Please read all of Ecclesiastes for next Tuesday (4/15/14).
For some people, Ecclesiastes is their favorite book in the entire Bible. Others wonder why it is in the Bible at all. What's your reaction? Did you find this book more or less enjoyable/valuable than the other books you've read for this class?
I do really like Ecclesiastes. My favorite? Well, maybe not, but I enjoy the perspective and it is enjoyable to read. A person can take a lot out of this book and in learning there is value.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really good book. It has multiple verses that show God's love. Also this is the Book that has the verses to one of my favorite song; a time to live and a time to die. It is a great book with a great message and i always enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteOver all Ecclesiastes is a wonderful book. It has so many messages that are inspiring and help us to remember the goodness of the Lord. One of my favorite verses is Ecclesiastes 7:20 "For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not." This passage always is a good reminder nobody is perfect, that everybody makes mistakes, however in the long run we know that the Lord our God will take away those sins and give us glory once again. It may not be my aboslute favorite book, however it is full of inspirational messages.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I did not enjoy Ecclesiastes. I found Jeremiah and Ezekiel to way more up-beat than Ecclesiastes! "The Preacher" claims to be the son of David, king over Israel, with wealth to indulge anything he desired, but he says that neither pleasure, laughter, nor wine cheered him. "I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards ... gardens and parks ... pools ... I bought ... slaves ... I had great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings ... I got singers ... and many concubines ... whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them ... Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind." The word "vanity" appears five times in verse 1:2 and in 29 other verses in the book. The Preacher sounds like he needs to be on anti-depressants!
ReplyDeleteSome of the statements he makes don't even make sense to me: "For by sadness of face the heart is made glad." (7:3) ??? What does that mean? He also says,
"Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise." (7:16) Okay, I could get that maybe "overly righteous" means self-righteous. But then he says, "Be not overly wicked." (7:17) What does "overly-wicked" mean? Does it mean that it's okay to be a little wicked?
The very last verses of Ecclesiastes state: "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." That's about the only useful advice I found in this book. In spite of their burdens, I found the books of Amos, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel to be more hopeful, with a burden worth bearing.
I find that there are parts of it which allow a person to relate to the author. It is those times when life seems bleak that one needs to know that there are others out there who feel the same way. When you find out (I assume that the author is Solomon) held high positions, had all the wisdom you could want and had all the family and love one could ask for, and he is feeling what any ordinary person feels, there is a catharsis there. I even think we have songs which relate to some of the passages. (Ecclesiastes 40 is the inspiration for Turn, turn, turn) This shows you how it is so relatable to the ordinary man. To have a book that is so down to earth is better for believers. I would say that there is value in having this book in the bible. It maybe just a reality check, but it is a reality check that we all sometimes need.
ReplyDeleteFor me Ecclesiastes by itself is long winded and boring however if it is parred with the message that Jesus gives us in Matthew it has just a bit more significance.
ReplyDeleteIn Matthew Chapter six verses 19-21 were Jesus talks about not laying up treasure on earth were it will be taken or destroy but lay them up in heaven were they will not be taken or destroy. In Ecclesiastes Solomon makes it very clear that nothing under the son, or on this earth, lasts. That all material things pass away. This leave you with a bad taste in your mouth because it sounds like their isn't anything worth while to strive for since no matter how hard you try you can't make something of true lasting value. And when speaking of things of this earth he is absolutely right. However Jesus in Matthew has a slightly different message. Earthly things will be destroyed, stolen, or will simply decay but heavenly treasure won't. So get out their and pursue heavenly treasure you idiot and stop lamenting the treasures of this temporary world.
I really enjoyed this book. They way that I interpreted it was that we are supposed to enjoy every aspect of our life. It seems that this is true because god has given you the life that you have and you should enjoy what he has given you. He wants you to live a life without regret but at the same time be smart with the decisions that you make.
ReplyDeleteEcclesiastes is enjoy book. It gives the author point of view to others. It is a bit of wisdom for people who read it. Telling us only God knows the future and everything on Earth has its own time. A guide line during the time of trouble they are living in. A way to understand what maybe your life was about. Reflection seeing if you lived and understood God message and way of living. It is a good book and it puts the word of God into a few verse an outline to follow.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this book. I found this book to be a great reminder that our lives are meaningless without God. Without a God we live and we dye and we don't seem to have a purpose. I think this is something everyone thinks about to one extent or another, and because of this I feel it really does belong in the Bible.
ReplyDeleteWhile this book can come off as negative, it gives us advice to help lead a positive, God-fearing life. For example, in chapter 5 verse 10: "Whoever, loves money never has money enough..." This is telling us to be careful because what we love will eventually consume us. Chapter 7 verses 9 and 21 also explain that we shouldn't be too quick to provoke anger or believe everything people tell us; these are actions of fools.
ReplyDeleteIn this book, my favorite message would have to be from chapter three: "For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven." This tells us to wait for God's timing; for without God, life is like an unsharpened pencil- it has no point!
Now here is an interesting book. To me personally I'm in the crowd that is not so sure why this book exists. It goes over things that are both relatively understood, already touched upon elsewhere, and basically common knowledge.
ReplyDeleteEverything in this book is...odd. Not only does it go over messages that have already been covered through stories, anecdotes or other narrative foppery elsewhere but it is kind of open about it. At this point in the bible I feel like I should go over every word with a fine comb but here? It may presented in a poetic fashion but there is no other snippets to focus on. No figuring out the message.
To me, this book is 'babies first book of the Bible' because not only is it easy to read but the message is not cleverly inserted into a story, nor is it have any special context. Its just kinda...there.
Maybe I just am not getting it? Perhaps its the point of this book to be a breath of fresh air after the scrutiny given to books such as Ezekiel but to me its not a breath of fresh air its unnecessary dust in the wind.
Ecclesiastes, in short, is a book of the Bible that instaed of being complicated and interesting like other books of the Bible merely touches on the same things that have been better presented elsewhere in the Bible. Instead of giving me a complex forula to solve it just gave me the math problem two plus two...AND DIDN'T EVEN LET ME GIVE AN ANSWER AND SOLVED IT FOR ME ANY WAY. I am NOT dumb Ecclesiastes, I know you mean well and your message is good and all but let me be an adult and figure out the meaning of vanity through a parable instead of having it beat into my skull with a list as if I'm not paying attention to your message.
Sincerely,
DeleteA guy who actually liked piking apart Ezekiel
I often find the books of the Bible that are more autobiographical and reflective have more of an impact on me, not just because I find them easier to understand but also that what they write is what is most important to them out of their whole life! Ecclesiastes isn't like most of the other books we've covered in that it was written by the person it is about, not by someone after the fact. Perhaps this is why I find it more enjoyable, it is less legend and more personal confessions and convictions.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Solomon makes a pretty strong argument for leading a life following God. Chapter 7, Verse 13: “Consider the work of God, for who is able to straighten what He has bent?” Since he's made so many mistakes of his own he should know, right?
I liked Ecclesiastes, while maybe not as much as Job or Proverbs, but it was still a good read. It helped me remember to stay positive in life and made me think more about the meaning of life.
ReplyDeleteI think Ecclesiastes is a good book as a check on human ability. The author measures man's wisdom, and the labors of man to conquer the world. In the end the only truth is to accept God's path and enjoy the path that they are on.
ReplyDeleteI like it. it has a lot of hope in the book. it is also a book that teaches you that in certain situation some attributes are better than others like in chapter seven verse 18 to 25. I think it is a very great book for kids to read.
ReplyDelete-Abigail miiller