1st century Christianity in the 21st century
The title Ecclesiastes comes from the Greek translation of the opening line, “The words of the preacher…” The word preacher is qoheleth in Hebrew or ekklesiates in Greek. The Hebrew term appears in the feminine form, which shows “…that divine Wisdom herself speaks through the inspired king Solomon” (Fausset’s Bible Dictionary). It is fitting the word appears 7 times, inferring the perfection of wisdom.
Continue reading “Ecclesiastes: Solomon discusses Life Under the Sun – Bible Overview”
We have come to the end of Solomon’s “to everything there is a season” statements in Ecclesiastes 3. As we look at verse 8 today, we will deal with strong emotions, societal interaction, and our relationship with God.
Continue reading “There Is A Season, 8 – Love, Hate, War, Peace”Again we turn our attention to wise Solomon’s “there is a season” statements as found in Ecclesiastes 3. Ecclesiastes 3:7 reads, “A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak…”
Continue reading “There Is A Season, 7 – Tear, Sew, Silent, Speak”Among the topics touched on by Solomon’s poetic verse is finance. Today we’ll consider some rudimentary instruction from Ecclesiastes 3. Ecclesiastes 3:6 reads, “A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away…”
Continue reading “There Is A Season, 6 – Gain, Lose, Keep, Throw Away”Again we consider the words of wise Solomon from Ecclesiastes 3. Ecclesiastes 3:5 reads, “A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing…”
Continue reading “There Is A Season, 5 – Cast Away, Gather, Embrace, Refrain from Embracing”Among the innate features of humanity is the ability to experience and display emotion. As we continue to look at Solomon’s instruction from Ecclesiastes 3, we consider some of these God-given traits.
Continue reading “There Is A Season, 4 – Weep, Laugh, Mourn, Dance”Our study through Solomon’s “…a time to…” statements continues. Ecclesiastes 3:3, reads, “…A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up…”
Continue reading “There Is A Season, 3 – Kill, Heal, Break Down, Build”The “…a time to…” statements of Ecclesiastes 3 are simple, relatable tidbits, but they carry within them the wonderful insights which Solomon received from God regarding the affairs of the world. Much thought can be provoked in each case. This week, we will consider Ecclesiastes 3:2.
Continue reading “There Is A Season, 2 – Born, Die, Plant, Pluck”Did you know Solomon had a #1 hit? In 1965, The Byrds, an American rock band, released the song “Turn, Turn, Turn.” The lyrics have been attributed to Peter Seeger, however, all but the title and the first two lines are from Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3. The words were popularized by The Byrds, but it was God’s Spirit that inspired the wise king of Israel to write it. We will focus on this simple yet profound text over the next several weeks.
Continue reading “There Is A Season, A Time For Every Purpose”