Bones in the Womb: Living by Faith in an Ecclesiastes World, by Susan E. Erikson. Resource, 2024, x + 154 pages, $17.00, paper.

It is exceptionally enjoyable to be asked to endorse and review Susan Erikson’s new book of poetry, since I am working on a commentary on Ecclesiastes with Meredith M. Kline. I normally do not have endorsers review volumes, but I hope readers will pardon this exception.

In her introduction Susan Erickson best sums up her intentions in writing this poetry:

I have been intrigued for years by Ecclesiastes; its honesty about human struggles, its frank exposé of the futility our excursions into stuff and experiences for meaning and satisfaction; its persistent reminder that death is on everyone’s bucket list; and the correct recourse for human peace in the face of this world, is a relationship with the God of heaven. Nothing sentimental here, but the best place for every believer to start. (x)

Erikson’s well-crafted free verse beautifully covers the thematic terrain of the entire book of Ecclesiastes. The oral and mnemonic power of poetry takes center stage in free verse because it resembles ordinary speech, but artfully condenses language and seasons it with internal cadence and rhyme. This fine poetry should be a significant aid to Bible study and sermon preparation.

Good poetry in whatever form stimulates the imagination to see things from a different perspective. The artistic structure and craftsmanship of Ecclesiastes is perfectly suited to such a linguistic exploration of its meaning and implications.

The writer of Ecclesiastes has some important things to say about the artistry involved in composing the Scriptures:

Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth. The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. (Eccl. 12:9–12)

The inspired words of the sage in this text are carefully crafted divine wisdom—“arranging many proverbs with great care.” He fashions wisdom especially designed for troubled believers living amidst the injustices and wackiness of a fallen world. We must remember to leave the mystery of God’s disposition of our lives in the hands of God, recognizing our mortal and human limits. The beauty of the design of the book of Ecclesiastes is itself a testimony of the perfect control and benevolent purposes of our God in caring for us. God’s Word is crafted with the original Designer’s care—a care with which he gifts the writers of Scripture—“weighing and studying and arranging.”

Erikson divides the book into four parts. Rather than moving seriatim through the twelve chapters of Ecclesiastes, she focuses on four essential themes: Chasing after the Wind; A Time to Die; Fear God; and A Pleasing Aroma.

The word hebel (הֶבֶל) is used thirty-eight times in Ecclesiastes. It has a wide semantic range. It can mean frustrating, perplexing, or fleeting, depending on the context. Erikson’s poems reflect this range of meaning. The idea of fleeting and weariness is captured in her poem “All Is Vapor” (8–9).

People come,
People go,
From light of dawn
to glowing dusk,
The days roll on
and on and on.
Whether harmony
Or wars increase,
The boy is young,
The man grows old,
Yet earth remains,
Seedtime, harvest,
Heat and cold,
Summer and winter,
Day and night
shall never cease.

But like Ecclesiastes the poetry ends in hope. The concluding poem, “Final Thoughts,” nicely gathers the Preacher’s conclusions.

How much do we rely
upon our dreams,
And our desire?
Instead of building up ourselves
in holy faith,
Instead of running eager fingers
over pages of His Word
(What glorious translation of His truth is waiting there!)
Forgetting how He
snatched us from the fire?
There are no deeds
He has not seen,
No secret things
He does not know—
Our stumbling,
The weariness of soul in man.
And yet He loves.
We would do better fearing God,
And keeping His commandments.

Indeed, here are “words of truth” crafted as “words of delight” to capture every reader’s heart.

Gregory E. Reynolds is pastor emeritus of Amoskeag Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Manchester, New Hampshire, and is the editor of Ordained Servant. Ordained Servant Online, November, 2024.