Hevel
The author of the Book of Ecclesiastes believes that life is hevel or beautiful and mysterious but unclear, confusing, disorienting and uncontrollable like the fog.
 
March of Time
Our existence is like a blur or blink of an eye and passes as a shadow compared to the longevity of God's creation and timeline.
 
We All Die
No matter what we do or who we are, we will die. Death is the great equalizer that renders most of our daily activities meaningless.
 
Life's Random Nature
Life is unpredictable, out of our control and nonsensical. Good people suffer while evil people live long. We fail if we try to master life.
 
Fear God
Life is mysterious, but we can fear God, keep His commandments, enjoy the moment and trust His judgment because one day He will clear hevel.

►Ecclesiastes / Chapters 1-13

OT/NT: Old Testament (1)
 
SECTION: Poetry Books (2)
 
PLACEMENT: The Book of Ecclesiastes is the 21st book of the Old Testament and the 21st book of the Holy Bible (3). It is the 4th of 5 Poetry Books.
 
AUTHORS (b): The Book of Ecclesiastes does not directly identify its author. There are quite a few verses that imply Solomon (4) wrote this book. There are some clues in the context that may suggest a different person wrote the book after Solomon’s death, possibly several hundred years later. Still, the conventional belief is that the author is, indeed, Solomon.
 
TIMELINE: Ecclesiastes was written circa 935 BC. Solomon reigned as King (5) of the United Monarchy of Israel (6) from 970 BC-931 BC. See our Bible Timeline (7) for more info.
 
SUMMARY (b): Two phrases are repeated often in Ecclesiastes. The word translated as “vanity” in the KJV, and “meaningless” in the NIV appears often, and is used to emphasize the temporary nature of worldly things. In the end, even the most impressive human achievements will be left behind. The phrase “under the sun” occurs 28 times, and refers to the mortal world. When the Preacher refers to “all things under the sun,” he is talking about earthly, temporary, human things.
 
The first seven chapters of the book of Ecclesiastes describe all of the worldly things “under the sun” that the Preacher tries to find fulfillment in. He tries scientific discovery (1:10-11), wisdom and philosophy (1:13-18), mirth (2:1), alcohol (2:3), architecture (2:4), property (2:7-8), and luxury (2:8). The Preacher turned his mind towards different philosophies to find meaning, such as materialism (2:19-20), and even moral codes (including chapters 8-9). He found that everything was meaningless, a temporary diversion that, without God (8), had no purpose or longevity.
 
Chapters 8-12 of Ecclesiastes describe the Preacher’s suggestions and comments on how a life should be lived. He comes to the conclusion that without God, there is no truth or meaning to life. He has seen many evils and realized that even the best of man’s achievements are worth nothing in the long run. So he advises the reader to acknowledge God from youth (12:1) and to follow His will (12:13-14).

APPLYING ECCLESIATES TO MY LIFE (b): Ecclesiastes offers the Christian an opportunity to understand the emptiness and despair that those who do not know God grapple with. Those who do not have a saving faith (9) in Christ are faced with a life that will ultimately end and become irrelevant. If there is no salvation, and no God, then not only is there no point to life, but no purpose or direction to it, either. The world “under the sun,” apart from God, is frustrating, cruel, unfair, brief, and “utterly meaningless.” But with Christ, life is but a shadow of the glories to come in a heaven (10) that is only accessible through Him.

CHAPTER SUMMARIES: Explore (0) chapter by chapter summaries!
 
COMING UP: Next up is the Book of Song of Songs (11)!

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All bible verse references linked herein are courtesy of Bible Gateway (a). The narrative (b) offered herein has been published with permission (c) and no monetary gain is being sought. Footnotes inserted within the narrative re-direct to Marion County Manna Project webpages (unless otherwise noted) for additional spiritual insight and reflection.
 

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If you're seeking additional info about Christianity on a more personal level, consider visiting a Christian Church here in Marion County (12). Introduce yourself to members and ask to speak with someone to learn more about Jesus. Surrendering your life to Christ (13) (e) is the most rewarding, everlasting decision you'll ever make, and it's comforting to have someone guide you as you begin your new life as a child of the Most High! May God shower you with great favor in this endeavor!

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Footnotes, Page Credits and External Resources appear below. Consider printing and sharing the offered PDF narrative and other listed resources with family, friends and strangers alike for use in Bible Studies (14), Home/Church Faith Sharing Groups (15), Discipleship Encounters (16) and/or Personal Faith Enrichment!
 
Modifications are welcome at [email protected].
 

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FOOTNOTES:
  (1) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/old-testament
  (2) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/poetry-books
  (3) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/the-good-news
  (4) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/solomon
  (5) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/united-monarchy-kings
  (6) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/israel
  (7) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/bible-timeline
  (8) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/God-of-the-bible
  (9) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/faith-in-god
(10) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/heaven
(11) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/song-of-songs
(12) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/listing-by-city
(13) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/the-gracious-visitor
(14) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/bible-studies
(15) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/christian-education
(16) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/discipleship

PAGE CREDITS:
(a) Bible Gateway, New International Version (NIV) Bible, accessed September 18, 2020, https://www.biblegateway.com/

(b) Survey of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Got Questions Ministries, accessed January 16, 2021, https://www.gotquestions.org/Book-of-Ecclesiastes.html
 
(c) Copyright Policy, Got Questions Ministries, accessed January 11, 2020,
https://www.gotquestions.org/about.html
 
(d) Videos, Milestones, Blogs & Poster, BibleProject, accessed September 29, 2020,
https://www.bibleproject.com/terms/#use

EXTERNAL RESOURCES:
(e)  How Do I Convert to Christianity?, Got Questions Ministries, accessed January 12, 2020, https://www.gotquestions.org/convert-to-Christianity.html

Information offered herein has been generated for non-profit use.
 
Feel free to re-produce and distribute without monetary gain.
 
SPREAD JESUS.
 
 
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