...Project The Book of Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes 11: 7-12:8 In this project I decided to do the book of Ecclesiastes. I chose this verse because so many people have the wrong idea of living life. I personally wanted to have a better understanding and appreciate the value of compassion and carefulness in preparing for the future. In the book of Ecclesiastes it was written by Solomon who was King’s David son; Solomon was known as “The Teacher”. In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon learned a lot about life. In this book the teacher starts with encouraging compassion and carefulness ways to guard against the unclear future. He did that by casting our bread upon the waters, willing to offer servings to many, and not withholding our hands in the evening, our compassion may serve us well in the future should evil befall us. Likewise, things may happen beyond our ability to control or comprehend, but carefulness in sowing seed and being mindful of the dark days to come can help to prepare us for their coming (Ecclesiastes 1-8). In this book, it also introduces direction from the Preacher designed especially for the young. The young man is encouraged to rejoice, letting his heart cheer him. He is told to walk in the ways of his heart and in the sight of his eyes, yet with the knowledge that God will hold Page 2 him accountable for all that he does. So remove sorrow and rejoice. But also put away evil during the fleeting years of childhood and youth (Ecclesiastes 9-10). Now...
Words: 1403 - Pages: 6
...An Exegetical Analysis of Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 Timing is everything. This is a statement that holds a great deal of truth. The difference between a good joke and a bad one is a person’s sense of timing. An appropriate pause makes a joke, an inappropriate pause can kill the same joke. Timing is essential when dealing with people. One must pick the right time to approach a coworker or friend about a problem. Timing is important in cooking. The moist cake in the oven is still runny batter if baked for too little time and a clump of charcoal if it is baked too long. Timing is important in medicine. If you catch a problem early you will be able to treat it more effectively. Timing is important in taking medication. If you take your medicine as directed it will be helpful. If you skip doses it loses its effectiveness. If you take extra doses it can be deadly. Timing is important in finance. When you invest in a particular stock and when you sell the particular stock will make the difference between whether you make money or lose it. We, as a society have time indicators hanging on the walls, built into our cell phones, computers, and cars. Timing is everything in today’s world, and society as a whole is very time-oriented. Timing is important in spiritual life as well. It is critical to live life with an acute awareness of God’s predetermined timing for life. The importance of timing is portrayed throughout Ecclesiastes 3:1-15. The book of Ecclesiastes can be examined and interpreted...
Words: 3510 - Pages: 15
...a set of books, arranged and called their law. For the former, the Jews trace themselves back to the Ancient Israelites. The story of the Ancient Israelites is recorded most thoroughly in their own writings, despite the good deal of myth and bias added in it. The Israelites first began to worship one God as they were held in slavery in Egypt. These Israelites maintained their common heritage as Israelites by unifying their previously disorganized faith into one belief in one God. The books of the Torah (The Law) are traditionally traced back to this era. The Torah contains a mixed bag of ancient rules for the Jews to follow and myths adapted from the ancient polytheist faiths...
Words: 2030 - Pages: 9
...and laziness, and on wisdom and folly, we find in the Old Testament Books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes hold many teachings on these issues and how we should conduct ourselves, accordingly. In Proverbs 6:6-8 we read, “Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.” (NLT). God’s point is that we should work ahead, prepare ourselves for the days to come, not to be lazy and wait on others to care for us. The book of Proverbs is a book of wisdom, or as Hindson & Yates referred to as “teacher’s manual of wise sayings”. We find the theme or motto of this book in chapter 1:7, “Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” The first nine chapters of the book of Proverbs tells us that wisdom is treasured and that we should seek it. These chapters reflect on Solomon’s wisdom and practical applications, such as: warnings about being foolish and lazy; direction and balance in our lives; the benefits of being faithful; just to mention a few of the topics. Chapters 10 through 20 remind us that wisdom is practical and that we should follow it; while chapters 23 – 24 tell us that wisdom is helpful and should be heeded. The last six chapters of Proverbs we see wisdom as ethical and we should just do it. The book is a road map for the right way to live your life God’s way. Solomon...
Words: 912 - Pages: 4
...greater than any other man (I Kings 4: 29-31) . Because we know King Solomon to be the wisest mortal man on Earth, it makes sense for us to examine his life and words to gain insight for ourselves. The Bible tells us that Solomon is the author of the Book of Proverbs. Because the Book of Ecclesiastes follows a theme of wisdom and insight, King Solomon is widely believed to be the author of this Book of the Bible as well. Let us be inspired by the words of Solomon. King Solomon—the Wisest Man on Earth… Solomon puts life in perspective… • Ecclesiastes 1: 1-4, 2: 12-14 – King Solomon is saying that when you really think about it that everything is meaningless—a chasing after the wind. – Generations come and generations go… Solomon seems to be saying that our stay on Earth is temporary, therefore, everything in the world is really meaningless. – Question for Thought: What does Solomon mean by “everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind?” When I think of chasing wind, it seems that one could never really take hold of it. You can chase wind, but it would be pointless. Solomon seems to be saying that much of life is pointless because we’re going to die. Solomon searches for the true meaning of life… • Ecclesiastes 1: 16-18, 2: 1-11 – Solomon tries diligently to find...
Words: 828 - Pages: 4
...When standing at a precipice where one must choose between life and death, one must consider: why strive to prosper in life if all individuals are destined to ultimately perish? This is a major focal point in Ecclesiastes, one of the books of the Old Testament. Some of the primary concepts discussed include the vanity of our ambitions and accomplishments since all of mankind will inevitably die; the narrator of Ecclesiastes, who refers to himself at a Teacher, attempts to find pleasure in life, but he eventually declares that the wise and the fools will meet the same fate, which is a great shame. Essentially, the book of Ecclesiastes adopts an unconventional view of life with its nihilistic philosophy. There are many aspects in which Ecclesiastes conveys the futility of life. Firstly, the Teacher...
Words: 726 - Pages: 3
...Coffin October 4, 2015 1 Introduction In this essay, we will discuss the Hebrew wisdom on “wisdom and folly”, also looking at the contrast between “diligence and laziness”. These terms appear frequently in the Old Testament. However, we will concentrate on their use and meaning in the Poetic Books. 1. Background Solomon is considered to be the man who founded the wisdom movement (1 Kings 4:2934). The purpose of the wisdom movement was initially a practical one: to educate the nobility for cultural and political leadership. The main concern of teachers was to inform and discipline the mind and life at an early age. 1 In Israel, however, the practical purpose of the movement was increasingly matched by a concern to say in human terms what the ultimate meaning of man’s life is. In modern terms, from being a movement concerned with practical ethics it becomes a movement increasingly concerned with religious and theological issues. It should be noted that in this respect, Israel’s wisdom movement developed much further than that of Egypt or of other Near Eastern cultures. 2 1. J. Coert Rylaarsdam, Layman's Bible Commentary: Vol. 10 - Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon (Richmond, VA: John Knox Press, 1971), 9. 2. Ibid, 10. 2 2. Wisdom and Folly In 1 Kings 4:34, we see one of the blessings God gave to Solomon to show His pleasure; “Men came from all peoples to hear the Wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom”...
Words: 895 - Pages: 4
... Jonathan Kim, Ph.D. 11-12-2010 Books of Wisdom Literature Wisdom Literature is a style of Hebrew literature. It was originated from 6th century BC, when the Israelites in exile after being swept into the AD era. These literary works are such as "Wisdom books." "Wisdom literature" has four main characteristics: 1. The writing time should be after the Israelis were swept and before the birth of Jesus Christ; 2. The contents should focus on ethics, but not designed to focus on theology; 3. The way of expression are mainly the maxim, aphorism, metaphor, fables, poems, eulogy, etc; 4. The writing object is not only limited to Jews. There are five main books of Wisdom Literature, Book of Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Psalms and Song of Songs. First, Job is a faithful servant of God who is known for piety and patience. At that time, the Israelites were polluted to worship the Egyptian demons, but only Job is adhered to worship the God purely. The most ancient tradition believed that Moses is the author of this book. Many Jewish and early Christian scholars also agreed with this proposition. It is because the style of Job is very similar with the Pentateuch. So, the time of writing should be estimated around 1500 BC of the Patriarch Period. Most of this book (3:1-42:6) is a form of play or epic written. The front (1:1-2:13) is a prelude and (42:7-17) is the end. These two parts is written in prose form. Job not only teaches a great truth. “The Book of Job deals with one of man's oldest...
Words: 2147 - Pages: 9
...PROVERBS, ECCLESIASTES AND SONG OF SOLOMON By: C. Bryan ESSAY SUBMITTED In Fulfillment of the Final Requirement For Series 14 At the Pillar of Truth Bible Institute October 5, 2014 First, I want to outline or list some of the demographics of Proverbs. Proverbs is the 20th book in the Bible and the 20th book in the Old Testament. It contains 31 chapters. There were at least four authors of this book. The main author of Proverbs was Solomon. Other writers were Agur, Lemuel and Hezekiah. While there is extensive information about Solomon in the Bible there is little or no Biblical information about Agur or Lemuel. Solomon was the son of King David. The writing of and completion of Proverbs took place somewhere around the year 800 B.C. Proverbs is a book of wisdom and gives us guidance on how we should live our daily lives. For example it instructs us on how to relate to God, our families and others including the people who have been given authority over us such as our elected government officials. Proverbs is like an “operator’s manual” or a hand-book for us to live by. It also teaches us in areas of our life such as pride, the way we talk, the way we work or refuse to work. Additionally, it teaches us about love, lust, anger, the use of intoxicating substances, service to others and even life and death. It outlines our duty to God. We are to trust, praise and worship God in everything we do or say. In our daily living and even in our thoughts....
Words: 614 - Pages: 3
...CHAPTER TWO Ecclesiastes 1:4 "Everything an Indian does is in a circle," said Black Elk, the Sioux religious leader. "Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing and always come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood...." You would think Black Elk had been studying the first chapter of Ecclesiastes, except for one fact: for centuries, wise men and women in different nations and cultures have been pondering the mysteries of the "circles" of human life. Whenever you use phrases like "life cycle," or "the wheel of fortune," or "come full circle," you are joining Solomon and Black Elk and a host of others in taking a cyclical view of life and nature. Ecclesiastes 1:6 You would think Black Elk had been studying the first chapter of Ecclesiastes, except for one fact: for centuries, wise men and women in different nations and cultures have been pondering the mysteries of the "circles" of human life. Whenever you use phrases like "life cycle," or "the wheel of fortune," or "come full circle," you are joining Solomon and Black Elk and a host of others in taking a cyclical view of life and nature. (from The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament © 2001-2004 by Warren W. Wiersbe. All rights reserved.) But this "cyclical" view of life was a burden to Solomon. For if life is only part of a great cycle over which we have no control, is life worth living? If this cycle is repeated season after season, century after century...
Words: 5146 - Pages: 21
...Tasha Hires BIBL 104 June 24, 2012 Summary of the books of the Old Testament Numbers The Genre's of this book are made up of Law and History due to the sins of disobedience and "god" worshiping. Along Israel's journey they were led away to wandered for 40 years in the wilderness before coming into the promised land. In the first 25 chapters of Numbers we see the experiences of the first generation of the Israelites in the wilderness along with the census of the men for battle. The remaining chapters of Numbers describes the experiences of the second generation. Obedience and rebellion followed by repentance and blessing, are themed throughout the entire book. The experiences Moses encountered in this book included his own siblings turning on him and anger starting to control many of his actions, and even due to his own disobedience Moses was unable to walk into the Promise Land. Numbers describes the walk of the Israelites as well as filling the gap between the Israelites receiving the law and getting them ready to enter the Promise Land . Ruth In this short narrative story, Ruth, a Moabite widow, willingly leaves her homeland to care for her mother-in-law, Naomi, who is also a widow. Being a Moabite, Ruth was not a part of God’s chosen people, Israel, but she chose to follow God anyway. God rewarded her for her faithfulness and her kindness to her mother-in-law. First, He provided for Ruth’s physical needs. As Ruth went out to get food, she came upon a...
Words: 856 - Pages: 4
...culture we seem to have a mentality of “entitlement” verses working for what we need as well as utilizing what our biblical forefathers taught us in regards to diligence and laziness in contrast to wisdom and folly. The generation of today seems more likely to take a hand out instead of working for what they receive. Our country’s debt is out of control due to things like welfare, medi-cal, tuition loans not repaid, subsidized housing, etc. We are rapidly losing a generation of youth to drugs and violence and single parent homes. Rather than educating them we are putting them in prisons at a cost that we cannot continue to pay. I was always taught to work hard for everything and never take a hand out from anyone. When we look into the book of Proverbs we find it is full of lessons regarding the wisdom of being diligent verses the contrast of being lazy! King Solomon states, “. . . the soul of the diligent is made fat” (1) “He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who……” (2) I have personally never been on any kind of assistance programs even though I have been out of work several times in my life. One thing I was always taught was to put money aside for a rainy day. I have never been a rich man monetarily but have amassed great riches in other ways. In Chapter 21 King Solomon also states, “…..the diligent lead surely to advantage.”(3) Heeding to good counsel and following through with good Godly plans surely gives good results in our lives. Now this is not...
Words: 848 - Pages: 4
...may not make someone else happy. Additionally, we change as we grow older. Yet, evidence suggests that some things are more consistently associated with happiness. For example, genuine happiness is linked to finding contentment, avoiding envy, cultivating love for others, and building mental and emotional resilience. Let us see why. 1. FIND CONTENTMENT “Money is a protection,” observed a wise student of human nature. But he also wrote: “A lover of silver will never be satisfied with silver, nor a lover of wealth with income. This too is futility.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10; 7:12) His point? While we may need money to survive, we should avoid greed, for it is insatiable! The writer, King Solomon of ancient Israel, actually experimented to see whether wealth and luxurious living fostered true happiness. “I did not deny myself anything that I desired,” he wrote. “I did not withhold from my heart any sort of pleasure.”—Ecclesiastes 1:13; 2:10. Having amassed great wealth, Solomon built grand houses, made beautiful parks and pools, and acquired many servants. Whatever he wanted, he got. What did he learn? His experiment made him somewhat happy, but not for long. “I saw that everything was futile,” he observed. “There was nothing of real value.”...
Words: 1433 - Pages: 6
...Barbara Barton 25406682 BIBL 104-B34 210240 LUO September 20, 2012 Summary of Old Testament Books LEVITICUS The book of Leviticus is a genre of the law. Moses is the author of this book and it is often referred to as the holiness code. “Do this because I the Lord your God am holy” is often mentioned in the book. Three different sacrificial offerings are presented to the Israelites as well. They consist of Consecratory, Expiatory and Communal. Consecratory being offerings of dedication of people or things to God. Expiatory were acknowledgements of sin and Communal were communities expressing thankfulness to God. God also wanted to establish the fact that the laws were not merely arbitrary but was indeed intended to help them understand the holiness nature of God. No longer would the Israelites be known as a group of former slaves they had become an established nation. This is also where we see the priesthood being established and thus creating a mediator between the people and their God. They now had rules and laws of which to live their lives on a daily basis. Joshua The book of Joshua is written in the style of a narrative. In this book we learn how Joshua led the people into the land of Canaan. We see two very well-known battles such as the battle of Jericho and the battle of Ai. The first battle of Jericho the city seemed impossible for man to conquer but with God we would soon learn that it was indeed possible. The next battle in the city of Ai was not as successful...
Words: 831 - Pages: 4
...104-D38 LUO 24 April 2012 Summary of the books of the Old Testament Books Exodus The genre of this book is narrative and divided into two distinctive themes. These themes tell the story of Israel’s salvation from slavery from Egypt, and describe the laws that God gave them to mold them into His people as a unified Holy nation. These two areas are further broken down into five key segments. The first segment highlights the miraculous acts that God accomplished with the plagues that saved the nation of Israel from Egypt. The second is the establishment of the first yearly feast, Passover, in remembrance of their salvation. Third, is the covenant of God with His people to fulfill the promise to Abraham. Fourth, are the laws God gave His people to set them apart from all other nations. The fifth and final segment focuses on the establishment of worship with designated priests with a specific sacrificial system. God, having accomplished these acts, revealed Himself in detail to His people to show His love. Leviticus The genre of this book is that of the Law. The book of Leviticus is written for two groups: the priests, and the nation of Israel as a whole. It details for the priests the way they are to legislate and practice the law among the nation. It also sites the instructions given to them at Mount Sinai on how the people of Israel are to worship God. There are several distinct themes of this book. Two of them are centered on the words “Holy, and...
Words: 859 - Pages: 4
