Eclesiastes 1

Eclesiastes 1

Sproul adds that the vanity spoken of by Solomon “captures the essence of a philosophical position called nihilism. To say ‘all is vanity’ is to say that nothing has meaning or significance ultimately. Nihilism means literally ‘nothing-ism.’ The nihil corresponds to what Nietzsche called das nichtig (the nothing).” (From Living on the Ragged Edge) NET NOTE - Heb “There is no remembrance of former things.” The term רִאשֹׁנִים (ri’shonim, “former things”) is the masculine plural form of the adjective רִאשׁוֹן (ri’shon,“former, first, chief”; BDB 911 s.v. רִאשׁוֹן). When used in a temporal sense, the singular denotes “former” in time (BDB 911 s.v. 1.a) or “first” in time (BDB 911 s.v. 2.a). The plural form is only used to denote “former” in time: “former persons,” i.e., ancestors, men of old (e.g., Lev 26:45; Deut 19:14; Job 18:20; Isa 61:4; Ps 79:8; Sirach 4:16) or “former things,” i.e., past events (e.g., Isa 41:22; 42:9; 43:9, 18; 46:9; 48:3). See BDB 911 s.v. 1.a, which suggests that this usage refers to “former persons.” This approach is adopted by several translations: “men of old” (NEB, NAB, NIV, Moffatt), “people of long ago” (NRSV), “earlier ones” (NJPS), and “former generations” (ASV). On the other hand, this Hebrew phrase may be nuanced “former things” or “earlier things” (HALOT 1168 s.v. ן(וֹ)רִאשֹׁ). This is adopted by some translations: “former things” (KJV, RSV) and “earlier things” (NASB). Although future generations are mentioned in Ec 1:11, what they will not remember is the past events. The context of Ec 1:3–11 focuses on human achievement, that is, former things. And also of the later things which will occur, There will be for them no remembrance Among those who will come later still. - The same fate awaits the present and future even today’s “big moments” will fade. Human memory is short. What seems monumental now will one day be forgotten. Only what is done in Christ for God lasts beyond time and even if the world forgets, God never forgets (Mal. 3:16; Heb. 6:10) Tremper Longman III - What we do today seems new and exciting to us, but it is not really new and will not be remembered in the future. Such an insight takes all the steam out of living and so-called creativity. The present loses out to the past and the future. (See Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs - Page 265) NET NOTE - The Hebrew terms translated former events and future events create a merism (two polar extremes encompass everything in between). This encompasses all secular achievements in human history past to future things yet to be done. According to Qoheleth, nothing new really happens under the sun (Ec 1:9). Apparent observations of what appears to be revolutionary are due to a lack of remembrance by subsequent generations of what happened long before their time in past generations (Ec 1:10–11a). And what will happen in future generations will not be remembered by the subsequent generations to arise after them (Ec 1:11b). Ray Pritchard - Something New Under the Sun FADED PHOTOGRAPHS There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered b y those who follow. Ecclesiastes 1:11NIV There is good news and bad news in Ecclesiastes 1:11. The good news is for those people who worry about what others think about them. In the end no one will think about you at all. The bad news is for those who seek some kind of temporal immortality. In the end no one will think about you at all. If you doubt my words, check out any graveyard. See how many names you recognize. Several years ago I spent two hours on a cemetery walk sponsored by our local historical society. Most people, I suppose, would find the idea of touring a cemetery somewhat depressing, but I found it fascinating. Graveyards have a story to tell for those who care to listen. Evangelist Billy Sunday is buried in this cemetery. Between 1900 and 1930 he traveled from city to city, preaching to hundreds of thousands in huge tents and tabernacles, calling the unconverted to "hit the sawdust trail." He was the Billy Graham before Billy Graham. Chiseled in marble on his tomb are these words from 2 Timothy 4:7, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith" (NASB). Along the way we saw the graves of many of the founders of this area. A Civil War general is buried there, along with Ernest Hemingway's parents. At one point our guide showed us a monument with two names on it. "Dr.____ usually listens in to make sure we get our facts right," she said. I thought she meant that metaphorically, as if the good doctor somehow tuned in from the Great Beyond. But, no, she meant it literally. The doctor and his wife are still alive and well. They have already placed their own monument in the cemetery, planning to occupy the ground beneath it sometime in the future We stopped longest at the memorial to the Haymarket martyrs. A professor from the University of Illinois told us the gripping story of the 1886 rally in Haymarket Square, the first dynamite bomb in American history, the crooked trial that followed, the hanging of six men, and the 500,000 people who lined the streets to watch the funeral procession. Many things run through the mind while visiting a cemetery at twilight. Things are peaceful, serene, quiet. Strolling among the graves, you can't help reflecting on how brief this life is, how quickly the years pass. The professor noted that Emma Goldman and "Rebel Girl" Flynn hated each other in real life (they both hated Billy Sunday) because one was a communist and the other wasn't. How ironic, he noted, that they now rest some fifteen feet from each other. The cemetery tour may seem to disprove my point, but it doesn't. Only a handful of people came to visit a handful of the thousands of graves. With each passing day we forget a little more. If you want to be remembered after you are gone, follow the One who lives forever. Lord of the ages, remember me. Amen. SHINING THE LIGHT Name the three people who have had the greatest influence for good in your life. What quality do you remember most about each one? * How would you like to be remembered after you are dead? MORE LIGHT FROM GOD'S WORD Read Psalms 9:5-6; 145:4-5; and Luke 23:42. Ecclesiastes 1:12 I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. KJV Ecclesiastes 1:12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. BGT Ecclesiastes 1:12 ἐγὼ Ἐκκλησιαστὴς ἐγενόμην βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ Ισραηλ ἐν Ιερουσαλημ LXE Ecclesiastes 1:12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. NET Ecclesiastes 1:12 I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. CSB Ecclesiastes 1:12 I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. ESV Ecclesiastes 1:12 I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. NIV Ecclesiastes 1:12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. NLT Ecclesiastes 1:12 I, the Teacher, was king of Israel, and I lived in Jerusalem. YLT Ecclesiastes 1:12 I, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. NJB Ecclesiastes 1:12 I, Qoheleth, have reigned over Israel in Jerusalem. NRS Ecclesiastes 1:12 I, the Teacher, when king over Israel in Jerusalem, NAB Ecclesiastes 1:12 I, Qoheleth, was king over Israel in Jerusalem, GWN Ecclesiastes 1:12 I, the spokesman, have been king of Israel in Jerusalem. BBE Ecclesiastes 1:12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. Ec 1:1 1Ki 4:1-19 THE PREACHER IS KING OVER ISRAEL I, the Preacher (qoheleth; Lxx - ekklesiastes), have been king over Israel in Jerusalem - Solomon repeats much of what we find in Ec 1:1 but now adds he is king over Israel, again leaving no doubt that Solomon is the author. Solomon had unmatched wisdom (1 Kings 3:12), wealth, and opportunity and is therefore uniquely qualified to explore life’s meaning. Before offering conclusions, Solomon reminds us he speaks not from speculation but from firsthand experience. This verse launches his personal experiment with wisdom, pleasure, and toil. So many of us chase meaning in success, status, or knowledge — thinking “If I could just achieve more, then I’d understand life.” But here stands Solomon — the most powerful man of his day, in the holiest city, with wisdom granted directly by God — and he opens with: “All is vanity.” This verse reminds us that you can sit on the throne and still feel lost. You can have everything and still lack peace. You can know much and still not find rest. I think of Solomon painting us into a corner, forcing us to realize we are trapped by our own efforts (in this picture by painting). He is building toward his conclusion in Eccl 12:13-14. By chapter 12 we should be so frustrated with all the other options in life that we take the only option that leads to eternal life! Michael Eaton points out that with Solomon's designation as king "Solomon, of all men, had the resources to make the investigations documented; we are exploring his story." (Borrow Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries – Ecclesiastes) Donald Glenn entitles Eccl 1:12-6:9 The Futility of Human Achievement Empirically Demonstrated explaining that "This long section is united by the repetition of the phrase "meaningless, a chasing after the wind." Apart from its occurrence at Eccl 4:4 where it seems to introduce a new section, this formula stands near the end of each of several sections and announces Solomon's verdict on the value of human achievement (Eccl 1:12-15), human wisdom (Eccl 1:16-18; 2:12-17), pleasure-seeking (Eccl 2:1-11), and toil or labor (Eccl 2:18-6:9). Warren