On Ecclesiastes · 9:19pm Dec 5th, 2021
The Book of Ecclesiastes may well be one of the more avoided books of the Bible. Given that it often has a depressing tone ("Vanity of vanities! All is vanity... there is nothing new under the sun [Eccl. 1:1, 9, ESV]), it's not hard to see why. One will certainly ask, "Why should I read a work of despair?"
There are numerous answers as to why one ought to read it. Yes, the depressing tone is commonly present within the book. However, there is a reason for it, a deliberate reason. The author (commonly believed to have been King Solomon, towards the end of his life) has apparently lived a long life of living for himself, living for all sorts of pleasure (Eccl. 2:1-11). He drank much wine and deliberately rolled in foolishness (v. 3), "made great works (v. 4)," made parks full of trees (v. 5), along with pools to go with them (v. 6). He bought slaves to do his work (v. 7), and gathered treasure without bounds, along with many women - including concubines - and gathered singers (v. 8). He worked at wisdom, to become the wisest person alive (v. 13-14). He set himself to work (v. 18-19), apparently hoping to build something lasting.
What was the result of all this attempt to make life worth it? The realization that there is nothing new under the sun. We all are born, live for a while, and die. We work for a lifetime, and then when we die our work is taken up by anyone from a wise man to a fool (v. 19). Wisdom too, is fleeting; as the author put it, "The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them (v. 14)." As for pleasure, he found no joy in it (v. 11).
Is all gloom and doom, then? Well, no. At the end of chapter 2, the author recognizes the truth; "There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind (Eccl. 2:24-26)." In addition; "Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice (Eccl. 4:13)."
To be blunt, living a life without God is meaningless. This is one of the messages of Ecclesiastes. We can't live a life without God without fruitlessness in all we do. Another message, as put by one of the pastors at my school chapel is, "Do as I say, not as I did." The author, be he King Solomon or someone else, is warning those who read not to follow in his footsteps, and to live wisely for God rather than for oneself. Work, wisdom, and yes, pleasure are worthwhile when we live for the Lord rather than for ourselves. The author warns the youth of his age and those yet to come to live after God; "Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, 'I have no pleasure in them (Eccl. 12:1).'"
Lived without God, our lives are futile, and unchecked will lead to destruction in hell. Lived with God, our lives are fruitful, producing good fruits out of love for our Creator above all else and out of love of our neighbor as ourselves. We can forego the misery that the author of Ecclesiastes suffered by heeding his message. Yes, that message may be depressing, but if we listen to it, we may be able to avoid the pitfalls the author himself fell into, and know real joy serving God.
This doesn't mean that life will always be easy; there will certainly be seasons of struggle, sometimes hard, soul-felt struggle, both against the spiritual forces arrayed against God and against our own natural desires. There may well be persecution for preaching the Gospel, both physical and verbal abuse. We may face hate. We may face prison or worse; many who don't have the luxury of living in the West suffer badly for their faith in Christ around the world. However, we can take heart that our lives, lived in God, have eternal meaning. At the end, the life of the one who lives in God will matter.
I feel I ought to add something as this message is closed. As we come into the Christmas season, may we remember what Christmas is truly about; the birth of Christ, not the material gifts we may get or the specials or the other things. We may enjoy some of these things, but may our minds and mindsets be focused upon Christ. No, we won't be perfect on this, not on this Earth and not in bodies stained by sin, but we have the obligation to do what we can.
May the Lord Jesus Christ save you all. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
I have the exact opposite opinion on Ecclesiastes. I didn’t find it depressing at all. There’s a lot to be said about the immeasurable value of hard, honest work.