ECCLESIASTES. "WORDS OF THE PREACHER."

THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES  CONTAINS THE PHILOSOPHY OF A MAN WHO HAD EVERYTHING. CHAPTER 1:1 IDENTIFIES THE AUTHOR AS " THE PREACHER, THE SON OF DAVID, KING OF JERUSALEM."  THE ONLY PERSON THAT QUALIFIES IS KING SOLOMON. CERTAINLY, SOLOMON HAD THE WHEREWITH ALL TO DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING HE DESIRED. HIS WEALTH WAS INCALCULABLE. PROBABLY  NO ONE EVER HAD MORE WIVES AND CONCUBINES; HE MUST HAVE KNOWN EVERYTHING POSSIBLE ABOUT LOVE AND THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MEN AND WOMAN. HIS PHILOSOPHY, AS RECORDED IN ECCLESIASTES, WAS SIMPLY: " I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING AND NOTHING IS WORTH ANYTHING. VANITY OF VANITIES , EVERYTHING IS VAIN, OR FUTILE, EMPTY" " WHAT PROFIT HATH A MAN OF ALL HIS LABOR WHICH HE TAKETH (PERFORMS)  UNDER THE SUN?" HE ASKED. " ONE GENERATION PASSETH AWAY, AND ANOTHER GENERATION COMETH: BUT THE EARTH ABIDETH FOREVER" (vss 3 and 4).  LIKE Ol ' MAN RIVER, IT JUST KEEP ROLLING ALONG. THE SUN SETS, EVERYTHING HAPPENS OVER AND OVER, SO WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT ANYWAY.? THESE STATEMENTS SUMMARIZE  SOLOMON'S QUERIES IN A TWENTIETH CENTURY CONTEXT
IN VERSES 13 AND 14 HE ADMITTED,
i gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. i have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

IN CHAPTER 2:1, HE DESCRIBED ANOTHER PURSUIT: " I SAID IN MY HEART, GO TO NOW, I WILL PROVE THEE WITH MIRTH, THEREFORE ENJOY PLEASURE:AND BEHOLD, THIS ALSO IS VANITY."
 THERE WAS NO PLEASURE IN WORK; THERE WAS NO PLEASURE IN FUN;  THERE WAS NO PLEASURE IN FUTILE ENJOYMENT THE HEDONISTIC LIFE- STYLE WAS SIMPLY VANITY: PLEASURE ACCOMPLISHED NOTHING. HE TRIED CREATIVITY AND MATERIALISM ( vss 4-8). I BUILDED ME HOUSES... I MADE ME GARDENS...I GOT ME SERVANTS...AND ...CATTLE...I GATHERED ME ALSO SILVER AND GOLD AND... TREASURE."  ONCE AGAIN, SOLOMON DISCOVERED IT ALL TO BE VANITY. IMAGINE!
SOLOMON WAS A MAN WHO HAD EVERYTHING: PLEASURE, BEAUTIFUL WOMEN, CREATIVE PURSUITS, GOLD AND SILVER, BUT IN VERSE 17, HE FINALLY CONCLUDED,   "I HATED LIFE." " IT WAS STRIVING AFTER THE WIND. VERSE 18: "I HATED ALL MY LABOR... BECAUSE I SHOULD LEAVE IT UNTO THE MAN THAT SHALL BE AFTER ME.
 HE HAD REALIZED THAT " YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU."
CHAPTER 3 BEGINS SOLOMON'S SECOND DISCOURSE IN WHICH HE COMES TO TERMS WITH THE LAWS THAT GOVERN LIFE. CHAPTER'S 1:1-2:26 DESCRIBE THE VANITY OF HUMAN ENDEAVOR "UNDER THE SUN." IN CHAPTER 3 HE DETERMINED, FROM A HUMAN VIEW-POINT, THAT THERE IS AN APPOINTED TIME FOR EVERYTHING AND FOR EVERY EVENT. UNDER HEAVEN.  HIS THIRD DISCOURSE EXTENDS FROM 6:1 THROUGH 8:17. THE CENTRAL THEME IS THAT THERE IS NO SATISFACTION IN EARTHLY GOODS. FINALLY, IN THE FOURTH DISCOURSE (9:1-12:8). SOLOMON HAS REALIZED THAT GOD WILL DEAL WITH THE INJUSTICES  OF THIS LIFE. THE ENTIRE BOOK IS SUMMED UP IN 12:1.: "REMEMBER NOW THY CREATOR IN THE DAYS OF THY YOUTH." IN THE END, SOLOMON WAS AN OLD MAN WHO HAD TRIED EVERYTHING.
HE HAD NOT LIVED IN THE "HOKMAH" WISDOM OF PROVERBS."  THE FINAL BOOK IN THE COLLECTION OF POETRY, SOME TIMES CALLED CANTICLES. THROUGH THE CENTURIES, THIS LITTLE BOOK AS BEEN SEEN IN MANY WAYS. THE BEST APPROACH IS A COMBINATION OF LITERAL AND TYPICAL INTERPRETATION. THE INSPIRED WORD FROM THE INCIDENT IN SOLOMON'S LIFE WITH A SIMPLE COUNTRY GIRL. AS TYPOLOGY IT TYPIFIES THE LOVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHRIST AND HIS BRIDE, THE CHURCH. DESPITE HIS FAILURES , SOLOMON WAS IN SOME RESPECTS, A TYPE OF CHRIST.