Coping with Change - Ecclesiastes

by Walter C. Kaiser Jr.

Ecclesiastes is a book filled with good news for those struggling to make sense of what is happening in life. Why does man madly pursue one thing and then another without meaning? True joy comes from the Lord himself, and for the one who has learned to fear God and keep his commandments, all of life holds purpose and delight. In Coping with Change, noted theologian Walter Kaiser mines the riches of Ecclesiastes to reveal the source of true joy.

Genres: Biblical Studies

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2013

About the author

Walter C. Kaiser Jr. (PhD, Brandeis University) is president emeritus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. He previously taught at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and at Wheaton College. Kaiser is active as a preacher, speaker, researcher, and writer and is the author of more than forty books, including Preaching and Teaching from the Old Testament and The Majesty of God in the Old Testament.

Reviews

[Jared Mcnabb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good, short evangelical commentary with a consistently positive approach to Ecclesiastes as Christian wisdom.

[Will Turner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kaiser's commentary was okay. I personally did not find it exceptionally helpful. It came across as a bit dated. The first edition was from 1978 and reading through it, much of the research, felt like it was still from 1978 even though the new edition is from 2013.

"Ecclesiastes has as its central concern that basic hunger of mortals to see how the wholeness of life fits into a meaningful patten where its purpose and plan is owned and directed by God." (p. 12). Kaiser focused on how the meaninglessness of Ecclesiastes pointed forward to the purposefulness of God and his plan.

"Life, in and of itself, even in God's good world with all its good, God-given gifts, is unable to deliver meaning and joy when it is appropriated in piecemeal fashion and apart from knowing and believing in God." (p. 26)

"Life will remain an enigma and a frustration until men and women come to 'fear,' that is, to believe, the God who made them, and that the goods, the truths, and all that is of this world is from our God." (p. 102)

"Let the result - be it success or failure -rest in the hand of God. But do not just sit there, waiting for secure guarantees for life. Do something now, right where you are." (p. 176)

[Kristopher Schaal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite commentary on Ecclesiastes. I agreed with his general approach, but felt like he was too positive and didn’t give enough weight to some of Solomon’s more cynical points. I also found there to be pretty big interpretational issues that he skipped over, so I didn’t reference this book nearly as much as I thought I would when I bought it.

[Robert D. Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding and brilliant exposition of the book of exposition

Walter Kaiser provides a truly informative and practical understanding of what most see as an enigmatic book of the Bible. Insights that he provides will be both enlightening and inspiring . I highly recommend this book.

[Doug Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

This conservative commentary on Ecclesiastes does a great job of communicating the main message of the book and showing how the details contribute to that overall message, as summarized in the final two verses. Clear, helpful, and inspiring!

[Cameron Barham]

“What is the ‘profit’ of living? What does a man get for all his work? He gets the living God! And his whole profit consists of fearing Him and obeying His Word.”, p. 187

[Will Dole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kaiser's little commentary on Ecclesiastes is very helpful. I think he nails the structure of the book; the charts for passages such as the beginning of chapter 12 are somewhat helpful, although I wouldn't ever use them for teaching. Sometimes his commitment to literal interpretation misses, in my opinion, the poetic effect that Qoheleth intends. But overall, a helpful read.

[Alasdair Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful. Really opened up Ecclesiastes from a viewpoint I'd not previously considered but now find highly persuasive.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book! Such a great encouragement!