Pastor's Sermon Notes: Ecclesiastes (series), #17 - What is Man…? (Ecclesiastes 6:10-12)

Series: Ecclesiastes

Sermon #17: What is Man…?

Ecclesiastes 6:10-12

[Audio file from Internet Archive at https://archive.org/details/Ecclesiastes610-12.]

¹⁰ That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he. ¹¹ Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better? ¹² For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

Introduction:

Psalm 8

Outline:

I. The Contending of Clay (6:10)

II. The Question of Change (6:11)

III. The Questions of Knowledge (6:12)

I. The Contending of Clay (6:10)

That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.

1. That which hath been is named already

Gen. 1

2. and it is known that it is man

Reincarnation

Sex change operations and gender reidentification

3. neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he

Prov. 21:30 — There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.

Job 9:32 — For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.

Job 40:2 — Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him?  he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

Is. 45:9 — Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!  Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth.  Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou?  or thy work, He hath no hands?

Jer. 49:19 — Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong: but I will suddenly make him run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her?  for who is like me?  and who will appoint me the time?  and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?

Rom. 9:17-23 — For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

1 Cor. 10:22 — Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

Bridges, cited by John Reisinger, pg. 234

Leupold, pg. 143

II. The Question of Change (6:11)

Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?

1. Seeing there be many things that increase vanity

things = words — contrast Leupold with Keil and Delitzsch

2. what is man the better?

III. The Questions of Knowledge (6:12)

For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

1. For who knoweth what is good for man in this life

Come back to this after points 2 and 3

2. all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow?

NKJV note: “Lit., the number of the days

7:15 — All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.

8:13 — But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

Ps. 102:11 — My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.

Ps. 39:4-7 — LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.  Selah. Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them. And now, Lord, what wait I for?  my hope is in thee.

Job 14:2 — He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

Now ask the question, and answer it!

3. for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

Eccl. 2:18 — Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

9:9 — Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.

Jas. 4:13-16 — Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

3:22 — Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?

Now ask the question (point 1), and answer it with an understanding of the reason behind the answer!

[Sermon preached 7 FEB 2016 by Pastor John T. “Jack” Jeffery at Wayside Gospel Chapel, Greentown, PA.]

Complete Outline:

I. The Contending of Clay (6:10)

II. The Question of Change (6:11)

III. The Questions of Knowledge (6:12)

Select Sources on Ecclesiastes:

J. Sidlow Baxter, Explore The Book: A Basic and Broadly Interpretive Course of Bible Study from Genesis to Revelation, 6 vols. in 1 ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, n.d., 1960 printing).

William D. Barrick, Ecclesiastes: The Philippians of the Old Testament, Focus on the Bible series (Fearn, Ross-Shire, Scotland: Christian Focus, 2012).

C. Hassell Bullock, An Introduction to the Old Testament Poetic Books: The Wisdom and Songs of Israel (Chicago: Moody Press, 1979)/

Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, Vol. 16, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity, 1983).

F. Delitzsch, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, trans. M. G. Easton, Vol. VI in C. F. Kiel and F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament in Ten Volumes, trans. James Martin (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, n.d., 1975 reprint).

Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Vol. 14, New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman, 1993).

Donald R. Glenn, “Ecclesiastes,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. J. F. Walvoord, and R. B. Zuck (Wheaton, IL: Victor, 1985).

William Henry Green, “Scope and Plan of the Book of Ecclesiastes,” Biblical Reparatory and Princeton Review 29 (1857), pp. 419-40; on Gordon Faculty Online at http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/Ted_Hildebrandt/OTeSources/21-Ecclesiastes/Text/Articles/Green-ScopeofEccl-1857.pdf [accessed 7 NOV 2015].

Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Ecclesiastes: Total Life, in Everyman’s Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1979).

Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Coping With Change: Ecclesiastes (Fearn, Roth-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus, 2013).

H. C. Leupold, Exposition of Ecclesiastes (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1952).

Tremper Longman III, The Book of Ecclesiastes, New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997).

John MacArthur, MacArthur Study Bible, rev. ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997).

Roland Edmund Murphy, Ecclesiastes, Vol. 23A, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, 1992).

Philip Graham Ryken, Ecclesiastes: Why Everything Matters, in Preaching the Word, gen. ed. R. Kent Hughes (Wheaton: Crossway, 2010).

Philip G. Ryken, Why Everything Matters: The Gospel in Ecclesiastes (Fearn, Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, Ltd., 2015).

J. Stafford Wright, “Ecclesiastes,” in Psalms-Song of Songs, Vol. 5, Expositor's Bible Commentary, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991).