Ecclesiastes 1 - Introduction

A STUDY OF SOLOMON'S USE OF THE TERM GOD IN ECCLESIASTES

In Ecclesiastes 1:13, the reader is introduced for the first time to Solomon's own selection from the Hebrew language for God. It is of particular interest because there are numerous alternatives. That is, Solomon could have used other Hebrew terms than the one selected. The term for God appears forty-one times in the book. He also speaks of God as Creator and the Shepherd. He uses the pronouns He, His, and Him ten times. Thus, there are fifty-three direct references to God in the book.

Solomon selected the term Elohim for God. Never once did he employ the term Jehovah. There is a distinction that is often made between the two names. Jehovah is the name for God which communicates the idea that God covenants with His people, entering in a more personal relationship than what may be indicated in the use of Elohim. Elohim is the term used to speak of God as He is discovered, not in a covenant pact, but through the evidence of nature.
Perhaps one should exercise caution by reading more into the limited use of Elohim in the book than the author intended. There are two lines of reasoning, however, that are offered for his choice of the term Elohim to the exclusion of the term Jehovah. We shall discuss them separately.
The first one suggests that Solomon was growing old and lost the joy and closeness he once knew with God. It is argued that it would be inappropriate for him to choose the name for God that implies warmth and friendship. Solomon, it is thought, had forfeited this right.

The other argument appears to be more plausible. It speaks more to the intent and purpose of the book. It is reasoned that the name Jehovah speaks of the God of divine revelation and covenant relationships, and is, therefore, excluded from Solomon's writings because it is his purpose to discover truths on his own through his own wisdom and experimentation. It is not Solomon's intention to pretend that God does not exist, or that God is not interested in His world and that which is contained in it. Quite the contrary, God's concern for man and man's need to be concerned about God is the conclusion of the whole book. It is Solomon's intention to demonstrate that man is hopelessly frustrated if all he has as his guide is the evidence of nature. Elohim is the God of providence and creation. He may be discovered in that sense by all men. God's glory is manifested through the work of His hands in both the heavens and the earth. Cf. Psalms 19:1.

The purpose of the book is best served by thinking of God as Creator rather than the revealer of propositional truth. If the choice of the word Elohim best does this, then perhaps this is the purpose behind the exclusive use of the name in Ecclesiastes.

A STUDY OF WISDOM AS IT IS USED IN THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES

The Bible gives various meanings to our English word wisdom. The diagram on page 40 illustrates at least three different kinds. One can see that the wisdom from above involves revelation and speaks to the higher level of behavior that is characteristic of those who walk with God. The wisdom from below is just the opposite. It involves the individual in those activities associated with the one who carries out the will of the Devil. James speaks of this wisdom as earthly, natural, demonic (James 3:15). The wisdom discussed in Ecclesiastes is neither that which is from above, nor that which is from below. The wisdom pursued and employed by the Preacher (Solomon) is best described as that which is discovered under the sun. This wisdom is discussed in the following passages: Ecclesiastes 1:13; Ecclesiastes 1:16-18; Ecclesiastes 2:3; Ecclesiastes 2:9; Ecclesiastes 2:12-13; Ecclesiastes 2:21; Ecclesiastes 2:26; Ecclesiastes 7:11-12; Ecclesiastes 7:19; Ecclesiastes 7:23; Ecclesiastes 7:25; Ecclesiastes 8:1; Ecclesiastes 8:16; Ecclesiastes 9:10; Ecclesiastes 9:13; Ecclesiastes 9:15-16; Ecclesiastes 9:18; Ecclesiastes 10:1; Ecclesiastes 10:10.

According to the preacher, this wisdom is available to every man who is willing to pursue it. It is not evil of itself. It should be learned and followed. Both the godly and the ungodly employ it (Cf. Diagram, page 40, I, III). However, it will not bring lasting satisfaction although it has certain advantages over other things which can be possessed. It is despised by some and sought after by others. It may be used to discover knowledge and can be magnified and increased. It strengthens, excels foolishness, protects its owner, causes the face to shine, and brings success. It is better than weapons of war and may deliver one from the hands of his enemy. It will increase the ability to use an inheritance for good. It is limited in its usefulness to this world and cannot be found in the grave. Because it is so identified with the futility of this world, of which it, too, is a part, there is the logical conclusion that in much wisdom is much grief.

Solomon's experiments explained in the first two Chapter s were not independent of his life-long work. What we see in these two sections are the detailed procedures and the motivating forces behind his work. He is speaking of his pursuit under heaven and under the sun of all that has been done. It was written of him that he spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that grows on the wall; he spoke also of animals and birds and creeping things and fish (1 Kings 4:33).

In what sense does Solomon stand in first place in respect to the possession of wisdom? There can be little doubt that he does! (1 Kings 3:12) His wisdom is a testimony to his amount of knowledge, not that he was the most righteous or morally sound man who ever lived. The poor of necessity looked up to him. They had neither the resources nor opportunities for such pursuit. However, kings and queens also looked up to him and marveled over his wisdom and knowledge.

Solomon's reputation as a wise man became the talk of the East country and Egypt. It is written that his fame was known in all the surrounding nations (1 Kings 4:31). So extensive was his fame that all the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart (1 Kings 10:24).

The wisdom discovered under the sun is available to both the Christian as well as the non-Christian. At times the unbeliever demonstrates better use of such wisdom, often referred to as common sense, than does the believer. It is in this context that Jesus said, ... the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light (Luke 16:8). The ideal Christian would avoid the wisdom from below, he would accept and follow the wisdom from above, and he would skilfully employ the wisdom found under the sun to the best of his advantage and to the glory of God.

DIAGRAM A
THREE KINDS OF WISDOM AVAILABLE TO MAN