Why The Old Testament Matters: Lessons from Ecclesiastes

Why The Old Testament Matters: Lessons from Ecclesiastes


Everything is futile. It’s all meaningless, it’s all vanity, it’s all vapor. With that direct yet despairing declaration, the book of Ecclesiastes begins. Translators find it difficult to convey the meaning of the Hebrew word (hebel) used in this opening statement in English, so it shows up differently depending on the translation. However, futile, meaningless, vanity, and vapor all carry the connotation of something fleeting, ephemeral, and elusive. And this idea is incredibly important if we are going to understand the book of Ecclesiastes. The word hebel shows up 38 times in this short book, and its repetition shows us that futility (whether it’s a feeling or a fact) is one of the book’s recurring themes. While the book explores a wide range of topics, including time, work, wisdom, pleasure, and injustice, it keeps returning to the question “Is anything ultimately meaningful?” Ecclesiastes avoids providing black-and-white answers to life’s questions, but it reminds us of the value of seeking wisdom, living righteously, remembering our Creator, and finding joy in the life God has given us. 

The book of Ecclesiastes is structured as a collection of small speeches and insightful observations from someone introduced simply as “the Teacher.” These teachings are bookended by a brief prologue and epilogue, likely added by an editor to provide more context for the book. Though the Teacher is not named, it is implied that it is Solomon because he is described as the son of David, as surpassingly wise, and as having a very prosperous reign (see Ecclesiastes 1:1, 16; 2:1–9). As a king, Solomon focused more on cultural development than military advancement. He not only built the temple but also contributed to diplomacy, agriculture, and the building of several cities and fortresses. Rather than warring with other nations, he engaged with them and their literature, and he was well-respected and sought after by foreign rulers. As we are told in 1 Kings 10:24, “the whole world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.” 

It is from this idea of an audience, assembly, or congregation that we get the title of Ecclesiastes. The Hebrew word used for the Teacher (Qoheleth) refers to someone who shares wisdom and addresses a crowd. And the Greek word for assembly or congregation (ekklēsia) is where we get the name of the Teacher’s book. Scholars hypothesize that the teachings in Ecclesiastes may have been part of a public speech Solomon gave at one point in time, and then, at a later date, his words were collected into an anthology. Ecclesiastes is organized into separate units yet unified by the plotline of a narrator who has spent his life searching for satisfaction. He speaks of his past from a “hindsight is 20/20” kind of perspective. Solomon figured out much about the meaning of life, but he also made many mistakes and missteps in his past, and he wants to share what he learned with his audience. Though Solomon’s original audience lived over 2,900 years ago, the wisdom he received from the Lord endures, and his wise words still hold lessons for us today.

The book of Ecclesiastes acknowledges the fallenness of the world while encouraging us to hold both its brokenness and its beauty at the same time.

Throughout the book of Ecclesiastes, the Teacher ponders timeless questions about the meaning of life and how we are meant to live in our world. Following the bold yet utterly relatable claim that “everything is futile,” the Teacher begins to catalog the futile aspects of life. He uses images from nature—like the sun returning to its place day after day—to talk about the mundanity of life and labor, then discusses the emptiness of pursuing pleasure and possessions. From there, we turn to a poem about the seasons of life, which contains a series of contrasting pairs. These familiar lines remind us that there is “an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under Heaven: a time to give birth and a time to die,” “a time to tear down and a time to build,” “a time to weep and a time to laugh,” and so on (see Ecclesiastes 3:1–4). The structure of these lines feels comforting, as does the Teacher’s subsequent reminder that God makes everything appropriate in its time. But the Teacher doesn’t let us rest entirely in that knowledge; instead, he includes a fleeting acknowledgment that “no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end” (see Ecclesiastes 3:11). Here, and throughout the entirety of Ecclesiastes, the Teacher does not shy away from ambiguity and even, on occasion, contradictions. Rather than providing us with feel-good answers to bolster our faith, he acknowledges that life is complex and that there are many exceptions to the “rules” of biblical wisdom. 

The book of Ecclesiastes acknowledges the fallenness of the world while encouraging us to hold both its brokenness and its beauty at the same time. Following the poem, the Teacher warns against wealth, reminds us to approach God with respect, and makes a series of observations about what life is like here, “under the sun.” Between his intricate observations, the Teacher includes reminders that the world does indeed contain good things like food, drink, relationships, and a job well done—and that these things can (and should) be appreciated and recognized as gifts from God. References to these good things, as well as imagery of nature, keep us tethered to the real world as we read through Ecclesiastes. These tangible details ground us, so we do not get lost in all the philosophical elements of the book.

To close the book and tie together all of the Teacher’s small speeches and insightful observations, the epilogue reads: “The conclusion of the matter is this: fear God and keep his commands, because this is for all humanity. For God will bring every act to judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14). In comparison to the meandering images and poetic tone of the rest of the book, these final sentences feel very blunt and a little jarring. However, that contrast highlights the unchanging, consistent nature of God, as opposed to the fleeting and futile nature of everything else under the sun. When we read Ecclesiastes, we see a familiar, fallen, and frequently frustrating world, and amidst all the ambiguity, mundanity, and futility, we find only one solid thing to cling to, right there at the end—and it’s God. 

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