A Brief Summary Commentary
“Choose you this day whom you will serve (follow), as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord ” — we will follow wisdom.
Think on this: Believing is intellectual! Wisdom is respecting God!
Please turn to Ecclesiastes.
Ecclesiastes is, in part, a biographical documentation of a King who had everything, but wanted more … such is the nature of men. Do we not search for utopia? Do we not search for the very meaning of life, in all the wrong places?
King Solomon experimented with countless frontiers of life and knowledge. He recorded his search, his experiences, and his thoughts as few ever have — but it amounted to nothing more than a frantic search for happiness.
Solomon experimented and challenged life and the meaning of life including knowledge, education, psychology, philosophy, marriage, family, sex, lust, materialism, self-indulgence, fatalism, and giving. His search took him in a complete circle and ended where it began — with God. He started his search without God, but his search led him back to God. Here is the wisdom of the ages — the search is not away from God, it must be in search of God. See Proverbs chapters 2 & 3, the wisdom chapters, but especially read one of my favorite verses, which is Proverbs 25:2 “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.” Be sure to read Deuteronomy 29:29 & Romans 11:33-35. As part of your mediation on the Word, stop now and turn to these scriptures — you’ll be glad you did.
Solomon concluded that there is a time for everything under the sun (SON). Whatever time it is there must be not only time for God, but time with God because God IS. The results of King Solomon’s search are simple and humbling. He concluded that “all is vanity” without a relationship with God.
Solomon also, like most of us, struggled with the injustices of life. God patiently revealed to the wise King that God controls history and God’s Hand is in everything. Solomon’s quest for happiness caused him to conclude the only conclusion: that all mankind has a deep desire for that which is eternal, even God. He was able to see that ONLY an everyday relationship with the Lord our God can FULFILL us.
The true meaning and purpose of life is God and Truth … God is Truth! God’s Word is Truth! The Bible is the Mind of Christ! God is the equation of life-happiness: Man, plus God’s Word, plus prayer and meditation, plus confession, and application to experience, equals happiness. We are complete in Christ — in fellowship with almighty God.
The secret to happiness is our relationship with God … this is why we exist; this is why we are here. God wants us to relate to Him because we are related to Him! God created us for relationship with Him through Jesus Christ, and in so doing we benefit and God is glorified.
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep God’s Commandments (be obedient), for this is the whole duty of man.” The beginning and the ending of all things and all knowledge is God. “Love God with all your heart; with all your soul; and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37-40). “For God will bring every work into judgment (everything in the end will be made right), with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
There is a time for everything under the sun, (SON) but everything in life must start and end with God through Jesus Christ if we are to be fulfilled, complete and happy.
The same writer of Ecclesiastes also was the principal contributor of Proverbs. No man was better qualified than Solomon to write Proverbs. His breadth of knowledge, skill, and perception were perhaps the greatest of all men except Christ. For your own study purposes, please allow yourself the benefit of deep appreciation for the wisdom of Scripture by reading the “wisdom literature of the Old Testament” which are the Books of Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. Then finish with the Book of Psalms. Amen and Amen.
Happy Studying!