Bible Study - Thrive (1) - Purpose Questioned - Ecclesiastes 1:1-14 - September 1, 2024

 

Bible Study – Thrive (1) – Purpose Questioned – Ecclesiastes 1:1-14 – September 1,2024

Apart from GOD, Life is meaningless.

Our focus scripture is Ecclesiastes 1:1-14.

Living with a purpose in our lives.

This is a new series of study. Our first study focuses on King Solomon -King David, and Bathsheba’s son. GOD calls HIS Children, but the question is, “Will the person called by GOD respond and what is that person’s motive for responding?”

Let’s consider King Solomon as revealed in 1 Kings.

Let’s read 1 Kings 3:3

³ Solomon loved the Lord by walking in the statutes of his father David, but he also sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

(This was a temporary place for worship until King Solomon had the temple built. “High places” were where pagans went to worship their gods. When King Solomon went to the high places, he did so until the Temple was built, and he demonstrated his love for the one true GOD of the Israelites by his extravagant sacrifices.)

⁴ The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there because it was the most famous high place. He offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. ⁵ At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask. What should I give you?”

WOW!!! What an opportunity. How would you or I answer this question? Such a response comes from the most intimate core of our being, “the eyes of our heart, where truth resides.”

⁶ And Solomon replied, “You have shown great and faithful love to your servant, my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, righteousness, and integrity.^[b] You have continued this great and faithful love for him by giving him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today.

We know that King David was not perfect, yet the lineage of JESUS came through David. He committed grievous sins as he lusted after Bathsheba. Once David sinned, he took action to cover it up and protect himself and Bathsheba. King David attempted to cover his sins until GOD led the Prophet Nathan to deliver GOD’S message to him. King David repented, once confronted.

How important is a child’s parents’ walk with JESUS? Vital!!!

It is estimated that King Solomon was about 20 years old when he became King. He reigned for 40 years.

⁷ “Lord my God, you have now made your servant king in my father David’s place. Yet I am just a youth with no experience in leadership.^[c] 8 Your servant is among your people you have chosen, a people too many to be numbered or counted. ⁹ So give your servant a receptive heart to judge your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours?”

When we realize that our responsibility exceeds our ability, to whom or where do we turn? Solomon turned to GOD. How did GOD respond? Let’s read on -----

¹⁰ Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had requested this. ¹¹ So God said to him, “Because you have requested this and did not ask for long life^[d] or riches for yourself, or the death^[e] of your enemies, but you asked discernment for yourself to administer justice, ¹² I will therefore do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has never been anyone like you before and never will be again. ¹³ In addition, I will give you what you did not ask for: both riches and honor, so that no king will be your equal during your entire life. ¹⁴ If you walk in my ways and keep my statutes and commands just as your father David did, I will give you a long life.”

¹⁵ Then Solomon woke up and realized it had been a dream. He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant, and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he held a feast for all his servants.

How did Solomon respond to what GOD had told him in this dream? He was humbled and rejoiced in what GOD had revealed to him. He went to where GOD resided; to Jerusalem where the “ark of the Lord’s covenant was located.”

Has GOD ever spoken to you in a dream? It is an experience that remains with you throughout your life. HE still speaks to HIS chosen today.

Keep in mind that King Solomon wrote Proverbs, which reflects the wisdom of GOD. What is wisdom?

Wisdom is knowledge applied to GOD’S plan. When we read GOD’S Word, the Holy Spirit speaks to us and reveals truth. If a person has not received JESUS as his/her Savior, the Holy Spirit reveals truth and his/her need for salvation through faith in JESUS.

Let’s read Ecclesiastes 1:1-7:

 The words of the Teacher,^[a] son of David, king in Jerusalem.

The Teacher is King Solomon, and King Solomon is also confirmed in verse 12.

² “Absolute futility,” says the Teacher.
“Absolute futility. Everything is futile.”
³ What does a person gain for all his efforts
that he labors at under the sun?
⁴ A generation goes and a generation comes,
but the earth remains forever.
⁵ The sun rises and the sun sets;
panting, it hurries back to the place
where it rises.
⁶ Gusting to the south,
turning to the north,
turning, turning, goes the wind,
and the wind returns in its cycles.
⁷ All the streams flow to the sea,
yet the sea is never full;
to the place where the streams flow,
there they flow again.

 

After GOD created earth, HE rested. It was in the exact location for all life, as we know it, to exist and be maintained. Earth was performing as GOD had designed it. But there is more to life than what can become mundane. GOD determined the order and performance of earth in its space.

Creating earth to be inhabited by the life HE created was step one in GOD’S plan. Life upon earth has its limits and becomes mundane.

GOD is love and HE has a redemptive plan for all mankind to have the option to have eternal life and become eternally involved with HIM as we read in 1 Corinthians 2:9 - ⁹ But as it is written, What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived—
God has prepared these things for those who love him.^[a]

Folks, the best is yet to come for all who place their faith in JESUS and HIS redemptive power, as revealed by HIS crucifixion and HIS bodily resurrection. That is the Good News that is to be shared with all people.

Often, we as humans get caught up in the mundane of the things living on earth. Is earth all we have to look forward to?

Let’s read Ecclesiastes 1:8-10:

⁸ All things^[b] are wearisome,
more than anyone can say.
The eye is not satisfied by seeing
or the ear filled with hearing.
⁹ What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done;
there is nothing new under the sun.
¹⁰ Can one say about anything,
“Look, this is new”?
It has already existed in the ages before us.

 

Life upon earth can be mundane. What does a person have to look forward to? GOD gave all people hope that is available through faith in JESUS.

 

As a young child, I used to think, “There is nothing to invent because we have all we need as humans.” Wow, I look back and think how wrong I was to think that. We as humans love to create and do new things and explore new frontiers. GOD created humans in HIS Own image.

Why do we explore? To keep us busy until we exit life upon earth and enter Heaven, through faith in JESUS or Hell, by refusing to accept JESUS as our Savior. Every human has a choice. How do you choose?

 

Let’s read Ecclesiastes 1:11-14:

¹¹ There is no remembrance of those who^[c] came before;
and of those who will come after
there will also be no remembrance
by those who follow them.

 

God made humans to be creative and productive to benefit themselves and fellow humans upon earth. Earth is GOD’S vineyard and as HIS chosen, we are to be at work in HIS vineyard.

The Limitations of Wisdom

¹² I, the Teacher, have been^[d] king over Israel in Jerusalem. ¹³ I applied my mind to examine and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven. God has given people^[e] this miserable task to keep them occupied. ¹⁴ I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.^[f]

When our hope is built upon material things we will discover as recorded in James 14:14 - ¹⁴ Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes.

When we set our desires upon the things that earth has to offer, we will be disappointed but when we place our faith and hope in JESUS we will be rewarded.

If you have not asked JESUS to come into your heart, now is that moment. Dear JESUS, here I am as I am, and I ask YOU to save me by YOUR shed blood and come into my heart. Thank YOU and thank YOU for confirming YOUR presence in me by the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Help me to grow Spiritually as YOU lead me by The Holy Spirit. Welcome into GOD’S eternal Family. Blessings!!!