Overview of the Bible: Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes   

Title: Ecclesiastes – a man of the church, from the Greek - ἐκκλησία. Sometimes – Preacher.

Hebrew title is Koheleth – gatherer, see 1 Kg. 8:1,2 (to assemble [people])

Author: Solomon (1:1, 1:12, 1 Kg. 3; 4:29-34).

Date of writing: Around 1000 BC – 925 BC 

Structure: David A. Dorsey, p. 193, 198 (improved, lol).

a. 1:1, Intro – author is mentioned in third person

  b. 1:2-11, poem about brevity and insignificance of life

    c. 1:12-2:26, wisdom’s failure to discover life’s meaning

      d. 3:1-15, poem about time

        e. 3:16- 6:12, Fear God!

      d’. 7:1-14, poem about time revisited, practical advice

    c’. 7:15-10:19, wisdom’s failure revisited, practical advice

  b’. 10:20-12:8, poem of life’s brevity revisited, practical advice

a’. 12:9-14, conclusion – author is mentioned in third person.

Main themes: God vs LORD.

Life in the fallen world. Life is unfair (2:12-17; 3:16-22; 8:14-15)

Conundrums of life (1:2-11 vs. 5:18; 9:7-9), it can be understood through wisdom – the word is used 28 times = 7*4 – a square with the side 7 units.

Fear God (12:12-13) – cp. Pr. 1:7; 9:10 and Ps. 110:10 and Job 28:28  

Everything is going to be judged – 12:7, 14

Doctrine of vocation 9:10, cp. Gen 2:15.

Reflection in other parts of the Bible:

Creation of man out of dust and the Spirit/Breath of God (12:7, cp. Gen. 2:7; 3:19).

The canonical place of the book is related to the feast of Tabernacles: after harvest, 7 day “vacation” in a booth made from branches and leaves, invitation and prayer for other nations (Num. 29:12-34).

There is an introductory connection between Deuteronomy and Ecclesiastes: Introductions, and cp. 8:15 and Deut 14:26.       

Jesus is one greater than Solomon (Mt. 12:42; Jn 2:18-2; Acts 7:47-50; 1 Cor. 1:24,30; Col. 1:9; 2:3; Eph. 1:7; Rev. 21:22).

Ecclesiast speaks of the mist, Paul in 1 Cor. 13 speaks of a dimmed mirror.  

Lutheran teaching:

Two verses of chapter 12 (1, 7) are used to support the idea of the ownership of the Creator over human life (FC, Epitome, I:4; FC, SD I-37-38).

Lutheran hymnody:

LSB 732 – All Depends on our possessing

LSB 894 – For the Fruits of His Creation

Relevancy of the Book:

Modern theologians and philosophers take the book as a description of a depressed man. Everything is falling apart. There is two-fold truth in this. First, without God in one’s life everything IS ultimately falling apart. Second, even the faithful ones need to understand – it is God who is in control, not us. This gives a reason for joy (2:24; 3:13,22; 5:17-19; 8:15; 9:7-10; 11:9-10). The only way to accept it – see it eschatologically and liturgically. It is the ministry of the Word and Sacrament that teach us on stability of God’s love on one hand, also directing us to the Feast to come – the realization of our relationships with God in its full potential.     

Memory verses:  

9:7 Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.

12:13b-14 Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgement, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.