Ecclesiastes Thesis

Research paper-Thesis of the book of Ecclesiastes

What does the book say about balance?

1.Labor and rest (Ecc 4:4-6)

a.There are some people out there who are completely lazy in everything they do. Lazy men don’t see the reason for hard work in gaining success in this life. Instead they see waste their time away, hurting them and others that depend on them. Than there are people out there who are a complete workaholic. They are often driven by money (greed), envy, and a constant push to be on top. Being lazy and a workaholic is extremely dangerous, foolish, and just irresponsible! The way to balance this is to work in moderation. Realize that God gives us the assignments (work) and the rewards, not us!

2.Setting time for one

People show pride and lack of fear when it comes to God a lot throughout time (past, and present). They are so rigid or narrow in this view's that they lose their sensitivity to the true reason for being good-to honor God. The right balance is to show humility and fear before God than to carelessly say and do things before Him.

What does the book say about the cycle of life

•Ecc 3:1 "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:"

•Ecc 3:2 "a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;"

•Ecc 3:3 "a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;"

•Ecc 3:4 "a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;"

•Ecc 3:5 "a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;"

•Ecc 3:6 "a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;"

•Ecc 3:7 "a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;"

•Ecc 3:8 "a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace."

•Ecc 3:9 "What gain has the worker from his toil?"

•Ecc 3:10 "I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy

Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end."

•Ecc 3:12 "I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live;"

•Ecc 3:13 "also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man."

•Ecc 3:14 "I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him."

•Ecc 3:15 "That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away."

What does the book say about what is