Family Worship Westminster Question 41-45.

In our previous articles, we demonstrated how the author of Ecclesiastes, the preacher, is a TYPE (1) of Christ. This is significant because it explains our Triune God’s roles as Prophet, Priest, and King for the world at creation and our roles as the image bearers of God in reflecting Him as Prophet, Priest, and King to the world. 

Since we as authors are especially involved in Ecclesiastes, we would like to use the wise council of both the WLC and the historical redemptive reading of the Scriptures to guide us to our Great Redeemer, as mediator between His church and God, the One Good Shepherd in Ecclesiastes. First things first. How in the world can we make a connection between Christ Jesus, Ecclesiastes, and his church? Here are a couple of things to consider:

Read and Sing Psalm 19 from the Trinity Psalter

In this final section of Ecclesiastes, the Preacher lifts the curtain and reveals his end goal, which is the true nature of wisdom. I think that many people in the church don't want to hear about wisdom, but instead, they want to be told what to do. We confuse wisdom and law. You see, at the deepest part of human nature is the legalist, and he/she loves the law. This is because they believe that it's their adherence to the law that will save them and guide them in every single circumstance in life. But this is the very point that the Preacher is refuting. He is comparing books' demanding and exhausting nature to the dynamic and liberating nature of true wisdom.

Wisdom theology can be described as general observations about how God ordered the world in creation.  This ordered creation is reliable, regular, coherent and ethical, as seen and taught in Proverbs. If we link Ecclesiastes with wisdom, then we must connect “life under the sun” as coming from creation. However, Ecclesiastes 1:14-15 reminds us that this same creation has been made crooked by man’s rebellious sin:

Together Read: Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 And Rev. 21:18-20

Many scholars and laypeople believe Ecclesiastes is not, and cannot be, connected with any of the books of the Bible. Yet, in our hearts, we know this must not be true. When people do try to fit it into the rest of Scripture, they will typically try to connect it in one of two ways. 1.) Ecclesiastes is responding/reacting to the entrenched teaching, “If you do this, this will happen” of Proverbs.” and 2.) Ecclesiastes shows us our need for God by the Solomonic Preacher giving us a life lesson in what not to do.

In this article we will give three tools to understand Ecclesiastes and aid in comprehending this OT sermon as you study and read it: 1.) How the Preacher combines multiple word meanings into a single word to craft a relevant theological truth about common ordinary life, 2.) We will then show how the Preacher utilizes the common (in the ancient world) metaphor of “shepherd” to expose a deeper truth about our inability to find meaning in this life “under the sun”. Lastly, 3.) We will show why our search for meaning in life “under the sun” is utter futility and blinds us to the good and ordinary gifts of God, which include eating, drinking, and being merry when it is done apart from the one good shepherd. Plus a guide for Family Worship.