Ecclesiastes is a hard book for many people to study and to preach from. In my yearly reading of the Bible, I’ve always found this book of the Bible to be fascinating. One day I’d love to teach through this book and study it in more depth because it is just so rich and interesting. When I read The Gospel in Ecclesiastes Why Everything Matters by Dr. Philip G. Ryken I was helped and instructed. Ecclesiastes is for people who have their doubts about God but can’t stop thinking about Him. The author of Ecclesiastes had his doubts too and these enabled him to speak to skeptics as well as to Christians down through the centuries. Ecclesiastes is a book rich in literary artistry and multi-layered depths of spiritual meaning. Philip Ryken explores this wonderful Old Testament book and reminds us of the need to trust God with our questions even when we don’t have all the answers.
The author rightly notes why we should study Ecclesiastes, “This book helps us to ask the biggest and hardest questions that people still have today—questions that lie at the heart of life in a fallen world: What is the meaning of life? Why is there so much suffering and injustice? Is life really worth living” (3). Along with this, the author helps his readers understand why studying Ecclesiastes helps us to worship the one true God, to live for Him and not for ourselves, and to be honest about our struggles. The content of this book is excellent. While not a verse by verse treatment of every passage, this book will help readers understand what Solomon is teaching in Ecclesiastes.
Perhaps you’re at a place in your own life where you’re struggling with difficult questions and doubts. Reading Dr. Ryken’s excellent book will help you to begin thinking biblically about doubt and difficult questions. As the author walks readers through Ecclesiastes readers they will be exposed to biblical wisdom for all of life that Solomon prescribes. This biblically faithful and practical book will help readers understand the book of Ecclesiastes. Along the way, readers will be instructed in how the wisdom of Ecclesiastes points forward to the good news of the Gospel today.
Whether you are a new or seasoned Christian, The Gospel in Ecclesiastes Why Everything Matters by Dr. Phil Ryken has something for you. I highly recommend this book and believe reading it will help skeptics to understand the meaning of biblical wisdom and Christians to deal honestly with life’s struggles and to trust God in the midst of them.
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Dave is a lover of Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology. He serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine, the Host and Producer of Equipping You in Grace Podcast, and is a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024). You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or read his newsletter. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. He is also a voracious reader, in particular of Reformed theology, and the Puritans. You will often find him when he’s not busy with ministry reading a pile of the latest books from a wide variety of Christian publishers. Dave received his M.A.R. and M.Div through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
