Ecclesiastes (and other Bible studies that either make or break a new relationship)

I absolutely adore this book. Ask my wife (ask your mom kids). When we were first dating, I decided (the good Christian guy that I was in my first dating experience as a follower of Jesus) we should do a Bible study together. So we went through Ecclesiastes!

Chipper, eh? 

Better than going through Song of Songs I suppose.  For all the difficulties in dealing with the depression of Ecclesiastes, they pale in comparison, I imagine, to starting a new relationship with a beautiful girl by studying the pleasures of martial intimacies (probably not in wisdom's best interest and I believe Paul would back me on this).

I love the paradox of this book: A God-inspired vision of a world without God.  It should be dire.  What else would expect God to say?  "Life without Me isn't so bad.  I guess. *sigh*"

Only God can really pull back the curtain to reveal what it all would mean if the Meaning was absent.

"Vanity of vanities. All is vanity!"

This is echoed throughout the book and is it's general theme.

I read a fantastic book that covered this called: "Three Philosophies of Life: Ecclesiastes--Life as Vanity, Job--Life as Suffering, Song of Songs--Life as Love" by Peter Kreeft.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Bible and philosophy. I hope to make this part of our home school curriculum for my kids someday (or at the very least a book they read with their dad to entertain his him while they go about their other business of education).

Buy it HERE.