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 Mesopotamia – Counsels 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 Mesopotamia – The 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.
[5] http://www.touregypt.net/manwhowastiredoflife.htm
- a copy of the text
[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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