The One Year Chronological Bible - Week 23 Reflection Questions

Questions being created... Sorry for the Delay...

Week 23 (June 1-June 7): Proverbs 17:1-24:34, Song of Songs, I Kings 11:1-43, 2 Chronicles 9:29-31, Ecclesiastes 1:1-11:6

As you read through these passages of the Bible, reflect upon these questions individually, through journaling, in pairs, or in small groups...

1.
2. (6/4) How are we to understand Song of Songs and its placement within the Bible?  What is its intended meaning and/or purpose?
3. Within the Song, "she" says multiple times (2:7, 3:5, 8:4) "Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires."  What is this love that one should not arose or awaken?  How does one know when "it so desires?"
4. Read through the similes that the author uses in the Song to describe the woman (4:1-7, 6:4-9, 7:1-9).  Do these sound like flattering words in our current cultural context?  What imagery might we use instead today?
5. In Song of Songs 8:9 we read, "If she is a wall, we will build towers of silver on her.  If she is a door, we will enclose her with panels of cedar." What does it mean to be a wall or a door?
6. (6/5) If Song of Songs is meant to be a love letter from Solomon, how are we to interpret this given what we read on Solomon's many wives in I Kings 11:1-13?
7. If Song of Songs is meant to be a love letter written to God, how are we to interpret this given what we read of Solomon's unfaithfulness to God in I Kings 11:1-13?
8. In the end, there were a number of enemies that rose up against Solomon.  Solomon was not faithful to God and so his descendants lost a large portion of their reign, but not all of it.  Here we see God's judgement mixed with God's grace and God's faithfulness to His promises.  How have you experienced this in your own life?
9. The Bible recorded some of Solomon's reign but then refers us to "The Book of the Annals of Solomon" (I Kings 11:41) or "The Records of Nathan in Prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the Visions of Iddo the Seer." (2 Chronicles 9:29) which are books that we do not have.  Is this significant for us or only for the early readers of these books?  Why or why not?
10. The book of Ecclesiastes are the words of the Teacher (Solomon) and begin "'Meaningless! Meaningless!' says the Teacher, 'Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.'"  How are we to interpret this beginning to the book?
11. (6/6) Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 tells us that there is a time for everything.  Does this give you comfort or concern? Why?
12.The Teacher suggests that humans have no advantage over animals and that the one who has never been born is better off than the one who has been born because those who are born see all the evil of the world.  Do you agree with the argument? If so, why?  If not, how would you respond to the Teacher?
13. The Teacher also claims that to be alone is meaningless whereas when there are two they can take care of each other.  While the advantage of two may be true, how do you respond to the claim that being alone is meaingless?
14.

 May the Lord bless and shape us through our individual reading and corporate study of His word this year.