Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
There is nothing truly new under the sun, for what is called new has already existed in old time before us, and while a discovery may be new to man its principle is as old as the plan of the universe. It belongs to Solomon's record of his search for satisfaction in wisdom and wealth and pleasure and power, which taught by bitter experience that life without hope in God is vanity and vexation of spirit and ends in the duty to fear God and keep His commandments. World events are not wholly new but repeat God's unchanging dealings, so that earlier deliverances and apostasies are examples and types by which later prophecies will be fulfilled. Christian experience likewise repeats across generations, bearing the same fruit of humility or pride, and men often fail to remember and learn from what has gone before. Many supposed modern advances are only rediscoveries of ancient arts, for progress is limited and valuable knowledge can also be lost.
Authorship, Context, and Meaning
Ecclesiastes belongs to the record of Solomon's search for pleasure through worldly pursuits, showing that life without hope in God is vanity and earthly pursuits are empty. It was written by Solomon himself in his last days after his sad experience endeavoring to find pleasure in luxury and power and feasting and wine and women, after his many wives turned away his heart. It belongs to his hearty repentance and testimony learned by actual experience that all his wisdom and glory and wealth and popularity would not bring rest of soul, forcing the confession that all is vanity and vexation of spirit and leading to the blessed conclusion to fear God and keep His commandments as the whole duty of man. It was not written in the second century B.C. but belongs to an earlier period. The unanimous verdict placing Ecclesiastes at that late date was perfectly mistaken and has been overthrown, proving the method behind it worthless and showing that the same verdicts on the date of Daniel, Second Isaiah, Deuteronomy, and Genesis cannot be trusted.
What people call new has already existed in earlier times, and human experience and pursuits repeat rather than bringing lasting novelty apart from God. There is nothing new to be discovered under the sun, because while a discovery may be new to man, the thing itself or its principle is old, as old as the plan of the universe. The principle of the triangle existed before man discovered it, and the same is true of chemistry, botany, astronomy, navigation, light, heat, motion, radiation, and all sciences and arts. Above, around, beneath, and through all existence, whether animal, vegetable, mineral, or Spirit, one great basic principle is firmly laid in fact and in truth by the Master of the universe, so that any so-called discovery that is not a discovery of fact founded in truth is no discovery at all, great or small. There is no new thing under the sun, for the thing that has been is what shall be and what is done is what shall be done, and anything called new has already been in old time before us. This means God never makes a mistake and never has to revise His work as man does when surprised by events and saying had he known he would have done otherwise.
Recurring History and Prophecy
Events in the world are not wholly new, for what happens now has happened before, and this recurrence reflects unchanging dealings that make earlier acts examples by which later prophecies are to be understood. Israel's deliverance from Egypt in this way provides the pattern for the final deliverance of God's people at the end. The same repeated course supports the view that Israel's wilderness sojourn and recovery from Egypt furnish a type of the recovery of the remnant in the last days.
What looks new has in fact occurred before, so that old controversies and apostasies will come again, even in the generation just before the second coming of Christ. The past therefore serves as a guide, since study of earlier apostasies lays open their nature and enables people to recognize them and escape them when they reappear.
What seems new in modern times may have existed long before, for international expositions were already held in ancient times. Xerxes displayed the riches of his kingdom at Shushan in a great gathering whose exhibits required six months to see, and its splendor matched or surpassed modern examples. Applied to human inventions and discoveries, the same truth means that many supposed modern advances are rediscoveries of ancient arts. Progress is limited, with particular inventions reaching their full potential, while valuable knowledge and practices can also be lost.
Christian Life and Warning
Human experience is not fundamentally new, for Christian experience repeats across generations and faithful followers in different ages bear the same fruit. The circumstances of life reveal character, while the past supplies examples of divine providence. That same past displays the self-sacrifice and humility that please Heaven, alongside pride and selfishness and their results. People often fail to remember or learn from what has happened before.
What appears new has already existed, and joined to this is the truth that the joys of sin are only fleeting, dreamlike thoughts and shadows. When the question is asked whether anything can truly be called new, the answer applied to the Sunday question is that nothing presented in its favor is new. Nothing can truly be called new because it has existed before, and that impossibility of real newness applies to the concern over the girl part of the boy problem.
There is nothing truly new under the sun, for what is called new has already existed in old time before us, and while a discovery may be new to man its principle is as old as the plan of the universe. It belongs to Solomon's record of his search for satisfaction in wisdom and wealth and pleasure and power, which taught by bitter experience that life without hope in God is vanity and vexation of spirit and ends in the duty to fear God and keep His commandments. World events are not wholly new but repeat God's unchanging dealings, so that earlier deliverances and apostasies are examples and types by which later prophecies will be fulfilled. Christian experience likewise repeats across generations, bearing the same fruit of humility or pride, and men often fail to remember and learn from what has gone before. Many supposed modern advances are only rediscoveries of ancient arts, for progress is limited and valuable knowledge can also be lost.
Authorship, Context, and Meaning
Ecclesiastes belongs to the record of Solomon's search for pleasure through worldly pursuits, showing that life without hope in God is vanity and earthly pursuits are empty. It was written by Solomon himself in his last days after his sad experience endeavoring to find pleasure in luxury and power and feasting and wine and women, after his many wives turned away his heart. It belongs to his hearty repentance and testimony learned by actual experience that all his wisdom and glory and wealth and popularity would not bring rest of soul, forcing the confession that all is vanity and vexation of spirit and leading to the blessed conclusion to fear God and keep His commandments as the whole duty of man. It was not written in the second century B.C. but belongs to an earlier period. The unanimous verdict placing Ecclesiastes at that late date was perfectly mistaken and has been overthrown, proving the method behind it worthless and showing that the same verdicts on the date of Daniel, Second Isaiah, Deuteronomy, and Genesis cannot be trusted.
What people call new has already existed in earlier times, and human experience and pursuits repeat rather than bringing lasting novelty apart from God. There is nothing new to be discovered under the sun, because while a discovery may be new to man, the thing itself or its principle is old, as old as the plan of the universe. The principle of the triangle existed before man discovered it, and the same is true of chemistry, botany, astronomy, navigation, light, heat, motion, radiation, and all sciences and arts. Above, around, beneath, and through all existence, whether animal, vegetable, mineral, or Spirit, one great basic principle is firmly laid in fact and in truth by the Master of the universe, so that any so-called discovery that is not a discovery of fact founded in truth is no discovery at all, great or small. There is no new thing under the sun, for the thing that has been is what shall be and what is done is what shall be done, and anything called new has already been in old time before us. This means God never makes a mistake and never has to revise His work as man does when surprised by events and saying had he known he would have done otherwise.
Recurring History and Prophecy
Events in the world are not wholly new, for what happens now has happened before, and this recurrence reflects unchanging dealings that make earlier acts examples by which later prophecies are to be understood. Israel's deliverance from Egypt in this way provides the pattern for the final deliverance of God's people at the end. The same repeated course supports the view that Israel's wilderness sojourn and recovery from Egypt furnish a type of the recovery of the remnant in the last days.
What looks new has in fact occurred before, so that old controversies and apostasies will come again, even in the generation just before the second coming of Christ. The past therefore serves as a guide, since study of earlier apostasies lays open their nature and enables people to recognize them and escape them when they reappear.
What seems new in modern times may have existed long before, for international expositions were already held in ancient times. Xerxes displayed the riches of his kingdom at Shushan in a great gathering whose exhibits required six months to see, and its splendor matched or surpassed modern examples. Applied to human inventions and discoveries, the same truth means that many supposed modern advances are rediscoveries of ancient arts. Progress is limited, with particular inventions reaching their full potential, while valuable knowledge and practices can also be lost.
Christian Life and Warning
Human experience is not fundamentally new, for Christian experience repeats across generations and faithful followers in different ages bear the same fruit. The circumstances of life reveal character, while the past supplies examples of divine providence. That same past displays the self-sacrifice and humility that please Heaven, alongside pride and selfishness and their results. People often fail to remember or learn from what has happened before.
What appears new has already existed, and joined to this is the truth that the joys of sin are only fleeting, dreamlike thoughts and shadows. When the question is asked whether anything can truly be called new, the answer applied to the Sunday question is that nothing presented in its favor is new. Nothing can truly be called new because it has existed before, and that impossibility of real newness applies to the concern over the girl part of the boy problem.