Ecclesiastes 1-3, 2 Corinthians 11:16-33(New King James Version)
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A Reexamination of "Eternity" in Ecclesiastes 3:11
BiBLiOTHECA SACRA 165 (January-March 2008): 39-57 A REEXAMINATION OF "ETERNITY" IN ECCLESIASTES 3:11 Brian P. Gault HE PHRASE "GOD HAS PLACED ETERNITY IN THE HUMAN HEART" (Eccles. 3I11)1 has become cliché in contemporary missiology Tand a repeated refrain from many Christian pulpits today. In his popular work, Eternity in Their Hearts, missiologist Don Richardson reports on stories that reveal a belief in the one true God in many cultures around the world. Based on Qoheleth's words Richardson proposes that God has prepared the world for the gos pel of Jesus Christ.2 In support of his thesis Richardson appeals to the words of the late scholar Gleason Archer, "Humankind has a God-given ability to grasp the concept of eternity."3 While com monly accepted by scholars and laypersons alike, this notion is cu riously absent from the writings of the early church fathers4 as well as the major theological treatise of William Carey, the founder of the modern missionary movement.5 In fact modern scholars have suggested almost a dozen different interpretations for this verse. In Brian P. Gault is a Ph.D. student in Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East at Hebrew Union College—Jewish Institute of Religion, Cincinnati, Ohio. 1 Unless noted otherwise, all Scripture quotations are those of the present writer. 2 Don Richardson, Eternity in Their Hearts (Ventura, CA: Regal, 1981), 28. 3 Personal interview cited by Don Richardson, "Redemptive Analogy," in Perspec tives on the World Christian Movement, ed. Ralph D. Winter and Steven C. Hawthorne (Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 2000), 400. -
Ecclesiastes Core Group Study
Ecclesiastes Core Group Study “Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless!” The book of Ecclesiastes begins with this bleak exclamation of futility. Scholars generally attribute the authorship of Ecclesiastes to King Solomon, son of David, who was once one of the wealthiest men on the earth. Jewish tradition holds that Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes towards the end of his life. While Solomon’s authorship is not commonly disputed, it is possible that a third party gathered together this collection of his philosophical musings into a single work. But why might someone so successful by human standards write something so full of despair? King Solomon began his career as the wisest man in existence. His kingdom grew and flourished under God’s blessing. However, Solomon’s weakness for foreign women caused him to fall deep into idolatry, and had devastating effects on the kingdom of Israel for generations far into the future. In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon provides a discourse on the futility of earthly pursuits, and the inevitable end all creatures will face: death and judgment before God. He exhorts younger generations to take joy in honest work and simple pleasures, to enjoy their youth, and to ultimately fear God and keep his commandments. This study will provide an overview of Ecclesiastes. Each week will examine a different passage and a main theme based on that passage. In addition, each week of the study will include one or more passages from the New Testament to show the hope, purpose, and meaning that are redeemed through Jesus. Contents Week One: Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 2 Week Two: Ecclesiastes 2:17-26 4 Week Three: Ecclesiastes 3:1-22 6 Week Four: Ecclesiastes 4:1-3 8 Week Five: Ecclesiastes 4:7-12 10 Week Six: Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 12 Week Seven: Ecclesiastes 5:8-20 14 Week Eight: Ecclesiastes 9:1-10 16 Week Nine: Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 18 Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship Page 1 of 19 Week One: Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 Worship Idea: Open in prayer, then sing some worship songs Opening Questions: 1. -
Ecclesiastes 1
International King James Version Old Testament 1 Ecclesiastes 1 ECCLESIASTES Chapter 1 before us. All is Vanity 11 There is kno remembrance of 1 ¶ The words of the Teacher, the former things, neither will there be son of David, aking in Jerusalem. any remembrance of things that are 2 bVanity of vanities, says the Teacher, to come with those that will come vanity of vanities. cAll is vanity. after. 3 dWhat profit does a man have in all his work that he does under the Wisdom is Vanity sun? 12 ¶ I the Teacher was king over Is- 4 One generation passes away and rael in Jerusalem. another generation comes, but ethe 13 And I gave my heart to seek and earth abides forever. lsearch out by wisdom concerning all 5 fThe sun also rises and the sun goes things that are done under heaven. down, and hastens to its place where This mburdensome task God has it rose. given to the sons of men by which to 6 gThe wind goes toward the south be busy. and turns around to the north. It 14 I have seen all the works that are whirls around continually, and the done under the sun. And behold, all wind returns again according to its is vanity and vexation of spirit. circuits. 15 nThat which is crooked cannot 7 hAll the rivers run into the sea, yet be made straight. And that which is the sea is not full. To the place from lacking cannot be counted. where the rivers come, there they re- 16 ¶ I communed with my own heart, turn again. -
Ecclesiastes – “It’S ______About _____”
“DISCOVERING THE UNREAD BESTSELLER” Week 18: Sunday, March 25, 2012 ECCLESIASTES – “IT’S ______ ABOUT _____” BACKGROUND & TITLE The Hebrew title, “___________” is a rare word found only in the Book of Ecclesiastes. It comes from a word meaning - “____________”; in fact, it’s talking about a “_________” or “_________”. The Septuagint used the Greek word “__________” as its title for the Book. Derived from the word “ekklesia” (meaning “assembly, congregation or church”) the title again (in the Greek) can simply be taken to mean - “_________/_________”. AUTHORSHIP It is commonly believed and accepted that _________authored this Book. Within the Book, the author refers to himself as “the son of ______” (Ecclesiastes 1:1) and then later on (in Ecclesiastes 1:12) as “____ over _____ in Jerusalem”. Solomon’s extensive wisdom; his accomplishments, and his immense wealth (all of which were God-given) give further credence to his work. Outside the Book, _______ tradition also points to Solomon as author, but it also suggests that the text may have undergone some later editing by _______ or possibly ____. SNAPSHOT OF THE BOOK The Book of Ecclesiastes describes Solomon’s ______ for meaning, purpose and satisfaction in life. The Book divides into three different sections - (1) the _____ that _______ is ___________ - (Ecclesiastes 1:1-11); (2) the ______ that everything is meaningless (Ecclesiastes 1:12-6:12); and, (3) the ______ or direction on how we should be living in a world filled with ______ pursuits and meaninglessness (Ecclesiastes 7:1-12:14). That last section is important because the Preacher/Teacher ultimately sees the emptiness and futility of all the stuff people typically strive for _____ from God – p______ – p_______ – p________ - and p________. -
Final Draft Dissertation
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Arbiters of the Afterlife: Olam Haba, Torah and Rabbinic Authority A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures by Candice Liliane Levy 2013 © Copyright by Candice Liliane Levy 2013 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Arbiters of the Afterlife: Olam Haba, Torah and Rabbinic Authority by Candice Liliane Levy Doctor of Philosophy in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures University of California, Los Angeles, 2013 Professor Carol Bakhos, Chair As the primary stratum of the rabbinic corpus, the Mishna establishes a dynamic between rabbinic authority and olam haba that sets the course for all subsequent rabbinic discussions of the idea. The Mishna Sanhedrin presents the rabbis as arbiters of the afterlife, who regulate its access by excluding a set of individuals whose beliefs or practices undermine the nature of rabbinic authority and their tradition. In doing so, the Mishna evinces the foundational tenets of rabbinic Judaism and delineates the boundaries of ‘Israel’ according to the rabbis. Consequently, as arbiters of the afterlife, the rabbis constitute Israel and establish normative thought and practice in this world by means of the world to come. ii There have been surprisingly few studies on the afterlife in rabbinic literature. Many of the scholars who have undertaken to explore the afterlife in Judaism have themselves remarked upon the dearth of attention this subject has received. For the most part, scholars have sought to identify what the rabbis believed with regard to the afterlife and how they envisioned its experience, rather than why they held such beliefs or how the afterlife functioned within the rabbinic tradition. -
The Vanity of Self-Indulgence Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
The Vanity of Self-indulgence Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 March 13, 2016 Steve DeWitt Imagine if you could sit at a table with Bill Gates, Robin Williams, Hugh Hefner, Michelangelo, and Frank Lloyd Wright. They represent the pinnacle of wealth, comedy, hedonism, art, and design. That would be an interesting conversation. Now imagine you took all their gifts and experiences and put them into one guy. That was Solomon. What if that one guy shared his pursuit of meaning in life? Would you listen to him? We get to through Ecclesiastes. Our text is 2:1-11. We will take it in parts. “I said in my heart, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.’ But behold, this also was vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 2:1) This verse is a summary of verses 1-11. He starts with his conclusion. Pleasure? This also is vanity. Remember, vanity means vapor. Vapor has an appearance of substance but it’s so quickly gone that it doesn’t amount to anything. Futility. Meaningless. In case you are new today, we’ve emphasized that Ecclesiastes is written describing man’s search for meaning apart from God. We were made for God but sin destroyed that relationship. Mankind is left to derive meaning from what this world has to offer. How does that go? How do we experience our godless existence? He says that it feels like nothing really matters. It feels like everything’s vapor, hollow, empty. In Solomon’s case, this was not for a lack of trying. God gave Solomon an incredible intellect matched with wisdom about life. -
A Time to Let Go
A Time to Let Go Summary and Goal As Ecclesiastes reminds us, there is a time for everything in our lives. Winter is an important season and does some important work. In every life, there comes a time to let go and move on to our future. Main Passages Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 Session Outline 1. The Sovereignty of God from Beginning to End (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2) 2. Seasons of Peace and Strife (Ecclesiastes 3:3-8) 3. The Frustration of the Immediate in Light of Eternity (Ecclesiastes 3:9-11) Theological Theme God is sovereign throughout every season of life. Christ Connection In His earthly ministry, Jesus experienced every season of life—even leading to His own crucifixion. God’s power and sovereignty was shown as every detail of Jesus’ life fulfilled His promise in redemptive history. Missional Application One of the difficult questions frequently posed to believers has to do with God’s power in bleak seasons of suffering and loss. In understanding that God’s sovereignty never waivers, even in seasons of loss, believers can walk through those times with hope. 1 Leader Guide Historical Context of Ecclesiastes Purpose Ecclesiastes shows us that since we and our works are futile—that is, destined to perish—we must not waste our lives trying to justify our existence with pursuits that ultimately mean nothing. Put simply, Ecclesiastes examines major endeavors of life in light of the reality of death. Author According to 1:1 and 1:12, the author was David’s son and a king over Israel from Jerusalem. -
In Search of Kohelet
IN SEARCH OF KOHELET By Christopher P. Benton Ecclesiastes is simultaneously one of the most popular and one of the most misunderstood books of the Bible. Too often one hears its key verse, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity,” interpreted as simply an injunction against being a vain person. The common English translation of this verse (Ecclesiastes 1:2) comes directly from the Latin Vulgate, “Vanitas vanitatum, ominia vanitas.” However, the original Hebrew, “Havel havelim, hachol havel,” may be better translated as “Futility of futilities, all is futile.” Consequently, Ecclesiastes 1:2 is more a broad statement about the meaninglessness of life and actions that are in vain rather than personal vanity. In addition to the confusion that often surrounds the English translation of Ecclesiastes 1:2, the appellation for the protagonist in Ecclesiastes also loses much in the translation. In the enduring King James translation of the Bible, the speaker in Ecclesiastes is referred to as “the Preacher,” and in many other standard English translations of the Bible (Amplified Bible, New International Version, New Living Translation, American Standard Version) one finds the speaker referred to as either “the Preacher” or “the Teacher.” However, in the original Hebrew and in many translations by Jewish groups, the narrator is referred to simply as Kohelet. The word Kohelet is derived from the Hebrew root koof-hey-lamed meaning “to assemble,” and commentators suggest that this refers to either the act of assembling wisdom or to the act of meeting with an assembly in order to teach. Furthermore, in the Hebrew, Kohelet is generally used as a name, but in Ecclesiastes 12:8 it is also written as HaKohelet (the Kohelet) which is more suggestive of a title. -
Ecclesiastes 2 – (22 Feb 15)
The Experiment of Life - Ecclesiastes 2 – (22 Feb 15) And today we are looking at Ecclesiastes chapter 2 in particular. And this is a fantastic series from the Bible, because this is a series so relevant to all of us, especially to the modern man. We live in a day and age where we have virtually everything, the world, in the past never had. We have technology, we have automobiles, we have planes, we have computers. Nobody had that in the past, but the need of the human soul remains the same. The search for meaning and so Solomon, who is the author of this book, is now leading us in this journey, for the pursuit of meaning. Time stamp in audio 0:00:52.7. When I was younger, I had the experience of many experiments, we would conduct experiments in places that look like this, the laboratory, the lab and we have chemistry, physics, biology experiments and there is one experiment that produce an amazing result that still stuck to me, all these years. Some of you may be familiar, all of you who are students, or who had just had a memory of this, remember this little chemistry experiment, where you take this black powder and you immerse it in this transparent solution, called dilute sulphuric acid, you stir it , you mix it, the solution becomes blue and and then you have to remove the excess powder, copper oxide, using a filter paper. So what you have is a dissolved copper sulphate solution and then you place it over a flame, so that you can sort of cause the water molecules to evaporate away and as you do so, as you leave it alone, what happens is this amazing crystal gets formed. -
Ecclesiastes 202 1 Edition Dr
Notes on Ecclesiastes 202 1 Edition Dr. Thomas L. Constable TITLE The title of this book in the Hebrew text is all of verse 1. The Septuagint translation (third century B.C.) gave it the name "Ekklesiastes," from which the English title is a transliteration. This Greek word is related to ekklesia, meaning "assembly." "Ekklesiastes" is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word qohelet that the NASB translated "Preacher" in verse 1. The Hebrew word designates a leader who speaks before an assembly of people. As such, this book is a sermon.1 The NIV translation of qohelet as "Teacher" is also a good one. A more literal translation of qohelet would be "Gatherer," as the gatherer of people to an assembly, or the gatherer of thoughts or observations. WRITER AND DATE "… there is scarcely one aspect of the book, whether of date, authorship or interpretation, that has not been the subject of wide difference of opinion."2 The commentators sometimes treat the Hebrew word qohelet ("Preacher"; 1:1-2, 12; 7:27; 12:8-10) as a proper name.3 However, the fact that the article is present on the Hebrew word in 12:8, and perhaps in 7:27, seems to indicate that qohelet is a title: "the preacher" or "the teacher" or "the assembler" or "the convener." 1J. Sidlow Baxter, Explore the Book, 3:143. 2Robert Gordis, Koheleth—The Man and His World, p. 4. 3E.g., ibid., p. 5. Copyright Ó 2021 by Thomas L. Constable www.soniclight.com 2 Dr. Constable's Notes on Ecclesiastes 2021 Edition Internal references point to Solomon as this preacher (cf. -
Funeral Readings
P a g e | 1 Readings for Catholic Funerals Old Testament / Hebrew Scripture 2 Maccabees 12:43-45 ................................................................................................................... 2 Job 19:1, 23-27A ............................................................................................................................ 3 Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 .......................................................................................................................... 4 Ecclesiastes 3: 1-15 ........................................................................................................................ 5 Wisdom 3:1-9 ................................................................................................................................ 6 Wisdom 4:7-15 .............................................................................................................................. 7 Isaiah 25:6a, 7-9 ............................................................................................................................. 8 Lamentations 3:17-26 ................................................................................................................... 9 Daniel 12: 1-3............................................................................................................................... 10 New Testament / Christian Scripture Acts of the Apostles 10: 34-43 ................................................................................................... 11 Romans 5:5-11 ............................................................................................................................ -
Don't Freak Out, but YOU Are Not in Control Ecclesiastes 3:1-4:3 What's
Don’t freak out, but YOU are not in control Ecclesiastes 3:1-4:3 What’s the Point!?! Sermon 05 Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find, me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll. I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul. That short Victorian poem, Invictus, was written by English poet, William Ernest Henley in 1875. When he was 14, Henley contracted a bone disease. A few years later, the disease had progressed to his foot. His doctor told him that the only way they could save his life was to amputate his leg just below the knee. So at 17 years of age, he half of his leg was amputated. While recovering from surgery, he wrote Invictus. “I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.” But he wasn’t, though he apparently had a full life, at age 53, William Ernest Henley died. Are you a control freak? Do you like to be in control? We humans love to be in control, to be the “masters of our fate: captains of our souls.” Ladies, does it drive you nuts when someone else works in your kitchen and moves things around? Are you that way at work? You have things just so in your workspace.