We have just finished the Book of Proverbs, and right before
that was the Book of Psalms. Both of
those books were compilations of songs, poems, aphorisms, and wise
sayings. Both were written by different
people in different places, and at various times, containing no story line nor placed
in any particular sequence. But now we
come to the Book of Ecclesiastes. In
contrast to the two previous books, I believe the Book of Ecclesiastes was
written by only one man and in a seldom interrupted session of whatever length
of time it may have taken him to finish it.
The word “Ecclesiastes” is a Hebrew word and is not
indicative of the subject matter of the book as much as it describes the
writer. The word means “someone who
gathers a group of people together”.
Various English translations include Teacher, Philosopher, and Preacher. I feel the most appropriate is the word
“Philosopher”. In modern times as in
times past, a philosopher is considered a deep thinker who concentrates his
thoughts on the matters of life which remain in question by the human race at
large.
Only the serious student will seek to study and gain an
understanding of this book. At first
reading it seems to be a complicated book, begging a second reading. At second reading, the reader might be
somewhat confused and perhaps frustrated in his quest for understanding of what
this obviously wise author is trying to say.
I will attempt in this opening post to help you understand the mindset
of the author, thus enabling you to understand the book.
My precious son, I had always hoped and prayed that you and
your sister would be blessed with a higher level of intellect than I, as the
higher level of intellect, the easier it is to navigate through life. I believe those prayers have been answered, as
I have observed you both very closely.
Having said that however, in contrast, I believe that I am more capable
of understanding this book than either of you.
I say that with confidence because 1. I am twice your age (at the time
of this writing); 2. My life experiences have been broader than yours, and 3. I
have been a serious student of human nature since my adolescent years, leading
me to a multitude of hours in rather “deep thought” concerning many of the
subjects addressed in this book of Ecclesiastes. IMPORTANT NOTE: I am not placing myself in the company of
this author, but rather suggesting that I understand him.
Now, as to the author:
Although the authorship has been under debate for centuries, no one
disputes the fact that it took a very deep thinker to write this book. Many theologians have suggested Solomon as
the author and many have disputed that.
I believe strongly that Solomon wrote every word of Ecclesiastes. I’ve made a number of comments in this entire
blog about Solomon. My comments have
been favorable as I have always been a seeker and respecter of wisdom. But I have been careful in making no pretense
of Solomon being a perfectly Godly man his entire life. He backslid as he became older. We know he
had his priorities mixed up just by the lives of his sons. We also know that he took many pagan wives and
concubines, all of which unfavorably influenced his thoughts and actions. Most of the recorded good works of Solomon
took place in his early adulthood. His
wisdom guided him to building a nation both of military superiority and wealth too
vast to be measured. But Solomon was a
human being. Through decades of having
accumulated wealth that multiplied wealth, riches no longer had any savor to
them. All of those items became mere
trinkets, one item no more unique or precious than the one before. Solomon was bound to have become bored with
them. With everything at his fingertips
for so many years, I believe there would have come a time in his life when he
was bored with EVERYTHING. And I believe
it was at this time in his life when he penned the book of Ecclesiastes.
This Book of Ecclesiastes contains reflections and
experiences of a powerful and intelligent man whose mind was in conflict over
the problems of life. A man unaccustomed
to the inability to solve any problem.
After speaking at length of the disillusionments that had come to
dominate his thoughts, he tends to present the view of what many would describe
as an “Epicurean Materialist”, that there is no better way to live life than to
pursue carnal pleasures at every opportunity.
{I do not subscribe to any of the philosophies of Epicurus. Epicurus had quite a following. He dates back to the third century BC and
thought he had everything figured out.
Collectively the Pharisees thought they had everything figured out
also. There are even some people today
that think they have it all figured out.
They don’t.} But the writer goes
in and out of reality, as his own thoughts reveal their short-comings, compelling
him to utter truths about man’s obligations toward God and His commandments.
This book prompts thoughts too numerous to cover in this
opening post, but for the sake of promoting understanding, I cannot conclude
this introduction without sharing with you one more thought: As
recorded in the New Testament, Jesus has shed much light on “life after
death”. John, Peter, and Paul gave us
further knowledge of this subject. But
even with all that has been written, still no one on earth has a complete
understanding. But this much we do
know: In the after-life, God will bring
everything and everyone to justice. The
unfairness of this world will be brought into resolve. We can and should take comfort in this
knowledge. However, one must realize
that at the time of the writing of Ecclesiastes, there was no such established knowledge,
nor a consensus of thought. I’m certain
that thoughts about it was shared among Godly men and even some deep thinking
ungodly men. But nothing in writing upon
which mankind could depend. With this
thought in mind, I find it easy to understand why Solomon brings a lot of his
thoughts into question. Early in this
book he brings to mind some things in life that are just not fair. For example:
·
People work hard but do not enjoy the fruits of
their labor.
·
Some people are cruel to others but are not
punished for it.
·
Good people suffer while evil people celebrate.
·
The wise, the good, the foolish, and the evil
all die and have the same life expectancy in terms of years.
Those are just a few of the injustices Solomon couldn’t help
but label unfair. If we were not knowledgeable
of Heaven waiting for us, would we not be equally as frustrated when confronted
with these thoughts?
In the next post we will begin our brief journey into this
book, beginning with Chapter 1 – The Vanity of Life
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