Ecclesiastes - Introduction



Ecclesiastes
Introduction

I.                    Introductory
A.     Date and Author
1.      The traditional dates for Solomon’s reign are 971-931 BC.
2.      He was the third king of Israel – Saul, David, then Solomon.
3.      He was the “son of David” through Bathsheba – 2 Sam 12:24
a.       The title “son of David” clearly applies to Solomon, but it is also used of others in the lineage of David
1)      Ezra 8:2  - Hattush is a descendant of David, but not a son like Solomon, yet he is called one of the “sons of David”. 
2)      2 Sam 7 – the promise that the house of David will continue on forever
3)      Isaiah 7:6-7 – the concept of a son of David is certainly carried forward – “to us a son is given…” and he will sit  “upon the throne of David”
4)      And in the NT when Christ is born Matthew’s early description of him (as other gospel writers) is “son of David” – Mt 1:1
b.      Eccl 1:1 – “son of David” may refer to Solomon, but it is quite possible that it could refer to anyone in the lineage of David.
4.      There are elements in the book that point to Solomon.  The parallels in Kings and Chronicles fit. 
a.       Eccl speaks of Solomon’s wisdom – Eccl 1:16 – see I Kings 3:12; 4:29-30; 10:23-25
b.      Eccl speaks of Solomon’s  building program and wealth – Eccl 2:1-11 see I Kings 5:27-32; 7:1-8; 10:14-22 (apes and peacocks)
c.       Eccl speaks of Solomon’s arranging proverbs – Eccl 12:9 and I Kings 4:32-34
d.      Eccl speaks of the horses and chariots – Eccl 2:1-11 and I Kings 4:26; 10:26-29
e.       Eccl speaks of the wives and concubines – Eccl 2:7-8 and I Kings 11:1-3
5.      The writer of the book does not identify himself as “Solomon” by name.  He calls himself “Qoheleth” or “Koheleth” (which by the way is feminine – singular – participle in 1:1).  It means literally “the one who gathers people together”.  That is why most translations call him “The Preacher”.
a.       Qoheleth uses the noun form too as well with an article – 7:27
b.      Kidner[1] and The Jewish study Bible textual note says that it can also mean “one who assembles sayings” (12:9). 
c.       I Kings 8:1 – Solomon using the term used in Eccl – “assembled” (RSV) the people together for the dedication of the Temple.
6.      The language of Eccl and some of the words that are used do not come from the time of Solomon.  Most scholars – conservative and liberal alike, agree that Solomon is probably not the author.[2]  The general consensus is that it was written somewhere between 430 BC and 300 BC.  This would put the book in the time when the Persians ruled in Israel to around the time Greece defeated the Persians (333 BC) and began their rule. 
B.     Qoheleth
1.      The book is not pseudepigraphical, meaning someone did not pretend to be Solomon and write under his name so the book would be accepted.
a.       No where in the book is Solomon’s name used. 
b.      We have the description of him, but the writer does not call himself Solomon.
2.      Qoheleth – The Preacher – claims to be the author.
a.       It would seem that when Israel returned from exile that Qoheleth – the preacher - then assembled some of the writings and teachings of Solomon and put them together to form his book. 
1)      Hebrew – Qohelet – The one who assembles. The root word – Qahal - Assembly is the word used for the people of Israel – Cf. Dt 23:3
2)      Greek -  used ekklesia (root word) – the church – Acts 7:38 “the assembly in the wilderness” (NIV) “church” (ESV)
3)      Hence - Ecclesiastes
b.      Ecclesiastes was written when Israel’s belief in God’s work in the world grew weak. [3]
4)      2 Chron 36:16 – written around the time of Eccl – The chronicler mentions that the people of Israel prior to the exile kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets.  He records this because he sees this same attitude in the people who have returned from exile.  God is just not important in the land. They got to the point where they mocked him.  They shoved him off and did their own thing.
5)      This attitude needed a book like Eccl. 
C.     The purpose
1.      The book is an apologetic written from the other side.  The preacher using the life and wisdom of Solomon is seeking to show the emptiness of life apart from God.  He is defending the faith by challenging his readers to look at life as if all there is is what we have here “under the sun” and as if there is no God. 
2.      What is the purpose of life if this is all there is?  Where is life’s meaning?  How do we find any satisfaction apart from God? How do we go about living our life? 
3.      We might be living indifferently toward God; or with lip service; show up and do a little here and there – but at some point in our life we ask the questions that Qoheleth asks in his book. 

II.                 Ancient wisdom writings dealing with similar theme as Q
A.     From Egypt: The Debate Between a Man and His Soul is an ancient Egyptian writing from the first half of the 12th Egyptian Dynasty – Middle Kingdom. [4]  The dates vary from 2300-1900 BC.
1.      In this debate we read:  What my soul said to me: Are you not a man? Indeed you are alive, but what do you profit?”
2.      “My soul opened its mouth to me that it might answer what I had said: If you think of burial, it is a sad matter”
3.      “Listen to me; behold it is good for men to hear. Follow the happy day and forget care.”[5]
B.     From Ancient Sumaria – Mesopotamia - : The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest written stories dating from around 2750-2500 BC.
1.      For reference: Abraham was from Mesopotamia around 2000 BC
2.      Gilgamesh was a wise king who travels to find immortality. He is in despair when he meets he meets Siduri, a wine maker, who tells him ‘Gilgamesh, where are you hurrying to? You will never find that life for which you are looking. When the gods created man they allotted to him death, but life they retained in their own keeping. As for you, Gilgamesh, fill your belly with good things; day and night, night and day, dance and be merry, feast and rejoice. Let your clothes be fresh, bathe yourself in water, cherish the little child that holds your hand, and make your wife happy in your embrace; for this too is the lot of man.'[6]
C.     Also from MesopotamiaCounsels of a Pessimist – (around 1300 BC) which teaches how human life is transient. 
1.      Whatever men do does not last forever, mankind and their achievements alike come to an end.”
2.      “As for you, offer prayers to your god, let your free-will offering be constantly before the god who created you.”[7]
D.     Another poem from MesopotamiaThe Death of Ur-Nammu and His Descent into the Netherworld.  Ur-Nammu was a Sumerian king who died prematurely.  The writer is troubled by the injustice and unfairness of the gods. [8] 
1.      “I am one who has served the gods night and day, but what has been accepted of my efforts?”[9]
2.      The fate of death fell upon one who served the gods.  Does anything make any difference?  The same fate falls on all.
E.      See also for further examples
1.      From Akkadia - 1100s BC -  A Pessimistic Dialogue Between a Master and Servant. [10]  A master trying to find something worth doing gives his servant a series of instructions and then tells him not to do them.  In the end he ends up asking “What is good?” And answers “To break your neck, my neck and throw them both in the river – that is good.”  In other words, there is nothing worth doing. 
2.      Babylonian Theodicy or Babylonian Ecclesiastes [11]  about 1000 BC - has similarities to Job and Proverbs and also asks an Eccl type question - “Can a life of happiness be assured? I wish I knew how!”(line 33)… “What has it profited me that I have bowed down to my god?”(line 251)
III.               More Modern
A.     Arthur Schopenhauer – (1788-1860) – German philosopher who believed that we are driven to find satisfaction in life, but are constantly dissatisfied.
1.      He “believed that death must conquer in the end, but we pursue our futile purposes, ‘as we blow our soap-bubbles as long and as large as possible, although we know perfectly well that it will burst.’”[12]
B.     Durham, NC – 2011 – The Atheists Guide to Reality – Alex Rosenberg – Duke Philosophy Dept.
1.      Asks and answers questions:
a)      Is there a God? No
b)      What is the nature of reality? What physics says it is
c)      What is the purpose of the universe? There is none.
d)      What is the meaning of life? Ditto
e)      Why am I here? Just dumb luck
f)        Is there a soul? Is it immortal? Are you kidding?
g)      Is there free will? Not a chance
h)      What happens when we die? Everything pretty much goes on as before, except us.
i)        There is no moral difference between right and wrong, good and bad…History has no meaning or purpose it is full of sound and fury, but signifies nothing.  [13]  (It did provide him that quote to borrow from Shakespeare.)
C.     2014 - A new tv show is coming out on USA network “Satisfaction” According to the commercials it asks the question: “What do you do when having it all is not enough?” 
1.      Similar to the title of Harold Kushner’s book on Eccl – When All You’ve Ever Wanted is not Enough.
IV.              Ecclesiastes
A.     The topic that Ecclesiastes deals with is an ancient one. And a modern one. It is universal.  Timeless.  Across all national boundaries, languages, and cultures.  Note the similarities:
B.      The questions that Qoheleth asks are the very ones that people from the most ancient of times up to today, and in every place have asked.  They deal with the issues that still trouble us.  And denying them will not drive them from our soul.  It simply frustrates us.  It reinforces the vanity of it all.  It drives us to “shocking and unconventional choices”[14].  It drives us to despair. 
1.      In ancient religions the gods were capacious.  Indifferent.  Unjust.  Nothing made any difference. 
C.     While The Preacher will perform experiments and experience the frustrations and capriciousness of life “under the sun”, he will not leave us there. 
1.      There is more to man and more to life than being “under the sun”. 
2.      We do not live in a “closed system”.  God has introduced something new.  In fact, the only “new” things in this world are the things God has brought into it.  Forgiveness of sins and a righteousness that is credible; resurrection and hope of life eternal….
3.      “Under heaven” (3:1, 1:13) our God is not capricious. Indifferent. Unjust.  He is personally involved in our life.   He knows us. His son died for us.  The “times” that come to us come for a reason.  Not just a whim. 
4.      There is a day coming when everything we have done in this life, will be judged and will count forever.  (Eccl 12:13-14). 
5.      He tells us to Fear God.  He is perfectly in line with the wisdom given in Proverbs where the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. 
a.       In the progress of revelation – He knew to fear God.  His life both here and afterwards was in God’s hand, not his.  God is in heaven and he is on earth (5:2) (Lord’s prayer).  (exalted; fear the God who is in heaven – he is not like us).  (Jesus walks on water…who is this? – not from earth in the same way we are.)
b.      We too know to fear God – and it drives us to the cross where the wrath of God – the fear that our sins bring us were met in Christ.



 





[1] ATime to Mourn and a Time to Dance, Derek Kidner, p. 13 note.
[2] Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture – B.S. Childs, p. 582. Kaiser holds to Solomon as the author.  Ecclesiastes Total Life, Walter C. Kaiser, p. 29
[3] Old Testament Theology, G. Von Rad, p. 454
[4] James P Allen, The Debate Between a Man and His Soul p. 22 and also p. 134 via Michael Eaton Ecclesiastes p. 34.
[6] The Epic of Gilgamesh PDF p. 17; or  ANET v. 1 p. 64; via Michael Eaton, Ecclesiastes p. 35.  Also Kaiser, p. 38. A new contemporary and a bit freer translation is available in the Irmo library by Stephen Mitchell.
[8] The Death of Ur-Nammu and His Descent into the Netherworld, Samuel Noah Kramer, Journal of Cuneiform Studies v. 21, p. 104-122.
[9] http://sajjeling.com/2013/12/10/the-cynical-and-pessimistic-mesopotamians/
[10] An Introduction to the Old Testament Poetic Books , C. Hassell Bullock p. 201 and ANET vol 1 Pritchard  ANET 437-438 p. 250.
[11] ANET 601-604, vol 2 p. 160
[12] A History of Western Philosophy,  Bertrand Russell p. 756.
[13] The Atheist’s Guide to Reality, Alex Rosenberg p. 2f
[14] http://www.usanetwork.com/satisfaction/home

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