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2018 November 10
Ecclesiastes 8



The Repose of the Huntsmen (c. 1740)
Giuseppe Bonito (1707-1789)
Rococo Style
Private Collection
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art

     [ Illustration: The subject of today's painting is enjoyment of the good things of life which is an emphasis of today's chapter. ]



SPECIAL NOTE:

[ I will again be working through the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. I will be adding links, resources, images, and the like, upgrading the former work-through which began with the 2013-10-12 posting which can be found, along with the full Genesis to Revelation postings, in the Archive Page. Postings will be at midnight Eastern Time, as I am able. However, no chapters will be skipped, even though a posting may be late. And all postings will be housed in the Archive Page. ]



     Explanation: The focus of Ecclesiastes 8 is obedience -- to the king and to God. This is the solution to the vanity of life. In recognition of this, we must enjoy the good things of life and rest in them.
     A wise man knows how to interpret things. Wisdom gives him glory and boldness (1).
     A wise man should keep the king's commandment, especially in regard to his oath to God (2).
     He should not be hasty to get beyond the king's scrutiny. He should not continue in an evil thing, because the king does whatever pleases him (3).
     There is power in the king's word; and who may say unto him, "What are you doing?" (4).
     Anyone who keeps the king's commandment shall feel no evil thing; and a wise man's heart discern's both time and judgment (5).
     To every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him because he does not know what the time and judgment will be; and no one can tell him what will be (6-7).
     No one is able to retain his spirit in the day of death; and there is not discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those who are given to it (8).
     Solomon saw all of these things, and applied his heart to everything that was done under the sun. He concluded that there is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt (9).
     He saw the wicked buried who had come and gone from the holy place. They were praised in the city. It was in vain (10).
     Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. However, though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet it will be well with those who fear God. It will not be well with the wicked, nor will he prolong his days, because he does not fear God (11-13).
     There is a vanity upon the earth, that evil happens to some righteous people, as if they were wicked; and good happens to some of the wicked, as though they were righteous. These things are vanity (14).
     So he commended joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and to be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun (15).
     When he applied his heart to know wisdom, and to see what was done on earth, he saw that both day and night some are unable to sleep (16).
     Then he saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However greatly man may toil in seeking God's work, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know it, he cannot find it (17).


     [ Sermons: William Still. Alistair Begg. G. I. Williamson. Various. ]




Bible Chronologies -- Genesis to Revelation

[Traditional Patriarchal Chronology. Judges Period Chronology 1. Judges Period Chronology 2. Kings of Judah and Israel #1. Kings of Judah and Israel #2].

[Post Exile Chronology 1. Post Exile Chronology 2. Post Exile Chronology 3.]

[Prophets Chronology 1. Prophets Chronology 2. Prophets Chronology 3. Prophets Chronology 4.]

[Intertestamental Period Chronology 1. Intertestamental Period Chronology 2. Intertestamental Period Chronology 3.
Intertestamental Period Chronology 4. Intertestamental Period Chronology 5.]

[New Testament Chronology 1. New Testament Chronology 2. New Testament Chronology 3. New Testament Chronology 4. New Testament Chronology 5.]




RESOURCES

PLEASE NOTE: Use the resources on this and other sites thoughtfully, particularly the commentaries and encyclopedias. I have attempted to list conservative, scholarly resources. However, some providers use liberal or liberal-influenced commentaries such as the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (in Bible Hub). Such commentaries are undoubtedly included by the provider for the wealth of useful information and comments which they provide. By consulting several commentaries, it should be fairly easy to sort out the wheat from the chaff. If, however, you would like personal assistance, write to me at AD LIB ARTS EMAIL.


          [ THEMATICALLY AND CHRONOLOGICALLY RELATED SCRIPTURES: Ecclesiastes 8: Ecclesiastes 7. ]
[1] Ecclesiastes 2:13-14; Proverbs 4:8-9.
[2] Proverbs 24:21; Romans 13:1-7; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-17.
[3] Ecclesiastes 10:4; Proverbs 14:29; Proverbs 16:14-15.
[4] Proverbs 19:12; Proverbs 20:2; Luke 12:4-5.
[5] Ecclesiastes 5:2; Luke 20:25; Acts 4:19.
[6] Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11, 17.
[7] Ecclesiastes 6:12; Ecclesiastes 9:12; Proverbs 29:1; Matthew 24:44, 50.
[8] 2 Samuel 14:14; 1 Corinthians 15:43; Psalm 9:17.
[9] Ecclesiastes 5:8, 13.
[10] Job 21:18, 32-33.
[11] Psalm 10:6; Psalm 50:21-22; 2 Peter 3:3-10.
[12] Proverbs 13:21; Romans 2:5; Psalm 37:11, 18-19; Proverbs 1:32-33.
[13] Job 18:5; Job 20:5; Isaiah 57:21.
[14] Ecclesiastes 7:15; Ecclesiastes 9:1-3.
[15] Ecclesiastes 2:24; Ecclesiastes 3:12-13, 22; Ecclesiastes 5:18; 1 Timothy 6:17.
[16] Ecclesiastes 7:25; Ecclesiastes 2:23; Psalm 127:2.
[17] Ecclesiastes 3:11; Job 5:9.
     -- From Treasury of Scripture Knowledge & Others ]


          [ CHRONOLOGY: GENERAL. Patriarchs (Traditional). Judges # 1. Judges # 2. Kings # 1. Kings # 2. Prophets # 1. Prophets # 2. NT # 1. NT # 2. NT # 3. ]

          [ MAPS: Maps # 1. Maps # 2. Maps # 3. Maps # 4. Maps # 5. ]

          [ COMMENTARIES, ETC: GENERAL: Bible Study Tools; Bible Hub: Study Light; Blue Letter Bible // PSALMS: Monergism: Precept Austin: The Treasury of David; John Gill; John Calvin - Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

          [ MUSIC: GENERAL: The Cyber Hymnal // PSALMS: Genevan Psalter (Instrumental). PROVERBS: Book of Proverbs. ECCLESIASTES: Book of Ecclesiastes Dramatized. VARIOUS ARTISTS: Micha'el Ben David. Sons of Korah. Fernando Ortega. Janet Isaac Morrison. Music of the Bible Revealed - Suzanne Haik-Vantoura. Dr. David Erb. Gregorian Chants. ]



HARMONY OF THE LAW


John Calvin - CCEL | Analytical Chart - BLB




GOSPEL HARMONIES

Gospel Harmony - Summary | The Harmony of the Gospels - Augustine | Gospel Harmony Chart - Online Bible

Greek Harmony of the Gospels - Robertson - (Downloadable PDF) | Gospel Harmony in English - Robertson - (Downloadable PDF)



HEBREW AND GREEK INTERLINEAR BIBLES


Hebrew and Greek Interlinear Download - Scripture 4 All

Bible Hub Interlinear Hebrew and Greek Bible


Bible Hub Hebrew Interlinear | Scripture 4 All Hebrew Interlinear


Mounce Interlinear | Bible Hub Greek Interlinear | Scripture 4 All Greek Interlinear Bible





Ecclesiastes Outline

Note: Around 946 B.C., Solomon seems to have been at a peak spiritually, hence Ecclesiastes may have been composed by him around that time, assuming he is the author.

Ecclesiastes 8


Map 1: Bible Nations | Map 2: Empire of David and Solomon Map 3: Kingdoms of Judah and Israel | Post Exile Chronology.


Teacher's Words: Coping with Vanity (2:12 - 11:9)


Obedience to the King and to God (8:1-17)


1 Who is as the wise man?
and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing?
a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine,
and the boldness of his face shall be changed.

2 I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment,
and that in regard of the oath of God.
3 Be not hasty to go out of his sight:
stand not in an evil thing;
for he doeth whatsoever [all which] pleaseth him.
4 Where the word of a king is,
there is power:
and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
5 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing:
and man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.

6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment,
therefore the misery of man is great upon him.
7 For he knoweth not that which shall be:
for who can tell him when it shall be?
8 There is no man that hath power over the spirit
to retain [this] the spirit;
neither hath he power in the day of death:
and there is no discharge in that war;
neither shall wickedness deliver [these] -- those that are given to it.

9 All this have I seen,
and applied [it to this] my heart
unto every work that is done under the sun:
there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.
10 And so I saw the wicked buried,
who had come and gone from the place of the holy,
and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done:

this is also vanity.

11 Because sentence against an evil work
is not executed speedily,
therefore [upon this] the heart of the sons of men
is fully set in them to do evil.
12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times,
and his days be prolonged,
yet surely I know
that it shall be well with them that fear God,
which fear before [the face of] him:
13 But it shall not be well with the wicked,
neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow;
because he feareth not before [the face of] God.

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.

15 Then I commended [this] mirth,
because a man hath no better thing under the sun,
than [lo!] 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.

16 When I applied [this] mine heart to know wisdom,
and to see [this] the business that is done upon the earth:
(for also there is that neither day nor night
seeth sleep with his eyes:)
17 Then I beheld [this] all the work of God
that a man cannot find [not is able to find out] [this]
the work that is done under the sun:
because though a man labour to seek it out,
yet he shall not find it;
yea further;
though a wise man think to know it,
yet shall he not be able to find it.






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