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A Study in
DR. J. RICHARD CHASE Although his name is not used in the text of Ecclesiastes, the descrip tions about the man who wrote this book give unmistakable evi dence that it must have been Sol omon. The descriptions he gives of himself show that power, wis dom, wealth and even experience are not enough to give life mean ing. If the grave is all that signals the end of life, what value is there to daily existence? Without a resur rected Saviour everything is futility. We remember Paul's testimony that if Christ be not risen, then our faith is "vain" or empty. The dismal out look is simply "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." The first thing that impresses me
is that Solomon was a wise teacher (Ecclesiastes 1:1). The word preach er here is probably a bit narrower than the original concept suggested in the Hebrew language. The term today brings to mind one who comments almost exclusively on religious matters. The broader con cept of the profession is revealed in the original manuscript. Be cause of Solomon's position as king we could refer to him as the phi losopher-statesman. He investi gated all kinds of ideas in order to communicate them to his people. In fact the Creek ecclesia, from which we get the heading of Eccles iastes, simply means to call togeth er individuals. So, these are the
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