Dale Ridge church of Christ

            Solomon’s first experiment (chapters 1-2) dealt with his desire to find meaning and profit in life from various worldly exploits.  These, however, could not ultimately satisfy.  They were all vanity and vexation of spirit (Ecclesiastes 2:11). 

Added to this, Solomon came to understand that he had limited control over these things.  Though he had spent so much effort in building his kingdom throughout his lifetime, he had one major problem—what would become of it after he was gone?  Who would take care of it?  He despaired over this and wondered what value there was in all the labors of this life. 

His conclusion?  While we should not view the things of this life as a means of power and control, there is value and profit to them when we see them as gifts from God and use them accordingly (Ecclesiastes 2:24; Matthew 6:11; James 1:17; Hebrews 13:5).

He then moves on to his second experiment (Ecc. 3-5).   In this experiment, Solomon sought to find purpose in a life so full of inconsistencies.  Solomon wondered why this life is so full of injustice and how one should react in light of such. 

This section of Ecclesiastes seems to begin at the end of chapter 2 (Ecclesiastes 2:25-26).  Here, Solomon makes a statement of the way things ought to be.  The righteous should be consistently blessed in this life, and the wicked should receive their due reward in this life.  This kind of thinking, though, Solomon says, is vanity.   The opposite is generally the case (Ecclesiastes 3:16).

In the midst of these two opposites (the way things ought to be versus the way things are), Solomon makes a confession of faith.  This confession is that God is Lord of the seasons of life (Ecc. 3:1-15).  God is the one in control; we are not.  While we are unable to catch the wind, God is able (Ecclesiastes 3:14). 

God, as Lord of the seasons, has made everything beautiful in his time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  This includes the good seasons of life and the bad.  Even the injustices and inconsistencies in life have their purpose.  Though we may not always understand them, God has a reason for them. 

One of those reasons Solomon spells out for us at the end of chapter 3.  Their purpose is to remind us that in one very important way, we are like the beasts of the earth—both man and beast will die (Ecclesiastes 3:17-21).  This is not a statement to support the teaching of evolution.  Rather, it is a reminder for us to remain humble and to fear before our God (Ecclesiastes 3:14). 

Chapter three concludes with Solomon’s general observation as to the profit that can be had in life in view of its seeming inconsistencies (Ecclesiastes 3:22).  This is similar to what Solomon stated at the end of his first experiment (Ecclesiastes 2:24) except there is one important addition—Solomon adds, “for that is his portion.”  In other words, we need to accept by faith the “seasons” that God gives to us in this life.  Though at times some of them may seem inconsistent, they are beautiful in their time, and they have their purpose.

Chapters 4 and 5 continue in this section and build upon the thoughts Solomon presented in chapter 3 (notice that the conclusion in Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 focuses upon the idea of man’s portion as has already been seen in Ecclesiastes 3:22).

Ecclesiastes 4 and 5 tell us how we can better live in this life of inconsistencies and injustices.  Chapter 4 is a mathematical equation that demonstrates the great value of companionship and community in this life of difficulties. 

Chapter 5 contains wisdom and warnings of two major areas where companionship and community can be destroyed—that is, through an improper use of the tongue (Ecc. 5:1-7) and a misuse of money (Ecc. 5:8-17).

Below are crossword puzzles on chapters 6-8.  Again, these are only meant as a fun way to become more familiar with the text.  Read the chapters several times before working on the puzzles,and remember the importance of context.  Here are links to the previous articles in this series along with the earlier puzzles from chapters 1-5 (article #1 article #2 article #3).

Here is an interactive version of chapter 6  ecclesiastes_chapter_6.   Just click on the section of the puzzle you want to work on, read the question and write the answer in the blank.  When you’re ready to insert the answer in the puzzle, just click OK.  Or, if you prefer, you can download and print out a copy of chapter 6 ecc_chap_6.

Here is an interactive version of chapter 7  ecclesiastes_chapter_7.   Just click on the section of the puzzle you want to work on, read the question and write the answer in the blank.  When you’re ready to insert the answer in the puzzle, just click OK.  Or, if you prefer, you can download and print out a copy of chapter 7 ecc_chap_7.

Here is an interactive version of chapter 8  ecclesiastes_chapter_8.   Just click on the section of the puzzle you want to work on, read the question and write the answer in the blank.  When you’re ready to insert the answer in the puzzle, just click OK.  Or, if you prefer, you can download and print out a copy of chapter 8 ecc_chap_8.

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Filed under: Devotional, Michael Carter on September 20th, 2008