I suppose that many people contemplate the very thing about which Solomon wrote in the book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon wrote about the meaning and purpose of life. Ecclesiastes allows us to look into the questions that plague most of humanity. We will attempt to do this in our All Comers class for the winter-spring session of 2026.
            It was my pleasure and challenge to try to teach this book with my Wednesday night Bible class in 2016 and 2017. I say “try” because any pretentions I had about it being an easy study were quickly “out the window.” We spent a full year working through the book.
            Many people see the book as dark, foreboding and quite pessimistic. That assumption may account for the lack of study the book tends to receive. Also, part of the difficulty in understanding this book is the fact that wisdom literature is not kindergarten stuff. Solomon wrote in a way that was easily understood by the people of his day, but is mysterious and strange to us today.
            Ecclesiastes has received renewed attention in recent years. Freed-Hardeman University devoted their annual Bible lectureship to it in 2021. Truth for Today issued a commentary on it in 2016. A very interesting book by Michael Justus, Catching a Few Rays Sitting With Solomon Under the Sun: A Study of Ecclesiastes, was published by Resource Publications in 2014. This fresh emphasis on Ecclesiastes tells me that there is plenty of interest in the book. And why not? It challenges us to look at life with a full view, to listen to God, to think less of ourselves and to consider the consequences of our actions. As for my approach in the chapters I will cover I may not go so much verse-by-verse but will dig deep for lessons and application.
            Teaching along with myself in this class will be Wayne Brewer. I hope that you will join us in this class. All you will need is an open Bible and a ready mind. Be ready to learn and to live in such a way as to seek God under the sun!