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1 John 

Introduction. He lived in Ephesus. He was now an old man in his late eighties or early nineties. He was the last of the surviving apostles that Jesus had hand picked. He was also Jesus’ cousin. Over sixty years before he and his brother James had been standing by the fishing boat their father owned. Jesus had walked by and said come follow me and I will make you fishers of men. John left the boat and began a journey that was now over sixty years later.

The years had been incredible. For three years he had followed Jesus while the messiah taught and ministered to thousands. John had been selected by Jesus to hold a special place along with his brother James and Simon Peter. These three men were the inner circle to the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. On several occasions Jesus had taken these three men into confidential moments the other disciples did not share.

John had been there for the entire journey of Jesus earthly ministry. He was at the foot of the cross when Jesus died. John had been there through all the years of the New Testament church. John was right there on the first day of the church in Acts two. He was there when the lame man was healed. John was with Peter when they were cast into prison. He had been there when his brother was martyred by Pilate. John possibly accompanied Peter to the house of Cornelius in Acts chapter ten. John had lived through the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. John had been at the Jerusalem council when the decision was made for the Gentiles entrance into the church. The years were filled with memories of triumphs and tragedies. 

Now he was the last original surviving apostle. He was feeble and aged. Troubling news was being brought to him about false teachers who were teaching false doctrine. This was a growing epidemic in the church. Gnosticism had gained a foothold, and taught that Jesus never really had a human body. This false doctrine said the flesh was intrinsically evil, therefore Jesus would never have inhabited such a sinful abode.

No one on earth was better qualified to rise up and refute this false doctrine that threatened his beloved church. The old apostle picked up his quill and with shaking hand began, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled”. John was refuting Gnosticism directly. He was letting the churches of Asia and Europe know, I was there. I saw him. I touched him. I was his companion for three and a half years. John was proclaiming I saw it, and I bear witness, and show you eternal life.

Jesus was manifested to mankind. John was declaring that all men can have fellowship with Jesus Christ.

Thus begins the first general epistle of John the beloved. 

Date: approximately 90ad

Author: John

Chapter 1

1.1 eyewitness. John begins by assuring the churches of Asia and Europe he was an eyewitness of the ministry of Jesus Christ. John was offering his personal witness of the word of life, which is the proclamation of Jesus Christ, in whom is life. This parallels his statements in chapter 1 of his gospel, and gives weight to his authenticity. John is the most qualified witness on earth as he is the last remaining original apostle. All other original apostles are deceased, thus unable to raise their apostolic voice in dissension to false doctrines circulating in the church.

1.2 manifested. Manifested here means to render apparent, declare. The life of God was rendered apparent in the life of Jesus Christ. Jn 1.1 mirrors this, in the beginning was the word (logos), and the logos was with God and the logos was God. Jesus is the manifestation of God to mankind. 1 Tim 3.16 without controversy (by the consent of all), great is the mystery of godliness (gospel scheme). God (theos, the supreme deity, spoken of the only and true God), was rendered apparent. God lived in the human body of Jesus Christ and made Himself apparent to mankind.

1.3 fellowship. One important purpose of John’s personal witness is to provide fellowship for true believers. The most insidious way false doctrine invades the church is through men posing as sheep but are actually ravening wolves, Mt 7.15. Fellowship here means partnership, social intercourse, and communication. This is the root of what John is defending. Men posing as true believers were interacting with the church and bringing damnable doctrines with them. John is rooting out fellowshipping these false believers. John is firm: you are not to have close association or relationship with people who do not believe Jesus was God manifested in the flesh. The Apostle Paul also declared this in his writings. One important platform of fellowship is mutual acceptance, and submission, to the truths of the Christian Faith.

1.4 joy. The major purpose of this epistle is to defend the church against the false doctrines trying to invade the fellowship of believers. There is a secondary benefit in the joy (cheerfulness, calm delight), that comes with close fellowship with Christ and other believers. There is a deep satisfaction in knowing Christ and walking with him.

1.5 light and darkness. John relays the message he heard from Jesus personally as an eyewitness. This message he passes on to the fellowship of believers. John introduces the first of his comparative opposites, light verses darkness. This is a writing style of John. He uses simple words that have great meaning. John’s vocabulary is the vocabulary of a seven year old child. He uses roughly 600 words. A child learns 100 words a year on the average. The words John uses are few in number but pregnant with great meaning and impact. The clarity of his style is effective. For instance, where there is light there can be no darkness. This simple style is his signature trademark in the Holy Scriptures. God is light. There are only two things in the scriptures that say what God is. God is light and God is love. All other statements are about God’s attributes. In the beginning God said let there be light. God introduced himself into the darkness and creation began. It is the same pattern in a life. When God is introduced through the baptism of the Holy Ghost, light and illumination begins. The Holy Ghost will teach things, illuminate things, and bring things to a person’s remembrance. God is light and light illuminates and drives darkness away by it’s very presence and existence.

1.6 fellowship. Walking in darkness means walking in sin. People who claim to be a part of the fellowship of light but continue to walk in darkness (shadiness or obscurity), utter an untruth (lie). This type of lifestyle is simply impossible, for light will drive out darkness.

1.7 blood. John introduces another of his simple yet profound words, blood. If we walk in the light we have fellowship with one another, but more importantly we have the continual flow of the cleansing blood of Christ. The blood of our body flows without stop or rest. Our blood is the blueprint for the redeeming, cleansing blood of Christ. His blood flows continuously in our lives to keep us free from sin and death. To truly understand this revelation is to live above guilt and condemnation. While we live daily lives, Jesus blood continually flows in our life to keep us spiritually healthy. John now introduces the reason why this is important.

1.8 sin. We must acknowledge sin in our lives. If we deny we have sin, we live in deception, and truth is not in us. There were possibly some who were claiming to have no sin because of the life of Jesus now inside them by the Holy Ghost. John clearly instructs, all people sin. Jesus taught if you acknowledge your sin you can find forgiveness. He further instructed if you are blind to your sin you will remain there (Jn 9.41).

1.9 confess. To confess (assent, acknowledge) our sins, is to seek help from God to remove this death virus from our spiritual man. In God’s providence, when we acknowledge our sin, his continuously flowing blood removes our sins. He is faithful (trustworthy). As our blood continually removes metabolic waste and impurities from our body, so His blood does for the body of Christ. His blood goes even further by cleansing all unrighteousness (injustice, wrongfulness of character or life) of the body of Christ. This is one of the reasons the Apostle Paul stressed the importance of the church to not forsake the assembling together (Heb 10.25). There is cleansing for the spiritual body both individually and collectively when the church gathers together.

1.10 God. To deny one’s sinfulness or sins does not just deceive oneself, it makes God a liar by denying God’s word. Sin is universal. It was brought into the world by Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. It was finally conquered at Calvary by Jesus Christ. To be sin free is impossible. The answer is for the blood of Jesus Christ to continually flow in our lives daily, much as our natural blood does, to remove sin when it occurs. John will now introduce the amazing concepts of advocacy and propitiation.

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Chapter 11

11.1-6 employment. One of the arenas of life that hebel can rub a person the wrong way is their employment. As one person said, it is so daily. The daily grind of work can become hebel very quickly. In these verses, Solomon is instructing about the uncertainty of work. Four times Solomon says “thou knoweth not”. The encouragement here in reference to our life work is to not give in to the frustrations of hebel. The persistent work done daily will bring positive results even if there are moments or extended periods of frustration. The single blow of an ax will not topple an oak tree. The second or third blow, may seem pointless. If you continue to strike the oak, eventually it will fall. Solomon is saying keep sowing, ignore the clouds, forget about the wind, just keep working and good things will come to you. This is the formula to conquer hebel in your work. Cast your bread (finished product of work), not your seed, upon the waters (life), and somehow it returns in blessing.

11.7-10 light and darkness. Solomon is approaching the end of his thoughts on hebel. While finishing his thoughts on labor and work he speaks of light and darkness. This is more than light and darkness at face value. Light speaks of illumination and darkness speaks of misery. In the larger picture of hebel (vanity), Solomon here uses the imperative mood. He is commanding rather than suggesting. Solomon is strongly admonishing the youth to enjoy life before the onset of feeble years he will address in chapter 12. There will be many days of darkness. There will be days of calamity and defeat. The joy of life will at times not come easy. Solomon is instructing young men to wrestle joy and happiness from life. Hebel (vanity), never raises the white flag of surrender. It is work in another profound sense to remove sorrow (vexation, anger) from your heart and evil (adversity, grief, misery), from your flesh. The closing command is to keep working in your natural sense, while continuing to work on the inward hebel that would bring you down and destroy the joy of life. When a man is truly illuminated he will escape the darkness of inner misery. Illumination (light), is the deliverer from hebel.

Chapter 12

12.1-7 youth and old age. While describing old age, Solomon is addressing the youthful man. He is warning the young man of what is coming. The darkening of the celestial bodies speaks of declining energy and vitality. The approaching clouds speak of the storms of life and old age. The keepers of the house are the arms, they become feeble and weak. The strong men are the legs that become bowed and weak. The grinders are the teeth that are lost in old age. Those that look out of the window are the eyes and vision fades. Rising at the voice of the bird is loss of sleep. The daughters of music brought low is the loss of hearing. The almond tree is a reference to the white hair of old age. The grasshopper speaks of failed joints that hobble elderly people into painful gaits, limping through their final years. Death is visioned as the shattering of a golden bowl. The pitcher used to hold things from the well (deep things of life), is broken. This is possibly a reference to dementia and memory loss. Solomon paints a realistic picture of life as man approaches the golden years so called. Finally the man himself returns to the original state of dust from which he began. The final cycle of hebel has finished it’s rotation through life. Through all of this Solomon instructs the young man to always remember his creator, for your creator will be patiently waiting for you when you finish your course.

12.9-11 the writer. Solomon describes himself for all future generations. He is not a skeptic or a cynic. He is not an embittered old man. He is acknowledging life as it really is. It is hebel to the last day on this earth. He is giving wisdom and acceptable words to balance hebel. His words are words of truth. His words are as goads to prod men in life when they are tempted to stop. His proverbs and principals are nails fastened by masters of assemblies (collections of wisdom). This speaks of truths proven on many battlefields of life. These timeless lessons are from one shepherd, God himself. Ultimately these life lessons are from God. They are divine instruction on how to live life and enjoy the gift of life from God himself.

12.12-14 conclusion. God has not answered every problem of life. God has commanded man to live joyfully, responsibly, and wisely. The controlling essence of life should be the fear of God. Submit yourself to God and follow the principles he revealed here in Ecclesiastes. This is the best life man can live before the moment he faces God in judgment.

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10.1-4 folly. Folly and foolishness are the opposite of wisdom. A fly in your beverage results in the entire beverage being thrown away. So foolishness in the life of a wise man causes people to dismiss him, and discard him as a valuable man. People realize stupid actions reflect stupid thinking. It is obvious where his heart (desires) are. People say “there goes the fool”. All because of a fly. The text suggests anger is possibly the fly Solomon was mentally seeing. Solomon instructs a calm spirit will bring the best results to conflict. Intemperate people are not considered wise. We see a fly when we view them.

10.5-10 ibid. Folly blames failure and mistakes on the leader without investigating the cause. Folly is always immature in it’s conclusions. Folly places unproven people in elevated positions, while demoting the ones who should be promoted. Men are most often snared by the traps they set themselves. Poetic justice is seen throughout the scriptures. Solomon’s father David wrote in 2 Sam 22.27 with the froward thou wilt show thyself unsavory. Unsavory means to be twisted. Folly leads a man to be twisted and dishonest, and men who follow this path fall into their own pit they dig. Working with stones and forests can be hazardous, so use wisdom and be careful. A dull ax causes harder work. The investigator of hebel is advising to use you head and brains. Wisdom makes labor and life easier, folly defeats in every way.

10.11-15 words. The bite of a serpent is quick and unprovoked. Life lived on Folly Lane will do the same. The babbler (master) is no better. Solomon introduces words verses wisdom. Words from a wise man are beautiful while the fool swallows (destroys) himself. Fools begin with nonsense and end up speaking madness (folly). Here the word folly is used and translated madness. Folly is truly madness. Solomon is cataloging the list of hebel produced by folly. It is the cause and effect of folly. A fool is full (multiplies) of words. It is as though the only way he could have said less is to talk more. Foolish talk makes everyone around them tired and the fool cannot find the city (protected place). Fools talk themselves right out of safety.

10.16-20 kings. An unlucky kingdom has a child for a King and this allows the princes to party all night. Solomon is illustrating the consequences of folly in kings. Blessed is the kingdom where the king is mature and princes (head people, rulers) do not live in folly. The contrast of wisdom and folly in throne rooms is presented. Solomon now leaves the forests and fields and enters the highest places of rulers and laws to show folly is like the spider, it enters King’s palaces at times. Verse 18 and 19 almost seem out of place if not viewed in light of the hebel of folly in lives of kings. Things put together (building) fall apart without wisdom. Kingdoms cannot rule themselves. A kingdom left unsupervised will decay. While illustrating folly and wisdom as opposites Solomon shows that partying and money are parts of a kingdom. One brings the joy of life and the other provides answers to life needs. Folly speaks against kings out of jealousy or simplicity. Solomon reiterates that the lips of a fool can swallow himself up. If the king hears of your folly (foolish speaking and criticism), the end of the fool is in sight. Folly is the king of hebel.

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Chapter 9

9.1-6 death. Solomon addresses the hebel of death. Of all the musings and contemplations of Solomon, death is the greatest challenge. Death is unknown and knowledge after death is beyond wisdom to plumb it’s depth. There are none to discuss death who have been there and returned. There is a void and a chasm that cannot be crossed. Death is the truest of all hebels. The only solution Solomon offers is to stay alive. He surmises any life is better than death. Solomon illustrates this by saying a living dog (despised animal), is better than a dead lion (king of beasts). Ultimately the search for understanding of hebel ends with death. As long as there is life, there is new understanding, knowledge and reward. Life offers continued activity on earth. Life on earth is the only arena of opportunity to accomplish and earn rewards. The grave receives more than the natural body. It also receives dreams, love, hatred, and envy (6). These things also die with the physical body. Many noble but intangible things die with death. Death is the truest of hebels. There is no escape or defense from death. It eventually welcomes the righteous, the wise, the wicked, the good, the clean, the unclean, and all other men into it’s gaping mouth.

9.7-10 love. With the wisp of death hanging in the air, Solomon advises to love your wife. While peering into the unknown he is brought back to what he does have now, here. He returns to the God given answer for hebel. Live joyfully (with a raw appetite) with the wife of whom thou lovest. That is the portion, (the smoothness), of this life. Thy labor (worry, wearing effort of body and mind) is smoothed out by living life today. Solomon uses words like life, eat, drink, and live. These are actions every person can do. The gift of life God gave requires no wealth or wisdom. The simple man can do these things as well as the wise. God accepteth (is pleased), with these works (actions). God approves when we enjoy life. White garments and oil on the head speak of a more comfortable life in the torrid Middle East climate. These things symbolize the pure enjoyment of a well lived life, following the guidance of wisdom, and the fear of God.

9.11-18 value of wisdom. The tragedy of life is men are so busy seeking they never see. The value of wisdom is overlooked. Men are as fishes caught in a net, and as birds caught in a snare. The race, the battle, bread, and riches are unpredictable. Our reaction to these is the essence of hebel. We cannot control the variables of our lives, but with wisdom and the fear of God, hebel fades to insignificance. Solomon illustrates that Kings conquering cities is inferior to wisdom’s influence. Wisdom exceeds strength in value. Wisdom is better than weapons of war. The hebel of our life results when wisdom is not heard and followed. Death, love, and war, are battlefields of hebel. God’s victory to these battles is the gift of living life by wisdom, and the fear of God. The vanity of life disappears in the presence of a life of joy and religious celebration. 

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Chapter 8

8.1 inner happiness. Solomon was the wisest man to ever live. He has said he sought to know all things. After wasting many years in pursuit of knowledge, he wants to leave succeeding generations the wisdom to not over pursue anything. Enjoy life, and have balance. He concludes that wisdom gives an inner happiness that makes a man’s face to shine and his boldness and confidence will be noticeable.

8.2-4 kings. The value of wisdom is also on display when in the presence of a king. People were required to take an oath of loyalty to the King when in the King’s presence. Wisdom protects people in the presence of all powerful men who can issue harmful edicts. Daniel and Ezra are an excellent example of this.

8.5-8 time and judgment. Only the wise can discern time, for the tomorrow’s of life are unknown. Man cannot restrain the spirit, or control the day of death, or be released from war, or be free from wickedness, once it has a hold on him. These four areas of life document that man is limited in his dominion over life. Wisdom shines like a pearl on black velvet when placed next to the powerful entities of life. Without wisdom to teach time and judgment, life dissolves into hebel.

8.9-14 fear God. Solomon here defends the fear of God. He has observed that evil men receive honorable burials and are even praised at death. He observes that sometimes the fortunes of the righteous and the wicked seem to be reversed. The righteous get what the evil deserve, and the evil get what the righteous deserve. Solomon never surrenders to this dilemma. He maintains his strong position to believe in the fear of God. He knows it will go well with them that fear God (12). He knows it will not go well with the wicked (13). This and other passages show Solomon is not an old, bitter, frustrated man. He is clear eyed and has seen life in it’s fullness. He is seeing through the distortions of life and clearly seeing that no matter how it looks right now, no matter what evidence seems to point toward hebel, remember to fear God.

8.15-17 mirth. Mirth: exceeding gladness, joy, pleasure, rejoicing. Solomon commends mirth. Commend is to address in a loud tone, to glory, to praise. When faced with the dilemmas and contradictions of life, Solomon says mirth is the answer to confusion and disappointment. Man cannot find out the work done under the sun. Solomon proclaims you can spend a lifetime wondering why someone else is blessed, or you have not gotten your desires. This is futile. It is hebel to try and understand hebel. Solomon spent many sleepless nights trying to understand hebel (16), he wanted to sleep with his triangle pillow so bad. His conclusion is to scream with joy and gladness over the joy of today. The answer to the frustrations of life and hebel is to praise and glorify God with loud, exceeding, gladness. Mirth is the master of hebel.

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Chapter 7

7.1-10 good name. A good name proves the presence of wisdom. It is the principals of wisdom that give foundation to a good reputation. The day of death proves our legacy, while the day of birth proves nothing. The house of mourning reminds us of our appointment with God, while laughter makes us forget the present and past. Sorrow makes a man reflect on the brevity of life, therefore it is better. The house of mirth and the laughter of fools is like the crackling of thorns. Solomon is reiterating some of the concepts he wrote in Proverbs. The end of a matter is always better than the beginning. A patient spirit serves better than a proud spirit, for who knows the end of the matter. Anger is true hebel, and to live in the past throws today away. This is a violation of the principal of enjoy life and enjoy today. All yesterdays are gone, never to return, and steal today’s joy when brooded upon.

7.11-18 wisdom and life. It is wisdom that brings profit to an inheritance, not the money itself. Riches without wisdom is an evil or hebel in itself. With wisdom, money is a defense. Wisdom brings happiness in the day of prosperity and the in the day of adversity. The rise and fall of daily emotions can be trusted to wisdom. Wisdom reveals good days are set against bad days by God himself. Wisdom smoothes out life and gives stability to all seasons, high and low. Solomon muses over the just man who perishes in his righteousness, and the wicked man whose life is prolonged. Without wisdom these life conundrums are troublesome. Solomon advises to not be self righteous, or seek to be overly wise. This violates the enjoy life as a gift of God concept he is repeatedly presenting. Do not seek evil, but hold in check your wicked nature. The answer is to live, participate in life, while fearing God. This life formula will bring people through any circumstance.

7.19-29 wisdom and sin. Solomon does not overlook the nature of even good men sinning. The Apostle Paul says in Romans 3.23 all have sinned. This is reflected here in Solomon’s caveat. The inclusiveness of sin includes words spoken by a person, and spoken of a person, by others. Solomon readily admits he gave himself to seek wisdom and the reason of things. He searched for meaning in sin, folly, and madness. The revolving cycle brought him back to hebel, vanity. In his search he saw the bitterness of a woman’s snares. As he counted one by one, there was not one man in a thousand who did not sin. The only life worth living is the life of wisdom. Wisdom smoothes out life. Wisdom medicates life. Wisdom intensifies life and it’s joy. Wisdom mellows life. Wisdom is the greatest gift of God to make life enjoyable. The highest quality of life is delivered by wisdom. Fear God and embrace wisdom. This is the only alternative to hebel.

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Chapter 6

6.1-2. Prosperity. Prosperity is not always good. Some people lose their spiritual drive when they are blessed with prosperity. Solomon has learned that if you do not keep your spiritual man active toward God, then prosperity can actually be an evil in your life.

6.3-6 ibid. He continues to underscore the importance of the spiritual health above all things. To live and be lost is worse than never living at all. The quality of life continues to be his theme. Life is a gift from God is the canopy he continues to present. The arrival at the grave and the afterlife seem to mesmerize Solomon. It seems as though he cannot shake the unknown after a lifetime of learning about all of life. The moment of death and beyond seem to haunt him with it’s unknown. He circles this moment of unease in his writings again and again. He states what he does know. Life here is to be lived and enjoyed. If you live thousands of years and miss this concept, you have failed.

6.7-9 ibid. Solomon presents a telling point. In the things that matter most, wealth is not an advantage. The fool has the ability to enjoy food as much as the wealthiest man on earth. It is best to enjoy what you have in the present life, rather than dwell on the wandering desire of the future. To sacrifice present satisfaction to the altar of wishful future things is hebel, vanity. 

6.10-12 the cycle of life. Solomon returns to the cycle of life to illustrate the hebel of life. This is a keynote of hebel. Man is too limited to explain all the problems of life. The term “who knoweth” is used four times in Ecclesiastes. This is further supported by the seven times Solomon says “man does not know”. After a lifetime of seeking knowledge in all areas of life, the hebel of life is, we still do not know all things. This is why man is encouraged to enjoy the gift of life while it is available. Life is a shadow, ever changing, ever inching toward the unknown life after death. This is true hebel.

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Chapter 5

5.1-3 empty religion. Solomon turns his eye to religion. The hebel of religion. Jesus also dealt with these issues, mainly the lack of hearing. Jesus said in Mk 8.18 having ears, ye hear not. Many passages reflect the lack of hearing by religious people. Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah all speak of this perennial problem. Here Solomon also addresses this problem. The eyes and the ears are an integral part of religion. What you speak and look at, as well as what you absorb into your spirit by sight and hearing determine your spiritual status. It is expedient for people to remove any evil from their sight and hearing. Evil is presented on television, Hollywood movies, modern novels, Internet sites, and other platforms. a Christian must keep their home and mind free of this input of evil. Solomon reminds us here, God sees what we watch and listen to. He then adds the second warning about how we speak. This too can be evil. We must be cautious about evil communications. New Testament writers affirm this for the Christian.

5.4-7 vows. God expects sincere worship and words from his children. Foolish vows should never be made to God. To not pay our vows to God identifies us as a fool. It is simple, pay that which thou has vowed. Be cautious before you make a vow, but once you make it, pay the vow. It is better not to vow at all than to not keep your vows to God.

5.8-9 government. The roaming mental eye of Solomon is viewing all of life. He turns from religion to government. This may be the least surprising hebel of life. The only consolation would be, even government officials have authority over them. Even Kings are subject to a higher power.

5.10-12 Goods. Even the accrual of goods is hebel. He that gets silver wants more. Abundance does not bring contentment. Solomon can attest to this, and feels people need to see this hebel or vanity of goods and abundance. Abundance of goods can actually rob a man of sleep, while the poor sleep with no worry or care. It is the drive for wealth that does not satisfy man. Solomon’s descendant, Jesus Christ, centuries later reaffirms the same conclusion. Luke 12:15; And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 

5.13-17 wealth. Wealth is easily lost and not a sure foundation for life. He observes no one takes wealth with them past the grave. He states all this is a sore evil (16), a rubbed and worn sad conclusion to life. 

5.18-20 joy of life. Solomon returns to his theme of the hebel of life. He again asserts it is good to eat, drink, and enjoy life. Man is to enjoy his hard work and realize his goods and wealth are a gift from God. A modern day saying would say it this way, “stop and smell the roses”. Solomon is confessing he pushed so hard, to achieve so many things, he missed an important facet of life. Life is designed by God to be enjoyed. Solomon repeatedly says, this is the gift of God. Three thousand years have not tarnished this advice. It is still the greatest advice given to mortal man. Life is a gift from God, enjoy it.

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Chapter 4

4.1-3 injustice. Solomon leaves the heart of man and looks at the world at large. He concludes some injustices are worse than death. He muses the unborn are better than those oppressed. The word for oppression, ashuq, and has to do with tyranny. Who can observe tyranny more astutely than a King himself? Ironically more lamented than the oppression, was the absence of anyone to show comfort to the oppressed. This is amazing insight for a man so insulated by worldly comforts and servants. This is a flashback to the moment he understood the Shunnamite girl who loved her shepherd, and the moment he knew who the true mother was between the two harlots. It shows great human insight into empathy.

4.4-6 work. He views the man who works an excessive amount in comparison to the man who works just enough to get by. In the end, both are hebel. It is the contentment of life that gauges the value of work and accomplishment.

4.7-8 the miser. Solomon addresses the one who works alone and never stops to enjoy his labor. The miser is never satisfied with his labor, he always wants more. This causes the miser to bereave his own soul of good. This statement is an early form of the law of diminishing returns. The longer and harder the miser works, the less satisfaction he finds. It violates God’s law to enjoy the fruit of your labor.

4.9-12 the value of two. The echo from Eden sounds, it is not good for man to be alone, Gen 2.18. The enjoyment of labor is doubled by the addition of another. The advantage of help by lifting your fallen companion is stated. The companionship of a mate that brings warmth, and the defense of your companion all defend Eden’s echo. As Solomon’s eye looks to the world, he endorses the echo of Eden.

4.13 Solomon’s epitaph. This is the wisest man in the world enscribing his own epitaph. Infinitely better is a wise and poor child (as he was at Gibeon), than an old and foolish King (as he now was). The simple, pure days of his early kingdom now stand in contrast to a complicated court with one thousand women, and temples to many false Gods. This is truly hebel, vanity of vanities. No verse penned in any of his three books concisely states his life as poignantly.

4.14-16 litany of hebel. Solomon poses that Kings come from prisons, and the privileged fall into poverty. As his eye scans all the castes of life, he remembers he is King by his father’s choice. His brothers were in line for the throne, but his mother petitioned his father while his father was on his deathbed, and he, the son who was second, now resides on the throne. It underlines again the hebel of life. Solomon mirrors Aesop who said “our insignificance is often the cause of our safety”.

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Chapter 3

3.1-8 the seasons. As the writer looks at the overview of life, he uses fourteen pairs of opposites to show the journey of life as a cycle in itself. This passage is a beautiful poetic piece of timeless prose. Every culture and every epoch of man can relate to this passage. While stating that nothing changes, he inserts the cycle of life that is change within no change. To gather stones and then discard stones is an apt illustration of the cycle of life. To be born, to plant, to kill, to break down, to weep, to mourn, to cast away stones, to embrace, to get, to keep, to rend, to keep silence, to love, and ultimately to war, are the shadow of every man’s progressing life. And then the sunset of every life reflects, to die, to pluck up, to heal, to build up, to laugh, to dance, to gather stones, to refrain from embracing, to lose, to cast away, to sew, to speak, to hate, and finally to have peace. The stages and journey of every life can be summed up by this one poetic passage of eastern wisdom. This is the sum, the paradox, and the essence of life.

3.9-15 the profit. The writer returns to the overview of life. Tangible things will fade in satisfaction, intangible things are temporal, so enjoy the life God gives. This is the gift of life, the gift of joy, and ultimately the gift of God to mankind. There is no profit outside this view of life. If you choose to live in this view of life, everything is beautiful. Life is an amazing discovery without limit. The ultimate is for man to rejoice and to do good in this life. To eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of his labor, it is the gift of God. This is the cycle of life God gives to mankind. For this cause, men should fear before God. This advice to fear God will be repeated a total of six times in this book.

3.16-22 the eternal. The writer would be remiss if he ignored the eternal, so he turns his eye to that horizon. He examines the place of judgment. He affirms God will judge these things. Death is the great conqueror of man and beast, and every living thing. The similarity of death ends at the dust, for the spirit of man ascends, while the spirit of beasts decends. Then the cycle is again affirmed, there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his portion. Who shall bring him to see what shall be after him? The Old Testament says very little about the life after death. Here Solomon openly wonders about it, but hints he believes in it when he speaks of a coming judgment. Ultimately in 12.7, he concludes the spirit of man returns to God. After enjoying this life as the gift of God, there is another life to live for.

Thanks for reading today…

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