Solomon delivers four scathing critiques of the human condition: oppression, rivalry, isolation, and the fleeting nature of power. This session walks through each of these social and existential problems, showing how they reflect a broken world. Oppression crushes the vulnerable; rivalry fuels ceaseless competition; isolation leads to despair; and popularity is as short-lived as a political season. Yet amid these bleak realities, Solomon offers brief glimpses of what is “better”—companionship, balance, and wisdom. The session then shifts to a powerful reflection on worship. It walks through Solomon’s counsel on how to approach God with humility, listen more than one speaks, […]
Solomon reaches a crescendo of frustration, lamenting the tragedy of unfulfilled desires and the mystery of what is truly “good” in life. The session...
Reflecting on the fate of the righteous and wicked alike—death—and how neither wisdom nor righteousness guarantees divine favor, the unpredictability of life is presented...
The Book of Ecclesiastes opens with a disturbing thesis: “Everything is pointless!” This first session introduces the genre of wisdom literature and the rhetorical...
