Proverbs and Ecclesiastes

From Come, Follow Me:

“You might think of the book of Proverbs as a collection of wise counsel from loving parents (see Proverbs 1:8). Its main message is that if you seek wisdom—especially God’s wisdom—life will go well. But Proverbs is followed by the book of Ecclesiastes, which seems to say, ‘It’s not that simple…’

“And yet..they teach similar truths.” Just from opposite directions.

From Bible Dictionary:

·        Prov. 1–9, is the most poetic and contains an exposition of true wisdom. 

·        Prov. 10–24 contain a collection of proverbs and sentences about the right and wrong ways of living. 

·        Prov. 25–29 contain the proverbs of Solomon that the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, copied out. 

·        Prov. 30–31 contain the “burden” of Agur and Lemuel, the latter including a picture of the ideal wife, arranged in acrostic form (a poem in which the first letters of each line spell a word).

The book is frequently quoted in the New Testament, the use of Prov. 3 being especially noteworthy.

From Bible Dictionary:

·        The book of Ecclesiastes consists of reflections on some of the deepest problems of life, as they present themselves to the thoughtful observer.

·        The epilogue (Eccl. 12:9–14) sets forth the main conclusions at which the writer has arrived.

·        The author describes himself as “son of David, king in Jerusalem” (1:1).

Ecclesiastes (Greek for “The Teacher”) says there is no formula for permanent happiness or safety in this life. (The phrase “under the sun” means in this life and occurs 19 times.) There is no permanence: everything will change. (The word “vanity” means literally “vapor:” something you cannot hold on to.) God has given us the gift to enjoy the good times in the moment and that is what we should do, rather than worry.

Sometimes it is helpful when studying the scriptures to change up your method. If you’ve always used one style, switch to the other for a while. You’ll see different things.

1)     Reading slowly and carefully, parsing out individual gems, digging deep into word meanings, cross-stitching them on pillows…

2)     Reading the whole thing in one sitting, getting a general idea of its purpose, seeing an overview of the whole message.

Proverbs is great for slow reading in the King James Version, 1 chapter a day, even 1 verse a day. We can cherry-pick whichever ones we want and catch the meaning. There really isn’t a context or a story—just nice maxims.

Ecclesiastes is better for fast reading in a contemporary English translation. Even though we seldom read it, we know lots of sayings that come from it, and even a whole poem from it, thanks to The Byrds and their song, “Turn, Turn, Turn.” But pulling little bits out of it obscures the overall meaning of the book.

OLD TESTAMENT PAIRINGS

Often the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) compilers and writers juxtaposed opposing stories or books next to each other to emphasize two different viewpoints or the opposition of experiences in this life.

Proverbs is such a comfortable book! It’s full of formulas that work. If you do X, you will get Y result. It’s so nice to know that you have the power to make everything work out in your life, just by acting wisely!

Considering the misery that Jews have suffered over many centuries throughout the world, they might have a hard time relating to Proverbs. But Ecclesiastes…

But right after it, we have Ecclesiastes, “The Teacher,” a dour and depressing book. But if you read it in a modern language version (New Living Bible is really great), and you read it quickly, The Teacher says there is no formula! In this world (“under the sun”), you might do good and reap evil. Or you might achieve great success and be unhappy. Righteousness doesn’t grant freedom from trouble in this life. What an uncomfortable message! Many people learn this truth and say, “I can’t believe in a god that would allow bad things to happen to good people (especially to children).”

But The Teacher says, trust God anyway. And thank God for every good moment that comes.

Considering that The Teacher, as all Hebrews in ancient times, really had no knowledge of life after death, that’s a pretty bold faith!

So what good does it do to trust God if bad things might still happen? 

BECAUSE OF THE FALL, THIS LIFE IS UNPREDICTABLE.

BECAUSE LIFE IS UNPREDICTABLE, LIFE IS SCARY.

“Notably, one of the first effects of the Fall was for Adam and Eve to experience fear (Gen. 3:9-10). This potent emotion is an important element of our mortal existence…

“We can be blessed to conquer our fears and strengthen our faith as we follow the Lord’s instruction: “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not” (D&C 6:36)…

“We can be blessed to hush our fears as we receive the fortitude that comes from learning and living gospel principles and resolutely pressing forward on the covenant pathway” (Elder Bednar, “Therefore, They Hushed Their Fears,” April 2015 GC).

This is exactly what both Proverbs and Ecclesiastes teach us, each coming from a different direction: 

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart” (Proverbs 3:5; see also verse 7).

“Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

“Unlike worldly fear that creates alarm and anxiety, godly fear is a source of peace, assurance, and confidence” (Elder Bednar).

EVEN THOUGH LIFE IS SCARY, WE CAN HANDLE IT WITH JESUS CHRIST

Gaining and keeping a relationship with Jesus Christ (Jehovah for the Hebrews) is the solution to managing good times and bad. Some parts of life we can—and should—control. A lot of life consists of reacting to what happens to us. And in a world set up by a God who values agency above all else, life is very seldom fair. Bad things happen to good people. Sometimes bad people happen to good people! Knowing what little we know about the next life and the judgment, we will know more than The Teacher did: we know all wrongs will be righted through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. But we will be spiritually okay, even in this life, if we trust in God.

From Church Media Library

How to Teach in 25 Minutes

First, my apologies for missing a few lessons. I was just busy and didn't really feel any special inspiration for those. I'm sure you did fine without me.

However, I just gained some  marvelous insights into how to teach in 25 minutes from the Faith Matters podcast of August 23, 2026 with guests, Patrick and Melissa Mason. You can find it here on YouTube or on any audio podcast app, but for us visual learners, I thought I would just post the major points I received from their conversation here.

Patrick delved into the question of why we meet on Sundays. Why not just commune with nature or study the scriptures at home? 

PURPOSES OF GATHERING FOR CHURCH ON SUNDAY

1) Individual conversion

2) Love for God and each other

3) Healing

4) Preparation to build Zion

Adding to his thoughts, often we can "thicken" the Spirit's presence when we are in a worshipful group, physically gathered. 

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20). 

I think when you have a group that is actively loving each other, God's presence, His love, graces that group, and it shows up through the Holy Ghost. If your group is not spiritually healthy, if it's not friendly, if you don't fit in or feel noticed, or if it's just a boring talk or lesson, you can always turn to God in a silent prayer and say, "Teach me." The Holy Ghost will show up for you if your heart and mind are willing. 

PURPOSES FOR OUR THREE SUNDAY MEETINGS

Patrick then expounded a bit on why we have three separate meetings.

Sacrament Meeting

Here we all gather together--all ages, all abilities, all genders--to partake of the sacrament, to remember Jesus Christ's great love for us and recommit to our covenants with Him. 

Sacrament meeting is universal. Throughout the world, in every country, Sacrament meeting is held in the same basic format.

Sunday School

Here we divide into age-groups to "commune with the history of the saints" of all times, all ages, as recorded in all our standard works to learn how they responded to Jesus Christ's love. We study together. We learn from their examples and errors. We learn from what God said to them. We share our personal insights. 

The Sunday School hour is very different for different ages, from nursery age through Primary, youth Sunday School, adult classes. Sunday School is handled differently throughout the world. A Sunday School class in a new branch of new members and investigators will be very different from one full of religion teachers. An adult class will be very different from a youth class in the same ward. 

Relief Society/Priesthood/Young Women

Here we divide further, now into gender-specific groups, and discuss how we take that "fuel," that information, insight, new understanding we have gained collectively out into the world to build Zion. These classes should not be just another Sunday School class. They should be more actionable. 

The third block of Sunday worship time is very specific to age, gender, circumstance, and locale. For example, Young Women in different areas of the world, in different size classes, with different cultures and socio-economic backgrounds will manage their class very specifically according to what their lives are like.

A young teacher with a Primary class of 85 children in Sierra Leone. 

Photos by Mission Leaders Scott and Kathy Wyatt

HOW TO PRIME THE CLASSROOM

Melissa starts every adult Sunday School class with two questions on the board, which I think would also be excellent for youth Sunday School classes:

• What does this teach me about Jesus Christ?
• What does this teach me about myself?

I think another question might also be appropriate, even if added later in the lesson:

• What will I do this week with this knowledge?

HOW TO MAKE IT WORK IN THE SHORTENED TIMEFRAME

We may have to start a lesson by reminding people that we want lots of comments, but comments are best if they are concise. Sometimes we may have to cut a comment short--if the Spirit guides us to do so. Sometimes we will see a need in a person to share a longer story and the Spirit will tell us not to interrupt. This is one of the trickiest skills an adult Sunday School teacher has to learn.

Often it will be good to "warm up" the class with a story or personal experience. Coming straight in with a question for class members who just walked in is going to lead to some silent wasted time. 

Our general leaders have counseled us to be in the scriptures within 5 minutes. Some class members won't have read the lesson, some can't read and you don't know it, some have had a busy week with 3 toddlers and 2 soccer players and they can't even remember what the lesson is. That's life! But that doesn't mean you want to spend the class reading through the lesson as if none of them studied. That's boring for the prepared ones. Just hit a few key reminder scriptures and start your discussion from there. Let the class fill it in.

Speaking of members who can't read well, you can employ a tool to make Sunday School comfortable for adults with disabilities. If you are reading a string of scripture verses, have an item or a card that you pass around the class. Whoever is holding it will read the next scripture. Those who don't want to read can just pass it on.

Maybe take a moment to help class members download an alternate translation of the Bible onto their devices, something like Bible Hub, so they can go back and forth between versions and gain greater understanding of the Old Testament stories.

Plan on making only 1 or 2 points, not "covering all the material." The teacher is wise to put in a lot of deeper study so they can understand context and handle comments, but stick to a gospel principle that you feel inspired your class needs that relates to their life.

Don't worry about always wrapping it up beautifully; instead, end with an invitation to apply the principle to their week or refer to your third question on the board.

If you have more ideas, please add a comment below! (Commenting is not usually available on phones, but is on computers.)

Update

 The Book of Job slide show had some errors and omissions. I have fixed it now. So if you looked at it before, you might go back and look again. 

The Book of Job

 Here is a link to my new slide show on Job. 

Please be sure to read through the presenter notes beforehand. 

To use the presenter notes as you share the slide show, click on the Slide Show drop-down menu on the top right side of the screen and choose "Presenter View." This will cast only the slides to the TV and will show both the slides and the presenter notes to you on your device.

Here is a link to my old lesson on  Job.

The Book of Esther, the Queen of Persia

I have previously published a lesson on Esther, which you may find at this link. It is a deep dive into the story, its possible writers, its alternate form in the Greek Bible, and its comparison to the story of Daniel and his three friends.

Since then, I have purchased The Bible Storybook: The Old Testament, vol. 2., by LDS authors and Bible scholars, Josh and Sarah Sabey. Just as the Bible writers fancified their histories a bit to teach their lessons and prove their points, the Sabeys have fancified Esther a little bit to make her relatable to our day. Reading their story, "The Queen of Persia," I got a whole different perspective on Esther than I had before. I loved it so much that I wrote and requested permission to include it in its entirety which the Sabeys graciously allowed. Here it is for you. You're welcome.

Illustration by Maddie Baker from The Bible Storybook

(Used with permission. Please do not copy.)

THE QUEEN OF PERSIA

by Josh and Sarah Sabey

Hadassah lived in a place called Persia. When she was young, her mother and father had died, and so she was raised by her cousin Mordecai. And even though they lived in Persia, they were not actually Persian. They were immigrants. Well, sort of. They had not chosen to come here. Their great-grandparents had been taken out of Jerusalem by an army and plopped here to help build buildings, clean streets, and paint houses. And so while Hadassah and Mordecai lived in Persia and spoke Persian, they were also part of the family of Jacob. And they were called Jews. And while some Jews had returned to rebuild Jerusalem, Hadassah and Mordecai stayed behind. They thought things would be better for them in Persia.

But sometimes Mordecai would talk about their ancestors in Jerusalem and what their life would have been like. He'd tell Hadassah the stories of Ruth, and David, and Moses. But Hadassah didn't want to look back or care to imagine a world she'd never known. Instead, she looked out the window facing the big, beautiful palace in the center of the city and listened to the giant parties, smelled the huge feasts, heard the loud music, and dreamed of a different life. A better life. A better life for her and for Mordecai. And the best life she could imagine was here in Persia, in that palace.

That's right, she wanted to be a princess. And who hasn't imagined being a king or queen, and having a palace with servants? But Hadassah was not just a dreamer. She was a believer. And she trusted that one day she'd get the chance to impress the king, and he'd be so struck by her charm and beauty and wit that he'd fall in love and make her his queen.

And so when the king announced that he was hosting a contest to help him pick his next bride, Hadassah jumped for joy. "It's going to be me!" she shouted. And people must have thought she was crazy to even try to compete. How could an orphan girl, an immigrant and refugee, become the queen of the most powerful empire in the world? There were lots and lots of perfectly fun, smart, rich, and beautiful Persians who were lined up ahead of her. Why would the king ever pick Hadassah?

Do you remember the princes who refused to eat the Babylonian food or say the Babylonian prayers? That is the opposite of what Hadassah did. She wasn't going to miss out on her one and only opportunity. She would do anything to win. Hadassah learned to look, smell, dress, eat, and talk like a Persian. 

She ate their meat and drank their drinks. She switched her linen and wool clothes for silks and velvet. She did all the fancy baths and beauty treatments. Nothing could stop her. Not naysayers, not poverty, not her ancestry. She'd give up sleep, time, and her own name if she had to. And it turns out she had to. Her name was too...foreign. It wasn't Persian enough. And so she changed it. She started to call herself Esther, and Mordecai called her Esther, and soon everyone was calling her Esther.

And she learned to walk in high heels, and figured out dresses and colors that complemented her complexion. She practiced applying mascara, foundation, blush, and eyeliner. She learned to tell jokes and laugh loudly but not too loudly, and to eat food without spilling like she was already a princess.

On the day of the competition, as she walked through the doors of the palace, she couldn't help but gasp. The windows were draped in rich, blue linen tied back with thick silver rings. The floor was made of marble and shells that collected into pictures that told stories all the way down the halls. There was gold and jewels on all the cups and plates, and utensils. It was even more gorgeous than she could have imagined. And she thought, "How could this ever be my home?" And for a moment, she doubted herself. But Mordecai came up behind her and whispered, "You've got this," and that was just what she needed. So Esther took a deep breath and a step forward.

When it was her turn to compete, she walked with confidence. Her hair was thick. Her skin was smooth. Her face was bright. Her clothes were perfect. Her body smelled like jasmine and rose. And as she walked through the palace, she heard the contestants around her whispering together in despair because Esther looked like a queen already. And she smiled, a stunning, radiant smile. She was steps away from a new life. She took a deep breath, then turned down the hallway to see the king.

And the king immediately saw what everyone else had seen already: Esther was going to be the next queen. And so he threw a huge party and put a crown on her head. She had done it. And soon enough, they were married and Esther became a queen, joined a family, and received a country.

It was just like she dreamed. She was given a giant bedroom filled with beautiful things and lots of women to do her hair and draw her baths. Her sheets were made of the most comfortable silk. Her windows were stuffed with flowers. Her dresser was filled with jewels. She had money to spend and influence to wield. This was all even better than she'd imagined.

But in another way, it wasn't quite what she had hoped. Because living in a palace surrounded by people who take care of you isn't necessarily the same thing as living in a home with people who care about you. And while the king thought Esther was beautiful, he wasn't around very much. She was never asked for her opinions about anything important. In fact, she wasn't even allowed to go and talk to him uninvited. If she came to him with her own ideas, or thoughts, or even just to talk, she'd be kicked out of the palace and maybe even killed.

And so she spent her evenings alone and remembered her time with Mordecai, when he would tell her about life in Jerusalem, and their ancestors, and she felt an emptiness that no throne, or jewel, or wardrobe could fill. And one day, as she was looking out the window, thinking of Mordecai, she saw him. But he wasn't coming to visit her. He was holding a poster above his head, protesting at the palace gate. Why? Esther sent a servant to find out.

As it turns out, Mordecai had a good reason. The king was planning to drive out the family of Jacob. Even though the Babylonians had taken the family of Jacob from their homes and brought them into their city to do their work, the Persians didn't want them anymore. There were just too many of them now. They were taking good Persian jobs, joining gangs, and causing crime. They had to get rid of them, one way or another.

Mordecai cried, "You have to stop this!"

Esther swallowed hard, "What can I do about it? I'm Persian now. I've changed my clothes and my name, the food I eat, the laws I keep. I don't belong to the family of Jacob anymore. I never really did."

"Hadassah," said Mordecai, "you are still part of the family. You can put on new clothes, change your name, and conquer the whole world, and still you would be part of our family. It's not something you can get out of. It's who you are. You did not become queen because you are Persian. You became queen because you're a Jew. Your strength, your beauty, your determination, those are gifts from your parents. Remember the old story of Ruth, who left her family to take care of her mother-in-law? You are like Ruth to me. Remember David, who was a shepherd boy who became a king? You are like David. And remember Moses, who saved his people even though he didn't think he could? You are going to need to be like Moses now. Save us."

And Esther, who had broken every Jewish law, who had worked so hard to become the perfect Persian queen, who had spent months forgetting old habits and learning new manners, decided again to become Hadassah the Jew. She prayed and she fasted. She trusted and hoped. And then she stormed right up to the king and told him who she was. "I am Hadassah, a descendant of Kish, the great-grandson of Benjamin of the family of Jacob. And so if you're going to get rid of the family of Jacob, I guess you're going to have to start with me."

The king was speechless. Esther could hear the servants whispering together. She'd come uninvited. She would be banished for sure, if not killed. But Esther did not die that day. Instead, the king was impressed with her bravery, and the family of Jacob was saved.

And as Esther walked away, she no longer felt lonely or empty or hollow. Instead, she felt something she hadn't felt in a long time. She felt home. And she ran out to tell Mordecai the good news. She ran out through the large palace doors. She walked through the crowded streets, past mud-brick buildings, along the open sewage lines, to the neighborhood where she'd grown up, into the home where Mordecai was. And as she entered their old, broken-down apartment, she never felt more like a queen.

Ezra and Nehemiah

 RETURN TO JERUSALEM

This lesson takes us back in time 400-500 years before the first "Christmas" in Bethlehem to the time of Ezra and Nehemiah.  Ezra and Nehemiah were contemporaries and colleagues in the rebuilding of the kingdom of God.  The two books go together and are actually just one book in the Jewish Bible.  Babylon, where the Jews had been taken, had been overthrown by Cyrus of Persia, as foretold by King Nebechudnezzar's dream of the great image (Daniel 2).  Cyrus encouraged the Jews to begin their return to Jerusalem to build up their temple.  And why did he feel inclined to do that?  Because he found his name in the prophecy, foretelling that he would.

Ezra 1:1-4:  "Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, the Lord God of heaven [remember, that is the Persian term for the God of the Jews; see previous post] hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah."

Josephus wrote, "This was known to Cyrus by his reading the book which Isaiah left behind him of his prophecies; for this prophet said that God had spoken thus to him in a secret vision:--'My will is, that Cyrus, whom I have appointed to be king over many and great nations, send back my people to their own land, and build my temple.'  This was foretold by Isaiah one hundred and forty years before the temple was demolished.  Accordingly, when Cyrus read this, and admired the divine power, an earnest desire and ambition seized upon him to fulfil what was so written; so he called for the most eminent Jews that were in Babylon, and said to them, that he gave them leave to go back to their own country, and to rebuild their city Jerusalem, and the temple of God, for that he would be their assistant, and that he would write to the rulers and governors that were in the neighbourhood of their country of Judea, that they should contribute to them gold and silver for the building of the temple, and besides that, beasts for their sacrifices."  (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book XI, Chapter 1, verses 1 & 2)

Here is the prophecy Cyrus read about himself as recorded in our present-day Old Testament:  "Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things...That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid."  (Isaiah 44:24, 28)  The prophecy to Cyrus continues on in Isaiah 45, promising the Lord's aid to Cyrus as he performs this work.

So nearly 50,000 Jews went back to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple.  The joy for the Jews when the temple was complete was contrasted with the sorrow of the old men who remembered the glory and splendor of the previous temple, as recorded in Ezra 3:11-13.  "Many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house [remember this was 70 years after they had been taken captives in Babylon, so these people must have been nearing 90 or 100 to remember the first temple] when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy" (Ezra 3:12).  (Institute Manual 29-4, 29-14)

EZRA

The first six chapters of Ezra take place 60 to 80 years before his time.  There is no record of what happened in those years (Bible Dictionary, p. 669), but it must have been something bad, because a lot of damage had been done to Jerusalem.  Ezra was a priest (Ezra 7:6), and he received the king's permission to lead another group of Jews back to Jerusalem and reform the Jews living there.

"Along with Nehemiah, [Ezra] took steps to instruct the people in the Mosaic law.  Hitherto, the law had been to a great extent the exclusive possession of the priests.  It was now brought within the reach of every Jew." (ibid.)  In other words, most of the people had never had access to the scriptures, never heard them read in their entire lives, and their worship had, obviously, drifted and deviated from the Word of God.  It was a time similar to that following the Dark Ages in Europe, when Wycliffe and Tyndale translated the Bible into English and made it available to the commoner (although Wycliffe and Tyndale paid the price for their effort with their lives).

Read Nehemiah 8:1-4, 12, 17-18 for the beautiful account of the reading of the scriptures to the people.

(For much more on Ezra, see the Institute Manual.)

NEHEMIAH

Nehemiah, the king's cupbearer (Neh. 1:11), a high-ranking civil servant, was allowed to go back as well.  Nehemiah became the leader of the re-building effort and, while under attack, rebuilt the walls of the city.

"Nehemiah stands out as one of the noble men in the Old Testament. As he fulfilled a necessary mission in his day, he demonstrated the highest level of dedication and courage, both in the practical matter of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and also in the spiritual matter of rebuilding the religious life of his people" (Institute Manual).

“[Nehemiah's] career presents an exceptional combination of strong self-reliance with humble trust in God, of penetrating shrewdness with perfect simplicity of purpose, of persistent prayerfulness with the most energetic activity; and for religious faith and practical sagacity he stands conspicuous among the illustrious personages of the Bible.” (J. R. Dummelow, ed., A Commentary on the Holy Bible, p. 278, quoted in Institute Manual)

For more on Nehemiah, see the Institute Manual.

Two more July links

Here are links for my previously-published lessons that correspond to the next two weeks' study.

July 6-12

2 Kings 2-7 with Bible Balderdash

July 13-19

2 Kings 16-25 (Hezekiah)