What do you think?
Rate this book
Gospel According to the Old Testament
Recovering Eden: The Gospel According to Ecclesiastes
The Preacher in Ecclesiastes reminds us that life under the sun does not happen according to neat and tidy rules. He asks us to see the world around us in all its messiness and explores what that reveals about us, our world, and God. If someone were to say to him, “You shouldn’t talk so plainly,” he would respond, “But people go through this kind of stuff and we have to talk about it. These things happen, so now what?” The result is a meditation that engages people where they are and draws them to face up to the God who enters their world and redeems it and them.“A pastorally poetic guide to the endlessly ‘wild and strange wonder called Ecclesiastes’. . . . Be sure to reflect on the weighty questions that Zack provides after each chapter. They offer the reader a timely opportunity to respond to the author’s thoughtful observations of an ultimately hopeful text.”—Donald C. Guthrie, Director of the Ph.D. (Educational Studies), Professor of Educational Ministries, The Jeanette L. Hsieh Chair of Educational Leadership, Trinity Evangelical Divinity SchoolZack Eswine (Ph.D., Regent University) is lead pastor at Riverside Church in Webster Groves, Missouri. Zack has served in pastoral roles for nearly twenty years and was an Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Director for the Doctor of Ministry program at Covenant Theological Seminary. Zack has also written many books on preaching and Christian living.
246 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 20, 2013
117 people are currently reading
579 people want to read
About the author
Zack Eswine
16 books155 followerszack is an author, pastor and mentor seeking words for living humanly in Jesus.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
April 11, 2023
I picked up this book at a time where I found out my dad is dying from lung cancer, our house is falling apart, and things under the sun continue to disappoint. Eswine has created a pastoral prose through a unique book of the Bible. Unique because it is straightforward and gives people the ability to say, “I hate life but love God.”
This book gave me the refreshing gift of slowing down, perusing the gifts of God, thanking him for those gifts, but also lamenting that those gifts never last. The book is also just like the other 65 books of the Bible, as Eswine shows, in that it’s primary message is about the Good Shepherd. This book is incredibly rich, beautiful, and accessible.
This book gave me the refreshing gift of slowing down, perusing the gifts of God, thanking him for those gifts, but also lamenting that those gifts never last. The book is also just like the other 65 books of the Bible, as Eswine shows, in that it’s primary message is about the Good Shepherd. This book is incredibly rich, beautiful, and accessible.
January 8, 2018
A welcome companion to grief. This book gave language to the angst we feel living “under the sun” as people who were created for Eden but experience all of life’s disquieting ways. It made me love the book of Ecclesiastes.
December 20, 2018
My favourite book on Ecclesiastes, by my current favourite author. More of an extended reflection than a commentary. The chapters do correspond to sections of Ecclesiastes - you need to flick through the first few pages of each chapter to find the reference.
September 9, 2021
Very decent theologically, but he goes through Ecclesiastes thematically not verse-by-verse which is frustrating (although this approach is also useful).
A breath of fresh air in it that he is not trying to read it as it was not Solomon who wrote it by Moses.
Can't be your stand-alone commentary, something exegetically heavier is needed - here I recommend C.L. Seow.
A breath of fresh air in it that he is not trying to read it as it was not Solomon who wrote it by Moses.
Can't be your stand-alone commentary, something exegetically heavier is needed - here I recommend C.L. Seow.
April 17, 2025
Things came to a head for me recently. I realized the extent to which I always felt guilty--for everything. Guilty that I can't meet all my children's needs all the time. Guilty that while serving them, I'm not doing more to help the plight of the homeless, the refugees, and the poverty-stricken. I felt guilty for sitting while others were working (like when my husband asked me to sit on the couch while he did the dishes). It's been a struggle throughout my life, but recently God was allowing it to chafe me more and more. I knew my thinking had to be off somehow: the Gospel did not come to make me feel only guilty all the time. It came to lift burdens, not load them on.
Who knew--WHO KNEW--that the book God used to remedy my lifelong struggle would be Ecclesiastes, the black sheep of the Old Testament? God had already used Ecclesiastes to pry my fingers off my life with two read-throughs of True Life: Practical Wisdom from the Book of Ecclesiastes. Just recently, feeling the melancholy that usually prompts me to read through Ecclesiastes again, I finished another excellent treatment of the book, Living Life Backward: How Ecclesiastes Teaches Us to Live in Light of the End. Slowly, over time, these books worked on me. So as soon as I finished Living Life Backward, I sensed that it was not time to move on from Ecclesiastes yet. Thankfully, I had picked Zack Eswine's volume up at a used bookstore, so it was ready to roll for a second run-through immediately on the heels of the last.
This, after all the priming the other two books on Ecclesiastes had done, finally helped the info go from my head to my heart. The key to my constant guilt was something I said I believed but didn't really live. It is, weirdly enough, accepting that I am a creature, not God. That's what was making me feel guilty. I expected God things from myself, not creature things from myself. And I assumed God was expecting that too--but He made me a creature, and if I accept that, how freeing it is!
So, for the cumulative effect on me, five life-changing stars for my parade of Ecclesiastes guides. Now, for Eswine's book in and of itself, with my forever gratitude:
Strengths of this book include the chapter analyzing the character of the Preacher and relating him to Jesus, the true and better wise Preacher. Eswine helpfully compared key themes in Ecclesiastes with things Jesus said, too. Jesus is also oblique and also comfortable with proverbs or questions that aren't readily answerable, just like the Preacher. The chapter "Kept Occupied by God" was another highlight, its conclusion absolutely pivotal in the work that Ecclesiastes was slated to do in my life.
Eswine is a gifted writer, and there are several places in the book where he did more writing than expositing, if that makes sense. There were also places where I thought he stretched the text a bit far, like when he made Ecc. 5 ("Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools...") about church hurt. I think that passage certainly speaks to church hurt, as Eswine demonstrated; yet I don't think it's the best exposition of the text to imply that's the main point.
Quibbles aside, this book did good work in me. More importantly, this book was part of God's work in me.
Who knew--WHO KNEW--that the book God used to remedy my lifelong struggle would be Ecclesiastes, the black sheep of the Old Testament? God had already used Ecclesiastes to pry my fingers off my life with two read-throughs of True Life: Practical Wisdom from the Book of Ecclesiastes. Just recently, feeling the melancholy that usually prompts me to read through Ecclesiastes again, I finished another excellent treatment of the book, Living Life Backward: How Ecclesiastes Teaches Us to Live in Light of the End. Slowly, over time, these books worked on me. So as soon as I finished Living Life Backward, I sensed that it was not time to move on from Ecclesiastes yet. Thankfully, I had picked Zack Eswine's volume up at a used bookstore, so it was ready to roll for a second run-through immediately on the heels of the last.
This, after all the priming the other two books on Ecclesiastes had done, finally helped the info go from my head to my heart. The key to my constant guilt was something I said I believed but didn't really live. It is, weirdly enough, accepting that I am a creature, not God. That's what was making me feel guilty. I expected God things from myself, not creature things from myself. And I assumed God was expecting that too--but He made me a creature, and if I accept that, how freeing it is!
So, for the cumulative effect on me, five life-changing stars for my parade of Ecclesiastes guides. Now, for Eswine's book in and of itself, with my forever gratitude:
Strengths of this book include the chapter analyzing the character of the Preacher and relating him to Jesus, the true and better wise Preacher. Eswine helpfully compared key themes in Ecclesiastes with things Jesus said, too. Jesus is also oblique and also comfortable with proverbs or questions that aren't readily answerable, just like the Preacher. The chapter "Kept Occupied by God" was another highlight, its conclusion absolutely pivotal in the work that Ecclesiastes was slated to do in my life.
Eswine is a gifted writer, and there are several places in the book where he did more writing than expositing, if that makes sense. There were also places where I thought he stretched the text a bit far, like when he made Ecc. 5 ("Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools...") about church hurt. I think that passage certainly speaks to church hurt, as Eswine demonstrated; yet I don't think it's the best exposition of the text to imply that's the main point.
Quibbles aside, this book did good work in me. More importantly, this book was part of God's work in me.
July 27, 2020
When I first started reading this book, I struggled with it, and didn't like it. It didn't read like a typical Biblical commentary; it didn't proceed methodically through the text in order. But at some point, something clicked and I started to understand what the author was doing. He writes in a poetic style, more poetic than any other commentator I have ever read. And he does that because Ecclesiastes is poetry (duh). At the beginning of each chapter, he has a quote, most of which are from fiction, and only one of which is from a commentary on a Biblical text.
As one writer wrote, it almost seems as though an atheist has snuck into the canonical circle with this book. Eswine addresses that in his first chapter, reminding us that "the same God who inspired the Psalms and the Gospels speaks here too." He points out the interplay between Job and Proverbs and this book, and opines that Ecclesiastes can teach us "how a follower of God is meant to talk to the world about the world as a fellow human being." The second chapter deals with how the method and language of Ecclesiastes differs from the rest of the Bible, and how that helps us to view it in the proper framework.
In Eswine's third chapter, he discusses Ecclesiastes 1, showing how it serves to prepare us for the subjects and themes covered in the rest of the book. Eventually he will cover the entire book, but not necessarily in strict sequential order. The chapter titles give an indication of the theme of the verses that he will cover in that chapter. And although it may not seem to the casual reader that Ecclesiastes points to Christ, Eswine does indicate in every chapter that aspect.
As he deals with the summary of the book as found at the end of the last chapter, Eswine writes, "In short, the Preacher does not teach us a way of following God that enables us to dismiss or distance ourselves from our neighbors or their plight. On the contrary, he listens, gives voice to everything noble and ignoble under the sun, and then sorts it out, without trite answers, beneath the gaze of God." You have to love a book like that.
As with all the other books in The Gospel According to the Old Testament series, this book is written not for the academic but for the pastor and layperson.
As one writer wrote, it almost seems as though an atheist has snuck into the canonical circle with this book. Eswine addresses that in his first chapter, reminding us that "the same God who inspired the Psalms and the Gospels speaks here too." He points out the interplay between Job and Proverbs and this book, and opines that Ecclesiastes can teach us "how a follower of God is meant to talk to the world about the world as a fellow human being." The second chapter deals with how the method and language of Ecclesiastes differs from the rest of the Bible, and how that helps us to view it in the proper framework.
In Eswine's third chapter, he discusses Ecclesiastes 1, showing how it serves to prepare us for the subjects and themes covered in the rest of the book. Eventually he will cover the entire book, but not necessarily in strict sequential order. The chapter titles give an indication of the theme of the verses that he will cover in that chapter. And although it may not seem to the casual reader that Ecclesiastes points to Christ, Eswine does indicate in every chapter that aspect.
As he deals with the summary of the book as found at the end of the last chapter, Eswine writes, "In short, the Preacher does not teach us a way of following God that enables us to dismiss or distance ourselves from our neighbors or their plight. On the contrary, he listens, gives voice to everything noble and ignoble under the sun, and then sorts it out, without trite answers, beneath the gaze of God." You have to love a book like that.
As with all the other books in The Gospel According to the Old Testament series, this book is written not for the academic but for the pastor and layperson.
January 19, 2021
I taught a class on Ecclesiastes a few years ago, and purchased this book and used parts of it back then. Remembering how much I liked the excerpts I had read, I decided to pick it up again and read it straight through. I'm glad I did. Eswine is a terrific writer; I enjoyed his many illustrations. I appreciated Eswine's many insights into the text, and the way he weaves in Eden and reminders of the way things are supposed to be in this vapid world under the sun. Most of all I appreciated how he continually brought it back to Jesus, showing how even the most dark and cynical of the biblical wisdom books points to God's redemption in Christ.
October 24, 2024
5.0 // What a refreshing and hopeful perspective on Ecclesiastes. Eswine does an incredible job of situating this difficult book within its proper Biblical context and then examining its varied themes in light of the Big Story. He does not shy away from the darkness and tension that are woven throughout Ecclesiastes, and yet he ultimately lifts our gaze upward, to the One who will make all things right in the end.
January 12, 2026
4/5 "really liked it"
I read this with other men in a book group, which probably increased my enjoyment of it.
I'm not sure how I truly feel about Zack's writing style. Always felt just a little odd to me. Nonetheless, the content and his thoughts on Ecclesiastes were really great. Challenging, feeling very relevant to my season of life.
Feels like a book that a 20-something Caleb wouldn't really understand, but now, at 38, with more years and more experiences of loss and pain under my belt, it seems absolutely relevant and helpful. In fact, this will probably be a re-read for me someday. Additionally, this book also makes me want to check out others in the series.
Recommended reading if you're in a season of life when Ecclesiastes feels like it means something to you, or that it has the potential to.
I read this with other men in a book group, which probably increased my enjoyment of it.
I'm not sure how I truly feel about Zack's writing style. Always felt just a little odd to me. Nonetheless, the content and his thoughts on Ecclesiastes were really great. Challenging, feeling very relevant to my season of life.
Feels like a book that a 20-something Caleb wouldn't really understand, but now, at 38, with more years and more experiences of loss and pain under my belt, it seems absolutely relevant and helpful. In fact, this will probably be a re-read for me someday. Additionally, this book also makes me want to check out others in the series.
Recommended reading if you're in a season of life when Ecclesiastes feels like it means something to you, or that it has the potential to.
October 5, 2018
This is a marvelous book on Ecclesiastes. It's kind of a devotional commentary arranged by topic. It took me a couple of chapters to get into the format (because for some reason I was expecting more of a traditional commentary format), but once I did I really enjoyed the book. Eswine explains Ecclesiastes well, and takes the time to go over some of the really hard verses (what does the Preacher mean when he says he can only find 1 wise man in 1,000, and not one women?). This book is geared toward sufferers and people who have grown tired of "Jesus makes me happy all the time" Christianity.
May 4, 2023
Eswine says:
God has not left us in the wreckage.
I will oppose the life I hate with Wisdom.
Each moment contains a sanctuary of worship; each hour a kitchen table for conversation; each day is a wood path for walking with Him; each moment, no matter how wonderfully ordinary or flea-infested, offers enough for intimacy with Him.
I wish I could copy the whole book down in this review.
Solomon says the One Shepherd says: DO NOT BE AFRAID.
God has not left us in the wreckage.
I will oppose the life I hate with Wisdom.
Each moment contains a sanctuary of worship; each hour a kitchen table for conversation; each day is a wood path for walking with Him; each moment, no matter how wonderfully ordinary or flea-infested, offers enough for intimacy with Him.
I wish I could copy the whole book down in this review.
Solomon says the One Shepherd says: DO NOT BE AFRAID.
November 3, 2021
An in-depth look at the book of Ecclesiastes, Recovering Eden focuses on how the messages of Ecclesiastes relate to the messages New Testament, in particular how they compare to the teachings of Christ. There was one chapter (dealing with leadership) that didn't measure up to the others in terms of clarity, but otherwise I loved this book.
November 17, 2021
This book has a lot of good insights about Ecclesiastes. The author goes into lots of details and organized the book well. I like how each chapter went through a specific topic and looked at it throughout the entire book of Ecclesiastes.
That being said, the information was hard to follow and dull at times. I wish the information would have been a little more captivating then it was.
That being said, the information was hard to follow and dull at times. I wish the information would have been a little more captivating then it was.
August 23, 2017
Recovering Eden is a fantastic read to stir up one's worship and longings for Eden. At many points throughout the book, I stopped to pray for greater application of the truths I read. I would happily recommend this reading to growing Christians who grapple with the hardships of living in a fallen world.
The one unfortunate weakness of the book is that it is structured thematically rather than exegetically. I found the structure hard to follow, and soon realized that I needed to read the book independent of Ecclesiastes' structure. Though the book on its own was a good read, its structure does not support the heavy weight of verse-by-verse exegesis. Perhaps deep-level exegesis was not Eswine's goal, which is absolutely acceptable. However, I picked up the book expecting it to help me better understand Ecclesiastes (not just the applications of Ecclesiastes, but also the logic and argumentation). Again, I would happily recommend the book to all...just not as a commentary.
The one unfortunate weakness of the book is that it is structured thematically rather than exegetically. I found the structure hard to follow, and soon realized that I needed to read the book independent of Ecclesiastes' structure. Though the book on its own was a good read, its structure does not support the heavy weight of verse-by-verse exegesis. Perhaps deep-level exegesis was not Eswine's goal, which is absolutely acceptable. However, I picked up the book expecting it to help me better understand Ecclesiastes (not just the applications of Ecclesiastes, but also the logic and argumentation). Again, I would happily recommend the book to all...just not as a commentary.
June 7, 2020
I absolutely loved this commentary on Ecclesiastes! I read two chapters of Ecclesiastes each day (and repeated it over and over) while reading through this book and it was super helpful in walking me through this notoriously complex and difficult to understand book in the Old Testament.
This is the second book by Zack Eswine I've read and I've quickly become a big fan of his. He takes complicated things and speaks about them in really nuanced and interesting ways. That takes skill and a lot of maturity. Eswine also shows a great deal of care in explaining life under the sun, in once-Eden, and in offering hope. With all of the tension the book addresses, the final word is one of clarity. Eswine points us to Christ and the gospel, which can be found even in the book of Ecclesiastes.
I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to better understand Ecclesiastes.
This is the second book by Zack Eswine I've read and I've quickly become a big fan of his. He takes complicated things and speaks about them in really nuanced and interesting ways. That takes skill and a lot of maturity. Eswine also shows a great deal of care in explaining life under the sun, in once-Eden, and in offering hope. With all of the tension the book addresses, the final word is one of clarity. Eswine points us to Christ and the gospel, which can be found even in the book of Ecclesiastes.
I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to better understand Ecclesiastes.
March 1, 2023
Really good exposition on the book of Ecclesiastes and the lessons and message we can take away. All being said, we are to fear God and obey Him. Eswine does a good job of always hitting the point and helping guide readers through the book of Ecclesiastes especially the difficult portions of it. Eswine does have a way of writing it almost like an essay, so it does take focus to read it (hence why it took me a year to slowly get through it or even find pockets to really focus and read).
September 14, 2023
I’ll admit having read Ecclesiastes somewhat reluctantly over the years, but I was increasingly aware throughout Eswine’s exposition of a parallel between Ecclesiastes and Romans 12:15: Ecclesiastes seems to be saying, “Rejoice with those who (need to) rejoice, weep with those who (need to) weep – including yourself.”
Joyful and sobering. More than worth the reading.
Joyful and sobering. More than worth the reading.
December 10, 2024
Excellent.
February 8, 2019
Good read showing how the book of Ecclesiastes points to the brokenness of our world East of Eden and pointing to the New Heaven and the New Earth that are to come. Wish it was more expositional, i.e. verse-by-verse, instead of hopping back and forth across the text.
Read
October 2, 2024If I’m honest, this book was just okay for me. He had a lot of great word pictures that would lend themselves well to sermon/teaching illustrations. However, being a more topical treatment, I had a hard time tracking with his thoughts at times. It just seemed disjointed to me. Not a bad book by any means…just not the most helpful for the way my brain works. I’m enjoying Gibson’s treatment, “Living Life Backwards” much better.
December 3, 2014
I enjoyed this book far more when I thought of it not as a commentary but as an exposition of the themes in Ecclesiastes. Eswine's writing was terrific, and he has great ability to connect the ancient text with contemporary society.
October 3, 2015
Wonderful new addition to this series of books. If you want a book that introduces you to the book of Ecclesiastes, that interacts with the text meaningfully, and then provides thoughtful illustrations and applications to digest, this little gem will not disappoint.
January 12, 2015
Excellent: beautifully written, and great insights into the text and human hearts.
July 3, 2021
Best book I’ve read in the last year or two, hands down.
June 17, 2025
When I began reading this book I was immediately drawn in to both the author's style and the profound insights he was pulling from the text of Ecclesiastes. I'm perplexed by other readers negative complaints about it being a less systematic approach, when it's literally about understanding a book of wisdom poetry. I think I would enjoy a systematic verse-by-verse commentary on Ecclesiastes about as much as anyone would enjoy having a joke explained to them - that's not how it works.
Anyways, the book began with chapter after chapter that illuminated the profound way that Ecclesiastes really does offer wisdom - albeit offbeat to the kind that we're used to. The author does a fantastic job explaining why the writing styles of the Bible that we are more accustomed to (narrative, law, and epistles) can skew how we approach a writing style as unique as what you'll find in Ecclesiastes. By doing so, he skillfully invites us to see the actual true wisdom of a book that many would otherwise seem as heterodoxical or at the very least downright depressing.
Multiple times I found myself commenting out loud "Oh, that's so good!" That is, until I arrived at the chapter where Eswine digs into Ecclesiastes 5 and the Preacher's journey to "the house of God." I still can't understand how it happened, but suddenly the exegesis became eisegesis. Out of nowhere the author took a modern and Westernized view of what we think of when it comes to "the house of God" and laid that over the text and then interpreted the words of the Preacher from that foreign vantage point. Suddenly a section of the Scripture that is clearly focused on cautioning against being rash in vows made to God in the Old Testament temple and sacrificial system turns into telling us that the Preacher has seen the shortcomings of church folk but hasn't given up on persisting to go to church. It shocked me.
So I eagerly awaited the end of that chapter and being able to leave that teaching (that I saw as really missing the point) behind me. But for some unknown reason, while up to this point the chapters mostly existed in isolation from each other, it seemed like the author wanted to continue interpreting the rest of what remained from that vantage point of a guy who went to "church" and who stepped out of "church" and so on, and again was maintaining this westernized understanding of what "the house of God" would mean.
I still think this is an absolutely fantastic book on Ecclesiastes that would be a delight and helpful for anyone to read who is looking to gain a greater understanding for and appreciation of this unique book of the Bible. If it weren't for that approach to interpreting that portion of Ecclesiastes 5, I would've certainly been giving this book at least a 4-star rating. Not sure how likely it would be, but I would love to see a future revised edition take another stab at interpreting that portion.
Anyways, the book began with chapter after chapter that illuminated the profound way that Ecclesiastes really does offer wisdom - albeit offbeat to the kind that we're used to. The author does a fantastic job explaining why the writing styles of the Bible that we are more accustomed to (narrative, law, and epistles) can skew how we approach a writing style as unique as what you'll find in Ecclesiastes. By doing so, he skillfully invites us to see the actual true wisdom of a book that many would otherwise seem as heterodoxical or at the very least downright depressing.
Multiple times I found myself commenting out loud "Oh, that's so good!" That is, until I arrived at the chapter where Eswine digs into Ecclesiastes 5 and the Preacher's journey to "the house of God." I still can't understand how it happened, but suddenly the exegesis became eisegesis. Out of nowhere the author took a modern and Westernized view of what we think of when it comes to "the house of God" and laid that over the text and then interpreted the words of the Preacher from that foreign vantage point. Suddenly a section of the Scripture that is clearly focused on cautioning against being rash in vows made to God in the Old Testament temple and sacrificial system turns into telling us that the Preacher has seen the shortcomings of church folk but hasn't given up on persisting to go to church. It shocked me.
So I eagerly awaited the end of that chapter and being able to leave that teaching (that I saw as really missing the point) behind me. But for some unknown reason, while up to this point the chapters mostly existed in isolation from each other, it seemed like the author wanted to continue interpreting the rest of what remained from that vantage point of a guy who went to "church" and who stepped out of "church" and so on, and again was maintaining this westernized understanding of what "the house of God" would mean.
I still think this is an absolutely fantastic book on Ecclesiastes that would be a delight and helpful for anyone to read who is looking to gain a greater understanding for and appreciation of this unique book of the Bible. If it weren't for that approach to interpreting that portion of Ecclesiastes 5, I would've certainly been giving this book at least a 4-star rating. Not sure how likely it would be, but I would love to see a future revised edition take another stab at interpreting that portion.
May 19, 2017
Recovering Eden is not so much a commentary on Ecclesiastes as it is a meditation. Eswine doesn't walk through Ecclesiastes verse by verse and often his thought is scattered all over the place. But in the end it fits. It gets tied together in the end.
We live in "once-Eden." The world is not the way it is supposed to be. Paradise has been lost. And "Ecclesiastes starts decidedly with the truth that all of us are in the world no matter who we are and that all of us have this one thing in common: we are human and as such we must commonly navigate the same God-governed and maddening world together" (11).
So why does Ecclesiastes exist? Why is it in Scripture? "Ecclesiastes is an apologetic sermon... it defends a life of faith in a generous God by pointing to the grimness of the alternative" (13). "The aim of this Preacher's message is that we who listen will come to believe in God and to recover our purpose with his gift and to see that our whole purpose as human beings is a God-centered relationship toward all things" (17).
Eswine has a way with words and with analogies. Sometimes he over does it, but rarely. More often than not, I was left thinking how perfectly his illustration fit with his point.
The one complaint, being that this is not a commentary per se, is that he tends to drift all over the place. What he says is good and helpful, but it's not always founded upon the text at hand. And with that large sections of Ecclesiastes are ignored.
In the end, this was a very enjoyable read. There's much to think about in this books relating to Ecclesiastes and beyond.
We live in "once-Eden." The world is not the way it is supposed to be. Paradise has been lost. And "Ecclesiastes starts decidedly with the truth that all of us are in the world no matter who we are and that all of us have this one thing in common: we are human and as such we must commonly navigate the same God-governed and maddening world together" (11).
So why does Ecclesiastes exist? Why is it in Scripture? "Ecclesiastes is an apologetic sermon... it defends a life of faith in a generous God by pointing to the grimness of the alternative" (13). "The aim of this Preacher's message is that we who listen will come to believe in God and to recover our purpose with his gift and to see that our whole purpose as human beings is a God-centered relationship toward all things" (17).
Eswine has a way with words and with analogies. Sometimes he over does it, but rarely. More often than not, I was left thinking how perfectly his illustration fit with his point.
The one complaint, being that this is not a commentary per se, is that he tends to drift all over the place. What he says is good and helpful, but it's not always founded upon the text at hand. And with that large sections of Ecclesiastes are ignored.
In the end, this was a very enjoyable read. There's much to think about in this books relating to Ecclesiastes and beyond.
February 14, 2026
“But the Preacher is no nihilist. He is no cynic. He is neither a hedonist nor a religious escapist. Human purpose is not lost. God is not dead. Death comes for us all, but it cannot destroy ordinary joys empowered by God among the goodness of things that refuse to quit. And here, to conclude the book, from within the desecrated remains of God’s creation, the preacher looks at it all square in its ugly face and earnestly declares: ‘The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.’ (Ecc 12:13)” (page 212-213)
This book was a wonderful companion for the past month, where the world has continued to groan and my heart has been feeling the tension of the delights and disquiets of life. Thank you to Zack Eswine for giving me language to process so much. Highly recommend.
This book was a wonderful companion for the past month, where the world has continued to groan and my heart has been feeling the tension of the delights and disquiets of life. Thank you to Zack Eswine for giving me language to process so much. Highly recommend.
January 29, 2026
This has become one of my favorite books, not because it is the most eloquently written or contains hidden wisdom, but because of it’s simplicity in embracing what it means to fully live as human being under the sun, with a place to be, things to do, and people to love.
Zack does an incredible job of going through one of the most mysterious and difficult books of the Bible, Ecclesiastes. Where Proverbs is a book that shows you how you will prosper if you follow the rules of God, Zach shows us how Ecclesiastes serves as the exception to those rules, and how God is still faithful in the midst of those exceptions.
Zack does an incredible job of going through one of the most mysterious and difficult books of the Bible, Ecclesiastes. Where Proverbs is a book that shows you how you will prosper if you follow the rules of God, Zach shows us how Ecclesiastes serves as the exception to those rules, and how God is still faithful in the midst of those exceptions.
August 5, 2024
Overall, this was a great expansion on the book of Ecclesiastes and how it points to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I thoroughly enjoyed the first 75% of the book, especially the chapters on looking for gratefulness in each season of life & the dangers of entitlement, discontentment, and searching for meaning outside of God.
I would recommend this book to someone who has a hard time understanding and relating to Ecclesiastes as the themes presented were helpful. I only gave it 4/5 stars as the last 25% of the book were not as impactful to me and felt a little repetitive.
I would recommend this book to someone who has a hard time understanding and relating to Ecclesiastes as the themes presented were helpful. I only gave it 4/5 stars as the last 25% of the book were not as impactful to me and felt a little repetitive.
December 21, 2021
This book did have worthwhile thoughts and gave good perspective to Ecclesiastes. But it was too wordy. It could have been 50 pages shorter. I debated between 3 or 4 stars...If 50 pages shorter, no doubt, 4 stars. But one had to read through too much conversational examples to get to the good and helpful explanations. Wow - I feel bad writing this. I'm glad I read the book - worth it - but just too wordy for my personal taste.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews