Ecclesiastes: A Participatory Study Guide

By Russell L. Meek

What is wrong with the author of Ecclesiastes? Why is there a book in the Bible that tells us that all is vanity? Who is the author?

Ecclesiastes: A Participatory Study Guide is the ninth volume in the Participatory Study Series and the first that is a guide to an Old Testament book.

There has been much controversy about the correct approach to interpreting Ecclesiastes. Is the author clinically depressed? Should you read the book when you're down in order to find someone who can join you in your misery? Is there anything uplifting in it?

There are some who have thought the book doesn't belong in the Bible at all. Russell L. Meek takes a different approach. Through a serious study of the language and of the relationship between the text and that of other Bible writers, he discovers a much more positive message. It is still a book that can help you if you're looking at the troubles and problems of the world. But it is more than a place to find a companion in misery.

In its text you can find help from someone who knows the way out, who knows how a person of faith, even if that faith is tried to the breaking point, can find enjoyment and rest in God. Its six lessons are thematic, covering issues such as the date, authorship and literary context of the book, the meaning of the key Hebrew word hebel, traditionally translated "vanity," the theme of death in Ecclesiastes, the way the author makes use of other scriptural text and why this is important to our understanding of the book, injustice, and how we should respond to the troubles of life.

It is not just a theoretical study, but always examines how this Bible book can guide us in our lives. This study guide continues the tradition of the Participatory Study Series by helping to model different techniques and approaches for Bible study. The author doesn't just tell you what the text means; he shows you how to discover this and gives you the opportunity to interact with the Bible text for yourself.

It's designed for use by small groups, but it is also suitable for individual study. As is the case with each volume in this series, it includes pointers to help with your own Bible study and lists of resources to help guide you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Energion Publications
• Release date: Nov 21, 2013
• ISBN: 9781938434952

Book preview

Praise for Ecclesiastes: A Participatory Study Guide

Russ Meek is one of the brightest young minds in the church today and his Ecclesiastes: A Participatory Study Guide is a gift to the church. In this book, Meek packages his scholarly research on Ecclesiastes in a way that is accessible to Christians who lack formal theological training. Ecclesiastes: A Participatory Study Guide is guaranteed to be a blessing to church members who utilize it and to the church at large.

Jason K. Allen

President, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

The book of Ecclesiastes has been a passion of mine for many years. I have always been saddened by the fact that the book is often ignored in churches. The primary reason for the lack of attention is that most believers simply do not understand the book and view it as negative. Yet, there is perhaps no other book that speaks so powerfully to the modern American as does Ecclesiastes. I discovered this to be true when Russell Meek walked into my office one day and asked that I lead him through a study on Ecclesiastes. Studying the book transformed his life and renewed his faith. Russell has always been fervent about passing on the help he received from the book to others. To this end, Russell Meek has provided this much needed resource for the church in Ecclesiastes: A Participatory Guide. The book is written in a down to earth style that is easy and enjoyable to read. At the same time, Russell broaches the difficult questions and matters of interpretation in straightforward way. The result is a fun, thoroughly informative study that cannot fail to impact those who use it to work through the book of Ecclesiastes. We have all struggled at one time or another to understand how a good God can be at work in a world where things are not as they are supposed to be. When you are ready to figure out how to respond, open the book of Ecclesiastes and pick up Russell Meek’s guide. They will help restore your hope and faith.

N. Blake Hearson

Associate Professor of OT and Hebrew

Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

While the academic study of Ecclesiastes has grown substantively in recent years, the book remains a hidden gem for many in the church. And tragically, fewer books could be more relevant to our postmodern, post-Christian society, which is groping for meaning in a fallen world. With the precision of an expert and the sensibility of a pastor, Russell Meek offers the church an in-depth and personal tour through one of Scripture’s least explored books. Russ has long been my personal Ecclesiastes tour guide, and I am now thankful others have the chance to learn from him as well.

William R. Osborne

Assistant Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies

College of the Ozarks

Russell Meek gives an insightfully fresh perspective on the hidden treasures of Ecclesiastes by showing why the book has often been misjudged as negative, when instead, it should be seen as an encouragement. Through this wonderful six-week journey, the reader will see powerfully expressed that life should not be seen as vanity, but rather as a brief and transient vapor that should be thoroughly enjoyed!

D. Kevin Brown

Pastor, Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Wilkesboro, NC

Author of Rite of Passage for the Home and Church

This book is a careful, scholarly, and yet devotional reading of one of the most thought-provoking books of the Bible. It is an excellent companion to the Book of Ecclesiastes.

Allan R. Bevere

Pastor, First United Methodist Church, Akron, Ohio

Professional Fellow in Theology

Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, Ohio

Ecclesiastes:

A Participatory Study Guide

Russell L. Meek

Energion Publications

Gonzalez, FL

2013

Copyright © 2013, Russell L. Meek

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U. S. A. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Electronic ISBN: 978-1-938434-95-2

ISBN10: 1-938434-66-8

ISBN13: 978-1-938434-66-2

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013955707

Energion Publications

P. O. Box 841

Gonzalez, FL 32560

energionpubs.com

[e-mail]

For Brittany, who has listened to my ramblings about Ecclesiastes since she met me, and who convinces me more every day that he who finds a wife finds a good thing, and has obtained favor from Yahweh (Prov 18:22).

THE PARTICIPATORY STUDY SERIES

The Participatory Study Series from Energion Publications is designed to invite Bible students to become a part of the community of faith that produced the texts we now have as Scripture by studying them empathetically and with an aim to learn and grow spiritually.

The section Using this Book and the appendices are designed for the series and adapted to the particular study guide. Each author is free to emphasize different resources in the study, and individual students, group leaders, and teachers are encouraged to enhance their study through the use of additional resources.

It is our prayer at Energion Publications that each study guide will lead you deeper into Scripture and more importantly closer to the One who inspired it.

— Henry Neufeld, General Editor

Table of Contents

THE PARTICIPATORY STUDY SERIES iv

Using this Book vii

Introduction 1

Lesson One 5

Lesson Two 27

Lesson Three 45

Lesson Four 65

Lesson Five 87

Lesson Six 107

Bibliography 121

Participatory Study Method 129

Tools for Bible Study 133

Using this Book

This study guide consists of three sections:

Introductory information

Six lessons

Appendix

We recommend that you first read Appendix A: Participatory Bible Study to learn the approach to Bible study used in this series. This guide is built around that approach and it will provide a helpful starting point for understanding how the guide approaches the text.

You should also have some kind of guideline for how you will approach your study. This guide is going to suggest a process of study, which I’ll repeat briefly here:

Preparation, including materials, prayer, and opening your mind

Overview

Background

The inner cycle (or central loop): Meditate, Question, Research, Compare

Sharing

This is a study process that says very little about what you might do at each step of the process. It is, however, built on the principles of lectio divina, or holy reading. Let’s summarize those principles before we look at the steps to see how they will help you apply these same principles to your study.

Holy Reading: A Model for Bible Study

Lectio divina, which means holy reading, is an ancient practice of studying Scripture. There are many ways to practice lectio divina, as evidenced by the many ways it has been practiced since Origen first described it around 220 a.d. The great monastic traditions of the church further developed it into distinct phases and practices. The basic principle is that reading and studying the Bible should be remarkably different than reading the morning paper or studying Shakespeare. The Bible is a sacred text; it is a Living Word. It should not, therefore, be studied as if it were a collection of dead pages from history.

When the two men were walking down the Road to Emmaus, they met the risen Christ but did not recognize him (Luke 24). As they were walking down the road, Jesus interpreted the biblical story for them. Only later, as they were breaking bread, did they realize that Christ was with them the entire time.

Lectio Divina is a practice that, through the power of the Holy Spirit, invites the risen Christ to interpret Scripture to us anew. It is a prayerful reading of Scripture that expects God to speak once again through this holy Word. Prayer should influence the way you study the Bible, and studying the Bible should influence the way you pray. In lectio divina, it is impossible to tell when you are studying and when you are praying, as there is no difference.

This practice is usually applied on small passages of Scripture for an extended period of time. However, in this study lectio divina is used as a strategy to study an entire book of the Bible. This is somewhat challenging because the text is so large, but the prayerful approach is still crucial to Christian study of Scripture. In these lessons, the ancient practice of lectio is blended with modern study methods that take into account the historical, cultural, and literary contexts.

The historical methods are important to us because they help connect us to people of a different time and place who experienced the same God that we do, learned from the same texts, and were led by the same Spirit. In this context we do not study history for its own sake; we study history so that we might meet those who wrote the texts and those who have studied the passages before us.

The lessons in this guide are designed around the four movements of lectio divina established by Guigo II, a twelfth-century Carthusian monk, in a book called The Monk’s Ladder. He organized the practice around four rungs that help us draw closer to God through reading the Bible.

Reading (lectio): The first rung of the ladder is reading. Believe it or not this is the step most often skipped or diminished. It is important to complete the Bible reading for each lesson in order to get the most out of it. Ideally the biblical book should be read several times so that you can become familiar with its language and themes. This book is a guide to help you study the biblical text. It is a supplement to the text itself, and the text of Scripture should be the primary focus in your study. The steps of the participatory study method emphasize different ways of reading to help the text become part of you as you study.

Meditating (meditatio): The next step is to meditate prayerfully on the text. Dig deep into it. Study the words. Break it down into pieces. In this study this is where the most of the background information is located. Look up words to find their meaning. Notice if there are any words or actions that the Holy Spirit may be leading you to examine further.

Praying (oratio): Third, we learn to pray the text. Use what you have learned from the Scripture to formulate a prayer. It may be helpful to write it down. At the beginning of each lesson is a prayer that expounds on the themes from the text. Feel free to add your own prayers. This is where the text really becomes alive to us.

In the method used for this study guide, prayer is not seen as simply one part of the study; prayer permeates your study. You start with prayer and listening so that you will hear what God has to say through the text. Then you end by turning what you have heard from God back into prayer. The prayer never ceases!

Contemplating (contemplatio): The last step is the most difficult and rewarding. You have read the text, studied the text, and prayed the text. Now it is time to be the text. Let it seep into your being. Be still and listen. Make sure you leave some time after prayer for silence and reflection. It is said that Dan Rather once interviewed Mother Theresa about her prayer life. Rather asked her, What do you say to God when you pray? Her answer was simple: I don’t say anything. I just listen. After that he asked, Well, what does Jesus say to you? And Mother Theresa answered, Oh, he doesn’t say anything, either. He just listens. Listening is what is important. You may not always feel anything, but God is there. Another facet of contemplation is to learn to do the text. We cannot be just hearers of the word; we must also be doers of the word. Let the Scripture change the way you live your life.

Applying the Principles in Participatory Study

Preparation

As you begin the study, preparation will involve getting the materials you want to use, then prayer to begin each session of study. Part of this introductory time will be making decisions about the time and resources you can devote to this study. This is also your time of prayer. Before you begin to read, pray. Then listen. You come to the text because God calls you to it.

Overview

Read Ecclesiastes through at least once, but preferably three times. Don’t feel bad about how many times you read. Choose a number that seems reasonable to you. This is part of lectio, but only part. You will learn to read in other ways in different phases of your study. Once you have read Ecclesiastes through your chosen number of times, read one or two of the following:

The entry on Ecclesiastes in a Bible handbook;

The entry on Ecclesiastes in a Bible dictionary;

The introductory note on Ecclesiastes in your study Bible, if you’re using one;

The introductory section of a good commentary on Ecclesiastes (see Appendix B for resource details).

Here is where we introduce historical elements into your study. Don’t imagine that God cannot talk to you through this text because you are so far separated from the people who wrote it. They were people like you who had hopes, dreams, gifts, and failings. Study the background to help you connect to them. Christianity is a community that extends not only in space right now but in time.

The Central Loop

For this overview, your central loop, as I call it, is your whole study of the book. Keep in mind that no element of your study is something you do just once and then forget about it. Prayer is continuous. There are multiple ways of reading, questioning, studying, and sharing.

For this study, I have divided Ecclesiastes into six thematic lessons.

Introduction to Ecclesiastes