Tag: Ecclesiastes

There is nothing new under the sun

August 8, 2025

This statement is made in the book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament of the New International Version of the Bible. This is one verse that many say is not one hundred percent true. We all know that since this was written, many new things have come about. Or have they?

We have recorded history that tells of the technological progress that we have had in the last five hundred years or more. Over two thousand years ago there was no electricity, gasoline, steam power, or so many of the things that even our great grandparents had.

No indoor plumbing. Fireplaces heated homes and were used for cooking. They had not improved much from the previous two thousand years in the necessities of life. Animal power had been the modern technique to travel and farm or move equipment.

The problem is that we only have records of how things were in the last four to six thousand years. We are told our world is millions of years old. Is it possible that other cultures progressed to where we are today and then were destroyed? We have theories about what happened to certain types of animals that no longer exist.

Some say a worldwide flood. Others believe there was a catastrophic collision with a comet or meteor. Still others have speculated that civilization collapsed due to other circumstances. I would like to look at possibilities to see if the flood is a possible explanation.

The Old Testament of The Bible says that Jehovah asked a man named Noah to build a boat. He wanted all the land and air creatures to survive this flood. Stop and think about it. If there was even only one type of dog, cat, horse, cow, bird, or other animals that we currently have, the size of the vessel to transport a pair of animals is huge.

Today we know how to do this. Who is to say that at some point in the past we have not progressed as far as we have in the last few thousand years. Prehistoric may not mean that there was no technology. Things may have caused us to start over again.

I personally wonder about where the pyramids and many other structures that were built which archeologists can’t explain how they were created at that time. Easter Island and other ancient structures seem to have been created by someone who knew things that were only learned a few hundred years ago.

Some scientists believe that ancient astronauts came here and made these areas. I think if they did, we would have found proof of this somewhere in our universe. My theory is that all the flood stories in all the cultures in our world must have a common source. This event caused us to start over again at least once in all those unrecorded years.

Solomon could be correct in his assertion that there is nothing new under the sun. If they made it to a point where Noah or some other ancient man could build a ship to survive a devastating flood, what was destroyed by that tragedy? Don’t discount the Biblical account just because you don’t want to believe in a creator God. Use the brain you possess to decide if this could be possible, even if He did not give that mind to you.

©Copyright 2025 by Charles Kensinger

No one does not sin

June 24, 2020

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