Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon.
Ecclesiastes.
Name. The Hebrew word means preacher and refers to or signifies one
who calls together and addresses assemblies.
The Personal or Human Element. Such expressions as "I perceived," "I
said in my heart," "I saw," etc., indicate that it is not the will of
God that is developed but a man is telling of his own ventures and
utter failure.
The General View or Key-phrase is "under the sun," with the sad
refrain, "vanity of vanities, all is vanity", and shows how a man
under the best possible conditions sought for joy and peace, trying at
its best every human resource. He had the best that could be gotten,
from human wisdom, from wealth, from worldly pleasure, from worldly
honor, only to find that all was "vanity and vexation of spirit." It
is what a man, with the knowledge of a holy God, and that He will
bring all into judgment, has learned of the emptiness of things "under
the sun" and of the whole duty of man to "fear God and keep his
commandments."
Purpose of the Book. The purpose, then, is not to express the doubts
or skepticism of the writer, not to record the complaining of a bitter
spirit. It is not the story of a pessimist or of an evil man turned
moralist. But it is intended to show that, if one should realize all
the aims, hopes and aspirations of life, they would not bring
satisfaction to the heart. His experience is used to show the result
of successful worldliness and self-gratification in contrast with the
outcome of the higher wisdom of the Godly life. We are shown that man
was not made for this world alone and not for selfish achievement or
gratification, but to fulfill some great plan of God for him which he
will accomplish through obedience and Divine service.
The Date and Authorship. The opening verse and certain other passages
such as some of the conditions as well as the characters of the
persons represented in the book give the impression that Solomon wrote
it, but there are other evidences that point to some other author.
Neither the author nor the date of writing has been definitely
determined.
Analysis.
I. The Vanities of Life. Chs. 1-4. seen in both experience and
observation.
1. The Vanity of what he has experienced, 1-2.
2. The Vanity of what he has observed, 3-4.
II. Practical Wisdom, Chs. 5-7.
1. Some prudential maxims, Chs. 5.
2. Some Vanities, Ch. 6.
3. The best way to get along in life, Ch. 7.
III. Rules for a Happy Life, Chs. 8-11.
IV. Conclusion of the Whole Matter, Ch. 13.
For Study and Discussion. (1) Make a list of all the different things
enumerated as a failure or vanity. (2) Make a list of the different
things coming to us as God's gift of providence. (3) Make a list of
prudential maxims or rules which teach how to live rightly and to lift
us above the tribulations and defeat of life. (4) Does the author
think seeking pleasure is the real business of life? (5) Does he deny
the value of altruistic service? (6) Does he believe in the future
life and in future rewards?
Song of Solomon.
Name. Song of Songs which is Solomon's. It is also called Canticles,
meaning Song of Songs and is so-called, perhaps, because of its very
great beauty.
The Subject. The subject is faithful love, seen in a woman who though
subjected to the temptations of an oriental court, remains faithful to
her old lover. She, a country girl of the north, attracts the
attention of the king who brings her to Jerusalem and offers her every
inducement to become the wife of the king. But upon final refusal she
is allowed to return home to her lover, a country shepherd lad.
Meaning of the Story. (1) To the Jews of that time it was a call to
purity of life, for a return to those relations which God had ordained
between man and woman. It was a protest against polygamy which had
become almost universal. Indeed, they regarded it as setting forth the
whole history of Israel. (2) To the Christian it sets forth in
allegory, Christ and his church as Bridegroom and Bride and the
fullness of love which unites the believer and his Savior. (3) To all
the world there is shown the purity and constancy of a woman's love
and devotion to her ideals. It furnishes ideal which, if properly held
up, would cast out of human society all those monstrous practices that
come from unworthy ideals.
The Style. It is part dialogue and part monologue. Their love on both
sides is expressed in that sensuous way common among the oriental
peoples. Many of the allusions give rise to the belief that it was
written to celebrate the nuptials of Solomon and the daughter of
Pharaoh.
Analysis.
I. The King's first attempt to win the Virgin's love. 1:1-2:7.
1. She converses with the ladies of the court, 1:1-8.
2. The King's first attempt fails to win her, 1:9-2:7.
II. The King's second effort to win her love, 2:8-5:8.
1. The virgin recalls her former happiness when with her lover at
home, 2:8-17.
2. In a dream she goes in search of him, 3:1-5.
3. The King shows her his glory and greatness, 3:6-11.
4. She again rejects his love in spite of his praise of her beauty,
4:1-7.
5. She longs for her absent lover, 4:8-5:1.
6. She dreams of seeking in vain for him, 5:2-8.
III. The King's third attempt to win her, 5:9-8:4.
1. The ladies of the court cannot understand her faithfulness to
her old lover. 5:9-6:3.
2. The King's third effort to win her is met with the declaration
of her purpose to remain true to her absent lover, 6:4-8:4.
VI. The Triumph of the Maiden, 8:5-14.
She returns to her home among the hills of the north and is reunited
with her shepherd lover.
For Study and Discussion. (1) Make a list of the passages by which the
woman's beauty is described. (2) Passages that suggest the relation of
the saved soul to Christ. (3) Passages that suggest the glory of the
church. (4) Some of the passages by which the love of the woman and of
the king is expressed. (5) The basis of human love. 2:2-3. (6) The
strength of human lover, 8:6-7. (7) The interpretation of human love
in terms of divine love.
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