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.
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