To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens: Lo, it is better to be patient than arrogant, for the end of something is better than its beginning–not because your toil has ended, but because the reward for patience is wisdom and understanding. So admonishes the Preacher’s eulogist, who…
Category: The Bible as Literature
Famous for Scrubbing Toilets
Since everything you have is already passing away, why hold onto it? Since you can’t control the weather, why worry about? Since everything you do is vanishing breath, why not do it? Yes, it’s true, you can’t add a single hour to your lifespan by worrying. But look a the bright side: if God cares…
Man Cannot Judge
Ecclesiastes 10 presents a world in which two paths, one foolish and one wise, both lead to the same outcome. Where temporal human eyes see the benefits of wisdom, the Preacher exposes folly. Where men see failure and assume folly, the Preacher proclaims great dignity; but not always, he argues, since the reverse is often…
Play the Cards You’re Dealt
According to the Preacher, no matter what you do, you are doomed to the one fate that awaits everyone. Are you a righteous man? Are you wicked? Can you, by your actions, determine the outcome of your life? Since all share the same fate, does it matter? For the author of Ecclesiastes, it does matter,…
Judgment As Hope
When a human judge seeks meaning in the abuses of the wicked or in the misfortunes of the righteous, if he is as honest with himself as the Preacher in Jerusalem, his pursuit of wisdom leads nowhere. As each door closes in his face and each path turns to vanity, he comes to a realization:…
Stick To It, Don’t Stick It To Yourself
If, for the sake of wisdom, death is better than birth, sorrow is better than laughter and mourning is better than feasting, what hope has the wise man of escaping ruin? Is such wisdom truly wise, or is it better to grasp righteousness without abandoning wickedness? God, the Preacher explains, has made the one as…
Back From Greece
What would happen if God gave you honor, riches and wealth such that nothing you desired was beyond your reach? What if he then invited foreigners to enjoy this wealth in your place? What does this mean? Is the foreigner wrong to partake of your treasure? Is he now better off than you? Would you…
You Can’t Take It With You
In a culture that loves money and values everyone’s input, Ecclesiastes 5 is a bitter pill. Human speech, cries the Preacher, is the sacrifice of idiots and the gathering of wealth a grievous evil under the sun. Let your words be few. Shun the acquisition of wealth. Delight in your work and in the few…
Two Are Better Than One
Who is worse off, the oppressor or the oppressed? Is the power wielded by kings and empires real? Is a king of humble origins better than an old fool on the throne? What does Ecclesiastes have to do with Judas Iscariot or New Testament questions dealing with works of the Law and grace? Is there…
Turn Turn Turn
There is a time for every season under heaven: A time to be silent and a time to speak; A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace: For many, these words call to mind a beautiful ballad lamenting the futility of war. However, for the…