* Solomon wrote this book through human eyes.
* Only God can give us eyes to see as He sees.
* When we have His eyes we see everything as beautiful and filled with meaning.
* Two examples:
* 1) The phone call I received from the police at 4AM.
* 2) A visit I took to a prison where an inmate shocked me with a statement.
* When you have eyes to see, everything is different although nothing has changed.
Ecclesiastes 1:2 (8/24/17)
Re-Frame
August 24, 2017 • Benham Brothers
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Lessons From Ecclesiastes
Ecc 1 (9/3/14)
September 3, 2014 • Benham Brothers
Solomon asked for wisdom and got it - he could explain just about anything. I've always said he should have asked for what Elisha asked for - a double portion of the spirit. His wisdom began in the fear of the Lord but as he drifted from God so his wisdom changed as well. He learned that wisdom, apart from God, can only go so far. 1) Worldly wisdom - does not take God into account. Leads to a proper recognition that everything is meaningless. Without God in view Solomon is right! Worldly wisdom takes place in the mind only. 2) Godly wisdom - takes God into account. Leads to a proper recognition that everything has meaning. With God in view this is right! Godly wisdom not only takes place in the mind but also the heart, because where the mind ceases to comprehend the heart grasps in faith. When you get to the limit of what your mind can comprehend (worldly wisdom) then that's where Godly wisdom enters the picture. Without "faith" there is no hope. That's how the wisest man who ever lived could say things are meaningless - he had lost hope because he had lost faith, and he had lost faith because he stopped focusing on God. Without God everything is meaningless, but with God everything is laced with meaning. Ecc 2:18-20 - we see Solomon getting everything his heart desired through work, but WORK void of HOPE is meaningless!
Ecclesiastes 1:13 (8/27/15)
Benham Brothers
Wisdom beneath the sun - worldly wisdom that doesn’t take God into account. It’s void of faith and hope - only believes what the mind can comprehend. Everything - even the BIG stuff - is meaningLESS. Wisdom above the sun - Godly wisdom which sees as God sees. It’s full of faith and hope - believes what the mind cannot comprehend. Everything, even the small stuff - is meaningFULL. The End of the Matter - Ecclesiastes 12:13. Wisdom under the sun points to wisdom above the sun: 1) Fear God - be inwardly and outwardly devoted to Him. 2) Keep His commandments - if you’re devoted to Him you’ll do what He says.
Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 (9/23/21)
September 23, 2021 • Benham Brothers • Ecclesiastes 2:10–11
* Taking the time to stop and consider is one of the most powerful things you can do. * To stop and “take it in” gives you energy to keep going. * Solomon (the wisest man who ever lived) shows us its power. * Ecclesiastes was written from a worldly perspective. * God is not involved. * There is no eternity - this is all there is. * When God IS NOT considered, nothing has meaning (not even the biggest thing). * When God IS considered, everything has meaning (even the smallest thing). * This is why Ecclesiastes was read at the Feast of Tabernacles where people thanked God for His abundant provision. * It reminded them to stop and consider God’s involvement. * Vs 10 - Solomon enjoyed the fruit of his labor, which is a good thing. * We should stop and consider our work and enjoy it’s completion. * This recharges you and gives you strength for the next thing. * By rewarding yourself in the moment, your brain elicits positive emotions. By doing this continuously, your brain will start to link pleasure to accomplishing the task or objective and move towards it in the future. * Cycle - Do Something Hard / Reward Yourself * EX: Matinee movie after a book is done. * Key - God wants you to ENJOY your life, but not find your ultimate “meaning” in the here and now. * Vs 11 - But he stopped to consider! * It’s a good practice to stop and consider. How? * 1) STOP what you’re doing (schedule in time to pause). * 2) LOOK up - take God into consideration. * 3) LOOK around - take in your present moment. * 4) LOOK back - look at your work and what you’ve accomplished. * 5) LOOK in - how do you feel? * ** Solomon skipped step two, and it caused despair.