ECCLESIASTES

ECCLESIASTES 1

EVERYTHING IS MEANINGLESS

Ecclesiastes opens with the author introducing the primary speaker in the book, known as the Preacher or the Teacher. The majority of Ecclesiastes quotes this speaker but closes with the author's evaluation of what was said. 

The Teacher starts by calling everything meaningless or vanity. A more direct translation from the original text is “vapor” or “smoke,” meaning that everything is fleeting and temporary. Humanity works their entire lives, but for what reason? Generations will come and go, and everyone will be forgotten. Creation will outlast us all; the sun will still rise, and the waves will still crash long after we are gone. There is nothing new under the sun! 

The Teacher even describes wisdom, one of the most valuable things on earth, as chasing after the wind. Gaining wisdom opens your eyes to the suffering in the world, causing pain and trouble in your heart. After searching the world, nothing is satisfying to the Teacher.  

ECCLESIASTES 2

WORK, PLAY, AND WISDOM ARE MEANINGLESS

The Teacher describes the pleasures of the earth, including collecting great wealth of silver and gold, owning homes and vineyards, acquiring animals and servants, and having many sexual partners. Of all these things, none were fulfilling. Everything was in vanity and nothing of lasting importance, gone like a vapor in the wind. 

After chasing pleasure, the Teacher pursues wisdom. But he realizes chasing after knowledge and understanding is another fleeting endeavor. The wise person doesn’t always end up ahead of the fool, sometimes the opposite. And we all have the same fate in the end; death awaits both the wise and the simple. What’s the point? 

The Teacher mourns the unfairness and often random nature of life. Sometimes the hardworking person toils for no reason and the lazy person comes out ahead. How does any of this make sense? Why are we striving for what is fleeting and temporary?

ECCLESIASTES 3

A SEASON FOR EVERYTHING

Everything on earth has a defined time and season. There is a time to cry and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance. There is a time for silence and a time to speak up, a time for conflict and a time to make peace. Just like everything under the sun, there is a time for birth and a time for death.

The Teacher writes that God has placed eternity in man’s heart. We have a desire to understand God and know what His plans are, but while we are on earth, we will never fully understand. While we are here, we can admire what God has made beautiful—eating, drinking, and enjoying what we can. 

Everyone has the same fate in the end, even the animals. We all end up dead, both righteous and wicked, rich and poor, there is no escaping the inevitable end. From dust we were created and to dust we will return. 

ECCLESIASTES 4

OPPRESSION, TOIL, FRIENDLESSNESS

The Teacher discusses the toil and pain in the world, claiming the dead are better off than the living. It is better to live openhanded, carefully awaiting what will happen. It is better to live with peace and open-mindedness than clinging to worry. If we all have the same fate, why work our lives away? We should at least try to find some joy. 

One of the best things we can have in this world is good company. It’s better to work together and support one another than toil and labor alone. By yourself, you are vulnerable, but a cord of three strands is not easily broken. It is better to be poor and wise than old and foolish, at least you still have your potential. 

Ecclesiastes 4:9 - Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.

ECCLESIASTES 5

PROMISES TO GOD MATTER, RICHES ARE MEANINGLESS

When you go before God, speak to Him with intention. Don’t make a promise to God that you can’t keep; it is better to not make the promise at all. Be cautious of your words, not allowing them to cause you to sin. 

Whoever loves money is never satisfied with wealth. For the greedy person, there is never enough. Riches are a meaningless pursuit; you can’t take them with you once you die. The hard and honest worker is better off than the wealthy who overindulge. The humble know how to pace themselves, but those who are prideful chase after the wind. If God has given you wealth, use it for good and delight in His gifts, but don’t waste your life going after something that is not yours. 

ECCLESIASTES 6

THE TRAP OF DISCONTENTMENT

There is evil in the world, robbing us of enjoying God’s gifts. Even when we have wealth, we can’t always enjoy it. The Teacher asserts that it would be better to be a stillborn child, never experiencing this world, than to live and never be satisfied. 

People toil their entire lives trying to satisfy their cravings, but are they ever really full? There is not much we can do to control what happens, so there is no reason to dwell on the past or dream of the future. Whatever will happen, will happen.  

ECCLESIASTES 7

WISDOM AND FOOLISHNESS

In this chapter, the Teacher starts by contrasting wisdom and foolishness. He makes an unpopular observation, pointing out the value of mourning and sadness. Without sadness, there is no way to comprehend joy. Wise people are able to enter into mourning with the grieving; only fools laugh things off and pretend to be fine. The Teacher also values patience and humility, saying that whoever is patient will be better off than those who are quick to act pridefully. 

The Teacher acknowledges that life is unfair. Sometimes the righteous die young while the evil prolong their lives. There is no perfect formula for how to make life work out for you. The chapter ends with a reminder that God made humanity without sin, but our schemes caused the problems we are experiencing. 

Ecclesiastes 7:14 - When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other.

ECCLESIASTES 8

THE WISDOM OF FOLLOWING LEADERSHIP

The Teacher explains that there is wisdom in following the leadership of appointed authorities. Although most people will never have the power to influence wars or death, the wise will have discernment and know when to make their case. 

The world does not always carry out justice, sometimes the righteous receive treatment for wickedness and vice versa. How are we to understand this? Life is simply not fair or consistent. Although there is no guarantee for a perfect life, those who fear God are typically better off. 

People will waste their lives on overworking. There is no need to stay up all day and night; this won't bring fulfillment, clarity, or purpose. Instead, fear God and delight in His gifts that bring joy. 

ECCLESIASTES 9

A COMMON DESTINY FOR ALL

Both the righteous and the wicked await the same fate—no one escapes death. Although the end is inevitable, life should be enjoyed and not wasted away. Take advantage of the days you have been given, spending them with the people and work you value. 

The strongest doesn’t always win the battle and the fastest doesn’t always win the race. Life isn’t fair, and everyone is a victim of chance. You never know when your time will come. Although everything is fleeting, wisdom is valuable and will serve you well. 

ECCLESIASTES 10

DILIGENCE, WISDOM, AND DISCERNMENT

Like the book of Proverbs, this chapter offers advice regarding diligence, wisdom, and discernment. The Teacher compares foolishness to perfume that has been infested with bugs, ruined, and stenching, having a stronger and more negative effect than wisdom. Someone who sharpens their tools in advance doesn’t have to use as much strength as someone with a dull knife, so be prepared and don’t be lazy. Bread and wine can make people glad, and money can solve a lot of problems, so be a good steward of what you have been given. Be careful of talking negatively about someone, as it will likely get back to them. 

ECCLESIASTES 11

THE BREVITY OF LIFE

The Teacher continues to offer proverbs and words of wisdom related to the brevity of life. Because life is so fleeting and vain, there is no reason to be greedy. Instead, be generous and share with charity. Don’t let opportunities to do good pass you by; you never know when your life will end. 

Just as we cannot understand every element of conception, we cannot understand God’s ability to create everything. There are some things we will simply never know. 

Whoever lives a long life should enjoy their days, while also realizing their days are numbered. If you are young, don’t waste your youth. Enjoy it and live life to the fullest because it is only a short breath. 

ECCLESIASTES 12

REMEMBER YOUR CREATOR

The Teacher encourages the reader to remember their Creator, even in their youth. Life is short and will go by quickly. Before you know it, your body will return to dust and your soul to eternity. It is all so fast and fleeting, like a vapor in the wind. 

The final verses shift from the voice of the Teacher back to the author, who evaluates and reflects on the teacher's message. The author acknowledges the wisdom of the teacher, noting his worldly experience and research on purpose. The teacher has searched far and wide, from riches and pleasures to leadership and influence, and learned that everything is temporary and meaningless compared to knowing God. Ultimately, God’s judgment is all that will matter, and everything else will fade away. 

Ecclesiastes 12:8 - “Meaningless, meaningless," says the Teacher. "Everything is meaningless.”