the way things in life "work
out!" (7:15 and 8:14)
... including all the years of one's life!
(9:9)
... including all of one's future on this
earth! (11:8)
... including childhood and youth!
(11:10)
... including everything else on the planet
(without God)! See Ecclesiastes 12:8.
"Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher;
all is vanity." (The Book nearly ends like
it began!)
Life apart from God ... life in sin ... life
filled with rebellion ... is simply emptiness. It is a
constant straying from Almighty God!
It is miserable!
BUT ... wait a minute.
There ... at the very end of Ecclesiastes ...
is a change of heart!
There's a Preacher!
And a mention of God-sent Wisdom!
And some inspired Proverbs!
And "Upright-ness!"
And One True Shepherd! (Now, that's the
Lord!)
And these things all say ...
"Let us hear the
conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his
commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret
thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."
(These are the last two verses of Ecclesiastes ... 12:13-14.)
Then Solomon, having returned to the Truth
... lays his pen down and soon goes to be with the Lord!
Oh, one more quick point that illustrates a
change of heart on Solomon's part. In his backslidden life he
had many wives and girlfriends. "And
he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred
concubines: and his wives turned away his heart."
1st Kings 11:3
But ... by the time he wrote Ecclesiastes ...
and had apparently repented ... he said:
"And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is
snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso
pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be
taken by her." Ecclesiastes 7:26
Now that's a 180 degree turn!
And that's repentance!
God will judge sin!
Even in a King's life!
Don't live your life without the Living God
and His Son Jesus Christ being right in the center of all
you are ... and all you do!
"Seek ye first the
kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things
shall be added unto you." So said Jesus in
Matthew 6:33. And that little Piece of Advice sure could
have saved Solomon lots of years of wasted ("empty, vain")
living!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 6 ... THURSDAY,
JULY 21, 2005:
All kinds of "slurs" have been leveled at the
Book of Ecclesiastes.
Some have even said it is not worthy of being
in the Bible!
Many more say that it can only be understood
as a world-view of life, one apart from Almighty God!
It's "The Bible's single book of human
philosophy!" Or so we are told!
However, I have
noticed something.
In this Holy
Spirit inspired Book of Scripture, a King (Solomon) writes of
his attempts to live life to the fullest ... while also living
in sin!
He concludes that
without the Lord ... nothing in life is meaningful! At least,
it's not completely so!
Then, gradually,
Solomon sees his errors, and returns to the Lord!
It appears to me
that Ecclesiastes is Solomon's personal "testimony." A
mini-biography! A record of his repentance!
Here is how very
far Solomon strayed from the Lord. "And
the LORD was angry with Solomon, because
his heart was turned
from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not
go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD
commanded." 1st Kings 11:9-10
But ... as an
older man ... he appears to have "returned" to the God of his
youth!
As proof I cite
the fact that Solomon uses God's Name 36 times in this short
Book!
That just does
not sound like a man whose
heart was TURNED
from the Lord God of Israel!
For example ...
in Ecclesiastes the King tells us that God ...
... gives to man
his life work, and the trouble that goes with it! Ecclesiastes
1:13
... gives man
enjoyment in his work! Ecclesiastes 2:24
... gives wisdom
and knowledge! Ecclesiastes 2:26
... gives man
"travail" too! Ecclesiastes 3:10
And ... God's
ways are past finding out too! Ecclesiastes 3:11
God gives man the
ability to even eat and drink! Ecclesiastes 3:13
In Ecclesiastes
3:14 God is immutable, never changing! So says Solomon!
God knows all the
past! Ecclesiastes 3:15
God will judge
the righteous and the wicked! Ecclesiastes 3:17
God is the
"Revealer" of all truth! Ecclesiastes 3:18
In 5:2 Solomon
tells us how to behave in the House of GOD!
God is in
Heaven! Ecclesiastes 5:3
God requires us
to fulfill the vows we've made to Him! Ecclesiastes 5:4
God is emotional
... even possessing anger as a holy virtue! Ecclesiastes 5:6
God is to be
feared or revered! Ecclesiastes 5:7
God gives to
every man his allotted work, his career or profession! 5:18
God is the real
Giver of riches and wealth! Ecclesiastes 5:19
God gives joy ...
unspeakable! Ecclesiastes 5:20 ... plus a little "taste" of
Paul!
God can
"withhold" certain things from man, like the ability to eat or
drink! 6:2
What God does ...
cannot be changed! Ecclesiastes 7:13
God sends
adversity ... to lead man to his Creator! Ecclesiastes 7:14
God rewards those
who fear Him! 7:18
A life can
be lived that pleases God! Ecclesiastes 7:26
Solomon even
teaches the Fall of man in Ecclesiastes 7:29!
A wise man will
live under the "oath" (law, command) of God! 8:2
Things will be
"well" with those who fear God! Ecclesiastes 8:12
And things will
NOT go well for the man who fears not God! Ecclesiastes 8:13
God gives man the
"days of his life!" Ecclesiastes 8:15
God is
inscrutable, His ways past finding out! 8:17
All
things are in the Hand of God! Ecclesiastes 9:1
God, somehow, can
"accept" or "delight in" the works of man! (Ecclesiastes 9:7)
Yes! In and through The shed Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ!
God has some
"secrets" too! Ecclesiastes 11:5
God will judge
mankind for all his actions! Ecclesiastes 11:9
It is to God that
all human souls ("spirits") return ... at death! After death
...one meets God! Ecclesiastes 12:7
And Solomon
concludes in Ecclesiastes 12:13 ... "Let
us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear
God, and keep his
commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."
(This is the 35th time he has mentioned God in
Ecclesiastes!)
But ... he's not
quite through yet!
God is the Final
Source ... the end Glory ... the Finisher of everything for
mankind! By Him and all things ... and for Him are all things!
So teaches Ecclesiastes 12:14.
There they are!
All 36 times!
No sir!
God is NOT left
out of Ecclesiastes ... or Solomon's life!
He repented!
He turned from
his backslidings!
He once again
made the Lord God the Center of all he was and all he did!
But, preacher
Bagwell, that's not recorded in any of the Bible's precious
Books! Yes it is! In Ecclesiastes!
Aren't you glad
we have a God Who forgives?
Is anyone reading
here today who also needs to turn from his or her sins ... and
put God right where He belongs? On the throne of your heart and
life.
If so ... the
Bible promises: "If we confess our sins,
He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1st John 1:9
Praise the dear
compassionate Lord!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 7 ... FRIDAY,
JULY 22, 2005:
The Book of
Ecclesiastes is very often classified as dark and dreary,
incorporating the Bible's most pessimistic text.
That
not-so-accurate description may partly be the result of the
frequent references to death in the Book.
Since Solomon
had sinned so grievously against God in his middle and late
years, it is only natural that he (now an old man) would have
been thinking a lot about death!
And since he
had perhaps begun to reconsider his evil ways ... maybe even
repenting of them all, death would have no longer been all that
frightening!
Solomon
clearly tells us early in his Book that man, all men, will die!
There is a time to die! (Ecclesiastes 3:2) That
sounds like Paul in the New Testament!
"It
is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."
Thinking about
one's death tends to make one prepare for it ... by repenting!
At least this is the case with a truly wise individual!
Solomon also
well knew that the death of a man was quite different from the
death of an animal! (Man is NOT simply another animal!
Not according to the Bible! Here's what man apart fromGod
believes about death: "For that
which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing
befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they
have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a
beast: for all is vanity.")
Here's what
Solomon came to believe: "Who knoweth the
spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast
that goeth downward to the earth?" (Ecclesiastes
3:21) Solomon knew, because it had been revealed to him by
God via Bible inspiration.
Solomon also
knew that death did not end it all ... not for mankind!
Read Ecclesiastes 3:11 with me: "He
(God) hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also
he hath set the
world in their heart, so that no man can find out the
work that God maketh from the beginning to the end." Did
you notice where God pur the WORLD into every man's being?
That noun ("olam" in Hebrew") means "everlasting" 63 times in
our King James Bibles! God has put eternity in our hearts!
So death is
not the end ... but just an entrance into eternity!
Even this
verse, Ecclesiastes 7:1, can be viewed two ways.
"A good name is better than precious
ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth."
Wow! One can be so bitter and pessimistic that he would
say such a thing, hating life itself! Or ... one could be
convinced of Heaven, and anxious to go! What "hope" that would
be!
And our wise
writer tells us the obvious ... man cannot choose or control the
day of his death. "There is no man
that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither
hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in
that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given
to it." Ecclesiastes 8:8
Since the time
of one's death can't be precisely predicted ... better be ready
all the time! (That might induce repentance in a Believer'
life!)
And once man
reaches the grave ... all earthly life is certainly over!
One's influence might remain for a while, but one's spirit goes
to be either with the Lord ... or to the place of eternal
punishment, Hell. "Whatsoever thy
hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is
no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the
grave, whither thou goest." (Ecclesiastes 9:10)
When Jesus deals with this truth it sounds like this:
"The
night cometh, when no man can work. I must work
the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night
cometh." John 9:4
Then, lastly,
Solomon accurately (divinely so ... the Holy Spirit is telling
him what to write) describes old age!
Then ...
death!
That's when
man goes "Because
man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the
streets.
Then shall the dust return to the earth as
it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it."
Ecclesiastes 12:5,7
Heaven ...
man's "long home!" In Hebrew that "eternal" home!
Eternal "house! Sounds like the Father's House to me ... when
framed in New Testament language!
I'm convinced!
Solomon did
repent before he died!
No other way
could he have so wisely handled this Biblical (and for the Old
Testament advanced) approach to death!
Wise indeed is
the person who prepares for it!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 8 ... SATURDAY,
JULY 23, 2005:
While we are
too often taught that the Book of Ecclesiastes is "suspect" in
content and spirituality, I personally believe it is one of the
choice "gems" of Scripture.
If ever a Book
of the Bible focuses on judgment ... the judgment of God, this
one does!
One scholar
says that no Book in the Bible exceeds Ecclesiastes in
references to future retribution and judgment!
Let's see.
In
Ecclesiastes 3:16-17 the Holy Spirit has Solomon sincerely say:
"And moreover I saw under the sun the
place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and
the place of righteousness, that iniquity was
there. I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and
the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose
and for every work."
Listen, these
are the words of a man who is surely conscious of coming
judgment! This is written by a man who had sinned profusely
(1,000 wives and concubines along with their false gods) yet at
last realized the futility, the emptiness, the "vanity" of life
without God!
More about
judgment ...
"If thou seest
the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment
and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he
that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be
higher than they." Ecclesiastes 5:8
In other
words, man may do wrong ... and think he's getting by ... but
high above, He That Is Higher is watching (Almighty God)!
He is observing every move! Judgment is coming!
Thoughts like
this will drive a man to repentance!
Then later, in
Ecclesiastes 8:5-6, Solomon injects a nugget of gold!
"A
wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.
Because to every purpose there is time and judgment ...."
If a man is wise ... he will consider the coming time of
judgment!
So says
Solomon in his later years!
Next, in a
stinging rebuke of his own former lifestyle, the King says:
"Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and
let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in
the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but
know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into
judgment." Ecclesiastes 11:9
That is ...
live as sensually as you wise, but be aware that some day God
will judge you for your deeds, all of them! What
preaching!
Then, lastly,
the "classic" wisdom verse on judgment: "For
God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret
thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."
Ecclesiastes 12:14
Amazing!
Here Solomon
not only warns us about coming judgment ... but teaches
dogmatically that it will occur after death! When else
could it be ... "every work" and if "every secret thing" is
called into question? Your "every work" is not completed
until you have died ... or maybe even some years after you've
died!
Yes, Solomon
had judgment on his mind!
Judgment for
sin!
And judgment
on one's mind (and heart) for long will tend to produce
heartfelt sorrow and genuine repentance.
And I believe
it did just that with Solomon.
Surely part of
the "Fear of the Lord" involves a conscious awareness that He is
the Judge! The "White Throne" Judge for sinners and the
"Judgment Seat Of Christ" Judge for the saints.
Are you ready?
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 9 ... SUNDAY,
JULY 24, 2005:
I've heard it
for years!
Critics
assailing the Book of Daniel ... due to its vocabulary words!
Teachers
mocking the Book of Esther ... which, they say, does not even
mention God's Name!
Liberals
attacking the Book of Revelation ... calling it the "ranting" of
a deluded old man!
And Preachers
saying that Genesis, the Book of Creation, is written by
multiple authors and contains myths and legends!
Well, I'm
tired of it!
Among these
so-called "weaker" Books of Scripture is always placed
Ecclesiastes!
One man said,
"There is little Christianity in Ecclesiastes at all!"
I see things
differently! Vastly differently!
It appears to
this preacher that Ecclesiastes is full of faith!
That is ... if
one believes that a key phrase of the Wisdom Books and the Old
Testament, "The Fear of the Lord," is an indication of trust and
belief!
Solomon sure
"preaches" a lot about such "Fear of the Lord" ... mentioning it
numerous times in his Book.
"I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it
shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken
from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear
before him." Ecclesiastes 3:14
We've just
been told that all God does ... is to produce the Fear of the
Lord in men's hearts!
That sounds
like a man who believes in God ... a great big God!
"For
in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers
vanities: but fear thou God."
Ecclesiastes 5:7
Here Solomon
says that while much of life is vain and empty ... if one fears,
trusts, reveres and worships the Lord ... life will have
meaning!
Friends,
that's faith!
"It
is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from
this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come
forth of them all." Ecclesiastes 7:18
Of all the
peoples of earth, even from the self-righteous to the super
wicked, it is only the man who fears God that shall "come forth"
into victory!
That is NOT
the voice of doubt!
"Though a sinner do evil an hundred times,
and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it
shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him."
Ecclesiastes 8:12
Even in
puzzling times, when it seems sinners are rewarded, Solomon
KNOWS that faith in God, the Fear of the Lord, is the best path
to follow! God honors that!
And according
to Ecclesiastes 8:13 there are consequences for NOT fearing God
too! "But
it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong
his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before
God." Sounds like this old King's mind is set ...
sadly, after too many years of sinning ... but set nonetheless!
And the way
Solomon ends the Book, it's very last verse, is conclusive.
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole
matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is
the whole duty of man." Ecclesiastes 12:13
It took
conviction for this old man who had wasted much of his life in
wantonness and sensuality to write those words! And they
are a pretty good indication that he had repented too!
He, in effect, says: I've failed!
Too much of my life has been vain! Learn from my mistakes!
Fear and worship God! Keep His commandments!
To which
advice all us New Testament Christians would have to say a
hearty "AMEN!"
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 10 ... POSTED
TUESDAY, JULY 26, 2005:
Here's a sad
verse: "For Solomon went after
Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the
abomination of the Ammonites." 1 Kings 11:5
Solomon had
backslidden!
And yet earlier in His
great reign it was said that he impressed the Queen of Sheba by
"his ascent by which he went up unto the
house of the LORD." So much did it amaze her
that ... "There was no more spirit in
her." 1 Kings 10:5
Here's the timeline:
1 Kings 10 and
earlier ... Solomon was right with God and worshiping Him
properly, reverently.
1 Kings 11 and later
... Solomon, having taken 1,000 wives and concubines, had
deserted the Lord God and served other gods!
But I am suggesting
to you today that as an old man ... Solomon saw the error of his way ... and
repented.
Here's one reason why I believe so. The
following words are from the mouth of Solomon. They
are apparently written in his later years.
"Keep thy foot when thou goest to the
house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the
sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. Be
not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to
utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven,
and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. For a dream
cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice
is known by multitude of words. When thou vowest a vow
unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in
fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it
that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and
not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin;
neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error:
wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work
of thine hands?" Ecclesiastes 5:1-6
He just told us
the proper way to go to Church!
How to listen to
God!
How to stay
quiet!
How to obey the
Word ... making a "vow" is here being a "doer" of God's
Commands!
How to avoid
God's anger!
And how to keep
the Almighty from destroying the works of your hands!
If that's not a
spiritual "x-ray" of Biblical Repentance ... I'm badly mistaken!
Solomon ... godly
when young ... rebellious when middle aged ... but repentant in
his later years ... has written for us (under Holy Spirit
inspiration) one of the greatest Books of the Bible,
Ecclesiastes!
Read it often!
It is God's inerrant Word too!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
MY PRAYER IS
THAT THESE STUDIES WILL HELP US ALL GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING
OF THIS PRECIOUS BOOK OF SCRIPTURE, ECCLESIASTES! IT IS
THE WORD OF GOD, INSPIRED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT HIMSELF!
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