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Ecclesiastes: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching & Preaching)

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This superb commentary on the book of Ecclesiastes is one of the best of the Interpretation series of commentaries. Like all Interpretation volumes, this is not a verse-by-verse technical study but rather a theological exposition.

Concerning authorship, Brown says that because the Psalter became associated with King David, so Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs came to be identified with David's son. It is taught by some that the Song of Songs was written by Solomon in his youth, Proverbs in his prime, and Ecclesiastes in his old age. Brown thinks that this is historically suspect. He says that the character of Solomon serves as both Qoheleth's guise and foil. "Qoheleth is the author's nom de guerre [pseudonym], and Solomon is his alter ego."

After the 18-page introduction, Brown treats us to 102 pages of superb exposition ending with a 17-page epilogue. Williams is a profound thinker and an elegant writer. I thoroughly enjoyed his commentary and, to a degree, it has transformed my mind. Following are a few of his thoughts.

"Qoheleth's odyssey is not a happy journey, but it is an enlightening one. . . . Preaching requires interpreting both the Word and the world."

"By coming to terms with absurdity, Qoheleth is able to discern the sublime within the mundane and the glory within the ordinary."

"People are not so much the shapers as the recipients of life."

Willliams finds no less than the key to life in Ecclesiastes: "The key to life, as the sage has intimated earlier, is found in the ability to enjoy the temporary, relative goods, given by God, on their own terms." And again: "Qoheleth has deconstructed all illusions of grandeur, royal and otherwise, and has elevated the import of the ordinary to its most profound level; it is in the mundane that the key to life is to be found."

The 17-page epilogue, entitled "Qoheleth's Place in Christian Faith and Life," covers the following topics: Death; The Purpose of History; Gain and Gift, Joy and Sorrow; Work and Vocation; Knowledge of God; Knowledge of Self; and a Conclusion.

If I had to summarize in two sentences what Williams says is the most important lesson taught in the book of Ecclesiastes, it is this: "Even in Qoheleth's topsy-turvy world, rife with contradiction, the sage refuses to let go of his faith in holy reverence. The godly can robustly, even defiantly, go forth in a world fraught with moral absurdity."

If I had to summarize in two sentences what I learned from Williams, it is this: I cannot control what happens to me yet alone control the world, but I can trust God. God gives me gifts of food, drink, work, the wife I love, and Himself, and I would be foolish not to thankfully enjoy His gifts.