7 Various outlines have been made of Ecclesiastes Some expositors feel there is no organization of thought, that the book is “disjointed in construction” (G S Hendry, “Ecclesiastes,” in The New Bible Commentary, p 538) The position of this book is that there is a discernible pattern of thought, developed in four “sermons,” shown on Chart 76 Read Exodus 5:22—6:9 for the signi cance of this covenant-name Jehovah (“LORD,” KJV) Solomon refers to Jehovah often in the book of Proverbs, so it isn’t that he himself did not know God as “LORD.” If Ecclesiastes was composed after Proverbs, Solomon is recalling his search for meaning in life before he came to know God as his Redeemer (cf 1:13) Some maintain that he wrote from a backslidden spiritual condition Wick Broomall, “Ecclesiastes,” in The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary, p 232 10 A marginal note of NASB suggests the word “futility” as a translation of “vanity” (1:2) The use of this word helps one’s understanding of the message of Ecclesiastes 11 The list is from J Sidlow Baxter, Explore the Book, 3:163 (Used by permission.) 12 Oswald Chambers, Preface, Shade of His Hand 19 Song of Solomon: Union and Communion A healthy balance in Bible study is maintained when the Song of Solomon is studied along with Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes focuses on the intellect of man—his mental outlook on life The Song of Solomon is a book about the emotions of man—in particular, the emotion of love It is a recognized fact that man’s total experience is directed by these three responses: intellect, emotions, and will Actually, all three responses are involved in a full experience of genuine love, just as this is true of genuine faith To say that the Song of Solomon is a book about the emotion of life is not to rule out intellect and will.1 It is just that the emotion aspect is prominent in the story But the Song of Solomon is more than a human love story It is a picture of the love between the Lord God and His people If your study of the Song of Solomon will arouse in you a more genuine love for your Lord, as well as a deeper gratitude for His love to you, then it will not surprise you that God chose to include such a love story in His Holy Scriptures I PREPARATION FOR STUDY Read the New Testament book of Ephesians to learn of the intimate relation between Christ, the Bridegroom, and His Bride, the Church (e.g., Eph 5:25-32) What does the picture of the marriage relationship teach about the believer’s salvation? II BACKGROUND ... aspect is prominent in the story But the Song of Solomon is more than a human love story It is a picture of the love between the Lord God and His people If your study of the Song of Solomon will arouse... maintained when the Song of Solomon is studied along with Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes focuses on the intellect of man—his mental outlook on life The Song of Solomon is a book about the emotions of man—in... experience of genuine love, just as this is true of genuine faith To say that the Song of Solomon is a book about the emotion of life is not to rule out intellect and will.1 It is just that the emotion