A Recurring Theme “A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:4). — Noah Amoo The Book of Ecclesiastes is a book of reflections. While it is agreed that the writer was Solomon, the author calls himself “The Preacher.” His reflections on life consider his personal circumstances given the wisdom with which God blessed him. He asks many questions about various situations in life and concludes that life, whether poor or […]
Relationships Above Things “Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 4:7, texts from ASV). — Ken Allison The phrase “under the sun,” occurs only in the book of Ecclesiastes, some 29 times. Solomon uses it to describe an earthly life, notably without direction from or respect for, Jehovah. He saw and experienced self‑indulgence, which left him frustrated and unsatisfied. He eventually saw that appreciating the beauty of God’s creation and feeling His presence gave the only true satisfaction. The […]
A Precious Commodity “I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me” (Ecclesiastes 7:23). — David Rice The value of wisdom is expressed also in Proverbs, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7). Although Solomon was gifted by God with wisdom, he recognized that this quality could otherwise be challenging to obtain. Wisdom requires experience. As the years pass by, and we reflect on experience in the past, we […]
Lessons of Life “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). — Joe Megacz In Ecclesiastes chapters ten, eleven, and twelve, Solomon looks back on his life and what lessons the years have taught him. Beginning in chapter ten, Solomon presents his observations, from personal experience, on growing old. Having already declared numerous times that all material gain is vanity, Solomon recognizes that, on the other hand, a person’s reputation for wisdom and honor is a lasting and […]
John the Baptist “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?” (Matthew 11:7 ESV). — Jerry Wesol Our Lord Jesus had been preaching and healing the sick, the blind, the lame and raising the dead back to life. During this time, he was visited by disciples of John the Baptist, when he had been imprisoned. They brought a question from John inquiring if Jesus was truly the long‑awaited Messiah, or should they expect another […]