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Overview
Ecclesiastes
A. Introduction (Ec 1:1-11)
1. Introducing the Spokesman (Ec 1:1-)
a. Prologue (Ec 1:1-2)
I.) The theme: All is vanity [OR] The Vanity of Life [OR] Everything Is Meaningless [OR] The Futility of All Endeavor [OR] Reflections of a Royal Philosopher [OR] The preacher shows that all human courses are vain: (Ec 1:1)
2. The Theme (Ec 1:2-)
3. Life Is an Endless Circle
[OR]
Nothing New
(Ec 1:3-11)
I.) The theme proved (Ec 1:4)
A.) By The Transitoriness Of All Things [OR] Because The Whole Creation Is Restless (Ec 1:4)
1.) Nothing New Is Brought Forth, And All Old Things Are Forgotten (Ec 1:9)
B. Experiments (Ec 1:12-2:26)
(a. Wisdom
(Ec 1:12-18))
1. The Spokesman Begins to Study Everything Under Heaven [1:12-13a]
(Ec 1:12-13)
A.) Evil Remains Despite Power, Wisdom, And Knowledge [OR] Wisdom Is Meaningless [OR] The Futility Of Wisdom [OR] The Futility Of Seeking Wisdom [OR] And Because He Has Found The Same In Making Studies Of Wisdom (Ec 1:12)
2. The Spokesman's General Conclusion [1:13b-15] (Ec 1:14-15)
3. The Spokesman Begins to Study Life (Ec 1:16-18)
(a. Expansion of the Search for Meaning
(Ec 2:1-16))
4. The Spokesman Studies Laughter (Ec 2:1-2)
A.) Pleasure Ends In Emptiness [OR] The Vanity Of Pleasure [OR] Pleasures Are Meaningless [OR] The Futility Of Pleasure And Possessions [OR] The Futility Of Self-Indulgence [OR] The Vanity Of Human Courses In The Works Of Pleasure (Ec 2:1)
5. The Spokesman Studies Wine (Ec 2:3-)
6. The Spokesman Studies Personal Achievements (Ec 2:4-11)
A.) Riches And Great Works Give No Enduring Satisfaction (Ec 2:4)
7. Death Is the Common Destiny of All Life (Ec 2:12-15)
A.) Wisdom Is Better Than Folly, But Both Have An End [OR] The End Of The Wise And The Fool [OR] Wisdom And Folly Are Meaningless [OR] Wisdom Excels Folly [OR] Wisdom And Joy Given To One Who Pleases God [OR] Though The Wise Be Better Than The Fool, Yet Life For Both Has One Final Event (Ec 2:12)
8. Without God Everything Is Pointless (Ec 2:16-23)
(a. Conclusion of the Experiments (Ec 2:17-26))
1.) Toil Is Meaningless (Ec 2:17)
2.) The Futility Of Labor [OR] The Vanity Of Human Labor, In Leaving Its Fruits To Someone Whose Course Is Unknown (Ec 2:18)
9. With God Even the Simplest Things Have a Point (Ec 2:24-26)
1.) Nothing Is Better Than Joy In Our Labor, But The Capacity For That Is God's Gift (Ec 2:24)
C. A Time for Everything
[OR]
Times and Seasons
(Ec 3:1-12:8)
1a. Everything in God's Own Time
(Ec 3:1-8)
A.) The Weary Round Of Life [OR] Everything Has Its Time [OR] A Time For Everything [OR] By The Necessary Change Of Times, Vanity Is Added To Human Toil [OR] The God-Given Task (Ec 3:1)
1. God Gives Mortals a Sense of Eternity (Ec 3:9-15)
1.) God Set Eternity In The Heart Of Man [OR] There Is An Excellency In God's Works (Ec 3:11)
2. Humans and Animals Meet the Same End (Ec 3:16-22)
1.) Injustice Seems To Prevail [OR] Judgment And The Future Belong To God [OR] God Shall Judge The Righteous And The Wicked (Ec 3:16)
3. Better Not to Have Been Born (Ec 4:1-3)
I.) The theme unfolded (Ec 4:1)
A.) In View Of The Oppressions And Iniquities Of Life [OR] Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness [OR] The Evils Of Oppression [OR] Vanity Is Increased By Oppression (Ec 4:1)
4. Hard Work Versus Laziness (Ec 4:4-6)
1.) The Vanity Of Selfish Toll [OR] By Envy, By Idleness (Ec 4:4)
5. Those Who Are All Alone (Ec 4:7-8)
1.) By Covetousness [OR] The Value Of A Friend [OR] By Lonss (Ec 4:7)
6. Two Are Better Than One (Ec 4:9-12)
7. Rulers and Fickle Citizens (Ec 4:13-16)
1.) Popularity Passes Away [OR] Advancement Is Meaningless [OR] By Willfulness (Ec 4:13)
8. Don't Daydream or Speak Carelessly When You Worship (Ec 5:1-7)
A.) In View Of Riches And Poverty [OR] Fear God, Keep Your Vows [OR] Stand In Awe Of God [OR] Your Attitude Toward God [OR] Reverence, Humility, And Contentment [OR] Vanities In Divine Service (Ec 5:1)
9. Corrupt Officials Have Corrupt Officials Over Them (Ec 5:8-9)
1.) The Vanity Of Gain And Honor [OR] Riches Are Meaningless [OR] In Murmuring Against Oppression (Ec 5:8)
2.) And In Riches (Ec 5:9)
10. The Value of Money (Ec 5:10-12)
1.) The Folly Of Riches (Ec 5:10)
11. Economic Ruin (Ec 5:13-17)
12. Conclusion: God Alone Gives Contentment (Ec 5:18-20)
1.) Joy In Riches Is The Gift Of God (Ec 5:18)
13. The Rich Person and the Stillborn Baby (Ec 6:1-6)
A.) In View Of Man's Inevitable End [OR] The Futility Of Life [OR] The Frustration Of Desires [OR] The Vanity Of Riches Without Use (Ec 6:1)
1.) Of Children (Ec 6:3)
2.) And Old Age Without Riches (Ec 6:6)
14. More Pointless Challenges (Ec 6:7-12)
1.) The Vanity Of Sight And Wandering Desires (Ec 6:9)
2.) The Conclusion Of Vanities (Ec 6:11)
15. Proverbs About Life (Ec 7:1-10)
D.
Times and Seasons, Part 2
(Ec 7:1-12:8)
A.) In View Of The Incurable Evil Of Man [OR] The Value Of Practical Wisdom [OR] Wisdom [OR] Wisdom And Folly Contrasted [OR] A Disillusioned View Of Life [OR] Remedies Against Vanity Are A Good Name (Ec 7:1)
1.) Humility (Ec 7:2)
2.) Patience (Ec 7:7)
1. Wisdom Gives Life (Ec 7:11-13)
1.) Wisdom (Ec 7:11)
2. A Truth for Every Situation (Ec 7:14-)
3. Mortals Don't Get What They Deserve (Ec 7:15-18)
1.) The Riddles Of Life (Ec 7:15)
4. The Advantages of Wisdom (Ec 7:19-8:1)
1.) The Difficulty Of Getting Wisdom (Ec 7:23)
A.) In View Of The Mystery Of The Divine Providences [OR] Obey Rulers [OR] Obey The King And Enjoy Yourself [OR] Kings Are Greatly To Be Respected (Ec 8:1)
5. The Power of Kings Versus the Power of Death (Ec 8:2-8)
1.) Obey Authorities For God's Sake [OR] Obey The King (Ec 8:2)
2.) The Divine Providence Is To Be Observed (Ec 8:6)
6. Life Is Unfair (Ec 8:9-10)
1.) Death Comes To All [OR] God's Ways Are Inscrutable (Ec 8:10)
7. The Need for Swift Justice (Ec 8:11-13)
1.) It Is Better With The Godly In Adversity, Than With The Wicked In Prosperity (Ec 8:12)
8. Enjoy Life (Ec 8:14-17)
1.) The Work Of God Is Unsearchable (Ec 8:16)
9. Everything Is in the Hands of God (Ec 9:1-2)
A.) In View Of The World's Wrong Standard Of Values [OR] A Common Destiny For All [OR] Men Are In The Hand Of God [OR] Take Life As It Comes [OR] Similar Things Happen To The Good And Bad (Ec 9:1)
10. Where There's Life, There's Hope (Ec 9:3-6)
1.) There Is A Necessity For Death To Men (Ec 9:4)
11. Enjoy Life With Your Wife (Ec 9:7-9)
1.) Comfort Is All Their Portion In This Life (Ec 9:7)
12. Work With All Your Might (Ec 9:10-)
1.) Whatever Your Hand Finds To Do (Ec 9:10)
13. Time and Unpredictable Events (Ec 9:11-12)
1.) God's Providence Rules Over All (Ec 9:11)
14. Wisdom Is Despised (Ec 9:13-10:1)
1.) Wisdom Superior To Folly [OR] Wisdom Better Than Folly [OR] Wisdom Superior To Folly [OR] Wisdom Is Better Than Strength (Ec 9:13)
A.) In View Of The Anarchy Of The World [OR] A Little Foolishness [OR] Miscellaneous Observations [OR] Observations Of Wisdom And Folly (Ec 10:1)
15. Proverbs About Life in General (Ec 10:2-20)
1.) Of Riot, Slothfulness, And Money (Ec 10:16)
2.) Men's Thoughts Of Kings Ought To Be Reverent (Ec 10:20)
16. Live Boldly (Ec 11:1-8)
I.) The best thing possible to the natural man apart from God [OR] The Value of Diligence [OR] Bread Upon the Waters [OR] Cast Your Bread on the Waters [OR] The Value of Diligence [OR] Directions for charity (Ec 11:1)
A.) Remember Your Creator While Young [OR] Youth And Old Age [OR] Death In Life (Ec 11:7)
17. Remember Your Creator While You're Young (Ec 11:9-12:8)
A.) Seek God In Early Life [OR] And, In The Days Of Youth, The Day Of Judgment Are To Be Considered (Ec 11:9)
B.) Remember God In Your Youth [OR] The Creator Is To Be Remembered In Youth (Ec 12:1)
C.) The Preacher's Concern Is To Edify The People (Ec 12:8)
)
E. Conclusion
[OR]
Lifelong Duty
- Fear God and Keep His Commands (Ec 12:9-14)
A.) The Whole Duty Of Man [OR] The Conclusion Of The Matter [OR] Purpose Of The Preacher [OR] Epilogue (Ec 12:9)
I.) The best thing possible to man under the law [OR] The fear of God is the chief antidote of vanity (Ec 12:13)
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