King James Bible Study – [Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.]
Date: Tuesday, June 20, 2023
Chapters: ECCLESIASTES 1-6
Study: Walking In The Spirit
Hello My Brother/Sister/Friend,
We got the air conditioning in the house fixed, thanks to my beloved who knew someone he can get the parts from at a cheaper price and his ability to know how to do the repair. It truly is amazing the talents that God gives us to be used for His glory and yet we do not use them to their full potential. As I was reading the chapters for today, this passage came to mind.
[Galatians 5:16-18,24-26 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.]
The Book of Ecclesiastes contains twelve chapters, the timeline is approximately 977 BC. The author of the book is Solomon and it was first written to the Jews, but is addressed to all believers. The purpose of the book provides a description of the quest for life apart from God. What we are to learn from the book is that unless God is in the work, it is vanity (worthless) and vexation (distressing) of the spirit, [Ecclesiastes 2:26 For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.]
Solomon, was raised by David, who was the apple of God’s eye, and out of all of David’s children, he was the one who did love the Lord with all his heart. Solomon, truly loved and feared God, even became a preacher, and not only was the wisest, but richest man in the world. God, gladly gave him all of his desire because of his faith and faithfulness to Him. Well, all that changed when he married women who did not fear God, astonishingly, he had over one thousand wives, all of different faiths, and if that was any indication that he felt that he was missing something in life, then I do not know what else would. Solomon, wrote this book near the end of his life after realizing that without God, everything is vanity.
[Ecclesiastes 1:1-4,8-11 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. 3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? 4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. 8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. 9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us. 11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.]
[the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.] Boy, is that not the truth? The flesh desires all these temptations of the eyes and ears, but as soon as you get it there is no satisfaction at all. This happens when we walk in the flesh and not the Spirit, the flesh will always desire the opposite of what the Spirit desires for us, [Romans 8:5-7 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.]
[See, this is new? it hath been already of old time,] I always say that the difference between now and then is technology. Everything that we see, including all this evil, sadly, God has seen already. This is where we need to be very careful as the wisdom of this world can the change the heart. Solomon, understood this.
[Ecclesiastes 1:12-14,17-18 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. 14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. 17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. 18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.]
[and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.] I one hundred percent understand what he means by this. Apart from our salvation, we must work at everything else we do in this time of life. And let me tell you, the more you do learn, the more it really is distressing on your spirit and it can change your heart if you are not walking with Christ. The world is full of things that the heart desires, and it may not be sinful things, but unless it is in the will of God, pursuing them will always be distressing. This is exactly what Solomon discovered.
[Ecclesiastes 2:1-4,9-11 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. 2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? 3 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. 4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: 9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. 11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.]
[And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them,] This is why God has most of us living each day by our daily bread, one; it keeps us looking to Him for what we need, and two; we would not see the need for God in our lives. Let me tell you, unless we are working to fulfill God’s will for our lives, all of our hard work becomes vain.
[Ecclesiastes 2:15-17,24-26 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity. 16 For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool. 17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. 24 There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I? 26 For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.]
[that he may give to him that is good before God.] Believe it or not, sometimes God will use the wicked in their labor to bless the righteous and they do not even realize what they are doing. Jesus said this, [Luke 16:9-11 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. 10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. 11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?]
I have said it before, in all my years since dedicating my life to Christ, I have not seen God’s hand upon me more than it is now. Everything from His intervening to protections, to provisions, He gives me so much more than I deserve. Did you know that He even allows us to take a fall sometimes? Everything has a purpose.
[Ecclesiastes 3:1-3,10-14 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. 11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. 12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. 13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God. 14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.]
[also he hath set the world in their heart,] If you ever wondered why there are so many people that have no clue who God is let alone Jesus, this is why. God, will actually only reveal Himself to those who seek Him, [Luke 10:21-22 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. 22 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.]
[whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever:] God is eternal, it does not matter if it is heaven or hell, we will all end up somewhere when this shell of a flesh that we drag around comes off of us. Without Christ, people fear death because they have no idea where they are going when they die. Many believe when you die, that is all, life is over so live it up now. Then you have the ones who believe if you are good you go to heaven, and if you are bad you go to hell, and still many believe that your soul or spirit jumps into another body, or even animals. All these things are man made beliefs drummed up by someone who fear death.
[Ecclesiastes 3:17-20 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work. 18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts. 19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. 20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.]
[For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts;] Solomon, in all his wisdom discovered that every creature will die and turn to dust therefore living life to please the flesh was all vanity because something was missing that neither man nor beast could obtain.
[Ecclesiastes 4:1,8-13 So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. 8 There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail. 9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? 12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. 13 Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.]
[but woe to him that is alone when he falleth;] Regardless if you are among the ones who are oppressed or the oppressor, we all need a comforter. That explains why Solomon had so many wives, he was looking for comfort, but could not find it. All the women, the children, the servants, the fame, the possessions, and the fortune, and none of it gave Solomon any comfort. Without Christ we are left to figure life out on our own, and let me tell you, we fail at it, there is no comfort or comforter to lift us up when we need it, [John 14:16-18 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.]
The older I get the more precious life becomes to me, I do not want the rest of my days to be working for nothing, I want to make each day count. Christians ought to be the best workers in all that they do, not exhausting themselves in work that brings no joy. In doing so we will be very prosperous, but we must be careful, if we take our eyes off Jesus for one second we could lose it all. Solomon, warns about the evil of superficial wealth.
[Ecclesiastes 5:1-2,6,10-12 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. 2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. 6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? 10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. 11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes? 12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.]
[and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools:] You know those people, the ones who never see their wrong, but seem to point out yours. They never stop talking, pointing out all kinds of Scripture to try to prove to you that you are wrong, they are right, and we better obey them or else? Let me tell you, there is just as much Scripture to prove them wrong, but that makes us no better than them. Why? There is a time to remain silent and a time to speak. Arguing with them will only add fuel to the fire, as they can care less what really happened.
[Ecclesiastes 6:1-5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: 2 A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease. 3 If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he. 4 For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness. 5 Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other.]
[I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.] You can work yourself to death, but unless your soul is saved it is all vain. It would have been better had that person never been born, at least, if they died in the womb their soul would be saved. How is that possible? Babies, whether they are born or died before as well as children in their innocence age, and those who are born with mental impairments because they do not know what sin is. God has a special place and purpose for those who are born with impairments that limit their ability to know what account for their sin, such as cerebral palsy or retardation, but I guarantee you that they definitely know who Jesus is, [2 Samuel 12:22-23 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? 23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.]
Today’s Prayer: God, As much as I try to do everything in Your will I know I fail miserably. Sometimes I think I can handle life’s messes on my own and that You do not want to deal with such petty things, but I know that You want to be in every part of my life. I realize that true joy and happiness is not found in pursuits that please my flesh, but in what pleases You. Lord, give me Your power, mercy, grace, and strength to labor for the things that count. Help me to build everything upon Your foundation so I cannot fall and if I do fall, pick me back up and keep me looking to You and for the hope that passes understanding. Let me use my knowledge to glorify You so that my spirit will not grow to hate the things I love to do. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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