INTRODUCTION:<\/p>\n
A. In the first six chapters the Solomon has shared with us:<\/p>\n
1. His search for meaning to life (chs. 1-2).<\/p>\n
2. His observations during this search (chs. 3-6).<\/p>\n
B. He has repeated his conclusions time and again…<\/p>\n
1. Life “under the sun” is vanity.<\/p>\n
2. Yet there is good that one can do, provided one is blessed by God.<\/p>\n
C. In relating the experiences of his search and observations, he shared counsel for living life “under the sun”; for example:<\/p>\n
1. The value of friendship (4:9-12).<\/p>\n
2. The proper way to approach God in worship (5:1).<\/p>\n
D. In the next six chapters Solomon continues to share his counsel through a mixture of proverbs and narration designed to help us live a pleasing life before God “under the sun.”<\/p>\n
E. With that in mind, let’s take a look at Ecclesiastes 7:1-10, in which we find a series of comparisons.<\/p>\n
1. Note the frequent use of the word “better.”<\/p>\n
2. In this section of holy writ we will see the value of practical wisdom.<\/p>\n
F. It is crucial that we understand that:<\/p>\n
DISCUSSION:<\/p>\n
A. HONOR IS BETTER THAN LUXURY<\/p>\n
1. Ecclesiastes 7:1a<\/p>\n
a. Here is seen the value of a good reputation.<\/p>\n
b. Notice also Proverbs 22:1.<\/p>\n
c. The precious ointment is representative of luxury.<\/p>\n
2. Why is a good name better than luxury?<\/p>\n
a. We have already seen the vanity of wealth in that:<\/p>\n
1) We may leave it for someone who is foolish (2:18-19).<\/p>\n
2) And, unless God give us the ability to enjoy it, it is all for naught (6:1-2).<\/p>\n
b. But, on the other hand, a good reputation finds honor before God and men, and benefits us after death!<\/p>\n
1) Just as it did with the “elders” of the Old Testament, Hebrews 11:2,39.<\/p>\n
2) Especially if our “names” are written in heaven!<\/p>\n
a) Luke 10:20<\/p>\n
b) Philippians 4:3<\/p>\n
3. So in what time we have in this life, it is better spent making a good name for ourselves, than accumulating wealth!<\/p>\n
B. ONE’S DEATH IS BETTER THAN ONE’S BIRTH<\/p>\n
1. Ecclesiastes 7:1b<\/p>\n
a. The day of one’s death is better than the day in which they were born<\/p>\n
b. Of course, this assumes one has first made a good name for themselves!<\/p>\n
2. How is one’s death better than one’s birth?<\/p>\n
a. The day of one’s birth is the beginning of many sorrows.<\/p>\n
1) Job 14:1; 3:1-3<\/p>\n
2) Jeremiah 20:14-18<\/p>\n
b. But for the righteous, the day of one’s death is the beginning of eternal bliss!<\/p>\n
1) They enter into peace and rest … Isaiah 57:1-2.<\/p>\n
2) They go to be with the Lord … Philippians 1:21-23.<\/p>\n
3) They are blessed to be at rest from their labors … Revelation 14:13.<\/p>\n
3. Speaking of the day of one’s death leads naturally to the next bit of counsel from Solomon.<\/p>\n
C. A FUNERAL IS BETTER THAN A PARTY<\/p>\n
1. Ecclesiastes 7:2-6<\/p>\n
2. Everybody loves a party, but everybody needs to attend a funeral!<\/p>\n
3. Solomon tells us why this is the case:<\/p>\n
a. “For that is the end of all men.”<\/p>\n
1) Life “under the sun” is not forever.<\/p>\n
2) We must all die and face what follows next … Hebrews 9:27.<\/p>\n
b. “And the living will take it to heart”<\/p>\n
1) A funeral reminds us of the brevity of life and the eventuality of death.<\/p>\n
2) A funeral forces us to face reality and encourages us to prepare for it.<\/p>\n
c. “Sorrow is better than laughter”<\/p>\n
1) Laughter may have its place, but sorrow is superior to making the heart better … Hebrews 12:11.<\/p>\n
a) Laughter provides a temporary reprieve from the burdens of life.<\/p>\n
b) But sorrow, especially at a funeral, encourages us to make positive changes.<\/p>\n
2) For this reason, the wise person will be found often in the funeral parlor, while the fool would rather spend time at a party.<\/p>\n
d. “It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than .. to hear the song of fools.”<\/p>\n
1) At a funeral, one is likely to hear the rebuke of the wise; at a party, the song of fools.<\/p>\n
2) But the laughter of fools is like the crackling of thorns in a fire, and is vanity.<\/p>\n
a) Thorns make a lot of noise, but they burn quickly, provide little heat, and are therefore of little value.<\/p>\n
b) So also the laughter and songs of the foolish.<\/p>\n
D. THE END IS BETTER THAN THE BEGINNING<\/p>\n
1. Ecclesiastes 7:8a<\/p>\n
a. This is similar to what we have already seen that the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.<\/p>\n
b. But the principle has application to more than just one’s overall life<\/p>\n
2. How is the end better than the beginning?<\/p>\n
a. Many projects start with good intentions, but are not completed; it is when they are finished that we can truly look back with satisfaction.<\/p>\n
b. Many things begin with grief and difficulty, only to end in joy and peace, Psalm 126:5-6.<\/p>\n
3. Our primary concern should be how things will turn out in the end, rather than how they may look at the beginning.<\/p>\n
E. PATIENCE IS BETTER THAN PRIDE<\/p>\n
1. Ecclesiastes 7:8b-9<\/p>\n
a. Pride is evil, and is of the world.<\/p>\n
1) Mark 7:21-23<\/p>\n
2) 1 John 2:16<\/p>\n
b. Patience is a virtue to be pursued by the man of God.<\/p>\n
1) 1 Timothy 6:11<\/p>\n
2) Titus 2:2<\/p>\n
2. Why is patience better than pride?<\/p>\n
a. Pride leads to contention and destruction … Proverbs 13:10; 16:18.<\/p>\n
b. Pride leads to anger, which resides in the heart of the foolish … Ecclesiastes 7:9.<\/p>\n
c. Patience, on the other hand, is indicative of wisdom and necessary to salvation, Hebrews 10:36.<\/p>\n
F. THE PRESENT IS BETTER THAN THE PAST<\/p>\n
1. Ecclesiastes 7:10<\/p>\n
a. People often reminisce about “the good old days.”<\/p>\n
b. Many bemoan that things were better then than now.<\/p>\n
2. Why is one not wise thinking the past is better than the present?<\/p>\n
a. Memory has a way of forgetting bad things in the past.<\/p>\n
b. Even if one experiences trials in the present, there is cause for rejoicing … James 1:2-4.<\/p>\n
c. We may neglect opportunities for much good in the present by dwelling on the past.<\/p>\n
CONCLUSION<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
INTRODUCTION: A. In the first six chapters the Solomon has shared with us: 1. His search for meaning to life (chs. 1-2). 2. His observations during this search (chs. 3-6). B. He has repeated his conclusions time and again… 1. Life “under the sun” is vanity. 2. Yet there is good that one can do, … Continue reading “The True Meaning to Life #8. A Study in Ecclesiastes – Bible Outlines”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44033","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44033","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44033"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44033\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44033"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44033"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44033"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}