Ecclesiastes...Pastor Phil Strong

Part 5

2-27-11

Text: Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 

● Ecclesiastes is life “unscripted”; life that’s hard to diagram. It seems difficult to identify any sense of rhythm or flow or logical progression to Solomon’s writings; just several, “And here’s another thing I’ve noticed…”, expressions.

This week’s musings over Ecclesiastes:

            It seems that we often claim to know too much. (e.g. in the areas of education, technology, medical advances, religion). We too quickly make definitive statements, often from a posture of arrogance and over-confidence. We often lack the humility that understanding demands.

            It seems that we expect way too much out of life “under-the-sun”.

            We want guarantees, but are most offered predictions and forecasts and speculations. I don’t expect to get all the parts; I don’t expect to always avoid senseless pain and adversity. I expect life “under-the-sun” to disappoint me, otherwise, I would have no reason for hope. Hope is always connected to what we “don’t” already have.

“Hope deferred makes us heart-sick”, Proverbs says, “but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life” (13:12).

            John the Revelator connects  this heartsick condition to the need to persevere.

“Anyone who has ears to hear let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the church. To everyone who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is planted in the paradise of God” (Revelation2:7).

Paradise--- life restored; God and man like they’d never been apart. Where? When? In God’s renewed creation.

● Even with a common theme of the book being “limitations” (of knowledge, of pleasure, of relationships, of wealth, of death), nowhere will you find it presented as an excuse for apathy. Knowing that there are limitations should make us more responsive; more present; more available to God and others.

            Limitations, Solomon says, should keep us from chasing the wrong things.

● The books of Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes all belong to the category of “Wisdom literature” in the compilation of the Scriptures.

A rabbinic tradition suggests that Solomon wrote Song of Songs when he was young, naïve and in love; he wrote Proverbs when he was raising his family and still optimistic; he wrote Ecclesiastes when he was old and cynical.

Wisdom literature is about how life is “meant” to work: not only that, but our response when it doesn’t (e.g. our conclusions about life and God).

● Solomon offers us wisdom as “proverbial” (Proverbs): statements commonly accepted as the way things should function; about the way life should be and often is.

● The statements are pithy (concise), clear-cut, make distinctions (e.g. foolish/wise, righteous/unrighteous, lazy/industrious).

● Ecclesiastes offers us wisdom that is not always so definable; it often lacks the clarity that we demand from life. It is life to the “extremes”--- beyond the expected or usual. It offers a, “Yes, but…”, kind of wisdom.

● Interestingly, many scholars suggest that Job is the first book offered to us as revelation. If so, what was God attempting to tell us?

            It seems as if God is confirming our suspicions about life: “Yeah, you’re right. Life is hard, it’s confusing, it’s not always logical… you should be frustrated, I know I am!”  Life leaves us with a lot of questions and few concrete answers except God with us--- God aware and God involved.

            He then goes on to reveal himself as Creator, Covenant maker and restorer. He starts out with the way things are right presently, then rewinds and offers some context for all of his activity.

● Ecclesiastes forces us all to face some of our most perplexing questions; it exposes some of our deepest struggles and our biggest fears: that when all is said and done, it will all have been meaningless.

● So, if you tell me “all is well” (we’re progressing nicely), I would argue that there is much suffering and injustice. And, if you conclude that “all is evil”, I will suggest that there are glimpses of restoration happening all around us (trace-evidence of God)

● Solomon offers reality to us in contrasting pairs, the first of which seems to provide the basis for all of the others.

            “A time to be born and a time to die” (vs.2)

                         LIFE “UNDER-THE-SUN”

     birth                                                                 death

        l----------------------------------------------------------l

For our purpose, let’s call it, “Time”  and “Time’s up”!

● It is important to understand that what you are considering from Solomon are not ethical directives. It is not within the scope of his considerations… it’s not the point. There are lengthy discourses supporting his conclusions. He is not making moral judgments, but simply observations about inevitable life-experiences in this reality we call “humanity”.