There is a time for everything, and it's time to wrap-up Ecclesiastes!
Let's start with a brief reminder of some Ecclesiastes trivia:
The Author – King Solomon. The wisest and wealthiest man of his time. In Ecclesiastes we see him as seeker, scholar, king, philosopher, and preacher.
The time - Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes late in life, so around 935 B.C.
The genre - Wisdom literature: instructions on how to live life before God. Other examples are Job, Proverbs and the Song of Solomon.
The forms - Ecclesiastes is a unique documentary that employs poetry, proverbs, metaphors, admonitions, and a conclusion (epilogue).
Key words & expressions - these are critical in understanding Solomon's writings: "vanity" (emptiness, futility, vapor), "under the sun", and "fear God." In fact, we won't understand Ecclesiastes unless we define "under the sun." It's all about perspective. Life under the sun is life lived as if God isn't there, or God doesn't care.
And we won't understand Solomon's documentary unless we understand why he wrote it. What was Solomon searching for? The same things we all search for today: Fulfillment. Life's meaning. Making a difference.
Solomon found it! You can untangle life and you can make a difference! Let's remember what Ecclesiastes taught us…
Three final words to help you wrap your head around the wisdom of Ecclesiastes:
1. Frustration. Vanities of vanities! All is vanity. (8:14-15)
2. Fulfillment. Remember also your Creator. (12:13-14)
3. Foundation. Consider the work of God. (7:13-14) |
