Ecclesiastes
Book Reviews aim to provide succinct, thoughtful summaries of books I have read. Each review contains quotes from the book, thoughts from others, and also some thoughts of my own. Typically they will be structured in the following order: author, introduction, message and purpose, remarkable chapter, and conclusion. This review will cover Ecclesiastes, a book written over 2,900 years ago and one that is part of a larger collection of books called The Bible.
Ecclesiastes
Author
King Solomon
Introduction
This Old Testament book does not shy away from hard questions and painful truths. Ecclesiastes sheds light on how we can find meaning in life despite the seemingly futile nature of the world. It is not a book that will be comfortable for the reader, as it won't allow you to respond to its tough questions with superficial answers. By forcing us to consider and confront the futility of human existence, Ecclesiastes instructs us to live a life with meaning and purpose and without emptiness and deceitful vindication.
Message and Purpose
The primary motto of the book is "Everything Is Futile." Ecclesiastes shows us that because we and our works are futile - that is, destined to perish - we must not waste our lives trying to justify our existence with pursuits that ultimately mean nothing. The book issues a warning regarding several different pursuits in life.
Intellectual accomplishments. Ecclesiastes affirms that wisdom can help us cope with life, but rejects the notion that acquiring knowledge is the end-all-be-all. Ultimately, the wise person and his works, like the fool and his deeds, perish.
Wealth and luxury. Not only does wealth fail to give purpose to your life, but those that pursue riches waste their lives in bitterness, anxiety, and toil. Ecclesiastes mentions that money does in fact matter and that we need a strategy for maintaining a basic level of prosperity. But fixating on wealth alone is a fraudulent substitute for true contentment.
Politics. The pursuit of political power is mentioned to be inherently corrupted, and some of the worst crimes in the world are committed by incompetent and cruel people in positions of power. That being said, Ecclesiastes further elaborates that government is necessary. The book guides the reader on how to maintain a stable, peaceful life in a world of political competition.
Religion. The book states that we should not try to impress God via religiosity. God is not impressed with big sacrifices and big vows; don't make a vow you cannot keep.
On a more positive note, Ecclesiastes suggests we do two things in light of the brevity of our days.
Enjoy life. This does not mean we should neglect other mundane responsibilities and duties, but a life without enjoyment is no life at all.
Fear God. Fearing God is an honest humility and reverence before God. This arises when we recognize we are weak and sinful, that God alone is our judge and healer, and that we are completely and utterly dependent on Him for mercy and grace.
Remarkable Chapter
I'm torn on which chapter to highlight here, as there are several key verses from different chapters that strongly resonate with me. Chapter 5 discusses a variety of topics ranging from our mortality, to God's grace and goodness, and the gifts and rewards we should enjoy in this life. Verses 15 and 16 portray a graphic realization that we enter into this world with nothing, and we also leave with nothing. We take nothing into the afterlife but our soul: “As he came from his mother’s womb, so he will go again, naked as he came; he will take nothing for his efforts that he can carry in his hands. This too is a sickening tragedy: exactly as he comes, so he will go.” In my HCSB Study Bible, one of the contributing theologians summarizes the first half of the chapter quite nicely:
Because we are weak, small, and prone to fail, we should give up on trying to impress God with vows, gifts, and promises. We cannot impress Him; our place is to be humble and obedient. This text calls on us to depend on the grace of God and not on our religious deeds.
Conclusion
Ecclesiastes must be read with care because some of its verses, if read in isolation, seem to contradict other biblical teachings. The real purpose of this book is to force us to take our mortality seriously and thus to consider carefully how we should live. It knocks away all the façades by which we disguise the fact that life is short and we deny that all our accomplishments will eventually pass away. In this sense, Ecclesiastes anticipates the New Testament teaching that only God's grace, and not excessive zeal, saves us.