Ecclesiates
Do you remember ever sitting down on the front porch on a late summer evening with an older relative? Do you remember the stories that he or she told you? Chances are that through this person's wisdom, your life was enriched, your views changed or maybe you just sat and smiled as you took it all in for later consideration of course. The Bible, in many ways, portrays that old soul full of wisdom and this is exemplified no better than by the Wisdom Books. The Wisdom literature found in the Bible is, for the most part, contained in 6 main books: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Song Of Songs, Ecclesiasticus (or Sirach), and Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes has been dubbed by many as one of the most difficult to read, yet most fascinating books of the Bible. What makes Ecclesiastes such a literary phenomena? Its author, its many modern connections, its relationship to the book of Proverbs and its message contribute greatly to the stature of this fine work of art. The author of the book of Ecclesiastes is called Qoheleth (or Koheleth). That is the Hebrew word for teacher or philosopher. This name acts as a label of occupation but it doesn't place a specific identity on the author. However, there are a number of clues in the book (and i
Not until later in life does one realize how important those late night chats were. The lessons learned from those casual conversations last a lifetime. Qoheleth does an excellent job of passing on his wisdom drawn from his experience, just as the old storyteller does for a young child. The secrecy of the author's identity, its numerous modern connections, the deep relation with Proverbs and the main themes of the book all go together to make this book one worth reading again and again. However, one should not read the book to gain understanding of Qoheleth's ways. One should read the book to gain understanding of what a human should do to live in a proper relationship with God. Upon initial study, you immediately see some similarities between Ecclesiastes and Proverbs. Because they are too numerous to list completely, these are but a few examples. When you dissect the book of Ecclesiastes and break it down into its parts, the first place you see a sign of Proverbs is in 2:26. Qoheleth states that God bestows wisdom, knowledge and joy upon the righteous, but instead of giving these qualities to the sinner, he makes the sinner give everything that comes from his work to the righteous. The roots of this observation come from Qoheleth's study of classic Egyptian and Mesopotamian proverbial writings. This same message is stated more clearly in Proverbs 13:22, "a good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children, but a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous". Another example of the similarity between the two books can be found in Ecc. 7:20 and Prv. 20:9. According to Qoheleth no man on earth is completely free of sin. The corresponding proverb states, "Who can say 'I have made my heart clean, I am cleansed of sin'?" Yet another example can be found when you compare Ecc. 7:26 with Prv. 5:4. Ecclesiastes states that an unrighteous woman attracts only unrighteous men. Proverbs agrees with that statement: If you are unjust (or adulterous), you will get a befitting woman. Furthermore in Ecc. 8:14, Qoheleth explains that because God gave him wisdom when he was young, he knows that the people should listen to him. He tells them that God is not pleased when humans ask Hi
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Approximate Word count = 1490
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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