Publisher's Synopsis
The name Ecclesiastes is a translation of the Hebrew word koheleth, meaning "one who convenes an assembly" or simply a preacher. Throughout this book, the author presents a series of questions in search of the purpose of life. His questions and subsequent conclusions illustrate his journey in trying to understand why we are here on earth. As students study this book, they will reflect on the purpose of mortality and discover with the author that everyone will one day have to stand before God and be judged.The book of Ecclesiastes is a fascination to many. It is not a book to be ignored. It is of extreme value, especially for those who seek to discover the reason for life. People who take life seriously. In this permissive, hedonistic, materialistic society, there is a great need to understand the principles taught in the book. The author reveals the futility of life without God and is not afraid to bring it into the dynamic of life. In fact, he does so because he understands the relationship between understanding the principles of God the Creator and the creature's way of life.Perhaps the greatest contribution of the book is to expose the successes, mistakes, observations and analysis of the life of an old man - Solomon, the author of the book, and its implications for the reader, especially the young. The content of Ecclesiastes forms a set of principles (implicit and explicit) that teach between the lines how to live life well, while always failing to expose that "all is in vain" if God is not in it.
