Ecclesiastes: The Bible’s Strangest Book :: By Dennis Pollock & David R. Reagan

Published on: December 3, 2021 by RR7

Why is Ecclesiastes so negative?

In my opinion, Ecclesiastes has to be the strangest book in the Bible. It begins with an evaluation of life with which no Christian today would ever agree: that life is vain and purposeless. Solomon begins his strange thesis about life on earth with the words: “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” In using the word vanity, Solomon is not talking about ego. He is declaring that life is vain — all life, all our lives, all our activities, and all that happens “under the sun” (one of his favorite expressions) is in vain and without any real purpose.

This is hardly a Christian worldview. We who are in Christ see life as incredibly significant and purposeful. We must wonder, “How is it that Solomon could be so gloomy?” The general tenor of the book of Ecclesiastes seems more philosophical than theological, and it is a pretty gloomy philosophy at that.

We must understand that during the days of the Old Testament, there was no widespread revelation of eternal life. In fact, the Old Testament says very, very little about the afterlife — so little that there was a major theological group existing in Jesus’ day who firmly insisted that there was no afterlife. Once you died, that was it, so if God was pleased with you, you could be sure you would be blessed in this life — since there were no blessings and indeed no life at all after death. This group was known as the Sadducees. Their main argument for believing as they did was by reason of omission — you just couldn’t find plain, clear references to Heaven or any life after death in the writings of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy).

Early Sadducee

Solomon seemed to be of this persuasion long before the Sadducees appeared on the scene. He had a great life for the present. He was the king of Israel and the wealthiest and wisest man on earth. He had all his heart could want in possessions, wives, concubines, entertainers, gold, silver, and just about anything and everything a man of his times could ever desire. He was a royal, and he lived royally.

But as Solomon aged, something began to bother him. The reality of his own eventual death became more and more depressing to him. Sure, he had it all for now. And he would probably enjoy these blessings for a while. But sooner or later, he would do as all the rest of the world did. He would age, he would weaken, and he would finally die and leave everything. Every bit of his gold and silver, all his wives, all his servants, all his fancy robes and crowns, everything he possessed, all he had accomplished, and all which gave him such pride and satisfaction would remain, but he would be gone.

Throughout the twelve chapters of the little book of Ecclesiastes, the gloomy king complains again and again about this inevitable and irresistible conclusion to human life. Let’s consider a few of his ramblings on this subject. In chapter one, we read (Ecclesiastes 1:3-4, NKJV):

“What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun. One generation passes away, and another generation comes.”

Solomon was a hard worker. Throughout his life, he was constantly building, creating, and improving Jerusalem. He took much pride in his accomplishments, but it just didn’t sit well with him that one day he would die, and all his labor, all his efforts, and all his accomplishments would fall into the hands of others. He uses a phrase here that we will see repeated throughout the book. That phrase is: “What profit…?” He might have said, “What good does it do?” Regardless of how skilled we are and how hard we work, and all that we manage to accumulate, it will all at some point be unceremoniously ripped from our cold, dead hands. So what is the point?

No Remembrance

Later in the first chapter, Solomon laments the fact that the day will probably come when he will be entirely forgotten and receive no credit by future generations for all he has done. He states: “There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come by those who will come after” (Ecclesiastes 1:11). Not only will he die and have to leave everything behind, but in future generations, everything he has done, all his labors and triumphs and sorrows and memories will be forgotten. What’s the use?

In the second chapter, Solomon carries this theme further still. He writes (Ecclesiastes 2:14-16):

“The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I myself perceived that the same event happens to them all. So I said in my heart, ‘As it happens to the fool, It also happens to me, and why was I then more wise?’ Then I said in my heart, ‘This also is vanity.’ For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die? As the fool!”

Solomon feels it would be acceptable if only fools and wicked people died while the wise and righteous people live on. But to his consternation, it doesn’t happen this way. Wise men die as well as fools; godly people die right along with the wicked. And to make matters worse, wise men are forgotten just about as quickly as the fools! No matter how much you accomplish, no matter how many people you help, no matter how high you may rise in this life, you will die right alongside the village idiot, and both of you will eventually be forgotten. It just isn’t fair!

What Solomon was saying and seeing was not something particularly novel or brilliant. Everybody knew that death was both real and inevitable, from the peasant farmer to the highly educated scholar. But Solomon felt it far more keenly than most. Perhaps this was partly because he had so much to lose.

But another reason was simply the very nature of the man. Solomon was by temperament a philosopher. He didn’t just observe life; he thought about it, analyzed it, pondered its meaning, and desperately tried to make sense of it all. But he could never get around the immoveable, impenetrable, distasteful reality of death — particularly the thought of his own death.

Dead Like a Dog

As the gloomy king observed life and death, he came to a miserable conclusion: the deaths of men and women aren’t all that different from the deaths of animals, which made him wonder if we are all that superior to the beasts. He wrote (Ecclesiastes 3:18-20):

“I said in my heart, ‘Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.’ For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust.'”

Who is wiser: a dead man or a dead dog? Who is happier: a dead lady or a dead mouse? As Solomon pondered these questions — questions which few men and women ever paused to consider — he came to some unhappy conclusions. Although men and women may be smarter and cleverer and accomplish far more than the animals, we all die the same way. We all appear to go into a state of eternal unconsciousness where we see nothing, do nothing, say nothing, enjoy nothing, and are, in effect, non-existent.

It was not a pleasant thought, especially for the philosophically-minded king who had so much to lose at life’s end and had so much time to think about it while he still lived. And as he wrote this little book we call Ecclesiastes, these kinds of melancholy thoughts and meditations were freely distributed throughout his essay.

A Severe Evil

As we move through the book, we find more of the same. (Ecclesiastes 5:15-16):

“As he came from his mother’s womb, naked shall he return…. And he shall take nothing from his labor…. And this also is a severe evil — Just exactly as he came, so shall he go.”

This idea of dying and being unable to take even the smallest possession or accomplishment with you seems to Solomon a great tragedy. He does not call it evil; he declares it is a “severe evil.” It is strange that what billions of men and women have accepted without much thought (the idea of our eventual death) throughout earth’s history is, to Solomon, a huge problem. This is not some small thing; this is a big, big deal!

And of course, he is right if you subtract God and Christ, and the promise of eternal life through Christ, from life’s equation. Without the hope Jesus gives, life becomes a cruel joke, a terrible Shakespearian tragedy foisted upon billions of people who live out their lives, and work and sweat, and attempt great things, as though life has some purpose, which in fact it surely does not — if there is nothing beyond the grave.

If the soil and the worms and a permanent state of extinction and non-existence are the destiny awaiting every one of us, what does it matter whether we live nobly or poorly, whether we achieve much good or no good at all, whether we try with all our might to “make our lives count” or live selfishly and foolishly all our days? Eventually, even our earth itself will cease to be, and all the struggles and accomplishments and the collective memories of billions of people and families and nations will be erased with a permanent, cosmic deletion. No one will be left to know or care or remember anything any one of us ever did or said or wrote or achieved.

Solomon concluded that in light of all of this, the only thing we can do is to try to enjoy our vain lives while we still live: “So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry….” (Ecclesiastes 8:15).

Paul recalled this statement as he wrote in his epistle to the Corinthians about the resurrection from the dead. He made the point that apart from a hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ, “If the dead do not rise, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!'” (1 Corinthians 15:32).

Vivid Contrast

We may be tempted to wonder why God would include this pessimistic, melancholy little book in the Holy Scriptures, particularly since its tone entirely contradicts the writings of the Apostles and the teachings of our Lord Jesus. Does God really want His children going around spouting, “It’s all vanity. Life has no purpose. We might as well eat and drink it up, for we’ll all soon be dead!”

I am convinced that God wanted to give us a vivid picture of what life would be like apart from the hope that springs through the Cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Solomon had no such hope. In his mind, the grave was a place of total cessation: all joy and work and consciousness end when we take our last breath. Solomon wrote: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

This is the polar opposite of the theology espoused by the Apostle Paul, who wrote: “But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Philippians 1:22, 23).

What a contrast! Solomon sees death as the ultimate enemy; Paul sees it as a doorway to a greater life with His Savior, Jesus Christ. Solomon sees it as loss; Paul sees it as gain. This sure and joyous expectation of a life after this life in the presence of Jesus is known biblically as our “Blessed Hope” (Titus 2:13).

But this idea of hope is more than wishful thinking. It is a glorious looking forward to a wonderful future that Jesus has promised us. And with this hope, we can endure all things, counting them, as Paul did, a “light affliction, which works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

Afterthoughts by Dr. Reagan

I’m sure many of you must be thinking at this point, “How could one of the wisest men who ever lived end up with such a pessimistic, unbiblical view of life?”

Not only was Solomon gifted with great wisdom (1 Kings 3:5-14 and 4:29), he was also a man who believed in God and who greatly honored his Creator when he dedicated the Temple in Jerusalem. On that occasion, he offered a sacrifice to the Lord of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep (1 Kings 8:63). He also led the priests and the people in a magnificent prayer that began with these words: “O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants.…”

Solomon is also the one who wrote the following words, recorded in Psalm 72:18-19, NASB:

“Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who alone works wonders. And blessed be His glorious name forever; and may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.”

Why the Depression?

So, why all his despair in the book of Ecclesiastes? Well, as Dennis Pollock so well points out in his article, Solomon did not have a clear conviction of life after death. And so, as he approached death, he began to wallow in self-pity over the seeming meaninglessness of life. He was wrestling with the idea that “we are here today and gone tomorrow,” soon to be forgotten like a dead dog.

But there is more to it than that. Despite his wisdom and his spirituality, there came a point in Solomon’s life when he got his eyes off God and strayed significantly from the center of God’s will for his life. There were problems from the beginning. He was hardly coronated as king when he decided to engage in a political marriage with one of the daughters of the Egyptian Pharaoh (1 Kings 3:1). This act constituted a severe violation of God’s command against marriages with non-Hebrew women (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). He also burned incense on high places that were dedicated to false gods (1 Kings 3:3).

The Descent into Apostasy

The turning point in Solomon’s life occurred in the year that he received 666 talents of gold (1 Kings 10:14). From that point on, almost to the end of his life, he was obsessed with money, horses and women (1 Kings 11:1-8 and 2 Chronicles 1:14-15).

In the process, he became deeply involved in idolatry, paying tribute to Ashtoreth (the goddess of the Sidonians), Milcom (the god of the Ammonites), Chemosh (the god of Moab) and Molech (the god of Ammon). As the Scriptures put it, “his heart turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel” (1 Kings 11:9).

Looking back at this turning point in Solomon’s life, is it any wonder that the number, 666, came to symbolize apostasy? Undoubtedly, it is the reason the number is used in Revelation 13:16-17 to signify the coded name of the Antichrist.

I believe Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes while he was caught up in his spiritual apostasy, and it is, therefore, an expression of the emptiness of a life being lived in rebellion against God.

The Revival

But the good news is that Solomon must have repented before his death and was reconciled in his relationship with God. This is reflected in the final chapter of Ecclesiastes, which begins with his admonition to young people: “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, ‘I have no delight in them'” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). It’s pretty obvious that he is speaking of his own experience.

Further, in verse 5, he refers to the dead going to their “eternal home.” He declares that the body will return to dust, but “the spirit will return to God who gave it” (verse 7). He even refers to judgment after death (verse 14), and judgment by God certainly gives meaning to how we live here and now.

This last chapter of Ecclesiastes clearly indicates that Solomon got his eyes back on God, either by special revelation about the reality of life after death, or else through the Holy Spirit directing him to relevant passages in the portions of God’s Word that existed at that time.

Resurrection Scriptures

One of those passages is contained in what scholars consider to be the oldest book of the Bible — the book of Job. In Job 19:25-27, the author affirms that a day will come when he will be resurrected and stand before his Redeemer here on earth.

Resurrection to eternal life for believers can also be found in the writing of Solomon’s father, David. In Psalm 16:10, David says he is confident that his soul will not be abandoned in Sheol (the holding place of the spirits of the dead). And in the next psalm, David declares that he will one day “behold the Lord’s face” when he awakens from the dead (Psalm 17:15).

In Psalm 133:3, David speaks of “life forever.” And in his most famous psalm, David proclaims that believers “will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (Psalm 23:6).

The sons of Korah, a priestly choral group from the time of David, affirmed the resurrection of the soul in Psalm 49:15, where they wrote: “God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for He will receive me.” The prophet Asaph, also a contemporary of David, wrote in Psalm 73:24 that a day will come when believers will be “received to glory.”

In the Hebrew Scriptures, there are many other references to resurrection and eternal life for believers, but the ones cited above should have been available to King Solomon.

Conclusion

As he read these passages from his father and his contemporaries, King Solomon must have begun to understand that life really does have meaning, and so does the way we live it. This resulted in his ending his maudlin book in chapter 12 with these glorious words of triumph:

“The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” (verses 13-14).

His declaration that all of us will face judgment before God for the way we live gives meaning to life. So, as Solomon faced death, he must have ceased his repetitious muttering of “vanity, vanity, vanity!” Instead, his heart must have been filled with rejoicing that he would see his God.

What God Has Made Possible :: By Dr. Donald Whitchard

Published on: December 3, 2021 by RR7

Deuteronomy 9:4-6, Isaiah 57:12, Isaiah 64:6, Isaiah 65:5, Matthew 23:25-28, Proverbs 30:12, Acts 4:12, Romans 5:6-11

Summary: Scripture plainly states that salvation is of the LORD (Psalm 3:8; Isaiah 12:2; Hebrews 5:9) and that we have absolutely no power in and of ourselves to say or do otherwise. This teaching is not popular nor welcome today but must be proclaimed regardless of what we think, say, or do.

What I am about to say will not be welcome in many of the pulpits of America today and certainly will not be offered as the solution to the ills, sins, and woes facing our nation and the world today. All of the talk we have heard from “experts,” “scholars,” “specialists,” and “world figures” — who have tried in vain to provide this fallen world with a viable answer as to why America and the rest of us seem to continually wallow in the same old moral cesspools in which our ancestors waded and swam — never seems to improve or change. For some unexplainable reason, we prefer the stench of self-reliance and cater like sycophants to the whims and demands of fickle causes and trends.

We deliberately choose to avoid, ridicule and demean the only available and trustworthy answer, which is to adhere to the teachings and counsel of Almighty God and His Holy Word, the Bible.

The sensibility of God makes no sense to the reprobate minds running the place, who prefer to keep the status quo well-fed and satisfied with what they deem normal and sound.

I expect this behavior from fallen humanity, which has chosen to reject the leadership of the Sovereign LORD of Creation. But the trouble is that far too many “churches,” “pastors,” and spiritual leaders have decided to go down the same dark path. They turn to topics and stories that “tickle ears” and “please the ears” of those sitting in the pews. They hunger not for the truth of the Scripture but to appease and welcome those who have bowed the knee to modern thinking; they desire not to be called ‘Intolerant” or other names from groups who are opposed to the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, His sacrifice for our sins on the cross, and that He is the ONLY way to peace with God the Father and the only means by which our sinful souls can escape the reality and certainty of an eternal hell.

America has bowed the knee to the groups and causes that demand we be “tolerant” of their sinful behaviors and openly welcome them into the house of God, yet not be told to repent of their wickedness, change their ways, to learn and obey the Word of God, to submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and to follow Him regardless of what they “think” or “feel” (Luke 14:25-35; Romans 1:18-32, 3:10-18; 2 Corinthians 6:2; Philippians 2:5-11; 2 Timothy 3:1-3, 4:1-5; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:11-15).

The church of the Lord Jesus Christ was established to:

rescue sinners from hell and destruction,
to show the world, the flesh, and the devil that He is triumphant and that the plans and will of the Sovereign LORD will be implemented for eternity,
to show that the forces of evil will be judged, punished, and cast away forever in hell,
to instruct the believers in the Word,
to witness for the LORD in the world,
to be light and salt in a corrupt world,
and to re-establish the Paradise that had been lost and to make all things new.

(Matthew 16:18-19, 28:18-20; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:12, 5:22-32; 2 Timothy 2:1-2; Hebrews 10:25; 1 Peter 5:2; Revelation 21:5).

There is not an ounce of “me,” “my,” “our,” “we,” or “I” when it comes to the establishment, structure, order, and purpose of the house of God on earth. Our salvation, mercy, grace, and redemption are totally and exclusively the design, plan, and will of Almighty God. He is not “fortunate to have us.” He has never asked us for our advice or counsel on how to redeem us from our sins. He does not seek our input on bringing world affairs to a conclusion. He does not need the wisdom of fallen humanity to aid Him in His sovereign will. And He has not put us in a place where we can have anything to do with making ourselves righteous, worthy, clean, renewed, or saved from sin in our own power or means (Matthew 11:28-30; John 20:28-31; Acts 4:12; Romans 5:6-11; Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 7:25).

Almighty God has made salvation and deliverance from sin possible by HIS OWN MEANS AND BY HIS OWN POWER (Deuteronomy 9:4-6). What He has NOT made possible is providing a way to save ourselves apart from Him. The Scriptures teach that our works and attempts at self-righteousness are of no profit to us (Isaiah 57:12), a waste of time, as it were. Our righteousness apart from God’s mercy is no better than the filthy rag of a leper or menstrual period and is in itself an offense to the saving work of God done on our behalf (Isaiah 64:6, 65:5).

Jesus rebuked the self-righteous, hypocritical Pharisees for their external piety, yet whose righteousness was no better than a dirty drinking cup or rotting corpse in a whitened tomb (Matthew 23:25-28). All talk of righteousness in our own strength apart from the intervention of the LORD is nothing more than vain boasting (Luke 18:11-12). Any part on our behalf to ‘get right with God’ apart from the saving work of Jesus Christ done for us on the cross is totally insufficient (Philippians 3:4-9).

The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, as proclaimed in the Holy Scriptures, is in total opposition to the “self-esteem,” “self-help,” “I’m a champion, blessed and highly favored,” ungodly and unholy drivel which passes for “preaching” these days. This includes the garbage spewed from some churches that are supporting issues that are anathema to the Gospel. It is not through politics, reparations, BLM, race theory, or some kind of imaginary “privilege” by which we have peace with God, but only through Christ and Him alone!

If a pastor or teacher is promoting anything other than the power of the Gospel to save men’s souls and that eternal life comes only through repentance of sin and surrendering one’s life to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9-10), then leave that church and quit supporting these false shepherds.

All self-righteousness is condemned by God. It cannot make you pure before Him (Proverbs 30:12), it cannot save you (Matthew 5:20), and it is a blasphemous rejection of God’s amazing and pure grace (Romans 10:3). All one has to do is read of the fates of King Saul of Israel (1 Samuel 15:13-21), the young ruler who encountered Jesus (Matthew 19:16-20), and the Pharisees (Luke 11:39), whose pride in themselves caused them to believe their works were sufficient enough to satisfy God’s Holy demands and expectations. It did not end well for any of them, and I guarantee that it will not end well for you either if you somehow think there is anything you can do in your own power or thoughts apart from God’s sovereign grace and mercy. You might as well be trying to put a diaper on a crocodile.

God has made salvation possible only on HIS TERMS AND HIS TERMS ALONE! He is the One who provides saving grace through faith in Christ and not by our own works (Ephesians 2:8-9). His grace and salvation are from His heart, and it is something He gives to us freely, yet it is something we do not deserve (Titus 3:5). God has made it so that no one and nothing else can redeem us and give us freedom from our sins and the eternal hell we deserve save through the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25). We come to salvation in Christ totally on HIS TERMS (Luke 14:25-35). He gives no deals, no contracts, no loopholes, no technicalities, and no room for half-heartedness and compromise on our part.

It is either Him or nothing, and the eternal blessings or consequences to follow rest on the decision you make this day.

If you are a pastor and have been reading this, feeding your flock the “fluff and icing” of “feel good” theology disguised as “Christianity” and not preaching the whole counsel of God as we are commanded to do (2 Timothy 4:1-5), then I implore you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to repent of your attempts to please the crowd and placate the world and ask for His forgiveness. Get out your Bible, read, pray, and then get behind the pulpit like the man of God you’re supposed to be and preach the WORD without compromise or apology. Let the LORD lead you, not the whims of fickle human behavior (1 John 2:15-17).

It is the Lord Jesus Christ to whom you and I will answer before on the day of judgment and not the people in the pews, the government, the media, or anyone else (1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

I don’t want you to hear words of condemnation from Him (Matthew 7:21-23), but words of welcome as He says, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.”

Christians, get a backbone and live for Jesus as never before, and be the salt and light in a corrupted society. Pray with all the strength the LORD gives you for the lost, and then go out and talk to them about Jesus, and do not worry about the world’s reaction (Mark 16:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Time is running out for far too many precious souls, and there is no guarantee that they will be here tomorrow (Hebrews 9:27; James 4:13-17). There is no excuse anymore for procrastination, or to hold grudges, or to not be biblically sound and doctrinally strong (2 Timothy 3:16-17), or to let things stay as they are as it pertains to the spiritual state of your loved one, friend, or family member.

The Rapture of the church is fast approaching, and the harvest still needs to be gathered (Mathew 9:36-38; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Use your testimony, gospel tracts, the internet, and anything else the LORD lays upon your heart to get the Gospel message out before the coming wrath and judgment that is coming upon the whole earth, according to the book of Revelation. Read your Bible each day (2 Timothy 2:15), throw away all the junk that would keep you from time with God, and live lives worthy of the title “Christian.”

If you are reading this message and do not yet have a relationship with Jesus Christ, then I would ask that you please go to my website: www.realitycityreverend.com and watch the video, “The ABCs of Salvation.” This will be the most important decision you will ever make in your life. It’s either surrender to Christ or be content with the dung and mud of the world with its idols of “self” spread like fertilizer across the world. Whatever you decide to do with Jesus Christ will have repercussions throughout eternity for you. Choose wisely.

donaldwhitchard@gmail.com

www.realitycityreverend.com

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