Finding Meaning in Ecclesiastes: A Divine Perspective

The book of Ecclesiastes is fascinating. Opinions vary as to whether it is simply a depressing account of life or a lesson in finding what actually matters in the grand scheme of things, ending with a positive message.

I fall into the second category without discounting the view of the former school. It can be a very distressing book if one does not grasp the positive statements peppered throughout. Though Solomon was attempting to discover meaning in life from the view of one living without the one true God, time and time again he directs his reader to seek out the one true God.

What follows will be a series sharing what I have been finding as I study this amazing theological/philosophical treatise on the meaning and value of life under the sun. My desire is that some will find the hope that underlies Solomon’s message to mankind.

Introduction: What about the title Ecclesiastes?

The title is derived from the Hebrew word Koheleth, meaning “leader of the assembly or speaker of the assembly” (HALOT); thus, the translation and transition to “the preacher,” the one who speaks to the assembly. The Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (the Septuagint) takes its title from the Hebrew kahal, meaning “to gather,” or “to assemble,” and translates it as ecclesia, from which we get our English title, Ecclesiastes.

Who Wrote Ecclesiastes?

The book opens with the statement that the writer, “the Preacher,” was “the son of David, king in Jerusalem” (1:1). To clarify who was writing, verse 12 further states that he had been king in Jerusalem over a united kingdom of Israel. Only three men ruled over a united kingdom: Saul, David, and Solomon. Only one was the son of David, which narrows the field to one, Solomon. Following Solomon’s reign, the kingdom was divided into Israel in the north led by Jeroboam, and Judah in the south, ruled by Rehoboam, son of Solomon.

The Purpose of Ecclesiastes

I hesitate to quote Augustine, but kudos to him for the following statement: “Thou hast made us for Thyself O God, and the heart of man is restless until it finds its rest in Thee.” Blaise Pascal made a similar statement, namely, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing, but only God the creator, made known through Jesus Christ.” In brief, Solomon addressed these sentiments and revealed that, though every life has intrinsic meaning and value in God’s creation, only when one turns to his Creator can the full impact of those truths be realized. Until then, all of life is summed up in verse 2, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”

So, what is Solomon’s purpose for writing? Commentator, theologian, and philosopher Christopher Cone offers the following suggestions:

“without eternal perspective, life is meaningless … His thesis is twofold: (1) the hopelessness and emptiness of life without God (under the sun), and (2) the meaningfulness of even the most ordinary acts (eating, drinking, labor, etc.) when one enjoys the proper perspective of and relationship to God.” (Life Beyond the Sun, 2)

I’m sure that my position on this is clear already. However, we are going to spend some time attempting to determine if Cone’s assertion is true. In doing so, I hope to help us take a view of life more consistently “above the sun.”