Author: Administrador

ECCLESIASTES 9–12 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man (Ecclesiastes 12:13). As the Teacher concludes his teaching, he provides us with the foundations of a biblical philosophy of life. First, he tells us that death does … Continue reading “THE BOTTOM LINE ON LIFE”

SONG OF SONGS 1–3 Solomon’s Song of Songs. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—for your love is more delightful than wine (Song of Songs 1:1–2). The Song of Songs, also called “Canticles” or the “Song of Solomon,” has a history of controversy. It is clearly a song about love between a … Continue reading “THE SONG OF SONGS”

ECCLESIASTES 3:1–8 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1). As we have seen, the Bible teaches that time is linear and that history is moving toward a goal in terms of the plan of God. The fact that history is real for God, since He made … Continue reading “A TIME FOR EVERYTHING”

ECCLESIASTES 3:9–22 I thought in my heart, “God will bring to judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed” (Ecclesiastes 3:17). In the ancient world the primary concern of philosophers was the nature of reality and the essence of things. We call … Continue reading “EVERYTHING HAS A PURPOSE”

ECCLESIASTES 3–5 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Because we as human beings exist in time, the meaning of our lives is intimately connected to historical events and realities. … Continue reading “THE INSCRUTABILITY OF HISTORY”

ECCLESIASTES 1 The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course (Ecclesiastes 1:6). In ancient pagan thought the world was not regarded as the creation of a personal God. Instead, the world had always existed. “God” was simply another way of saying “world” … Continue reading “TIME LINE OR VICIOUS CYCLE?”

ECCLESIASTES 1 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind (Ecclesiastes 1:14). The phrase “under the sun” is a constant refrain in Ecclesiastes. It occurs 29 times in the book. To understand it we need to go back to Genesis 1. … Continue reading “LIFE UNDER THE SUN”

ECCLESIASTES 2 I thought in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless (Ecclesiastes 2:1). The Teacher spends most of chapters 1 and 2 of his treatise discussing various ways in which he sought the meaning of life. He tried … Continue reading ““CHASING AFTER THE WIND””

PROVERBS 1:7; 3:1–12 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil (Proverbs 3:7). “The fear of the Lord” (1:7)—the theme of Proverbs—has nearly as many interpretations as interpreters. The best way to understand it is to look at another passage that addresses our attitude toward the Word of God. … Continue reading “TO FEAR IS TO OBEY”

PROVERBS 8 “For whoever finds me [wisdom] finds life and receives favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 8:35). Scholars often contrast the authority of the Law and prophets (“Thus says the Lord”) with the “sanctified common sense” of the proverbs (“It seems to me …”). Some even say that proverbs are suggestions which we are free … Continue reading “WISDOM’S MORAL IMPERATIVE”