ECCLESIASTES
By Richard P. Belcher, Jr.
Evangelical Press. 505 pages. £16.99
ISBN 978 0 852 349 854
‘There is an end to the making of many books and such study wearies the body’ – so Ecclesiastes concludes. Yet there appears scope for another work on the book because the jury remains out as to its meaning and application.
Belcher demonstrates a thorough grasp of the literature on Ecclesiastes, summarises and evaluates the views of others with clarity, and expresses his own view succinctly and with a view to application in regular sections on ‘homiletical implications’. This phrase indicates the purpose of the work: it is intended primarily to assist preachers and Bible teachers: Belcher even offers suggestions as to how best to divide up and expound the text.
Thorough treatment
The author is ‘at home’ with the Hebrew text and offers his own translation: the more arcane discussions are, however, limited to extended end-notes. At the same time, this is unashamedly an exegetical work and this carries its own demands for the reader. The reviewer found such work thorough and generally well-conceived and convincing.
Belcher’s own perspective is that the book is designed to challenge a speculative wisdom that no longer operates upon the foundation of the fear of the Lord: a wisdom that, ultimately, is left bewildered by life’s apparent pointlessness. The perspective of Solomon during that period in which he departed from the Lord is thus recited; only for the ‘wise man’ who reports them to offer the correct view in the epilogue.
The present reviewer agrees that Ecclesiastes is primarily negative: life is, often and ultimately, inexplicable. Hence, Belcher’s exegesis is usually ‘spot on’. However, he would suggest that the Ecclesiastes’ author’s concern is to highlight the realities of a fallen world (for both believers and unbelievers). This is life as we all experience it ‘under the sun’. Consequently it offers powerful pastoral and apologetic challenges to a world and church that tries to entertain itself to death. Nevertheless, this is a ‘must turn to’ volume for all those considering teaching from this perplexing little book. It is also very good value for money!
