Saturday, September 24, 2022

Under the Sun

Introduction 


Anointing of Solomon by Zadok

Man has searched for the meaning of life ever since time began. He tries everything under the sun trying to figure it out.



Solomon was such a man.



Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.  For he was wiser than all menand his fame was in all nations round about. (1Ki 4:30-31; 2 Ch 1:7-12)



 

God gave him wisdom and knowledge, a wise and understanding heart such that he could discern good and evil to judge the people of God wisely.



If ever there was someone who could figure out what life is all about, it would have been Solomon.



Solomon spoke 3,000 proverbs of which many were captured in the Book of Proverbs. He wrote 1,005 songs of which the Song of Solomon is the Song of Songs, his greatest hit. And he wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes. It is also believed that he may have written two of the Psalms, numbers 72 and 127. He was renown throughout the world for his amazing wisdom and insight.



It is not known for certain how old he was when he became King of Israel. Some say as young as twelve, as it was said he did not know how to go out or come in, and some say as old as twenty or even twenty-five. He reigned as King of Israel for 40 years so died fairly young between the ages of 52 and 65. However, it is obvious from some of the passages he wrote that life had taken its toll on him and he was weary. In Ecclesiastes 12, for example, he speaks of the years that draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.



The Book of Ecclesiastes will be our study today. It is believed to have been written by Solomon when he was old and near the end of his life. He was looking back and reflecting on his life and what he had discovered during his lifelong quest to find the meaning of life. It was after he had multiplied wives to himself, 700 wives and 300 concubines, that led him astray and turned away his heart after other gods. Though he may have repented, you might say with all he had seen and experienced by then that he had become quite cynical.



The Book of Ecclesiastes can be described as Solomon’s series of experiments, or investigations. He searched for meaning in every aspect of life under the sun.



He discovered that if this life is all there is, there is no meaning to any of it as we’ll see. It is all vanity; a mere exercise in futility.



Solomon had it all, wisdom, riches, fame, women, horses, houses, vineyards, servants, armies, wealth, and power. Everything! He had everything a man could want. Nothing was kept from him that his heart desired. He had it all and he laments that though he had tried and tested every aspect of life you can imagine; he could not find fulfillment in any of it and all it brought was grief and sorrow and vexation of spirit.



Solomon describes this life, the human existence, as life lived “under the sun”.



And that will be the title of the message today.



Under the Sun


 

The phrase “under the sun” appears nowhere else in the Bible. It only appears in the book of Ecclesiastes. In most translations, it appears 29 times in 27 verses. This life “under the sun” is the life we experience with our own physical senses.



In order to understand the Book of Ecclesiastes, we need to understand the viewpoint of the writer. We need to view it from Solomon’s perspective.



 

David Guzik’s Enduring Word Commentary puts it this way:


The Book of Ecclesiastes is one of the most unusual and perhaps most difficult to understand books of the Bible. It has a spirit of hopeless despair; it has no praise or peace; it seems to promote questionable conduct. Yet these words of the Preacher show us the futility and foolishness of a life lived without an eternal perspective.



A life lived without an eternal perspective.



This is the key to understanding the Book of Ecclesiastes. It must be perceived from the view point that this is all there is. This life is it! There is no life after death. There is no resurrection! There is no Kingdom! There is no eternity!



When you look at it this way, you can understand why Solomon was so frustrated with it all.



We all were made with a God-shaped hole in our heart that only He can fill. Solomon states it this way in chapter three. After he writes the lyrics to the song, Turn! Turn! Turn! that the Byrds made popular in 1965, [which might actually be his greatest hit] he says this –



 

Ecc 3:11 NASB  He has made everything appropriate in its time. [a time to every purpose under heaven] 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.



 

But man goes about life anyway searching for that one thing that will fill that hole with anything but God, and when he can’t find it, he gets frustrated and it manifests in all manner of sin, sickness, and debauchery.



Life doesn’t seem to work the way it should. Life is hard at times. Life is unfair at times. Without an eternal perspective, without a view of what comes after, life has no meaning. It’s just day in and day out drudgery with just enough joy sprinkled in to keep us interested.



Once you become an adult and enter the workforce, it seems like you’re on one of those hamster wheels. You get up in the morning, so you can go to work, you come home and eat dinner and go to bed, so you can get up in the morning and go to work, over and over again, for 40 years.



As we shall see, from Solomon’s perspective without eternity, there is no point to all of this. There is nothing new under the sun and…



 

Vanity of Vanities, ALL is Vanity


 

Ecc 1:1-9

(1)  The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.


(2)  Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.


(3)  What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?


(4)  One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.


(5)  The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.


(6)  The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.


(7)  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.


(8)  All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.





 

All things are full of labor. There’s always something that’s got to be done. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. Just when you get one thing done, something else requires your attention. You get one thing fixed and something else breaks. There’s no let up. It’s all vanity! There’s no rest in this life under the sun.



 

You go to see some new sight and enjoy it immensely at the time. Afterwards, it becomes another check mark on the list of “been there done that”.



You hear a new song that really resonates and you can’t get enough of it. After a while, you’re tired of it and you can’t get it out of your head quick enough.



(9)  The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.



 

This is the voice of hopeless despair David Guzik spoke of that is so prevalent in the Book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon seems so wearied of it all.



 

Let’s look in on Solomon’s quest for the meaning of life under the sun. We won’t read the whole book but he summarizes quite nicely in chapter two.



 

 

Ecc 2:1-11 NLT


(1)  I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless.


(2)  So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?”


(3)  After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still keeping my wits about me, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world.


(4)  I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards.


(5)  I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees.


(6)  I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves.


(7)  I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me.


(8)  I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire!


(9)  So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me.


(10)  Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors.


(11)  But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaninglesslike chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.



All the things that men even today strive for cannot satisfy. There’s a message here for men young and old. Young men, don’t spend all your time and effort chasing the wind and neglecting that which is most important. Old men, don’t look back on your life with regret for not accomplishing all you set out to do. Grab on to that which is most important now and hold on with all your might.



 

For in the end…We all die.



Vanity of Life – (All Die)



 

Ecc 9:3-6 KJV


(3)  This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.



(5)  For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.


(6)  Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.



 

For all of man’s machinations, all his struggles and strife, in the end we all die, rich or poor; weak or powerful; we all die. If there is no life after death, what’s the point of it all?



 

Hear the despair? It’s all just a meaningless exercise in futility.



 

Time and Chance



 

Ecc 9:11 KJV  

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.



 

Solomon’s thinking, this doesn’t make sense! Is it all just dumb luck? What’s the point of working hard and striving for excellence, and developing one’s character and skill if the other guy is going to win anyway?



 

Bear in mind, he’s viewing it from the perspective that this life is all there is. He doesn’t have the benefit of the truth that God has revealed to us.



 

Ecc 8:14 KJV


(14)  There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.



 

It makes no sense! The righteous are punished and the wicked are rewarded.



 

Now, when we have things happen that seem unfair, or incongruous, we use them first as an opportunity for self-examination.



What’s the lesson here?



Lord try my heart to see if there be any wicked way in me.



Am I viewing this from a godly perspective?



We also know that all things work together for good for those that love God and are called according to his purpose. (Rom 8:28)



So, we look for the good in it. We might not find it right away but we trust that God has our best interest at heart.


 

 

We look at things differently because we know God, we love God, and we know His plan to bring many sons and daughters to glory in His eternal Kingdom. Solomon had somehow lost that perspective, if he ever had it in the first place.



 

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry



 

Solomon speaks of this 5 times. Along the way he says, enjoy the fruits of your labor as they are the gift of God. As he looks back over his life, he sees that it was those times that gave him the most joy.



 

Ecc 8:15 KJV  Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.


 

See also - Ecc 2:24-25; Ecc 3:13; Ecc 5:18; Ecc 9:7-9



 

Not that he says to make that your aim, as he had already tried that and found it to be hollow. But everything else is vanity. Along the way take time out from all your labors to enjoy good times with family and friends. In this life there is nothing that abides more than these memories.



The Apostle Paul comes to the same conclusion when he tells us that if this life is all there is then we are of all men most miserable.



1Co 15:13-22 KJV



(13)  But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:


(14)  And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.


(15)  Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.


(16)  For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:


(17)  And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.


(18)  Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.


(19)  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.


(20)  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.


(21)  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.


(22)  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.



 

 

Paul was looking at this from a completely different perspective than Solomon. He had the privilege of seeing things from the perspective of one who knows Christ. He too though points out the futility of life if there is no resurrection, and no eternity. And he draws the same conclusion as Solomon.



 

1Co 15:32, 34 KJV


(32)  If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die.


(34)  Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.



 

The “beasts” at Ephesus refers to the violent and wild human opponents (as he faced at Ephesus in Acts_19:21-41). What’s the point of facing down these angry mobs for the cause of Christ if there is no resurrection?



If there is no resurrection, then there is no future to consider. Then life is lived only “under the sun”, as is considered in Ecclesiastes.



 

Solomon set out to find out all that God has done from beginning to end. He tried to fill that hole in his heart where eternity lies with everything the world has to offer. And what did he find? All was vanity. It was futile and pointless.



 

Solomon has a lesson for the young as well as the old.



To the Young



 

Remember the perspective from which Solomon wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes. Here’s a man who had it all. Everything you may be looking forward to, even striving for, he has already tried it and proven it to be worthless without God in it. Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it. (Psa 127:1)



A life lived apart from God has no meaning. Without God in your life and the hope of eternity in your heart, you can work hard, amass a huge fortune, become famous, have the best of everything that life has to offer but when you get old, so what? You still die! He who dies with the most toys does not win anything! He leaves it to those who have no appreciation for what it took to get it.



Without God, you don’t have a prayer!



In Ecclesiastes chapter eleven, he says to cast your bread upon the waters and it will come back to you. Be generous with that which you’ve been given. Attend to the duties of life and leave the outcome to God.



And then in verse eight he says this –



Ecc 11:8-10 KJV


(8)  But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.


(9)  Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.


(10)  Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.



 

Live your life. Build a nice life for you and your family. Find joy where it can be found. Eat, drink, and be merry along the way. But remember why you’re here. Learn your lessons. Remember always the God you serve. Be sure the things you do in this life will be pleasing in His sight for one day you will stand before His judgment seat to give account of your doings.



The Stoics have a saying in Latin, “Memento mori”. Remember you will die.



Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. (Ecc 12:1)



 

To the Old



 

He describes the evil days when the years draw nigh. He describes the toll aging takes on us all. It’s not a negative thing but a fact of life we need to come to terms with and accept, to make peace with our Maker and those we love.



Ecc 12:1-8 KJV

King Solomon in Old Age - Gustav Doré


(1)  Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not



(2)  While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: [like the earth, they’ll still abide v.1:4]


(3)  In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble



 

[Who are the keepers of the house? Well, you keep house using your arms and your hands. This is where he begins to describe the effects of old age. When the keepers of the house shall tremble - the arms and hands weaken and shake]



and the strong men shall bow themselves, [the legs and knees begin to sag]


and the grinders cease because they are few, [teeth are lost and chewing is difficult]


and those that look out of the windows be darkened, [the eyes grow dim]


(4)  And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, [the ears, become hard of hearing]


and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, [sleep is difficult, you’re easily awakened, even at the sound of a bird]


and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low; [music is less, and less appreciated]


(5)  Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, [more fearful in life, reflexes aren’t what they used to be, not as stable, not as alert, easily startled]


and the almond tree shall flourish, [when almond trees bloom, they get these beautiful white flowers, so the hair becomes white]


and the grasshopper shall be a burden, [the slightest noise and activity, even a locust or a grasshopper becomes an annoyance and an aggravation]


and desire shall fail: [passion weakens and wanes]


because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: [man goes to his grave, a coffin is his long home]


(6)  Or ever the silver cord be loosed, [the spinal cord, nerves]


or the golden bowl be broken, [the head and the mind goes, lose your train of thought, dementia]


or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, [the pump, the heart, the right ventricle]


or the wheel broken at the cistern. [the left ventricle of the heart]


(7)  Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: [ashes to ashes, dust to dust]


and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. [the spirit of man, the “ruach” the breath of life (Gen 7:22)]


(8)  Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.



 

To me this is comforting to know, that the aging process is perfectly natural. It is common to man and God designed it in from the beginning.



 

In verse eight, the Preacher comes full circle back to Ecclesiastes 1:2. Having examined the meaninglessness of life with an under the sun premise (excluding eternity and the eternal God), one might say that life is not only meaningless, but the ultimate in meaninglessness (vanity of vanities).



 

All is vanity: With the under the sun premise, not only is life meaningless, but all is vanity. Nothing has meaning.



 

He spent his entire life seeking wisdom, purpose, fulfillment and meaning in life. He recorded and taught all he learned but he wearied himself doing so. In the end, old age took its toll.

We will all experience the signs of aging if we live long enough. But for us, we who love God and understand His eternal plan…



 

I have good news for you!



 

 

2Co 4:16-18


(16)  though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.


(17)  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;


(18)  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen [which are under the sun] are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.



 

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Rom 8:18)



 

It has not been given to everyone to understand the mysteries of God but it has been given to us to know.



 

Mat 13:11, 17 KJV


(11)  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.


(17)  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.



 

Solomon was such a man. He was the wisest man who ever lived and spent his entire life trying to figure out the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, yet he never did. By his estimation, there was nothing new under the sun.



 

 

 

Under the Son


 

There may be nothing new under the sun,



But there are many new things under the Son!



As followers of Jesus Christ, we live life under the Son, the Son of God!



Our life is filled with new things! Here are 8 things that are new when living life under the Son.



 

1. A new covenant (Jer_31:33, Heb 8:10; 10:16).


(31)  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:


(33)  I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. (Jer 31:31, 33)



 

2. A new nature (Eph_4:23-24).


And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;  (24)  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (Eph 4:23-24)



 

3. A new creation in Jesus Christ (2Co_5:17).


Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away



 

4. A new and living way (Heb_10:20).


By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; (Heb 10:20)



 

5. A new community (Eph_2:19).


Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; (Eph 2:19)



6. A new commandment (Joh_13:34).


A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. (Joh 13:34)



 

7. A new name (Isa_62:2, Rev_2:17).


And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name. (Isa 62:2)



 

To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. (Rev 2:17)



 

8. All things become new! (2Co_5:17, Rev_21:5).



behold, all things are become new. (2Co 5:17)



 

And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. (Rev 21:5)



 


Let’s turn back to Ecclesiastes 1:8. There’s something else we can learn here that ties this all together.



 

Ecc 1:8 KJV  All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.



 

 

All things are full of labor. There’s always something that’s got to be done. There’s no let up.  What profit hath a man of all his labor which he taketh under the sun? It’s all vanity! There’s no rest in this life under the sun.



 

 

1Co 15:58 KJV  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.



 

Mat 11:28 KJV  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.



 

There is rest under the Son! And our labor is not in vain!



 

 


We’ll close with Solomon’s final words. Let us hear the –



Conclusion of the Matter



 

Ecc 12:9-14 KJV


(9)  And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.


(10)  The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.


(11)  The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, [like well-driven nails] which are given from one shepherd.


[Jesus Christ; the LORD appeared to him twice - 1 Kings 3:5; 1 Kings 9:2]



 

(12)  And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.


[His ways are past finding out]



(13)  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.


(14)  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.




Enjoy the rest of your Sabbath Day, under the Son!



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