OLD TESTAMENT | WISDOM LITERATURE
The Book of Ecclesiastes
THAT’S A BAD DAY
Ever had one of those days where everything is going wrong, and you agree with Chicken Little that the sky is, in fact, falling in? The author of Ecclesiastes is having one of those days – everything is meaningless, life is over, and he is feeling discouraged. But don’t fear, there is another character in this story, the beautiful voice of reason: the narrator, who we get to hear from in the beginning and ending of the book. Venture into this roller coaster ride as you journey from discouragement to faith and come to realise that God is the meaning of all things.
Part One
DIVE - EVERYTHING IS MEANINGLESS! … THAT’S A LITTLE DRAMATIC, DON’T YOU THINK? | Dr Katie Haldane
Have you ever had one of those days when you find yourself lost in thought, falling down the rabbit hole of pondering life, purpose, wisdom, your very existence on this earth? It’s a hard moment and that’s what is happening here for the author of Ecclesiastes.
DEEP DIVE - THE WISDOM PARADOX | Ella Hickey
Wisdom literature in the Old Testament refers to and is entirely involved with the notion of ‘skill in living’, which is a combination of the capacities of human intellect, the application of knowledge, and experience of daily life – teaching us moral principles, or prompting us to reflect or investigate problems which are associated with the human existence.
Part Two
DIVE - IS PESSIMISM ANTI-PENTECOSTAL? | Dr Katie Haldane
As I read Ecclesiastes, my mind is in a battle. Every word goes against my Pentecostal faith-based, ‘ensure we are super-positive’ nature. How can this be in my Bible? This guy definitely would not be on the preaching team. Yet our Bible clearly and boldly puts this man’s thoughts on display, as a model, an example. It comes in parallel with the question: why is Job in the Bible?
DEEP DIVE - DEATH, TIME AND CHANCE | Ella Hickey
‘Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless’ (Ecclesiastes 1:2). Work, wisdom, folly, pleasure, belongings, riches, success, greatness, all the delights of mankind, and everything under the sun – meaningless. This is what one might walk away from Ecclesiastes concluding, however there is more to be said of the word ‘meaningless’ and what that would have meant to the teacher.
Studying Ecclesiastes?
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Continue your Old Testament journey - Song of Songs