Ecclesiastes: The Philippians of the Old Testament

by Barrick, William D.

• ISBN13: 9781845507763
• ISBN10: 1845507762
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-03-12
• Publisher: Stl Distribution North Amer

Summary

The Focus on the Bible commentary series Readable, Reliable, Relevant

Author Biography

William D. Barrick serves as Professor of Old Testament and Director of Th.D studies at The Master's Seminary, Sun Valley, California. He is author of a number of books and written articles for a number of Journals.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 9
Ecclesiastes' Contribution to Theology	p. 10
'Vanity of Vanities'	p. 12
The Purpose of Ecclesiastes	p. 13
The Title of Ecclesiastes	p. 14
The Canonicity of Ecclesiastes	p. 15
The Authorship and Date of Ecclesiastes	p. 17
Views	p. 17
Linguistic Evidence	p. 18
Internal and Contextual Evidence	p. 20
Literary Description	p. 23
The Message of Ecclesiastes	p. 24
Outline of Ecclesiastes	p. 26
Study Questions	p. 27
A Disappointing Discovery	p. 29
Vanishing Vapors (1:2)	p. 31
Round and Round, and Round and Round … (1:3-8)	p. 34
Nothing New (1:9-11)	p. 39
In Pursuit of Wisdom (1:12-18)	p. 42
Study Questions	p. 47
A Disappointing Discovery (continued)	p. 49
In Pursuit of Pleasure (2:1-9)	p. 49
Still Pursuing the Wind (2:10-11)	p. 52
Solomon's Assessment of Life under the Sun (2:12-17)	p. 53
Solomon's Assessment of Labor under the Sun (2:18-23)	p. 56
The Search's Conclusion (2:24-26)	p. 58
Study Questions	p. 59
The Hours, Days, and Years of Our Lives	p. 61
A Poem on Time (3:1-8)	p. 62
The Poem's Message (3:9-22)	p. 66
Study Questions	p. 71
Two by Two	p. 73
Observing Oppression (4:1-3)	p. 74
Observing Jealousy (4:4-6)	p. 76
Observing Loneliness (4:7-12)	p. 78
Observing-Politics (4:13-16)	p. 80
Conclusion	p. 82
Study Questions	p. 83
Beyond the Sun	p. 85
Approaching the Presence of God (5:1-3)	p. 86
Guarding Our Steps (5:1a)	p. 87
Drawing Near to Listen (5:1b)	p. 88
Avoiding Hastiness (5:2a)	p. 90
Limiting Our Words (5:2b-3)	p. 90
Apprehending Promises to God (5:4-7)	p. 91
Fulfilling Commitments (5:4-5)	p. 93
Meaning What We Say (5:6)	p. 93
Fearing God (5:7)	p. 94
Understanding the Role of Rulers (5:8-9)	p. 95
Dealing with the Pursuit of Wealth (5:10-17)	p. 97
Concluding Thoughts Regarding Wealth (5:18-20)	p. 99
Study Questions	p. 101
Possessing Everything, But Enjoying Nothing	p. 103
Case History #1: A Full Treasury (6:1-2)	p. 103
Case History #2: A Full Quiver (6:3-5)	p. 105
Case History #3: A Full Life Span (6:6)	p. 106
The Elusiveness of Satisfaction and Rest (6:7-9)	p. 107
A Sovereign Lord (6:10-12)	p. 108
Study Questions	p. 110
Life Is Complicated: Live with Care	p. 113
A Person's Present Conditions in the Light of Eternity (7:1-14)	p. 116
Death Is Good (7:1-4)	p. 117
The Superiority of Wisdom (7:5-12)	p. 121
The Sovereign God Is in Control (7:13-14)	p. 125
A Person's Character in the Light of Revelation (7:15-29)	p. 129
Balanced Living (7:15-18)	p. 129
Wisdom Rather Than Perfection (7:19-22)	p. 132
The Search for an Explanation (7:23-29)	p. 133
Study Questions	p. 137
Wisdom Has Its Limits	p. 139
Wisdom in Situations beyond a Person's Control (8:1-9)	p. 139
Being Wise in a King's Throne Room (8:2-6)	p. 141
Being Wise through Life's Uncertainties (8:7-9)	p. 143
Being Wise in God's Throne Room (8:10-17)	p. 146
Study Questions	p. 151
Imperatives for Living Wisely	p. 153
In God's Hand (9:1)	p. 153
The Reality of Death and the Urgency of Living (9:2-10)	p. 156
Life's Inescapable Ironies (9:11-12)	p. 164
A Lesson from History (9:13-18)	p. 166
Study Questions	p. 168
A Final Reflection about Folly	p. 169
Recognizing Fools (10:1-4)	p. 169
An Upside-Down World (10:5-7)	p. 172
Proverbs from Everyday Life Settings (10:8-11)	p. 175
The Words and Work of a Fool (10:12-15)	p. 176
Due Diligence (10:16-20)	p. 177
Study Questions	p. 182
Sowing in the Morning, Sowing in the Evening	p. 183
What a Person Does Not Know (11:1-6)	p. 184
Rejoice in the Light (11:7-8)	p. 189
Again, Rejoice (11:9-10)	p. 190
Study Questions	p. 193
Life Under a Setting Sun	p. 195
Solomonic Advice (12:1-7)	p. 196
The Gathering Storm (12:2)	p. 198
The Household of the Deceased (12:3-4)	p. 199
Aging: The Ultimate Harbinger of Death (12:5)	p. 200
Death: Returning to God (12:6-7)	p. 201
Table of Interpretations	p. 203
The Epilogue to Ecclesiastes (12:8-14)	p. 209
Study Questions	p. 214
An Epilogue: Further Thoughts on Ecclesiastes	p. 215
Study Questions	p. 220
Bibliography	p. 221
Subject Index	p. 230
Scripture Index	p. 235
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.