JULY 28, 2013
·
The
book of Ecclesiastes will present us with two lists: one that is temporal and
does not include God, and the other has God as its center and is eternal.
·
The
temporal list covers every activity (for there is nothing new under the sun)
and every philosophy designed by man.
·
The
temporal list obviously is empty, and vain and cannot satisfy; the other is
eminently fulfilling because it is eternal.
Matthew
6:20-21
20
"But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor
rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
21 for where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also.
NASB
TIME
IS A THREAT (ECCLESIASTES 3:1, 10-14)
1 There is an appointed time for
everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven — NASB
10 I have seen the task which God has
given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.
11 He has made everything appropriate in
its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not
find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.
12 I know that there is nothing better
for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime;
13 moreover, that every man who eats and
drinks sees good in all his labor — it is the gift of God.
14 I know that everything God does will
remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from
it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.
NASB
VERSE 1:
“We
live in a world of changes. The events of time and the conditions of human life
are continually passing and repassing, yet every change is determined by the
supreme power and we should therefore accommodate ourselves to His purposes.
The only true pleasure of life is in making good use of the things God has
given us, making ourselves serviceable to those about us. “
SUMMARIZED BIBLE
“Which
is here added to prove the principal proposition, That all things below are
vain, and happiness is not to be found in them, because of their great
uncertainty, and mutability, and transitoriness, and because they are so much
out of the reach and power of men, and wholly in the disposal of God.”
JOHN WESLEY’S
EXPLANATORY NOTES
·
Verses
1-9 expresses the basic belief of ‘fatalism’.
VERSE 10:
“I have seen the task which God has given the sons of
men”
“not to make up a happiness by it, but to be exercised in it,
to have various graces exercised by the variety of events, to have their
dependence upon God tried by every change, and to be trained up to it, and
taught both how to want and how to abound.”
MATTHEW HENRY’S
COMMENTARY ON THE WHOLE BIBLE
Philippians
4:12
12
I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in
prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being
filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
NASB
VERSE 11:
“While the picture is in drawing, and the house in building, we see
not the beauty of either; but when the artist has put his last hand to them,
and given them their finishing strokes, then all appears very good.”
MATTHEW HENRY’S
COMMENTARY ON THE WHOLE BIBLE
·
God
has “set
eternity in their heart”, so they will see that the world does not
satisfy.
VERSE 12-13:
“…we have but
a little time to be doing good in, and therefore had need to redeem time. It is
in this life, where we are in a state of trial and probation for another
life. Every man's life is his opportunity of doing that which will make for him
in eternity.”
MATTHEW HENRY’S
COMMENTARY ON THE WHOLE BIBLE
VERSE 14:
·
Fatalism
leaves no place for the mercy and grace of God, nor of human responsibility.
·
Fatalism
says that God does not hear and answer payer.
TRUE
FRIENDS CAN HELP (ECCLESIASTES 4:9-12)
9 Two are better than one because they
have a good return for their labor.
10 For if either of them falls, the one
will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not
another to lift him up.
11 Furthermore, if two lie down together
they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone?
12 And if one can overpower him who is
alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn
apart.
NASB
·
One
of life’s great blessings is to have friends that you can count on.
·
God
generally uses other people in our lives to bring us His blessings.
·
God
can protect us from all harm just by trusting in Him; but He may more likely
give us two or more friends to provide this protection.
“Verses
9:12 is a contrast with the condition of the bachelor and is a wonderful gem of
literature, expressing the advantages of co-operation. Two are better than one
because they can be mutually helpful to each other. This is the foundation
principle of all partnerships, whether for business, war or the home. ‘A
threefold cord is not quickly broken.’"
B. H. CARROLL –
AN INTERPRETATION OF THE ENGLISH BIBLE
GOD
ALONE IS WORTHY (ECCLESIASTES 5:1-7)
1 Guard your steps as you go to the
house of God, and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of
fools; for they do not know they are doing evil.
2 Do not be hasty in word or impulsive
in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven
and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.
3 For the dream comes through much
effort, and the voice of a fool through many words.
4 When you make a vow to God, do not be
late in paying it, for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! 5 It is
better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.
6 Do not let your speech cause you to
sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a
mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work
of your hands?
7 For in many dreams and in many words
there is emptiness. Rather, fear God.
NASB
VERSE 1:
·
Solomon
tries to find satisfaction in religion, and he does not find it.
·
Religion
has never been very helpful to man.
·
Christianity
was never given a form to follow.
·
Because
Christianity is a Person.
·
To
be a Christian means that you trust Christ.
·
Going
to some churches is not only a waste of time; it is wrong.
o
It
is wrong to give your approval to a liberal pulpit.
VERSES 2-3:
·
There
are a lot of things being said in church that should not be said.
VERSE 4:
·
You
can't promise God things, fail to make good on them, and then expect to
maintain a vital relationship with Him.
·
It
is not a religious ceremony when you are dealing with God.
·
You
are dealing with a Person who hears you and expects you to keep a promise.
Deuteronomy
23:21-23
21
"When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it,
for it would be sin in you, and the LORD your God will surely require it of
you.
22 However, if you refrain from vowing, it would not be sin in you.
23 You
shall be careful to perform what goes out from your lips, just as you have
voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God, what you have promised.
NASB
“The
elements of weakness in human worship as noted in 5:1-7 are lack of due
consideration which results in the sacrifice of fools and rash vowing and then
not paying the pledge. Here I give an observation: often let their mouths go
off half-cocked and then when settlement day comes say before the messenger, ‘It
was an error.’ This principle applies in all our general work. For many years I
was an agent for different phases of denominational work and handled thousands
of dollars for the kingdom enterprises. On many occasions in our conventions
pledges were made for some kingdom interest and when I took the matter up with
the different ones for collection many of them would not even answer my letters.
Then these same ones would come into the convention again and make another
pledge and refuse again to pay it. This led me to go through my list of pledges
when they were first made and write after each one of these the German word,
nix. One would be astonished to go over these lists because of the great number
on the list with nix after the name and also because certain ones are in the
list whom a credulous person would not suspect. This experience of mine led me to
emphasize very strongly this passage in later years: ‘Keep thy foot when thou
goest to the house of God.’"
B. H. CARROLL –
AN INTERPRETATION OF THE ENGLISH BIBLE
No comments:
Post a Comment