Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes has been a difficult book for me to read, not because the overtly negative tones of the book have been depressing, rather it has been difficult because I have found those negative tones somehow comforting and I have struggled to understand why.

For those who may not be familiar with the book, allow me to select a brief excerpt to help set the tone.

"There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siegeworks against it. Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man." (Ecc 9:14-15)

Even though the wise man saved the city, his fate was exactly the same as if he had failed. He still died, his memory lost and even the city that he saved has been forgotten to time. No matter what we do, ultimately we will die and soon forgotten. What then does anything we do matter in the face of eternity?

I love Ecclesiastes' willingness to be honest, if nothing else. As humans, we're finite beings and are only too aware of this. With all of human history stretched out behind us, we know that the lives of those who have come before us only matter in as much as they've led us to where we are now. Even great leaders and rulers have been reduced to simple names on the pages of books, if they're remembered at all. As time progresses, even those names will likely be forgotten.

So whether you live a virtuous life or a life filled with vice, you will be forgotten. Whether you are rich or poor, you will be forgotten. Whether you are mighty or weak, you will be forgotten. Nothing you say or do will matter. It is all vanity, a chasing after the wind.

When I read Ecclesiastes 3:11, I knew it was significant to understanding why I liked the book of Ecclesiastes, but I didn't initially know why. It says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."

At first, I interpreted this in a sort of melancholy sense. We're aware of eternity before us and eternity behind us and so we feel a gnawing sense of desperation to accomplish something great, something that will change the world and leave our mark on history.

But the writer concludes the book with, "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecc. 12:13)

This is the turning point that flipped my understanding of Ecclesiastes 3:11 on its head. Fear, in this passage, simply means respect, reverence and awe. Without drawing too fine a point on it, these descriptors are experiential. When you experience a relationship with God, these are the natural, human responses. The final conclusion in the matter then, obey God so that you can experience Him. In the face of eternity, all that matters is our relationship to God.

And this was my moment of revelation. Yes, in the light of human history, nothing I do will matter; but human history is a terribly finite thing. With eternity in our hearts, we can realize that the one thing that truly matters is our relationship with God and whether or not that relationship impacted the lives of those around us.

That is why I can read the book of Ecclesiastes and find comfort. Even if everything else I do is meaningless, having a relationship with God that changes my life and the lives of those around me is vitally important.

While this by no means summarizes or even truly explains Ecclesiastes, this is the line of thinking that helped me to understand my own reactions to the book. It is a simple thing to confuse history and eternity, but when we truly grasp the value of eternity, our lives can find new meaning.