Ecclesiastes – Grace Evangelical Society

Solomon and Tolstoy on the Problem of Death and Eternity (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

June 10, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Ecclesiastes, eternal life, existentialism, nihilism, Solomon, Tolstoy

King Solomon repeatedly pronounced that everything under the sun was vanity—it was meaningless. In an earlier blog, I said that Solomon’s argument could be put in the form of a syllogism: Premise 1: All labor is under the sun (Eccl 1:3). Premise 2: All under the sun is vanity (Eccl 1:14). Conclusion: Therefore, all labor

Four Reasons the Doctrine of Eternal Rewards Answers Solomon’s Quest for Meaning

June 10, 2020 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Ecclesiastes, Eternal Rewards

The teacher in Ecclesiastes—who was most likely King Solomon—was on a search for the meaning of life “under the sun.” However, all his attempts to find meaning failed. He looked for purpose through pursuing wisdom (Eccl 1:12-14, 18), pleasure (Eccl 2:10-11), legacy (Eccl 2:18-20), wealth (Eccl 5:10-11), even children (Eccl 6:3-4)—among other things—and concluded all

Future Judgment in Ecclesiastes (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

June 1, 2020 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Ecclesiastes, Judgment, pessimism

Although Ecclesiastes is written from the perspective “under the sun,” you do see some glimpses of eternity. As I wrote in an earlier blog, Solomon did mention life beyond the sun, and how God put a longing for eternity in our hearts: He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity

Is There Profit in Ethics and Justice? (Ecclesiastes 3:16; 4:1-3)

May 28, 2020 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Ecclesiastes, Solomon

King Solomon was searching for the meaning and purpose of life. Why go on living? What purpose does it serve? What’s to gain? What profit has a man from all his labor In which he toils under the sun? (Eccl 1:3). But crucially, Solomon was looking for the purpose of life in life. But where?

Is There Profit in Pleasure? (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11)

May 27, 2020 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Ecclesiastes, hedonism, Solomon

What is the purpose of life? Why should anyone want to keep on living? Solomon was looking for meaning, for “profit”— What profit has a man from all his labor In which he toils under the sun? (Eccl 1:3). Solomon started his search with wisdom, but found it only led to a great appreciation for

Is There Profit in Wisdom? (Ecclesiastes 1:3-18)

May 26, 2020 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Ecclesiastes, Solomon, wisdom

Where do you find true happiness? Where have you been taught to find it, by family, friends, church, school, and Hollywood? If anyone was in a position to discover the meaning of life, it was King Solomon, the son of David, supremely wise, and rich beyond comprehension (cf. Eccl 1:1, 12; 1 Kings 3, 10).

Ecclesiastes in a Syllogism

May 25, 2020 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Ecclesiastes

As I was making lunch, my son, Zane, came into the kitchen and asked, “Has it been an hour yet?” “An hour from when?” “No! Just, has it been an hour?” “From now? I’ll have to start counting.” “No from later.” “Well, if it’s an hour from later, then it hasn’t happened yet, because it’s