Jesus in the Old Testament, Ecclesiastes

Jesus in Ecclesiastes

Jesus said this,

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,” {John 5:39}

We have been going through all the Books of the Old Testament and we have come to Ecclesiastes. Now, many say Ecclesiastes is a Pessimistic Book that does not even belong in Divine Scripture. Let's see how it begins?

“The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?”

No doubt you've heard this line before. “Vanity of vanities; all is vanity.” Many of you contribute this to Shakespeare. Though Shakespeare does lament about the meaningless of Man’s efforts in Life, it IS from the Bible. King Solomon is often proclaimed to be the Author, yet many deny this. Since The Word is NOT clear, we can only Speculate. Yes, it says “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.” Yet, Son of David can be used to describe anyone in the Lineage of David. Jesus is said to be “Son of David” as well.

However, when it talks about all is Vanity, it is not talking about Arrogant Selfish Ambition, yet rather, the pointlessness of Human only activity.

“One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth forever. The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirls about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.”

Jesus said it this way.

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” {John 3:8}

Yet He controls the Wind. He created all things.

“All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” {John 1:3}

We can see the Wind and Storms. We can feel the Waves crashing in. He controls them. Our efforts are pointless and meaningless. He, however, can do whatever He wishes. Remember the Boat? A Storm arose and is tossing the Boat to and fro. They just “knew” they were all in trouble and about to Die!

“And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.

And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.”

So yeah, Ecclesiastes may very well be all about the meaningless of Man and our own efforts, but this is the whole reason we must rely on, and trust in, Jesus. God. His Word. Jesus tells us,

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” {Matthew 6:25-34}

Jesus also told us this in Matthew 19:26

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Yes. “vanity of vanities; all is vanity.” if you are trusting in and relying on yourself, or other Created Beings, instead of trusting in and relying on the Creator. God. I also want to highlight this passage from Ecclesiastes 2

“So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind.”

Remember, he is talking Worldly, Manly, or Human Wisdom. Remember what The Word says about World Wisdom?

“Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” {1 Corinthians 3:18-19}

Christ is our Wisdom. Not what Man says, but what God says to us through His Word. In Ecclesiastes 3 we get the famous “Everything has a time.”

“a time to be born, and a time to die;”

Etc. It goes on to say.

“All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return.”

This is why we NEED Jesus. Why we NEED to allow Jesus’s Sacrifice to be ours. To allow His Death to be ours. Yet rather, His Resurrection to be ours. We are nothing more than helpless, wretched Sinners, worthy of, and in route to Hell.

We need the Fear of God {Ecclesiastes 5} Forget the “Vanity of Riches” Jesus Promises you will have Treasures in Heaven by Tithing and doing good Works such as helping the Poor.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

Again, there is a Contrast in Wisdom of the World or “Folly” and the Wisdom of God. Following Jesus and His Teachings. {Eccl 7} Follow the King's Command. {Eccl 8} Following God will end well and Man alone cannot know God without Jesus. {Eccl 9} death comes to all. Are you ready? Cast your Cares unto Earthly things or God? {Eccl 10 - 11} Know God, Jesus, from your Youth on.

Yes, Ecclesiastes is Pessimistic. Yes, it is all about the shortcomings and meaningless of Man relying on Man and the Natural World. The whole point to the Book of Ecclesiastes is this in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

"The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with  every secret thing, whether good or evil."

Jesus is the answer to all our failing efforts to control the uncontrollable. Including and up to death itself. Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a Sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus and His Sacrifice for me. I believe that He raised from the Dead. I repent my Sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen.{2 Corinthians 13}

Until next time, be Blessed, be a Blessing, and Jesus is Lord!