What kind of world are we living in? No matter how it may
be described, God does have a word for us. It comes in Ecclesiastes, one of the
canonical wisdom books. Ecclesiastes is a series of lectures in the Old
Testament that speak about life, reality, and values for wise and successful
living. Ecclesiastes has sometimes been
misunderstood or neglected. Some have considered
it to be the strangest book in the Bible. The author has been accused of
scepticism, fatalism, and pessimism. That's not an accurate appraisal. I
recommend the following perspective. Approach the book with an open mind. Discard
unflattering assumptions. It is possible to understand what the author was
communicating to an Old Testament community of faith and to discern robust
recommendations and warnings about life and for living in this age.
The descriptor "son of David" identifies the
author as a male and although the author's personal name has not been divulged,
the options are narrowed. "The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in
Jerusalem …" (1:1). From
among David's sons, it was Solomon who had a reputation for communicating
wisdom and truth. He is called qoheleth meaning teacher as he takes on the role
of a sage, a wise man, a scholar, a wise and
older tutor of wisdom. Like other sages
of his day, Solomon spoke to the young people of his day. His primary audience
was young adults embarking on life and making decisions about their priorities,
their values, and their purposes in life.
He does.
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