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This week we are finishing up Proverbs and reading through Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon, so we will be covering quite a bit of ground.
Before we move on to the new books however I want to point out that Proverb 31, written by a man named Agur is my favorite Proverb,
because it describes the attributes of an excellent wife, and I am very blessed that my wife is definitely a Proverbs 31 wife.
Both Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon are considered books of poetry, however they are very different. Both have been attributed to Solomon as the author, but there are some that think that parts of them could be by other authors.
If Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes I believe that it was during a difficult time in his life because he used the word meaningless over 80 times in the book. However that doesn't mean that there isn't some great thoughts in it. Like Proverbs this book is full of wise sayings and advice. In addition for those of you old enough you will recognize the lyrics to a popular song by the Byrds from the 60s in Chapter 3, and Gary just preached on verses 7-12 from Chapter 4 a couple of weeks ago. That is a great passage! So my suggestion for you would be the same as it was with Proverbs, read this book slowly and write down the verses that speak to you. I am sure you will find some!
Song of Solomon is a very different book with a very different tone. First of all it's a song, not only is it a song, but it is a duet, and it's pretty easy to see it's a love song since the two leads are called Beloved and Lover. We also have a chorus, named "Friends".
This book reads a little like an opera where the two leads are searching for each other during the story, and then find each other at the end, with a happy ending! There are several theories about the theology of book, one of which is that it's an allegory of Solomon's pursuit, search and love for wisdom. Or it could be just what it seems like, a beautiful love song. However I would caution using this to impress someone you are interested in. I would especially warn you guys from describing a girl as having teeth like flock of goats, or a nose like the tower of Lebanon! At least I would if you like them.
Enjoy!
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