Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon

The book of Ecclesiastes asks some very important questions. Why am I here on this earth? What will bring true satisfaction to life? These are questions we all need to ask. We live in a time when sin and evil surrounds us on every side. World news has become frightening. The book of Ecclesiastes speaks to this issue by introducing us to a God who is in control over the events of life. This God blesses his people with good things. He also holds us all accountable for our actions. For Solomon, the key to all of life was to learn what it means to fear God and walk in His ways. This alone would give meaning and purpose to a life that would otherwise be meaningless.

As you read this book, take the time to consider the things that Solomon is saying. Listen to what he says about the futility of life without God. Ask yourself if you are trying to find meaning in the things of this life apart from God. Take the time to see what Solomon has to say about fearing God.

Don’t rush through this book. Take the time to reflect on its meaning and application to your life. As God to reveal its truths to you and shows you how to apply them to your life. I trust that this book will serve as a tool to stimulate you to greater worship of God, who alone brings meaning to live. I trust also that it will be a tool to stimulate prayer for those who are caught up in the meaningless pursuit of life without God.

May God bless you as you take the time to study this important book of the Bible.

F. Wayne Mac Leod

INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES

Author:

While there has been some debate among scholars over the authorship of Ecclesiastes, the first verse of the book is an indication that King Solomon, son of David, was likely the writer. This falls in line with evidence found in the book itself. The king described in the book was very wealthy. He was also given to reflection on life and its meaning. In comparing this book with what Solomon taught in Proverbs, we find many similarities. For our purposes in this commentary, we will assume that Solomon is the author of Ecclesiastes.

Background:

The book of Ecclesiastes is about the search for meaning in life. King Solomon’s quest is to find what gives life purpose. As a rich king, he sought fulfilment in pleasure, possessions, position and his profession as a king. All of these pursuits left him empty. He examined life in general and saw that there was a general sense of hopelessness in it. In the end, he concluded that a life without God was a life without meaning.

Importance of the Book for Today:

In our day men and women are still on a quest for the meaning and purpose of life. Solomon is not alone in his search for meaning. We don’t have to look far to find people who are seeking to find happiness in the things they own or in the pleasures of this world. Many of these people find emptiness deep down in their hearts.

Ecclesiastes is a book that causes us to search for meaning. What is it that gives a sense of purpose in life? How do we find hope in the midst of the injustice and suffering that abounds around us? Solomon’s conclusion still applies. If you want real purpose in life, you need to live with the understanding that there is a God who loves and cares for you, and to whom all people are accountable.

Solomon teaches us that to fear God is the only thing that will give meaning to life. To know there will be an accounting gives us hope in times of injustice. To know that he is sovereign gives us comfort in times of struggle. To know that he has a plan for our lives gives us courage to continue in the difficult times. Life without the fear of God is a life without meaning. Surely this is an important message even in our day.

Chapter 1 – MEANINGLESS

Read Ecclesiastes 1:1-18

This book of Ecclesiastes is a reflection on life and its meaning. Why are we here? What is the purpose of life? What brings satisfaction and fullness to our existence? These are the questions the author addresses in this book. The author is introduced in the opening verse. He is a teacher, the son of David and king in Jerusalem. This can be none other than Solomon.

Solomon begins by offering his initial observation about life in general. This observation is quite shocking. Everything is meaningless, he says (verse 2). The word meaningless has the idea of emptiness and futility. Some translations use the word vanity to indicate that all that is done on earth is without purpose. Nothing has any real meaning and value.

It is important that we understand that Solomon is seeking an answer to the meaning of life. This is his starting point. As he looks at life from a purely human perspective, he fails to see purpose. He will develop his point throughout the book and come to a final conclusion but this is not that conclusion. Notice what brings Solomon to make this initial statement about life in general?

Our Labor Is In Vain (verse 3)

What does man gain from all his labor, Solomon asks in verse 3. While it seems that Solomon is being very negative here; we need to understand where he is coming from. Have you ever asked yourself what the ultimate purpose of your job was? Are you a salesman? Do the things you sell really bring an answer to the deep heartfelt needs of humanity? What will become of the things you sell today in 50 years? Are you a repairman? What you repair today will break down again and need further repair. Are you a teacher? What we teach will ultimately disappear when those we teach die and take our teaching with them. We will have to teach the next generation all over again. This world has a tendency to destroy the work of our hands. Any housewife knows that there seems to be an endless cycle of repetitive work. We clean only to see things get messed up again. Doctors and counselors minister to the physical and emotional pain of a patient only to see them die in the end. There is a certain truth to what Solomon says here. In this sin-cursed earth everything is in a state of decline. All our efforts are only temporary solutions. We ask ourselves the same question as Solomon. What do we really accomplish with all our labors under the sun?

Futility of the Natural Order (verses 4-7)

From this statement about our labors under the sun, Solomon draws our attention to the natural order of life. Generations come and generations go, he reminds us in verse 4. Our lives do not last forever. We live our lives, fill them with comfort and possessions and eventually die taking nothing with us. The next generation does the same thing. They too perish with nothing. We come into this world with nothing and we leave with nothing. There is, according to Solomon, a futile cycle here. If we start with nothing and end with nothing what is the ultimate meaning to life?

The sun rises in the morning and sets at night. It moves in an endless repetitive cycle. It goes in circles, year after year, without variation or change (verse 4). It leaves the sky only to hurry back to the same place it began. The same thing happens to the wind. It leaves the north travels to the south and returns to where it began. It travels the whole earth only to end up where it started (verse 5). The streams and rivers of this earth travel down the slopes of the mountains and empty themselves into the sea. The sea, however, is never filled. The water that ends up in the sea is eventually evaporated into the air and returns to the slopes where it all came from originally. There is in nature, says Solomon an endless, repetitive cycle. Everything returns to where it started. If everything ends at the beginning, what has really been accomplished? According to Solomon there is certain meaninglessness to this endless cycle of nature?

The Futility of the Human Order of Life (verses 8-11)

Not only is there a meaninglessness in the natural order but this futility, according to Solomon, can also be seen in the human order of life. All things are wearisome, says Solomon (verse 8). We labor and toil only to end up weary and tired. We become weary of even the things we truly enjoy in life. A third of our life is spent in bed recovering from our emotional or physical weariness. The things we do to give meaning to life make us weary and tired. There is a certain futility in this.

Our eyes and ears continue to be filled with beautiful sounds and sights. These things delight our senses and fill us with joy. The problem, however, is that they pass quickly from us. Our eyes never seem to get their fill. Our ears never seem to stop wanting to hear. Our senses are never satisfied (verse 8). We are left always craving for more.

There is nothing new under the sun. This was especially true in the days of Solomon. But there is even in our day a similar reality. Is there anything new under the sun today? We have been successful in manipulating nature to create new technology. In this sense, we are able to produce something new but even what we invent comes from what already exists. God has given us all we have. The supplies that God has given us are being exhausted and there is nothing new to replace our exhausted supplies. What we have is all there is and all there every will be. With all our efforts and technology, nobody can add anything new to what we already have. According to Solomon, there was a certain futility to this.

Solomon reminds us in verse 11 that we live our lives contributing to the good of humanity only to die and see our memory fade. In years to come, nobody will remember our contribution. This too, says Solomon is meaning-less and futile.

The Futility of Worldly Wisdom (verses 12-18)

Solomon sought to apply his heart to gain understanding and wisdom. He gave himself to study and reflection (verse 13). He became the wisest man on the earth. Where did all this pursuit of wisdom and understanding lead him? Solomon describes his pursuit as meaning-less. With all his wisdom, he still could not change the natural flow of life. He could not straighten those things that were meant to be crooked. He could not count what was lacking (verse 15). Despite his wisdom, there were major gaps in his understanding. This only led him to frustration. He wearied himself in the pursuit of an answer that could not be found. In this pursuit of knowledge, he felt like he was chasing after the wind. He was trying to contain something that could not be contained. His growing knowledge and wisdom only caused him to ask more questions. This only led to sorrow and grief. What had he ultimately achieved by all his wisdom and knowledge if he could not change what God had de-signed? What was the purpose of all this knowledge if it only led to more questions and frustration?

Solomon was discovering that if we look only to this world for answers; we will quickly be disappointed. With all our technological and medical advances, we have still not answered the heartfelt needs of mankind. In a day of great technological advances, do we have a people who are more content and happy in life? With all his wisdom and knowledge, Solomon was discovering that there had to be a deeper meaning to life.

For Consideration:

What has mankind ultimately achieved with all his technology and scientific advances? Has he really answered the heartfelt need of humanity?

Where does meaning in life come for you? What is it that ultimately gives us satisfaction?

For Prayer:

Do you know people who are frustrated by this world? Take a moment to pray that the Lord would reveal Himself to them.

Have you been seeking satisfaction in this world system? Ask God to help you see that there is nothing in this world that will ultimately satisfy. Ask Him to point you to your real source of satisfaction and purpose in life.

Chapter 2 - THE FUTILITY OF PLEASURE

Read Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

Having seen futility in the natural and human order of life, Solomon seeks meaning and purpose in the pleasures of life. He discovers that even here there was certain meaninglessness. Let’s consider what Solomon has to say about the pleasures of life.

Parties and Celebrations (verse 2)

In his pursuit of purpose, Solomon gave himself to the pleasures of life. In verse 2, he reminds us that laughter was foolish and pleasure did not accomplish anything. Let’s examine what Solomon is saying here.

Commentators tell us that the word for laughter is a word used to describe superficial fun. If this is the case, what Solomon is describing in the type of fun that is experienced at a party of some kind. We have all met people who live for this type of pleasure. They cannot wait until the weekend so that they can party. All this laughter and superficial gaiety is foolishness, says Solomon. We don't have to listen to the subjects of conversation at such gatherings to see just how superficial this laughter is. Do such gatherings solve the deep problems of man? Admittedly, for a moment, our problems are forgotten, but in the end, nothing is changed in our lives.

The second word used in this verse is the word translated pleasure (NIV). Commentators tell us that this word is a more serious word used to indicate a deeper type of pleasure than the word translated laughter. This is the pleasure of someone who celebrates the good things of life in a more serious or dignified manner. This word, according to commentators, can be used to describe the celebration of religious or political holidays. In our day, it could be used to describe the celebration of Christmas, New Years, Easter, a child's birthday or a wedding anniversary. Again, we have all met individuals who live for these celebrations. Are they better people because of them? What do all their celebrations actually accomplish? These celebrations, according to Solomon, did not prove to be the answer to the problems of life.

Wine (verse 3)

Having been disappointed with his parties and celebrations, Solomon turned to wine. He is quick to tell us that, even though he experimented with wine, he was still directed by wisdom. In other words, he did not allow wine to control him. He understood that drunkenness was not the answer to life's problems but