Discussion Questions
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How are the teachings in Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs culturally relevant today?
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It’s sad to say but many people live with the Ecclesiastes 1-11 mindset. They are looking for meaning and significance but are never satisfied. As the author of Ecclesiastes describes, a person who tries to find satisfaction in work or pleasure or materail possessions is trying to find water in a dry well. People want to try everything but the only One who can fill the void inside. Too many of us stay stuck in the chapter 1-11 mindset and never even consider the real answer which is made so clear in chapter 12. “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Our world needs Ecclesiastes 12:13-14.
The teachings of The Song of Solomon are like pure spring water compared to the filth our culture drinks today. Sex and sexual perversion has invaded every area of our society. Children are being sexualized at a young age and marriage is no longer a goal for the majority of young adults. We need this book on love desperately. The whole notion of love and the love between a man and a woman has been so twisted in our world today that few people are left with the truth of what God intended married love to be. The Song of Solomon speaks to the basic building block of human existence. God had a beautiful plan for the relationship between a man and a woman. He planned to build families on that relationship. Furthermore, communities, cities and nations were formed based on the foundation of a godly marriage and solid family structure. The deterioration in the most basic of all human relationships, i.e. marriage, can only lead to the deterioration of society and nations in general.
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As is the whole Bible, so Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs are totally culturally relevant today. the problem is that we as a human race have drifted way off course and therefore most, young and old find Books like these two to be outdated, irrelevant, not applicable. If we would just go back to the basics for life as offered in the Bible, in all that we do say, how we conduct our lives, marriages and relationships, with integrity, honesty and love, guided by wisdom, we would be far, far better off than at present.
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We live in a world full of self-help themes and low self esteem due to feelings of incompleteness or no value, individually or collectively, and of looking for love “in all the wrong places” and “in too many faces” as the song goes, so these two books were inspired by God EONS ago but are very relevant with what they teach. That a God-less life is indeed empty and meaningless. We were created by God for more than just existing here – this is just the start. And then He provides guidance on how to truly love someone, how to be tender and to do acts of kindness for those we love, and to be loyal and true to that person we love. So many lessons in these two books…
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The things that are brought up are directly related to how people act and treat each other in a modern it's about me society. The book of Ecclesiastes points to doom and death. Why bother, for it is all worthless.
The Song of Songs tells us of a love story about two people who share their desires and love. There is love among people today who enjoy the fruit of a godly relationship. There is also many people who abuse the right to have sex and use others for their own satisfaction. -
I find Ecclesiastes a bit of a downer. If life’s pleasures are meaningless, why bother. Why cant we enjoy the earthy pleasures and carry that joy with us into eternity.
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What role should the teachings of the book of Song of Songs play in the instruction of young people today?
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This teaches that sex is a process, not an act, and it should be engaged into lightly.
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The book of Song of song should be used in Churches today to teach, especially young adults of marriageable age about Affection, Love, and Sex, They should be thought how it is important that affection and love should come before engaging in sexual relationship which comes after consummating the love relationship in holy matrimony. It should be emphasized that putting the latter before the former may end in disaster and destruction of the relationship, because that is not the way God intend it to be.
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It should be a wonderful guide to teach what true love is based on.
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From this book, young people might learn about the plan God has for passionate love in their married lives. Rather than subscribing to ideas about romance and sex that make these things dirty, shameful, or something to obsess over, young (and old) people can find hope in a different way of becoming one with another person. When romance and sex become part of our physical and spiritual joys in life. This book sets an example for lovers who bring God into their relationships.
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I believe that this book should be used so much more with the youth in our churches. The idea of purity (in other words, no sex before marriage) is what is being driven into Christian youth today. While this is an important lesson, we really need them to see what a beautiful loving relationship SHOULD look like and that there is nothing to fear in that regard. Rather than society informing their decisions on what a marital mate should look like, it is so important that the Word of God be the tool that informs those decisions. Song of Songs is a beautiful portrait of what that relationship can be.