Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Wisdom is the focus in Ecclesiastes 7. Many of the verses are repetitions from Proverbs. Not all of them are. “Death is better than your day of birth.” It is better to mourn than to feast. He advocates frustration over laughter.

Jehovah is the main thought after verse thirteen. Good and bad happens to everyone. An error is made by attributing evil to God. He may allow events that we view as less than ideal, however the sin in our world is responsible for the evil actions of others. Satan is also working freely on people.
If you respect Yahweh, you will avoid the extremes. Verse twenty has a New Testament concept. No one on Earth never sins. Solomon’s chauvinism is seen when he says that there is one righteous man among a thousand, but he has not known one good woman. If I had to please a thousand women, I would feel that same way.

Does it surprise you that in Ecclesiastes 8 the King says we should obey the King? One thing he says is that the sentence for a crime should be carried out quickly. He has seen one thing that perplexes him. The righteous being treated like the wicked should be. This makes him not understand what happens.

We must agree. Whose fault is it? Ours. If humans do not obey the Lord and treat others with love, how can we expect things to get better. Isn’t it hypocritical of the King to brag about everything he did? If he had not been so tied up in his own goals, he could have helped others’ lives not be so meaningless.

Everyone has the same future according to Ecclesiastes 9. We will all die and after that there is nothing else. Solomon has forgotten that Jehovah promised His people life with Him forever. He also warns us that we never know when our end will come. Solomon tells us to enjoy life with the wife that we love. With all the wives that he had, I wonder how many he loved.

Have you wondered why politicians are referred to as right and left? Ecclesiastes 10 may have the answer in verse two. Calmness is also praised. Pits, walls, stones, logs, and axes are also discussed. When he says, “fools multiply words” we need to make note and watch our speech.

Prejudice rears its ugly head when Solomon once again criticizes Kings that are not of royal lineage. Has be forgotten his own father had been a Shepard? “Money is the answer for everything” seems also to be an error on the part of the King.

Diversifying investments is encouraged in Ecclesiastes 11. Some of these wise sayings seem to be common sense. One of these is understanding what Jehovah does. Enjoy all your days, but don’t forget the bad ones, also seems to be common sense. God’s judgment will come.

Remembering Yahweh in our early years is a way to prevent a bad attitude in later years is in Ecclesiastes 12. Solomon has apparently reached this point because he declares everything as meaningless. The editor has added praise for the King’s wisdom. He and I have differing opinions.

©Copyright 2020 by Charles Kensinger