Ecclesiastes 6: Everyday Evils

“There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:”

Ecclesiastes 6:1

Sermon notes:

The preacher states four reasons that will cause a man to remain unchanged in his life. This development in Solomon’s sermon bridges the problems of chapter 1 with the conviction of chapter 12. This look at subtle, everyday evils brings the message together.

• Children rarely know what’s good for them. They must be trained.
• Adults hardly know what’s good for them either. We must be taught, if we are willing to listen.

The everyday evils that a man should acknowledge if he is to ever: be filled with good, v. 3, see any good, v. 6, or know what is good, v. 12, are,

I. Lack of Appreciation for God’s Blessings (vv. 2-3, 9)

“A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth,… If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good…”

Ecc. 6:2,3

1. No thankfulness=no joy
2. This is an evil of the soul

II. Not Learning from Bible History (vv.6-8,10)

“Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?”

Ecc. 6:6

Hasn’t there been SOME good in 2,000 years? Yes. But have you seen it?

1. Repeating past mistakes hoping to avoid the consequences
2. Failing to prepare for the consequences you CAN avoid
3. This is an evil of the body

III. Taking Chances, or Guessing at Your Future (vv.11-12)

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

Ecclesiastes 6:12

Education and ignorance and unbelief are some of the “many things that increase vanity.”

1. This evil is from lack of faith Word of God. The Bible can tell a man what shall be after him
2. This is an evil of the spirit

IV. Conclusion: Better to have never been born, than to be born only once, and to die and go to Hell.

How can a man escape these everyday evils- “his soul not filled with good,” his lifetime having “seen no good,” and in his conscience to not know “what is good for man in this life?”

They asked Him: “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16)

The Scriptures answer: “There is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Rom. 3:12b)

One who IS good will DO good. Man is not good, therefore he can never be good enough. Since God is good, he does good work.

You can tell the labor by the marks, callouses, and the scars on the hands. You can tell what WORK is good, by looking at the hands of the One who did the work.

1. Finding Good at the Hands of God

THE CREATION-“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” (Psalm 19:1) “And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31)

THE NATION OF ISRAEL- “Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” (Isaiah 49:16)

THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST- “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good,…” (Acts 10:38)

THE CRUCIFIXION- “And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.” (Zechariah 13:6)

THE RESURRECTION- “Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands;… And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.” (John 20:27-28)

2. You Will Find No Good in this Life Apart from God

Everyone knows they’re a sinner… No one likes to be told they are not good enough for God.

They will never find enough good from their own hands in the midst of the everyday evils to satisfy.

The good that a man craves, he will only find at the hand of God.

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