How awesome is the book of Ecclesiastes! I don’t know about you, but I have just loved this series. And the reason I love this book even more now is because I understand it better. I honestly came into this series thinking the book of Ecclesiastes was a depressing review of life; i.e. life is meaningless. I have since learnt this is not the case.
The book is written for the most part from the point of view of an atheist (or at least a secularist); i.e. the person who thinks life ‘under the sun’ is all there is. The author calls himself ‘the teacher’ (‘Qohelet’ in Hebrew), because his job is to get the reader to think. He is like a tutorial leader, asking questions rather than giving answers. And the first question he asks is ‘have you really thought this atheist life through?’ It is not life that is meaningless; it is life without God.
Yet every so often Qohelet switches to speak as a believer. Several of those occasions are to tell the reader to enjoy their food, wine, toil or spouse (e.g. Eccl 2:24; 3:12-13; 5:18; 7:14). Given Qohelet repeats this command 8 times in the book, the main theme of Ecclesiastes is to enjoy life.
Yet you might say ‘but what about all the suffering I’m experiencing?’ Well Qohelet’s longest treatment of this theme (Eccl 9:7-10) comes within 2 sections outlining how bitterly unfair life can be (Eccl 9:1-3 and Eccl 9:11-12). Qohelet’s message is that even though life can be unfair, God also pours out abundant blessing on his people for their enjoyment (1 Tim 6:17).
So may we take up Qohelet’s mantle, and stop focussing on life’s adversity. He doesn’t mean ignore hardship; just redivert your focus to God’s infinite blessings, and enjoy life.
