Like a good detective, let's examine this book.

🔥 Overview

The book of Ecclesiastes is a sermon from Solomon, the wisest man ever. In this discourse, Solomon discusses the purpose of life. He tries everything, examines everything, and studies human life. When it is all complete, the purpose of life is to know and follow God. Everything else flows from there.

🔍 Things to Notice

This is written as a sermon.
Solomon looks at life in a pessimistic way.
When you think of Solomon as the wisest man alive, we may not always consider how much he got up to. He truly experienced it all.

🙏 Jesus in this Book

(Every book reveals the glory of God, displayed in Christ Jesus)

Jesus is the Source and Key to Life.

👀 Themes

There is a time for all things.
Don't work too hard. No one is getting out of this alive.
There is more than this life.
When it all comes to an end, obey and fear God.

😀 Who?

Who wrote it? Solomon.

Who is the original audience? The nation of Israel.

🪧 Where?

Where are we? The United Kingdom of Israel.

⏳ When?

When was it written: Approximately 935 BC.

🤔 What?

What is the big idea? (From Gotquestions.org) Ecclesiastes allows the Christian to understand the emptiness and despair that those who do not know God grapple with. Those who do not have a saving faith in Christ are faced with a life that will ultimately end and become irrelevant. If there is no salvation and no God, then not only is there no point to life, but there is no purpose or direction to it, either. The world “under the sun,” apart from God, is frustrating, cruel, unfair, brief, and “utterly meaningless.” But with Christ, life is but a shadow of the glories to come in a heaven that is only accessible through Him.

🧐 Why?

Why is this book important?
From Chuck Swindoll, "Ecclesiastes presents us a naturalistic vision of life—one that sees life through distinctively human eyes—but ultimately recognizes the rule and reign of God in the world. This more humanistic quality has made the book especially popular among younger audiences today, men and women who have seen more than their fair share of pain and instability in life but who still cling to their hope in God.”

📝 How?

How can I apply it? Life seems so pointless to some people. Other people think of life as one big race, with the goal of beating everyone else. The wisest man to live weighs in on the purpose of life. He concludes that the goal is not to get ahead or push everyone else down. The goal is to know, honor, obey, and fear God. Everything else should flow from that. The Apostle Paul echoes this in the New Testament when he says the early church is to make it their goal to live a "quiet life."