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United Kingdom – Part 2Lesson 21

Ecclesiastes

Theme of Ecclesiastes

• This life is ultimately empty• There are many good things in this life

• You can’t find ultimate lasting fulfillment on the earth

• We need to look beyond the Sun• Look for God

• Fear God

Phrases in Ecclesiastes

• under the sun

• vanity

• profit

• labor

• evil

• turn/return

• references to God

Outline

I. Fulfillment comes from God (1:1-2:26).

A. Man cannot find it himself or in this earth.

B. Enjoyment of life is a gift from God.

II. Man must trust God to realize his purpose (3:1-5:20).

A. God has a plan for all things.

B. Difficulties can be confronted, but not all can be answered or understood.

C. Man must trust God and enjoy what God has given him here.

Outline

III. Answers to inequalities of life (6:1-8:15).

A. Explanation of various difficulties related to trust in God for enjoyment and meaning.

B. Application to avoid and deal with various inequalities of life.

IV. Explanation of further discouragements and conclusion (8:16-12:14).

A. Importance and limitations of wisdom.

B. The need for diligence and optimism.

C. Follow God early and wholly.

Good and Bad

• Brings out the harsh reality of life• Difficulty in life

• Unfairness

• Injustice

• Provides answers• God fills the void

• Fear of God will provide eternal answer

Fulfillment comes from God

Ecclesiastes 1:2-11

Fulfillment comes from God

Ecclesiastes 2:1-1110-11 Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them.I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure……Then I looked on all the works that my hands had doneAnd 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.

Fulfillment comes from God

• Wisdom and Folly (earthly)• Leads to the same end

• All my labor and gain goes where• To one who didn’t labor for it

• One who may be wise or foolish

• Conclusion – Food, drink, enjoy our work this is the gift of God

Trust God

• Everything has order with purpose and in its own time (3:1)

• He has put eternity in their hearts (3:11)

• God can give all good and make everything perfect, but He has created this system. Why?

Trust God

• Ecclesiastes 3:16-4:16 – Contradictions of God ruling?• Wickedness not justice

• Man and animals return to dust

• Oppression – better to be dead or never to have lived

• Working for Envy, Alone, and Popularity

Trust God

• Ecclesiastes 5

• Don’t be rash with your word to God (Psalm 73)

• Those unjust have higher officials

• Dealing with prosperity

• Conclusion – Food, drink, enjoy our work this is the gift of God. We don’t depend on these things, but on God.

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