Part IThe Introduction

The Author: King Solomon

• Son of David, King of Jerusalem – Ecclesiastes 1:1 &12

• Great wealth and wisdom – Ecclesiastes 2:1-11, I Kings 3:3

• Solomon began his reign as a humble servant.– I Kings 3:5-15– I Kings 10:1-10– I Kings 10:14-25

The Author: King Solomon

• As he grew older he turned his heart from God.– I Kings 11:1-8

• God removes His hand of blessing from Solomon.– I Kings 9:1-9– I Kings 11:9-13

The Author: King Solomon

• Solomon also wrote the Book of Proverbs and Song of Solomon.– I Kings 4:32, 33

The Date:

• The latter years of Solomon’s life - 930 B.C.

The Title: Ecclesiastes (The Preacher)• Ecclesiastes 1:1• Hebrew word Koheleth – title given to an official

speaker.• The Greek word for assemble is ekklesia or the

English word Ecclesiastes.

The Purpose:

• Ecclesiastes 1:1-3• Ecclesiastes 12:8

The Keywords:

1. “Vanity of vanities” 38 times–Meaning: emptiness, futility, vapor –Ecclesiastes 2:11

2. “Under the sun” – “Under Heaven” 29 times–Meaning: Life from a human perspective not heaven`s

perspective

The Keywords:

3. “Profit” 10 times–Meaning: What`s left, surplus, gain

4. “Labor” 23 times–Meaning: To toil to the point of exhaustion and yet

experience little or no fulfillment in your work.

5. “Evil” 31 times–Meaning: It`s one of

Solomon`s favourite words for describing life as he sees it “under the sun”.

The Keywords:

6. “Wisdom” – 54 times7. “God” (Elohim) 40 times–Meaning: Elohim – God of creation, Mighty God• Ecclesiastes 1:1-18• Mark 8:36• I Corinthians 15:58

Part IIIn Pursuit of Pleasure

In Pursuit of Pleasure

• Ecclesiastes 2:1-11– “I made my works great”– “I made myself gardens and orchards”– “ I made myself water pods”– “I acquired male and female servants”– “I had greater possessions of herds and flocks”– “I gathered for myself

silver and gold…”

In Pursuit of Pleasure

• Ecclesiastes 2:1-11– “I acquired male and female singers…”– “I became great and excelled more than all…”

• All was vanity and grasping for the wind, no profit under the sun.

• Pleasure alone can never bring satisfaction!

A Disappointing Discovery

• Ecclesiastes 2:12-23• The Wise and the Foolish– Both will die – Ecclesiastes 2:15

• The Futility of Labour– Ecclesiastes 2:18-23

• II Chronicles 5:13, 14• II Chronicles 7:1-3• II Chronicles 6:12• II Chronicles 6:18-21

A Disappointing Discovery

• II Chronicles 6:32, 33• II Chronicles 7:19-22• Matthew 6:33• Timothy 6:7

A Disappointing Discovery

• “Money is an article which may be used as a universal passport to everywhere except heaven and as a universal provider of everything except happiness.” The Wall Street Journal

• Matthew 6:19-21

Scriptures

Ecclesiastes 2:1-111 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter—“Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?” 3 I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives. 4 I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. 5 I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.

Ecclesiastes 2:1-116 I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. 7 I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds.

Ecclesiastes 2:1-119 So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor. 11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 2:12-2312 Then I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly; For what can the man do who succeeds the king?— Only what he has already done. 13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly As light excels darkness. 14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, But the fool walks in darkness. Yet I myself perceived That the same event happens to them all. 15 So I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, It also happens to me, And why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart, “This also is vanity.”

Ecclesiastes 2:12-2316 For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die? As the fool! 17 Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind. 18 Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.

Ecclesiastes 2:12-2319 And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun. 21 For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun?

Ecclesiastes 2:12-2323 For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

Ecclesiastes 2:1515 So I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, It also happens to me, And why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart, “This also is vanity.”

Ecclesiastes 2:18-2318 Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 2:18-2321 For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? 23 For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

II Chronicles 5:13, 1413 indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever,” that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud 14 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

II Chronicles 7:1-31 When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 2 And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house. 3 When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever.”

II Chronicles 6:1212 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands

II Chronicles 6:18-2118 “But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built! 19 Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You: 20 that Your eyes may be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your name, that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place.

II Chronicles 6:18-2121 And may You hear the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive.

II Chronicles 6:32, 3332 “Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for the sake of Your great name and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray in this temple; 33 then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name.

Matthew 6:33 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

I Timothy 6:77 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

Matthew 6:19-2119 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

II Chronicles 7:19-2219 “But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them, 20 then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 21 “And as for this house, which is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and this house?’

II Chronicles 7:19-2222 Then they will answer, ‘Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this calamity on them.’”