Jensens survey of the old testament adam 177

It should be noted that when the author of
Ecclesiastes writes from the second
perspective noted above, it is not as one who
knows God from full revelation. He views
life as a man does who knows and worships
God primarily as Creator. This is con rmed
by the fact that every time he names Him he
uses the word Elohim, which is the name
especially associated with the work of
creation (cf. Gen 1:1). The name “LORD”
(Jehovah), which is the Old Testament
equivalent of Redeemer-Saviour, does not
appear once in the book.8 Today when the
reader of Ecclesiastes reaches the last
command of the book, “Fear God and keep
His commandments” (12:13), he is ready to
be introduced to Christ the Redeemer. “As
the law was designed to lead men to Christ,
so this book was written to lead those ‘under
the sun’ to the Son (cf. Heb 1:1).”9
The purposes of Ecclesiastes, then, are to


show the futility of pursuing materialistic,
earthly goals as an end in themselves, and to
point to God as the source of all that is truly
good.10 The theme of the book is
determined by these purposes, and may be
stated in this twofold way:
1. Every pursuit of man is futile if God is
excluded.

2. Only God’s work endures, so that only He
can impart true value to man’s life and
service.
B. VANITY

Read the following selected verses as an
introduction to the subject of vanity
(futility) in this book.11
THE TEN VANITIES
Human wisdom—2:15-16

Human fame—4:16

Human labor—2:19-21

Human insatiateness—5:10

Human purpose—2:26

Human coveting—6:9

Human rivalry—4:4

Human frivolity—7:4

Human avarice—4:8

Human awards—8:10, 14

V. KEY WORDS AND VERSES
Observe the key words listed on Chart 76.
Read in the Bible the two key verses, which
are also cited. How are these re ected in the
title assigned to the book?
VI. APPLICATIONS
1. What are your thoughts about the
statement, “There is nothing new under the
sun” (1:9)? Read 2 Peter 3:3-7.
2. What is lacking in the heart of a person
who is never satis ed (1:8)? Is human desire
normal or abnormal?
3. “Thou hast made me for Thyself, and
my heart will not rest until it rests in Thee.”
Compare this statement by Augustine with
Ecclesiastes
2:25b, “Who
can have
enjoyment without Him?”
4. “Life is not worth living, apart from


redemption.” This is how Oswald Chambers
identi es the theme of Ecclesiastes.12 What
does Ecclesiastes reveal about man’s
salvation
from
the
predicament
of

hopelessness? Compare Chamber’s statement
with 1 Corinthians 15:19.
5. What are some conditions for genuine
enjoyment in the experience of a Christian?
Compare Ecclesiastes 11:8a and Philippians
4:4.
6. Do the scales of divine justice always
settle and balance quickly? If not, why the
delays?
7.
“Fear
God
and
keep
His
commandments”
(12:13).
Relate
this
command to the doctrine of salvation.