DAWN

     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. This is the subject of today's painting.

1. Narrator's Introduction - The Vanity of Everything                (   1:1   -  1:11  ) - 946 B.C. Israel
2. Teacher's Introduction  - The Vanity of Everything                (   1:12 -  2:11  ) - 946 B.C. Israel
3. Teacher's Word's           - Coping With Vanity                         (  2:12 - 11:9   ) - 946 B.C. Israel
4. Teacher's Conclusion    - Overcome Vanity by Serving God  ( 11:10 - 12:7   ) - 946 B.C. Israel
5. Narrator's Conclusion   - Overcome Vanity by Serving God  ( 12:8   - 12:14 ) - 946 B.C. Israel

          [ THEMATICALLY AND CHRONOLOGICALLY RELATED SCRIPTURES: Ecclesiastes 7. ]

          [ 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). VARIOUS ARTISTS: Book of Ecclesiastes Dramatized. ]

     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).

Obedience to the King and to God

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 a wise 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 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 [is not 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.