I noticed the different sections of Proverbs more clearly than in the past because of listening to whole book at one sitting. I found the book to be positive and very motivating: I’m encouraged to follow God because of practical benefits that result. Ecclesiastes in contrast is very dark; it sounds like the voice of depression, recording the kind of thoughts I (and loved ones) have had while depressed. I guess, in a way, it’s the flip side of Proverbs, showing the darkness that results when God is not the center of your world. Song of Songs struck me as going back to the positive, but in a completely different way than Proverbs. It’s cool that the Bible has such a passionate expression of married love, but to be honest, as a single I didn’t want to think too hard about some of the imagery I was listening to!
(This was a seminary class assignment originally dated October 16, 2006. For an introduction and table of contents for this series, see New Series: Old Testament Reading Journal)