Sermons and Biblical Studies

ECCLESIASTES 5:1–3 Walk prudently when you go to the house of God (Eccl. 5:1). Do you enter public worship distracted by worldly concerns? Do the preacher’s words fly in one ear and out the other, leaving no discernible impression on your mind and heart? Do you find it difficult to concentrate in prayer because your … Continue reading “HOLY REVERENCE IN WORSHIP”

ECCLESIASTES 4:7–16 … woe to him who is alone when he falls (Eccl. 4:10). Aristotle once wrote, “Whosoever delights in solitude is either a wild beast or a god.” Commenting on Aristotle, Francis Bacon said, “To man—such as man is—friendship is indispensable to happiness; and that one, who has no need, and feels no need … Continue reading “TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE”

ECCLESIASTES 4:1–6 Then I returned and considered all the oppression … (Eccl. 4:1). Who cannot be grieved by man’s selfishness? Stories of tragedy and oppression assault us daily. The oppression of corrupt national leaders, of murderers, of corrupt judicial systems—all remind us of the degradation of human nature and the corrupt principles that lie at … Continue reading “A WORLD OF SELFISHNESS”

ECCLESIASTES 3:16–22 “God shall judge the righteous and the wicked” (Eccl. 3:17). The imagination of fallen man wanders so quickly that the Preacher is compelled to deter any wrong conclusions that might be derived from his former instruction. He has just spent a great deal of time bemoaning perpetual motion of life. Seasons come and … Continue reading “REAPING WHAT WE SOW”

ECCLESIASTES 3:9–15 He has made everything beautiful in its time (Eccl. 3:11). God has “made everything beautiful in its time.” The seasons of our lives are not feathers adrift on the wind, they are beautiful dispensations of God’s sovereign plan. This applies to the periods of suffering and trial as well as to times of … Continue reading “HARMONY OF PURPOSE”

ECCLESIASTES 3:1–8 A time for every purpose under heaven (Eccl. 3:1). In chapter 3 we find the Preacher still pursuing his argument that everything is in perpetual change. It is vain, therefore, to seek solid happiness in so shifting a scene. We might as well try to find peace on the tossing waves, where there … Continue reading “WHEELS IN MOTION”

ECCLESIASTES 2:17–26 … for without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment? (Eccl. 2:25 niv). The Preacher reaches the conclusion that even the essentials of life cannot be enjoyed outside the presence of God. Eating, drinking, working—everything that is basic to human existence provides no lasting sustenance when God is absent. “We may possess the … Continue reading “CHASING SHADOWS”

ECCLESIASTES 2:12–16 … how does a wise man die? As the fool! (Eccl. 2:16). This passage shows the Preacher at his lowest point. He tried to find rest in the pursuit of knowledge, in the accumulation of wealth, and in the maximization of pleasure, but all left him empty. In desperation, he considered the advantages … Continue reading “CHEATED BY DEATH”

ECCLESIASTES 2:1–11 I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure (Eccl. 2:10). Perhaps the whole history of mankind does not furnish a more vivid picture of the vanity of earthly greatness than the Preacher’s experience. He denied himself no pleasure, yet his life was barren. He seemed to be “possessing all things;” yet in … Continue reading “CHASING AFTER THE WIND”

ECCLESIASTES 1:12–18 … he who increases knowledge increases sorrow (Eccl. 1:18). The Preacher describes himself as one who was devoted to study and to the exploration of wisdom. He wanted to understand the internal complexities of human nature and unravel the mysteries of the physical universe. Like scientists of our own day, he charted the … Continue reading “THE VANITY OF KNOWLEDGE”