After exhausting pleasure and wisdom, Solomon turns to work—and quickly despairs. This session explains Solomon’s bitter realization: the gain from all his labor and work will eventually pass to someone else, who may be a fool. The injustice of toiling under the sun, only to hand it over, feels unbearable. Yet Solomon also glimpses a subtle shift: enjoyment of daily labor, food, and drink is a gift from God. This session reflects on how Ecclesiastes introduces a “carpe diem” moment, not as a shallow impulse, but as a humble acceptance of divine provision. Even if work doesn’t answer life’s ultimate […]
Solomon confronts the painful paradoxes of righteousness and wickedness. The Sage (Teacher) observes that the righteous may die young while the wicked enjoy long...
Solomon reaches a crescendo of frustration, lamenting the tragedy of unfulfilled desires and the mystery of what is truly “good” in life. The session...
The Book of Ecclesiastes opens with a disturbing thesis: “Everything is pointless!” This first session introduces the genre of wisdom literature and the rhetorical...
