ecclesiastes 10 through 12

Read Ecclesiastes 10 through 12 at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph begun in chapter 3 concludes today at the close of the book:

Ecc 3:9-12:14 {p}

But I am not yet wise enough to discern its single topic. I also believe it forms a chiastic structure, since the pattern throughout Scripture has been, that strong paragraphs and themes form chiastic structures, but I could not discover it today. I did find these smaller structures, however:

Ecc 11:1-6

1a) Ecc 11:1-2, Give generously, and it will return/ give to 7 or 8, for you do not know what evil will befall;

1) Ecc 11:1, Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days;
2) Ecc 11:2, Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, for you do not know what evil will be on the earth;

1b) Ecc 11:3, Clouds full of rain empty themselves on the earth/ trees fall whither they will, and lie there;

central axis) Ecc 11:4, He who observes the wind will not sow/ he who regards the clouds will not reap;

2b) Ecc 11:5, As you do not know how the wind blows + a child grows, so you do not know the works of God;

2a) Ecc 11:6a, In the morning + evening sow your seed + open your hand/ you do not know which will prosper;

1) Ecc 11:6a, In the morning sow your seed + in the evening do not withhold your hand;
2) Ecc 11:6b, For you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good.

There is great value in generosity, and in having several business ventures going. There is great value in putting your offerings, your money, or your time, effort, and labor, into many enterprises. If they all prosper, they will all come back to you. If evil befalls one or two, you have others to sustain you. If one business collapses, you will not be destitute. I have heard it commonly said among millionaires that the secret to success is having multiple streams of income. “Don’t put your eggs all in one basket” is the old wives’ wisdom taken from Ecclesiastes.

The center is interesting. It seems to be the antithesis to the above: not sowing, not investing. The reason seems to be that the sower looked at the wind and decided the time wasn’t favorable, so he held off. Then if he does get a crop planted, the same looks at the clouds and decides the time isn’t favorable to gather in the harvest, so he held off. I think the point is that: look, perhaps there will always be a reason to hold off, always a reason the times are not favorable. Go ahead and sow, go ahead and give, go ahead and invest your time and labor into your enterprises, because the works of God are past finding out (rain, forests, wind, pregnancy and childbirth), and things might turn out favorably after all, despite what the prognosticators and predictors of doom and gloom are saying.

Ecc 12:8-14

1a) Ecc 12:8, “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “All is vanity;”

1b) Ecc 12:9-10, And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered + sought out + set in order many proverbs. The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written was upright—words of truth;

1c) Ecc 12:11a, The words of the wise are like goads/ the words of scholars are like well-driven nails;

central axis) Ecc 12:11b, Given by one Shepherd;

2c) Ecc 12:12a, And further, my son, be admonished:

2b) Ecc 12:12b, Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh;

2a) Ecc 12:13-14 {p} The conclusion: fear God +  keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.

I believe the A pair pairs, because a man will spend his lifetime in wisdom, good works, improvements, righteous living, and when those works are brought into judgment, they will be found wanting, because there is no man who does not sin (Ecc 7:20). Or a man may spend his lifetime in folly and evil works, but if he repents, when those works are brought into judgment, they will be forgiven him, because great is the LORD and His mercy toward those who repent and appeal to His grace. Therefore, good and evil alike is a vanity of vanities — when considered as a means to be made acceptable before God. Solomon did not have a revelation of the plan of salvation — no one did, before the time. Therefore, the conclusion of all the lifetime of Solomon searching out wisdom, is this: Fear God, and keep His commandments. The same we have heard from Gen 1, and emphasized throughout Torah, Solomon confirmed in his lifetime of study, that there is nothing better that a man can spend his life doing.