Ecclesiastes 1 (7)

Pray Psalm 104.1, 35.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD my God, You are very great…

Bless the LORD, O my soul!
Praise the LORD!

Read Ecclesiastes 1.17, 18.

Reflect.
1. To what did Solomon set his heart? What does this mean?

2. What did he conclude from this?

Meditate.
You can’t have it both ways. That seems to be Solomon’s lesson to Rehoboam from his own experience.

At the height of his wisdom Solomon sought to indulge a little madness and folly. In his case, that took the form of foreign wives and their gods (1 Kgs. 11), as well as, undoubtedly, the political and material advantages such marriages brought with them.

But no one can serve two masters, as our Lord Jesus pointed out (Matt. 6.24). When Solomon began to compromise on living “under the heavens”, his life and wellbeing started to unravel. He must have been mad and a fool to think he would be better off “under the sun”. The “grief” and “sorrow” that accompany knowledge and wisdom are probably references to increased temptation, especially the temptation to pride. We need to recognize temptation for the madness and folly it presents; and, unlike Solomon – so he appears to be counseling us – we need to hold our ground “under the heavens” and not think to find something better by turning away from the Lord.

So Ecclesiastes 1 ends, a strong introduction to and overview of the themes and main character of Ecclesiastes.

Wisdom is good; we’re made to have it. But it doesn’t come easily. We must seek wisdom from the Lord if we would enter into His plan for restoring the world to its fullest blessing. And we must resist the temptation to serve ourselves or to think that anything in this life can bring as much joy, meaning, and fulfillment as faithfully seeking the Lord and His wisdom.

The opposite of seeking wisdom is to indulge in folly – the way of the fool, and madness – the way of the man who is not thinking straight. The redeemed of the Lord, called to serve Him for restoration and blessing, must conduct their lives before Him, in the light of His truth, seeking His wisdom for every area of their lives, and resisting every siren voice that seeks to draw them onto the rocks of moral or spiritual disaster.

Reflect.
1. How can we know whether we’re living “under the sun” or “under the heavens” at any moment?

2. How can believers help one another to live more consistently “under the heavens”?

3. How does Ecclesiasts 1 encourage you to pray for the people in your Personal Mission Field?

Solomon is the one speaking here, the third king of Israel whom the Lord had chosen after Saul and David. He received the kingship from his father and extended his rule which brought him renown among the Israelites. Solomon no longer subjected peoples through battle; by conducting himself peacefully and with full authority, he did not devote his energy towards anything not belonging to him.… He claimed to know the efforts needed to attain pleasure and accomplished everything which he had enumerated, an experience which taught him that vanity is the common end of men’s pursuits. Gregory of Nyssa (335-394), Homilies on Ecclesiastes 2

You have called me to live under the heavens, O Lord, and today I will do so as I…

Pray Psalm 104.1-35.
Let this psalm lead you to praise God for all His works of providence, by which He sustains the world and everything in it.

Sing Psalm 104.1-35.
Psalm 104.1-35 (Creation: Exalt the Lord, His Praise Proclaim)
Bless God, my soul!  How great are You, Lord, with majesty and splendor adorned.
The heav’ns He stretches like a tent, and lays His chambers in the firmament.
He rides the wings of winds on high and makes His messengers flaming fly.
The earth on its foundation stands, established forever by His hands.

The earth and mountains He did flood; they fled at Your rebuke, O sovereign God!
The mountains rose, the valleys sank low; to where You determined they should go.
You set a boundary, hold them in, that they may not cover the earth again.
You make the valleys gush with springs; and to all creatures refreshment bring.

The birds beside the waters dwell and sing in the branches, full and well.
You drench the mountains from above; the earth is sated by Your love.
You cause the grass for beasts to grow, and plants for food to feed us so;
and wine to gladden man’s poor soul, and bread and oil to make us whole.

The trees You water with Your grace, the mighty cedars in their place;
in them the birds their dwellings build, and goats inhabit every hill.
You made the moon the times to mark; the sun declines; You made the dark.
By night the beasts pursue their prey, and man to labor goes by day.

How many are Your works, O Lord, which You have created by Your Word!
The earth and sea with creatures teem – they look to You to care and feed.
You give to them, they gather all; You hide Your face, they fail and fall.
You take their breath, they gasp and die; You send Your Spirit, they revive.

Lord, let Your glory long endure. Rejoice! His works are ever sure!
He looks on earth, it quails and quakes, as we our songs of praises make.
Lord, let our meditation rise and bring great pleasure in Your eyes.
Consumed shall sinners ever be. O, bless and praise the Lord with me!

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006). All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (available by clicking here).