Ecclesiastes


Book Description

The publication of the King James version of the Bible, translated between 1603 and 1611, coincided with an extraordinary flowering of English literature and is universally acknowledged as the greatest influence on English-language literature in history. Now, world-class literary writers introduce the book of the King James Bible in a series of beautifully designed, small-format volumes. The introducers' passionate, provocative, and personal engagements with the spirituality and the language of the text make the Bible come alive as a stunning work of literature and remind us of its overwhelming contemporary relevance.




A Life Well Lived


Book Description

In the desire and quest to make sense of the world and our existence, three great sirens have lured men and women into a lull with the empty promise to make their lives meaningful. The great king of Israel, Solomon, though the wisest man, was not immune to their song. But at the end of his life, Solomon, in all of his God-given wisdom, stopped to contemplate on all that competed for his attention. He wrote his conclusions in the Book of Ecclesiastes.Tommy Nelson continues his study of Solomon's writings by taking an in-depth look at Ecclesiastes. In a world such as ours, where the search for meaning and purpose propels mankind to try everything under the sun, Solomon's conclusions ring louder than ever for a people who need answers more than ever.




Holy Bible (NIV)


Book Description

The NIV is the world's best-selling modern translation, with over 150 million copies in print since its first full publication in 1978. This highly accurate and smooth-reading version of the Bible in modern English has the largest library of printed and electronic support material of any modern translation.




The Book of Ecclesiastes


Book Description

In this contribution to The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, Trevor Longman takes a canonical-Christocentric approach to the meaning of the fascinating but puzzling book of Ecclesiastes.




Of Ecclesiastes and More


Book Description

Was the Cold War a clash of belief systems or simply a race for technology? How did the Information Age of humankind begin at the end of the millennium? Is the evolution of species God’s awesome means of creation, or is it just a very long sequence of accidents? Is there evidence of a spiritual world beyond the material? Can science of the twenty-first century provide us with all the truth and meaning of life? The answers to these seemingly disparate questions could be found in the life of a computer science engineer who was involved in designing the first computers in his own country behind the Iron Curtain and who later emigrated to the West. His journey across technological advances, nations, cultures, worldviews, and political and social systems as they were changing dramatically at the end of the millennium is captivating. The book considers the problems of humanity through the life of the baby boom generation during the Cold War—their upbringing and realizations, their aspirations, their challenges, their successes, their failures, and their disillusionment as they searched for something firmer to hold on to for the truth and the meaning of life. They experienced turbulence and trauma just in the apogee of their age when many are expected to bear fruit and enjoy it. Instead, they had to make life-changing decisions and dramatic moves that were very similar to the flying of an adult bird kept in a cage since birth. It was a quest for worldviews and value systems that required them to step out of the narrow profession and engage more actively with social and ethical issues in order to survive. The story is an unequivocal testimony to God’s magnificent grace to mankind.




Encountering Ecclesiastes


Book Description

The book of Ecclesiastes speaks eloquently to the uncertainties and anxieties that people have experienced through the centuries. James Limburg brings this ancient book to life for readers in our probing, questioning twenty-first-century times. He illuminates the contemporary existential themes in Ecclesiastes -- the quest for meaning in life, the incompleteness of our knowledge, the place of work in human lives, and the need to discover God amid life's uncertainties. A fresh, relevant discussion, arising from Limburg's extensive teaching experience, Encountering Ecclesiastes is ideal for any reader seeking to understand the timeless wisdom of Ecclesiastes.




Hand Me Another Brick


Book Description

Do others look to you for leadership? Do you face a major task or shoulder heavy responsibilities? Do you want to take your leadership skills to a higher level? When Nehemiah confronted the task of rebuilding Jerusalem's wall, he was heartbroken by the damage he saw and nearly overwhelmed by the task that lay before him. Yet through the application of timeless leadership principles, Nehemiah completed this nearly impossible project, and laid a pattern for success which is just as valid for us today. Charles Swindoll brings his sensible and straightforward style to offer a deeply spiritual approach to the role of leader. Whatever the context, secular or ministerial, he demonstrates how to size up a task, organize and motivate a team, and respond to inevitable obstacles such as these: Unforeseen setbacks Unrelenting deadlines Criticism and outside resistance Personality conflicts Financial pressures and temptations The insights that Swindoll draws from Nehemiah's wise administration will change your approach to leadership forever.




Three Philosophies of Life


Book Description

"I've been a philosopher for all my adult life and the three most profound books of philosophy that I have ever read are Ecclesiastes, Job, and Song of Songs." These are the opening lines of Kreeft's Three Philosophies of Life. He reflects that there are ultimately only three philosophies of life and each one is represented by one of these books of the Bible-life is vanity; life is suffering; life is love. In these three books Kreeft shows how we have Dante's great epic The Divine Comedy played out, from Hell to Purgatory to Heaven. But it is an epic played out in our hearts and lives, here and now. Just as there is movement in Dante's epic, so there is movement in these books, from Ecclesiates to Job, from Job to Song of Songs. Love is the final answer to Ecclesiastes' quest, the alternative to vanity, and the true meaning of life. Finally, Kreeft sees in these books the epitome of theological virtues of faith, hope and love and "an esstential summary of the spiritual history of the world".




Ecclesiastes


Book Description

"A timeless teaching on living wisely in the midst of uncertainty and insecurity, with facing-page commentary that brings the text to life."--Cover.




Living Life Backward


Book Description

What if it is death that teaches us how to truly live? Keeping the end in mind shapes how we live our lives in the here and now. Living life backward means taking the one thing in our future that is certain—death—and letting that inform our journey before we get there. Looking to the book of Ecclesiastes for wisdom, Living Life Backward was written to shake up our expectations and priorities for what it means to live "the good life." Considering the reality of death helps us pay attention to our limitations as human beings and receive life as a wondrous gift from God—freeing us to live wisely, generously, and faithfully for God's glory and the good of his world.