Latest Commentaries

Nebuchadnezzar demands that the wisemen tell him what he saw in his dream. The wisemen tell the king that only gods can accomplish this task. Because of their failure, the king orders that all the wisemen be killed.

The King of Babylon has a dream and demands that his wisemen not only tell him what it meant, but also tell him what he saw in the dream.

Solomon expresses his displeasure with how Time obscures the value of reason and experience. When it comes to relieving mankind’s compulsion to understand, wisdom is as vaporous as madness and folly.

Solomon ends with an admonition to trust and obey God because this is what makes the most sense for our lives. God will judge all things, both hidden and visible, and He will decide whether it is good or evil, not us.

Mastering wisdom brings integrity to life. But Solomon warns of endless writings and how study can be a distraction from fruitful living.

The Preacher has carefully crafted words of truth in order to share them with God’s people, to invite them into wisdom in the face of mystery.

The Preacher concludes by reasserting the elusiveness of complete understanding.

Life is short and our opportunity for wise stewardship (on earth) will not last forever.

Solomon challenges the young to remember God with a perspective that embraces both the brevity of life and the certainty of judgment.

Solomon exhorts young men to live joyfully and responsibly while at the height of their energy-investing wisely and making the most of every opportunity, knowing God will evaluate every aspect of life.

Solomon calls us to strive to invest our time wisely and maintain an attitude of thanksgiving, even while acknowledging the realities of a troubled world.

God determines what will be and His work is beyond our ability to control or understand. Accepting reality, the best we can do is to be intentional about our stewardship, rather than being paralyzed (or blindsided) by uncertainty.

There is a time and place for pleasure, but when pleasure replaces industry, evil follows. Be judicious in what you say. Words have great impact and have a tendency to find their way to unintended audiences. 

No one knows the future, no matter what they might think. The foolish avoid industry, think they can control circumstances, and fill the air with many words—all of which leads to madness and weariness.

Solomon sees evidence of folly in society and warns against reacting to the mystery of life (hebel) with apathy, evil, or injustice. Wisdom is the true path to success.

Foolishness is the opposite of wisdom and its effects/consequences are readily apparent. A little foolishness can poison a lot of wisdom. Wisdom requires making choices to act in ways that avoid emotional reactions.

Trying to control others through shouting and coercion is destructive while quiet words of wisdom are more powerful than weapons of war.

Wisdom is of the utmost value but does not produce the unerring approval of man. Nor can it control circumstances.

Unexpected and unpredictable circumstances are a part of life and often interrupt the predictable flow of events. We cannot control, understand, or perfectly anticipate what life has to offer.

Life on this earth is a once-in-an-existence opportunity. If we accept this reality and live with wisdom (founded in faith), we can enjoy life as God intended.