Comparing Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, Part 1

- for the past several weeks, we’ve been working on an introduction to the book of Proverbs.

- today, and probably next week, we’re going to be looking at a comparison between this book and the book of Ecclesiastes.

- we think that looking at the book through this particular lens will help us when we get into the specific verses in Proverbs.

- let’s start with this…

1. What is the relationship between the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes?

- we’re going to see this morning that both books are about priorities, worldviews, ways of looking at life…but they present the issues from entirely different/opposite perspectives…

Ecclesiastes – wrongly aligned priorities

Proverbs – rightly aligned priorities

- we all know that priorities are important.

- one of the books we’re using as a guide for this study told about…

2. Inscriptions over three doors in a chapel in Milan.

All that troubles is but for a moment.

All that pleases is but for a moment.

Nothing is important save that which is eternal.

INPUT – do you agree with those statements? How and in what ways are they true?

3. The importance of priorities.

Input – Different priorities people have (good/bad)? [white board]

- we can also take a list like this one and begin organizing it. One possible way to do this is…

4. Categories of wrong priorities.

a. Competing priorities

- where we have expectations under each heading that are just unreasonable…

- or where one is striving to “be first”

- INPUT – what happens when this is the case?

[frustration, “burnout”]

b. Confused priorities

- unable/unwilling to make decisions…

- or consistently make wrong ones because priorities have been established, but wrongly so…

c. Conditional priorities

- don’t stick with the priorities that were established…

- life becomes like the fireman putting out brushfires…

Point – The writer of Proverbs has his priorities straight and wants his children to as well.

- Let’s look at some ideas from these two books to help us clarify our priorities

I. The Purpose for Living

- In Ecclesiastes, Solomon tells us what he tried to do, and how it didn’t work.

A. Humanistic purposes

[assign following passages to various groups, ask them to try to determine what Solomon had set up as a priority at that time in his life, along with some of the key biblical phrases that described that approach to life in the text]

Eccl. 1:12-18 – Wisdom

Eccl. 2:1-11 – Pleasure

Eccl. 2:18-23 – Working for wealth

B. The biblical purpose

INPUT – how do each of the following passages express a biblical purpose, and one that is far different than we’ve studied thus far?

Eccl. 12:1

[INPUT - How/in what ways had Solomon forgotten his Creator? How could that happen to a believer today? How do we prevent this from happening in our own lives? The lives of our children?]

Eph. 1:6, 12, 14

[note threefold use of “to the praise of God’s glory”]

I Cor. 10:31

II. The Priorities for Living

A. The priorities expressed

If your purpose is ________,

your priority will be ________.

Purpose Priority

Wisdom Education

Pleasure Indulgence & gratification

Wealth Work

Two priorities from Eccl. 12:13 - To fear God (worship, reverence), and to obey Him.

[next week we plan to “chase these two ideas” through a number of passages of Scripture to help us reinforce the importance of what these two books are emphasizing]