Ecclesiastes is perhaps the most pessimistic book of the Old Testament. It opens with these words, "Meaningless! Meaningless!"
says the Teacher.
"Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." Meaning in the end we all die and that everything the author thought important, was not.
It is fairly well agreed upon that Solomon is the author, though he is not mentioned by name. Solomon 1:1 "The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem." Pastor teaches this class from the point of Solomon being the author and in this way brings the book into a more positive view - seeing this book as a testimony to Solomon coming back to God in the later days of his life. The dating of the book is uncertain. The theme of the book is that it is folly (vanity) to live a life without God. The book also talks about the author amassing silver and gold, slaves, herds and flocks, singers and a harem (Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines and they pulled him away from his faith in God. Solomon started his kingship so well and was devoted to God but throughout his life goes further and further from God. If Solomon is the author, this gives the hope that he returned to God at the end of his lie). The author concludes that in the end he had nothing. If this is Solomon, this is encouraging that he understood that and came to the realization that there is more than just this earthly life. Pastor explores several key verses: ⁃ Whoever loves money will never have enough ⁃ Everyone comes naked from the womb. As everyone comes, so they depart. ⁃ No one on earth is righteous and never sins. ⁃ Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of adversity come and the years approach of which you will say,"I find no pleasure in them." Meaning come to the Lord in your youth and don't wander away from Him. Solomon is looking back on his life and realizing how foolish he was to abandon his faith in God. ⁃ The book concludes with "When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man." This is a book that starts out rather pessimistic but ends with a powerful message to come back to the Lord. Esther is a book that has been under much attack by critics. Thought of as fiction, but Pastor believes the book to be firmly anchored in history. An uplifting and powerful story. List of objections to Esther by critics: ⁃ No mention of "God" but He is none-the-less all over this book. Perhaps the absence of His name makes His presence that much more real. The things of this story could not have happened without Him. ⁃ No mention of Esther in Herodotus. ⁃ Objections to "Mordecai" (but a discovery in Susa shows an inscription with "Marduk-ai-a" being an official in Susa during reign of Xerxes bringing validation to the book) ⁃ Palace at Susa destroyed within 30 years of the writing of Esther. But in recent times it has been discovered that what is written in Esther about the palace is exactly right. ⁃ Haman the Agatgite (name may refer to the Province from which he came vs. him being an Amelekite.) Esther ⁃ Author: Mordecai? ⁃ Date: uncertain (464-330 BC) ⁃ Setting; ⁃ Persian emperor Xerxes (486-465 BC) ⁃ 3rd year of Xerxes' reign = 483 BC (1:3) Of historical record is that Xerxes held a massive gathering of leaders to plan to conquer the rest of the world. This historical event is the event that kicks off the book of Esther. At this event Queen Vashti is deposed and then for the next 3 years Xerxes is on a campaign to conquer the world beginning with the Greeks. ⁃ 7th year of Xerxes' reign = 483-479 BC (2:16) He comes back from the war campaign defeated. To cheer him up his men hold a beauty contest to determine the next queen. Esther and many other young women are brought into his harem and King Xerxes chooses Esther she becomes queen. ⁃ 12th year of Xerxes' reign = 483474 BC (3:7) Haman, a wealthy, influential leader in the Persian government, despises Mordecai and wants to kill him and all Jews. But what Haman does not know is that Queen Esther is related to Mordecai. Haman comes to Xerxes and convinces Xerxes to have the Jewish people destroyed on a specific date that is 11 months away. Mordecai learns of the plan and tells Esther. This is when Mordecai says to Esther, "…if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" ⁃ Haman plots while Esther and the Jewish people fast and pray. Then one night King Xerxes couldn't sleep and he has old records read to him and discovers he never rewarded Mordecai for protecting the him. Xerxes gives Mordecai the reward and this angers Haman even more. ⁃ At the next evening's dinner, the king asks what Esther wants, and she tells the King that Haman wants me and my people killed and Haman is killed on the pole that he had built for Mordecai and Mordecai is given the King's ring. ⁃ The King orders that on the day planned to kill the Jews (an irrevocable order) that the Jews are to defend themselves and defeat their enemies. 75,000 anti-jewish rioters were killed that day along with Haman's 10 sons. ⁃ The victory became a festival called Purim and is a time of great rejoicing. God uses a young woman, Esther, to save Messiah's line. This story shows us how God intervenes in history to carry out His plans. Join us next week for our study of Daniel. 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