If I was in some weird experiment where I had to give advice to someone without knowing the problem, I'd direct them to Ecclesiastes 3:1-9. Granted, I don't think it fixes all problems (especially not without discussion) but it covers pretty much everything.

This post is a reflection of what I learned and took away from Ecclesiastes. Although Solomon starts off seeming to prove the pointlessness of life, we see exactly the opposite: everything in life always points back to a singular point. That is the purpose of life.

Ecclesiastes 12 is the final chapter in the book of Ecclesiastes and summarizes Solomon's thoughts on the purpose of life. Solomon summarizes his message by concluding that our sole duty is to respect God and follow His commandments. When put into words, it sounds easy, but in action, it's a lot harder!

These 3 chapters of Ecclesiastes hold some oft forgotten wisdom along with a few popular quotes. My favorite quote from Ecclesiastes is found in chapter 9, verse 11: "I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all."

Ecclesiastes 7 continues Solomon's profound look at the purpose of life. Solomon ponders the difference between birth and death, emotions such as sadness, anger, and happiness, how to prolong our lives, and more.

Ecclesiastes 5&6 makes us reevaluate the way we look at religion and wealth. Without meaning to, we often take up secular attitudes and opinions toward these two topics, which can cause us to drift away from God. It's important to put everything in perspective. Remember, Solomon's main theme in Ecclesiastes, is if I died tomorrow, what then?

Do you ever just sit around thinking about the meaning of life? Does it get depressing when you realize that no matter what we do, we're all expected to experience a physical death? Solomon thought about these things too and recorded his thoughts in Ecclesiastes.

People aren't really sure who Agur was, but he took the time to pen a chapter of proverbs for us. He makes mention of God's son, which is definitely something to discuss! Agur's proverbs give us concrete examples of the values and concepts he's discussing, which is helpful in understanding his point.

Psalms 21-30 contains the famous Psalm 23, often referred to a "The Lord is My Shepherd." However, it also contains Psalm 22, which prophetically outlines the life of Christ. The other psalms include prayers for guidance and forgiveness.

A look at the boy who became king of Judah at the age of 7! Plus discussion on the parallels between Athaliah's murders and end of days prophecies.

The reign of Jehoram of Judah is discussed.

Asa was the son of Abijah who inherited the throne after his father's death. Asa leads the southern kingdom of Judah for 41 years, most of which are peaceful.

A discussion on transporting the ark back to Jerusalem. This parallels 2 Samuel 6.

1 Chronicles version of 1 Samuel 31 & 2 Samuel 1, discussing how Saul died.

A consequence of this disloyalty to God is the instability of their throne. There is a constant struggle for the throne as worldly ideas pollute the people of Israel. Instead of being content to appoint God's heir to the throne, they vie for power and kill for what they desire.

Beginning with Jehoash, Judah experiences a period of revival with 3 God-fearing kings. Although the effects are not permanent, these rulers give us a positive glimpse of David's dynasty, and prove that given the right leader, a nation can always return to God.

1 Kings 17-20 takes a break from a series of brief records which introduces many kings to focus on God's prophet, Elijah who lived during King Ahab's reign in the northern kingdom.

But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri. 2 Samuel 20:10 KJV The rift between Israel and Judah begins.

Trigger warning: these chapters discuss sexual assault/rape. From a protective brother to a vain rebel, Absalom his one of the more interesting people in the Bible and the narrative springboards a wide range of topics.

The death of a leader often brings about chaos, especially in a monarchy.