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Download these notes here:

Ecclesiastes 7 Sermon 11.pdf

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Ecclesiastes 7-10 offers proverbs confronting life's stark realities "under the sun." Unlike simpler wisdom literature, these chapters expose life's complexities, contradictions, and limits. They're designed as ongoing wisdom encounters, repeatedly offering fresh perspectives. Their value lies not in easy answers but in the challenging questions they raise, guiding us toward realistic spiritual resilience.

A Key To Chapters 7-10

Ecclesiastes 7:23-25 provides a key to interpreting these proverbs:

All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out? I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness.

These verses clarify the Proverbs as:

• Personal investigations from lived experience.
• Recognition of human limitations and humility.
• Explorations of life's contradictions and complexities.
• Reflections of ongoing discovery, not finished conclusions.

They frame the proverbs as reflections from a seeker acknowledging wisdom’s elusive nature "under the sun."

Interpreting Ecclesiastical Proverbs

Use the R.U.S.H. method alongside KJV punctuation as a reliable guide for interpreting each proverb clearly.

R.U.S.H. through Ecclesiastes 7–10

• R – Reality: What life reality is highlighted?
• U – Understanding Limits: How are human limitations emphasized?
• S – Submission to Reality: Where must you submit to reality?
• H – Hope: What hope beyond "under the sun" does this suggest?

Ecclesiastes 7:1

• R: Reputation matters beyond temporary pleasures; death can end troubles.