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Solomon presses further into life under the sun in Ecclesiastes 9:1-6: the righteous and the wise are in God’s hand, yet we cannot read from circumstances whether that hand is acting in love or hate; the same fate—death—comes to all alike after hearts full of evil and madness; yet the living still have a real share and limited hope that the dead no longer possess. Caleb moves from the tension of unreadable providence, through the leveling sting of death rooted in the fall, to a call to live the years we still have in Christ, who entered the common fate, broke its power, and holds his people while conforming them to himself. "But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him. It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath. This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun" (Ec 9:1–6).

Solomon’s ancient wisdom in Ecclesiastes 8:14–17 provides a candid look at the inherent injustices and mysteries of life under the sun. This sermon explores the human tendency to obsessively attempt to solve the world's problems, offering instead the counterintuitive, biblically grounded path of finding joy, eating, drinking, and resting in God’s provision amidst the toil. Rather than seeking a human-made utopia, listeners are invited to find contentment and purpose in the sovereign work of God, ultimately pointing toward the greater wisdom and satisfaction found in Jesus Christ. "There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun. When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one’s eyes see sleep, then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out" (Ecclesiastes 8:14-17).

This sermon on Ecclesiastes 8:10–13 confronts the reality of wicked people in a fallen world. Solomon observes that the wicked often abuse sacred things, are celebrated by society, and seem to prosper because judgment is delayed. Yet he insists they are still mortal, their time is limited, and ultimately it will not go well with them. In contrast, it will be well with those who fear God. Philip moves from this stark realism to the hope of the gospel: Jesus was counted among the wicked, buried, and raised so that sinners who trust him might receive eternal life and a heart that turns toward God rather than evil. "Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity. Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God"(Ecclesiastes 8:10-13).

Brandon Hill opens Ecclesiastes 8 by asking what true wisdom looks like and how the wise person should relate to imperfect earthly authorities. Solomon calls us to keep the king’s command because of God’s sovereignty, while also urging caution, patience, and righteousness rather than hasty rebellion. Even though governments often cause hurt and we have little control over the future, the wise response is joyful, gentle submission where possible, and trust in the greater King. The sermon points to Jesus as the true wise man who perfectly submitted to earthly powers in order to save us, and invites believers to the Lord’s Supper as they place their trust in him. "Who is like the wise? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed. I say: Keep the king’s command, because of God’s oath to him. Be not hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases. For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, “What are you doing?” Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way. For there is a time and a way for everything, although man’s trouble lies heavy on him. For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be? No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it. All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt" (Ecclesiastes 8:1-9).

Philip Brown continues through Ecclesiastes 7 with a series of hard-edged but realistic observations about life under the sun. Solomon warns that the rankings of life will often be off—the righteous sometimes perish while the wicked live long—and that we must avoid the twin ditches of being overly righteous and overly wicked. Wisdom is more valuable than bureaucracy, every person is sinful, and we must thicken our skin against the inevitable gossip and criticism of others. He also addresses the difficult verses about men and women, insisting that sin does not discriminate by gender. The sermon lands on Christ as the one truly righteous Man among a thousand, whose death and resurrection give hope to sinners of both sexes. "In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.  Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.  Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.  Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.  All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me. That which has been is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out?  I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness. And I find something more bitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her. Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things— which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes" (Ec 7:15–29).

Solomon’s ancient wisdom in Ecclesiastes 7 serves as a practical guide for navigating the complexities, contradictions, and brevity of life under the sun. This sermon explores how believers can cultivate a meaningful existence by embracing the reality of death, seeking wise counsel, exercising grit, and ultimately finding rest in the sovereign providence of God. By weaving together biblical exposition and modern life applications, the message encourages listeners to look beyond fleeting pleasures and anchor their hope in the finished work of Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate source of wisdom and eternal life. "A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools. For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fools; this also is vanity. Surely oppression drives the wise into madness, and a bribe corrupts the heart. Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools. Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this. Wisdom is good with an inheritance, an advantage to those who see the sun. For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it. Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him" (Ecclesiastes 7:1-14).

Philip Brown opens Ecclesiastes 6 by confronting two deep problems under the sun: restless forward-thinking that never finds satisfaction, and the futile attempt to dispute with God’s sovereign destiny. Solomon paints the tragic picture of a man who has everything yet cannot enjoy it, showing that the endless chase for more leaves a person emptier than a stillborn child. Like an emancipated Disney Channel star who takes control too early and ends up ruining their life, we too can reject contentment and God’s limits only to find deeper emptiness. Solomon calls listeners instead to enjoy the good things of the present and to rest in God’s providence. Ultimately the message points to Christ, the greater Solomon, who alone satisfies the eternity set in our hearts and has secured the new world we long for. "There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil. If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life’s good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he. Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good—do not all go to the one place? All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind. Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he. The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 6:1-12)?

This week Aidan examines the wisdom of Ecclesiastes 5:8-20, focusing on the vanity of pursuing wealth and the reality of earthly injustice. He argues that while we should expect to see corruption and oppression in this world, our ultimate trust must remain in God rather than fallible human rulers. He highlights how the love of money often leads to restlessness and stress, contrasting the unfulfilling nature of material gain with the satisfaction of finding joy in our daily toil, which he identifies as a gracious gift from God. By reflecting on the truth that we enter and depart this life with nothing, the sermon points us beyond temporary worldly treasures and place our hope in Jesus Christ, who provides the lasting righteousness and satisfaction that the world cannot offer. If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.  He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.  There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.  Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart (Ec 5:8–20).

Phil opens Ecclesiastes 5 by examining how we should approach the living God in worship. Solomon reminds us that God is in heaven and we are on earth—transcendent, holy, and not to be treated flippantly or transactionally. He bridges the Old Testament temple to its New Testament fulfilment in Christ and the gathered church, calling believers to fear God with weighty reverence, to listen carefully to His Word, and to keep their vows without rashness or delay. While the passage is heavy with warning, it ultimately points to the gospel: in Christ, God welcomes fools, keeps every promise we break, and invites us to the table of His faithful presence. 5  Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2  Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. 3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words.  4 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear  (Ec 5:1–7).

This sermon on Ecclesiastes 4:9–16 explores the pros and cons of human relationships under the sun. Solomon celebrates the clear benefits of companionship—two are better than one for work, protection, warmth, and resilience—while honestly acknowledging the burdens of stubbornness, pride, and the endless cycle of disappointing leaders and generations. The preacher warns against overreacting to human sinfulness by withdrawing into isolation or expressive individualism, and instead calls listeners to invest in imperfect people. Ultimately the message points beyond human friends and kings to Jesus Christ, the perfect friend who never leaves us and the worthy king who alone can open the scroll and bring lasting joy. "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.  Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice. For he went from prison to the throne, though in his own kingdom he had been born poor. I saw all the living who move about under the sun, along with that youth who was to stand in the king’s place. There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind" (Ec 4:9–16).

This sermon on Ecclesiastes 4:1-8 explores the twin dramas of oppression and work under the sun. Solomon observes the tears of the oppressed who have no comforter, while power rests with their oppressors, and then turns to the vanity of toil driven by envy of one’s neighbour. Phil Brown carefully defines true biblical oppression as the abuse of power that breaks God’s commandments and harms the vulnerable, contrasting it with mere restrictions of reality or legitimate authority. He warns against both the endless pursuit of more (motivated by envy) and the folly of laziness that “eats its own flesh,” pointing instead to the balanced “handful of quietness.” The message culminates in the greatest act of oppression—the cross of Christ—who was afflicted for our sake so that the oppressed might find true comfort and believers might rest in His finished work rather than their own performance.

Solomon confronts the pervasive wickedness that infects even places of justice and righteousness, reminding us that people—including ourselves—are the core problem in a fallen world. He observes that God will ultimately judge the righteous and the wicked, yet in the meantime he tests us to reveal our beastly nature through sin and the shared reality of death. Rather than naïve optimism, desensitisation, or cynicism, we are called to reject idleness and instead rejoice in our daily work as our God-given lot, labouring to bless others while we can. The message drives us to Christ—the truly righteous One whose perfect work at the cross brings justice, righteousness, and hope—leading naturally into joyful participation in the Lord’s Supper. "Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him" "Ec 3:16–22)?

Caleb Johnston continues the Ecclesiastes series by addressing the question at the heart of chapter 3: “What gain has the worker from his toil?” after the famous poem about times and seasons. Solomon observes that God has made everything beautiful in its time, placed eternity in the human heart, yet limited us so we cannot grasp the full design from beginning to end. In the midst of these limits, real joy, doing good, eating, drinking, and finding pleasure in toil remain possible as God’s gifts. Ultimately, whatever God does endures forever so that people will fear him, with nothing lost or overlooked in his providence. The sermon calls listeners to humble trust rather than control, receiving ordinary gifts with thanksgiving and living in reverent fear of the unchanging God whose work holds all things—pointing forward to the finished work of Christ at the Lord’s Supper. "What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. 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. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.  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. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away" (Ec 3:9–15).

This sermon unpacks Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, the famous “a time for everything” passage, showing how constant change marks life under the sun in a fallen but sovereignly governed world. Phil Brown helps listeners recognise the extent of change—reversible and irreversible, predictable and unpredictable, good and bad—while urging them to know their current season, do what it requires, enjoy its perks, and face its challenges with joyful grit. Rejecting both arrogant denial of change and excessive nostalgia, the message calls God’s people to live wisely in the present without gripping temporal blessings too tightly. It culminates in gospel hope: while everything under heaven shifts, God and his promises remain unchanging, leading naturally into the Lord’s Supper as a seal of that stability in Christ. "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:  a time to be born, and a time to die;  a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;  a time to kill, and a time to heal;  a time to break down, and a time to build up;  a time to weep, and a time to laugh;  a time to mourn, and a time to dance;  a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;  a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;  a time to seek, and a time to lose;  a time to keep, and a time to cast away;  a time to tear, and a time to sew;  a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;  a time to love, and a time to hate;  a time for war, and a time for peace" (Ec 3:1–8).

Brandon Hill explores the frustrations and futility of work in Ecclesiastes 2:18–26, showing how toil under the sun—marked by sorrow, vexation, and the reality that others will inherit our efforts—can lead to despair. He traces a rich biblical theology of work from creation (where it is good and kingly) through the fall (where it becomes painful and frustrated) and into the gospel, where God himself gives the gift of enjoyment in food, drink, and labour. The sermon contrasts the vanity of striving apart from God with the liberating joy available to those who please him in Christ, calling listeners to honest, diligent work, generosity, and ultimately priestly service in proclaiming the gospel. It ends with a powerful turn to the Lord’s Supper as the place where we remember Christ’s redemptive work that infuses our daily toil with meaning. "I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity.  There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?  For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind" Ec 2:18–26.