Out Line of the Book of Ecclesiastes

Introduction (1:1-12)

·         (1:1) The identity of the writer : Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem

·         (1:2-3) Human gain and toil without God are vanity effort

·         (1:4-7)  Generation by generation strife but the earth remain the same in its course
(1:8-11) Human labors are wearisome : it is never enough, no ending cycle and nobody will remember all our toil

·         (1:12) The identity of the writer: Teacher-King

Exploration of wisdom, delight and satisfaction (1:13-2:26)

·         (1:13-18) The Teacher-King exploring that wisdom is meaningless : wisdom cannot solve all human problem: the more knowledge, the more grief.

·         (2:1-11) The Teacher-King exploring that delight and pleasure are meaningless : he find no excellency in all of his accomplishment

·         (2:12-16) Wisdom of the wise is meaningless: he find that the same fate will overtake the wise and the fool, and he must leave his labor to another people.

·         (2:24-26) Satisfaction of men's own toil is from the hand of God

There is a time and season for everything (3:1-22)

·         (3:1-8) there is a time for every activity on its time and course

·         (3:9-15) The key: God made all things beautiful in His time. Satisfication of all men's toil is God's gift, happy and to do good on your life of all its time, we cannot add or take from what God has set up in His time

·         (3:16-17) God will bring every deed into judgement

·         (3:18-22) The same fate of human being and animal : they will return to the dust

About achievement (4:1-16)

·         (4:1-3) He examines about oppression : he find that the death and the never bornchild are better than the living because they has not seen the evil things

·         (4:4-6) He examines about achievements from envy: lazyness will ruin the fool, tranquillity is better than restless strive

·         (4:7-12) Searching of all aloneness : two are better than one

·         (4:13-16) Lesson from wise poor youth and old foolish king : strive for position is meaningless, we will never please everybody

Fear God in your life (5:1-7)

·         better to listen when you go to the house of God

·         Fear God on your speech and vow

About the riches (5:8-6:12)

·         (5:8-9) The poor are oppressed by higher position

·         (5:10-12) The life of the riches

◦     (5:10) their money never enough

◦     (5:11) their goods only satisfy the eyes

◦     (5:12) they have no good sleep

·         (5:13-6:6) Examples of grievious evils in human life

◦     (5:13-15) 1. The man who hoarded wealth left nothing to inherit for his children

◦     (5:16-17) 2. The men's toil which give great frustation, affliction and anger in their life

◦     (5:18-20) The recommendation by the Teacher-King : Enjoy all your lot and toil which is given by God

◦     (6:1-6) 3. The wealthy people who do not have ability to enjoy their prosperity and do not receive a proper burial.

·         (6:7-12) About contendment

◦     (6:7-9) men's appetite is never being satisfied

◦      (6:10-12) People will never contend in life (existence of things, power, words, shadow days of life, future world under the sun after his death)

About death and birth, mourning and laughter, the end and the beginning (7:1-10)

About knowledge and wisdom (7:11-8:1)

·          (7:11-14) Description about wisdom : God is the source of wisdom

·         (7:15-18) Avoid of the two extremes: overrighteous, overwise and overwicked

·         (7:19-22) the application of wisdom

·         (7:23-25) The search of wisdom

·         (7:26-29) About woman : the snare of sinful women is more bitter than death, difficult to find an upright woman

·         (8:1) the description of the wise

·         (8:2-8) Obey the king's command

◦     (8:2-5) the wise heart will know the time and the procedure

◦     (8:6-8) there is a proper time for every matter, no one knows the future

About injustice (8:9-13)

·         (8:9-13) Even though God's people deserve injustice in their life, they will have better life than the wicked

No one can comprehend God's work in human life (8:16-9:12)

·         (9:1-2) all that human do is in God's hand

·         (9:3-6) the same destiny will overtakes all human being : join the dead, but the living is still have hope than the dead

·         (9:7-10) Enjoy your God's gifted life while you live

·         (9:11-12) no one knows when their hour will come, no one know when the evil and unexpected time come

Wisdom Better Than Folly (9:13-10:20)

·        (9:13-18) Wisdom better than human strength

·         (10:1-4) Some differences between the folly and the wise

·         (10:5-11) when the folly rules over the wise, there will be many problems come.. the folly do not know where to go

·         (10:12-15) Some other differences between the folly and the wise

·         (10:16-20) Better to have a wise noble king than a folly king rules

 

Invest in Many Ventures (11:1-6)

·         (11:1-4) Do your work dilligently, invest in many ventures and you will receive the result

·         (11:5-6) We cannot understand the work of God, but keep do your hard work on your lot

Remember Your Creator while you young before the days of trouble comes (11:7-12:8)

·         (11:7-10) Be happy, be merry, let your heart give you joy in life but remember of the day of God's jugdement for all things

·         (12:1-5) Remember Your God in the days of your strength, before troubles of human life comes and makes people trembles, grow faint and has no more desire for everything.

·         (12:6-8) Remember Your God in the days of your strength, before your life end and you go to your eternal home forever

The Conclusion of the Matter (12:9-14)

·         (12:9-10) The description of the Teacher : wise, thaugth excellence knowledge with quality on his saying and writings

·         (12:12) Warning about much study

·         (12:13-14) The conclusion of the matter : Fear God in all things as long as you live, for it is the way to life. God is the source of everything and He will bring every deed into judgement.