The Final Verdict on a Life Under the Sun (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

Ecclesiastes does not end in despair. It ends in a verdict: fear God and keep His commandments, for God will bring every work into judgment (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). This Bible study explains why nothing under the sun was ever able to satisfy you. Most people know Ecclesiastes by "vanity of vanities, all is vanity" and call it the most depressing book in the Bible. But Ecclesiastes is not a mood. It is an argument 222 verses long, and an argument ends in a verdict. If you are in your 60s, 70s, or 80s, you have lived long enough to run the tests yourself: work, money, pleasure, achievement, family. Here is what the Preacher tested, and what he concluded. IN THIS STUDY Who the Preacher (Qoheleth) was, and why tradition names Solomon The experiment Solomon ran: wealth, wives, and horses, and the three limits of Deuteronomy 17 What the Hebrew word hevel (vapor, breath) and the phrase "under the sun" really mean Why the rabbis of the Talmud (Shabbat 30b) nearly removed Ecclesiastes, and what kept it The change of voice in Ecclesiastes 12:9-12: "one shepherd" and a father's letter to his son The three parts of the verdict: fear God, keep His commandments, and the judgment of every work, including every secret thing, good or evil How Ecclesiastes asks the honest question and the gospel answers it (Romans 3:23, Romans 8:1, John 14:15) What this means for the years you still have CHAPTERS 0:00 The verdict in two verses 0:40 Is Ecclesiastes really the most depressing book in the Bible? 1:55 Who is the Preacher? Qoheleth and Solomon 2:27 What Solomon had: gold, wives, and Deuteronomy 17 3:49 Hevel and "under the sun" 4:27 What the Preacher found: death, injustice, the same grave 5:14 Why the rabbis almost hid this book (Shabbat 30b) 6:04 The change of voice in Ecclesiastes 12 8:12 "The conclusion of the whole matter" 8:25 First: Fear God 10:37 Second: Keep His commandments 11:47 "For this is man's all" 13:07 Third: God will bring every work into judgment 15:06 Who can stand? Ecclesiastes and the gospel 16:05 What this means for you in the winter years 17:47 A father's letter: you do not have to run the experiment again SCRIPTURES IN THIS STUDY Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2:10-11, 2:16, 3:14, 3:16-17, 5:7, 7:18, 7:20, 8:12-13, 9:2, 9:7, 11:9, 12:7-14 1 Kings 10 and 11 | Deuteronomy 10:12-13 and 17 | Genesis 2:15 | Proverbs 1:7 Luke 12:2 | John 10 and 14:15 | Romans 2:16, 3:23, 8:1 | Hebrews 4:13 ABOUT THIS SERIES Wisdom for the Winter Years is a weekly Bible study from Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, taken slowly, in the text, asking one question: what does this say to someone in the later chapters of life, and what is worth leaving behind? If this study helped you, subscribe so you do not miss next week, share it with someone in their winter years, and leave a comment with the verse in Ecclesiastes that has meant the most to you in this season of life. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. #Ecclesiastes #BibleStudy #WisdomForTheWinterYears #FearGod #Solomon