Ecclesiastes

I'll be honest...Ecclesiastes was beyond me. Like in the ozone. Part of that is what I might call the "obtuse" nature of the text, and part of it was the fact that I was punchy from the painting project that I was working on as I was reading.

So, with a deep breath and every possible disclaimer, let me offer a few observations and impressions:

1. It seems to me that Ecclesiastes is all about offering perspective. Tempted to find value in your work? It's meaningless. Tempted to exalt yourself in your wisdom? It's meaningless. Thinking that perhaps your wealth will get you ahead. It too is meaningless. To me Ecclesiastes serves us as a helpful gutcheck; are your priorities in alignment? Is God at the center of what you about, what you trust in, what you focus on? Or is it something else? That's my best shot at interpreting the main point of Ecclesiastes, but, what the heck, perhaps it's just...meaningless?

2. So, can we just say that Solomon's the guy then?!? Ecclesiastes appears to be a big quote from Solomon. 1:1 describes the speaker as a "teacher (or in the footnote the "leader of the assembly"), a "son of David," and the "king in Jerusalem." Uh, certainly sounds like ol' Sol. What's the significance of him not getting named?!?

3. Don't read Ecclesiastes if you are sad. Just sayin'. Couple of repeated phrases: "meaningless," "a chasing after the wind," and "noting new under the sun." What a joy. When I got to the word "hope" in 9:4, I got up and hugged my wife...

4. There are a couple of gems in Ecclesiastes. A couple of my favorites:
a. "If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks." (10:18)
b. "The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?" (6:11)
c. "A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." (4:12)
d. "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might..." (9:10)