Ecclesiastes
INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES
Questions continually swirl around the Bible. One area in particular surrounds the actual inclusion of the various books into what we presently have today. Why just 66 books? Within the 66 books of the Bible, and more specifically, within the 39 books of the Old Testament, questions continue regarding the inclusion of some. For instance, why do we have the Book of Esther? God isn’t included as one of the main characters here and in fact, seems to be relegated to the background as the book instead focuses on Esther the queen, her cousin Mordecai and the conniving Haman. And what about the Song of Solomon or the Song of Songs, whichever you prefer to call the book? Some of that material is rather embarrassing and too intimate for young readers. And what about Isaiah? Were there two or three authors? And so the attacks and criticisms continue unabatedly, ultimately assaulting the Author of Scripture Himself. Yet perhaps no other book has taken more theological hits throughout the years than the book of the Bible that occurs after Proverbs and before the Song of Solomon. It is perhaps the most enigmatic, perplexing and questionable of all the sacred writings. Its content, let alone its proposed writer, have been sharply criticized for decades. It is the Book of Qoheleth, which is the literal translation of the Hebrew title. It is affectionately called in the English Bible, the Book of Ecclesiastes. Roy Zuck, co-author of the enormously popular two-volume set, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, states this:
“Because it apparently contradicts other portions of Scripture and presents a pessimistic outlook on life, in a mood of existential despair, many have viewed it as running counter to the rest of Scripture or have concluded that it presents only man’s reasoning apart from divine revelation.”
The reviews of this book solicit unfavorable after unfavorable response. R.B.Y. Scott in his commentary on Ecclesiastes says this:
The author is a rationalist, an agnostic, a skeptic, a pessimist and a fatalist.”
James Crenshaw in his commentary on the book speaks of:
“the oppressiveness of Ecclesiastes, which conveys the view that life is profitless, totally absurd. Since virtue does not bring reward and since God stands distant, abandoning humanity to chance and death, this book contrasts radically with earlier teachings expressed in the Book of Proverbs.”
Another commentator, H.C. Leupold, states it this way:
“the writer of Ecclesiastes, in his observations and reflections upon life, assumed a position of complete neglect of revelation and the world to come. He spoke from the perspective that God had not revealed Himself, and furthermore, that God is inaccessible.”
Walter Kaiser summarizes all the negativity this way:
“The most frequent assessment of the book is summed up in such negative terms as nihilistic, pessimistic, fatalistic, skeptical, cynical, materialistic, experimental and the like.”
How would you like to have that smattering of book reviews for something you just wrote? You probably wouldn’t find Ecclesiastes on the best-seller list with those less-than-ringing endorsements! But not only do the reviews seem to suggest cynicism and skepticism of the book, various elements within the book supposedly paint an outlook of earthly despair.
1. There are the repeated phrases,
“vanity, vanity, all is vanity” or “meaningless, meaningless, all is
meaningless” (sounds like an empty life to me!)
“there is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and
enjoy good in his labor” (sounds like a television commercial to me!)
“therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was
grievous to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind!” (sounds like
a frustrated man to me!)
“there was no profit under the sun” (sounds like a fatalistic perspective to me!)
2. There is the proposition of death’s finality removing any advantage or
gain man may have acquired in life. After all, he’ll just leave it to someone
else, who will probably waste away all he has worked so hard for!
3. There is the aspect of life’s inequalities, including the frustrating nature of
work, the uselessness of pleasure, the inadequacies of wisdom and uncorrected
injustices.
4. There is the puzzle of life with its many questions of unknowable elements,
which leaves us gagging on the worldly philosophy: “Ours is not to reason
why, ours is but to do or die!”
Is this Book of Ecclesiastes indeed a misfit? Is it to be relegated to a dark place on the Bible bookshelf? Is its supposed contradictory, secular wisdom by a pessimist to be accorded a place of renown? Is this the total picture of the message of Ecclesiastes? Based on how pastors and laypeople approach this book, the answer would be a resounding “Yes!” Preachers almost seem to apologize for the inclusion of Ecclesiastes in the Bible. And when it is preached, it’s presented as Walter Kaiser previously quoted – in a negative, pessimistic, fatalistic, skeptical, cynical, materialistic way. A “how-not-to-live” life. After all, isn’t the writer himself back-slidden and practically unregenerate! If that is so, folks, how then do we deal with statements from Ecclesiastes that tell us:
_ life is a gift from God — that squares with Scripture
_ life is to be enjoyed — that lines up with the biblical mandate given in the beginning of
the Book of Genesis where God commands us to rule over and
enjoy God’s creation
_ injustices will be corrected — that will certainly occur when Christ returns again, the
the books will be opened, what’s crooked will be
straightened, and judgment is meted out
_ God is in control — that lines up with His sovereignty displayed throughout the Bible
_ man is challenged to please God, remember Him and fear Him — that too lines up with
the admonitions of Scripture
Can we ignore these counterbalancing ideas? The writer of Ecclesiastes names God some forty times — and it’s not in some derogatory or careless way. He speaks of the fear of God six times. He also uses the general, reverential name of God, Elohim. Surely these nuances must cause us to stand up and take attention. Is it time we took the pessimistic, drab-colored glasses off and revisited the book, perhaps to find a different perspective, a different starting point and thus a different ending point? Perhaps we need to find the real purpose of the Book of Ecclesiastes! Although it follows immediately after the Book of Proverbs, it can’t be read like Proverbs. Many have suggested that a good way to read Proverbs, since there are thirty-one chapters in it, is to read one of the chapters each day of the month. Unfortunately, Ecclesiastes cannot be read at several different settings over several days without disrupting one’s understanding of its overriding whole. It must be read with great attentiveness given to its design and scope, for apart from the context of the whole, any portion isolated will be wrongly understood. Why then does the writer of Ecclesiastes seemingly paint a dark picture of life? Why does the writer of Ecclesiastes seemingly present the gloom and doom of life? Here are three suggestions.
First, the writer of Ecclesiastes is demonstrating that life without God has no meaning. He is demolishing confidence in man-based achievements and wisdom to show that earthly goals as ends in themselves lead to dissatisfaction and emptiness. One need only look at the catalogue of the writer’s own experiences in 2:4-11 and the repeated emphasis on “I.” The quest for happiness cannot be fulfilled by man himself — life without God has no meaning.
Second, the writer of Ecclesiastes is affirming that since much of life cannot be fully understood, we must live by faith, not by sight. Unexplained enigmas, unresolved anomalies, uncorrected injustices — life is full of much that man cannot comprehend nor control. Man therefore must have more than a horizontal outlook; he must look upward to God, fearing and trusting Him. That resolve is stated in
And third, the writer of Ecclesiastes is affirming that the only answer to the meaning of life is to fear God and enjoy one’s lot in life. He does not mean that life has no answer, that life is totally useless or meaningless. Meaning is found, he explains, in fearing God and in enjoying life. Accepting what God has given and rejoicing in those gifts brings substance to a life that otherwise would be viewed as one of hopelessness and despair. Frustrations can be replaced with contentment, according to
Indeed, there is a need to consider Ecclesiastes from a perspective that is generally overlooked. There is the need to change the lens from anthropocentric (man-centered) to theocentric (God-centered). In summary fashion, here then are six succinct responsibilities the writer of this book places before us as we live life on planet earth before God.
1) Be wise. It is better to be wise than foolish; for numerous are its benefits. Wisdom can help preserve life as you make better choices, give more strength as you consider the best avenue, cause you to reflect on the seriousness of life and death as you consider standing before your maker, and brighten your countenance as God blesses your life. Now more than ever, we’re in a society that pushes education and intellect and the necessity of a degree or degrees. But mere human wisdom, according to Ecclesiastes, isn’t enough; it’s inadequate. It’s divine wisdom, the wisdom from the Bible, that enables you to rest in the sovereign ways of God and in His providential timing and thereby, ultimately handle and respond to life appropriately. As the writer of Ecclesiastes proclaims in
“Wisdom is good with an inheritance, and profitable to those who see the sun. For wisdom is a defense as money is a defense, but the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it.”
2) Worship and please God. When we attend church, it’s not to first interact horizontally on a social level with one another but to engage vertically on an exaltation level with one God. Worship is serious business and proper worship entails a sense of caution and apprehension in God’s presence. From worship of our God, we make commitments to our God, commitments which should be thought-out and acted on with the utmost of reverence and respect. Then having made these commitments, the worshiper should follow through on his promise, as Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 exhorts.
“Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil. Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven and you on earth; therefore let your words be few.”
Worshiping God and pleasing God should be man’s deepest desire.
“Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come and the years draw near when you say, ‘I have no pleasure in them.’” (12:1)
4) Fear God. Fearing God is at the heart of wisdom for “the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.” Hence it should not surprise us that man in Ecclesiastes is commanded six times to fear God, to recognize who He is and to respond accordingly in worship, awe, love, trust and obedience. The Book of Ecclesiastes closes on this note:
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil.” (12:13-14)
5) Be diligent. Ignorance or the unknown should not paralyze us or stifle us into laziness. You should forget trying to change things that cannot be changed or trying to predict what cannot be known. Instead, you should work hard all day, working wholeheartedly as to the Lord and leaving the results with the Lord.
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.” (
6) Enjoy life. Accept your lot in life and be glad for the simple pleasures of life including food, warmth, marriage and doing good. These pleasures are for mankind’s merriment and contentment and are given by God Himself for us to enjoy.
“Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works. Let your garments always be white and let your head lack no oil. Love joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life and in the labor which you perform under the sun.” (9:7-9)
CONCLUSION
Perhaps the writer of Ecclesiastes is no hardened pessimist — “the end is near, the end is near” — embrace gloom and doom! That was the scenario painted by many prognosticators for Y2K; it is not the scenario painted for this book. The writer of Ecclesiastes is not a man who records the battle of tormenting and conflicting thoughts that rage inside his own mind as he oscillates between piety and secularism. He isn’t schizophrenic, he doesn’t have a split personality! And the writer of Ecclesiastes is not a back-slidden man. On the contrary, perhaps he is a godly sage, a wise man, and what he has to say is absolutely vital. He is a righteous man regulated by his knowledge of and devout fear of the God of Israel. It is precisely because he is a God-fearing man that he is capable of giving expression to such paradoxical and anomalous matters without denying the presence of evil in this world or without destroying his belief in God. The Book of Ecclesiastes — meaningless or meaningful? As you really read and understand it, you may need to put on a different set of glasses from the one you’ve usually worn. In so doing, you will see it to be quite meaningful.