The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

³ And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.⁴ Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, ⁵ but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: ⁶ whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

1 John 2:3-6

As we have considered the book of Ecclesiastes over the past several months, we have observed that it does not simply inform us, but it also works on us; it does something to us. This is true of all of Scripture, but Ecclesiastes is unique in its ability to shatter our illusions and to force us to deal with the unpleasant realities of life. In doing so, it also creates within us a sense of longing for an experience of life that is better and eternal rather than frustrating and transitory.

Part of the reason the book resonates with us is because it is written by Solomon. His unique, God-given intelligence and wealth afforded him the opportunity to explore every aspect of human existence and to speak clearly to us about the nature of life itself. Because of this, his words carry the authority that comes from both ability and experience. His message is therefore credible in itself, but it is all the more so because it resonates with our own experience of life.

First, life is fleeting. The repeated use of the word “vanity” serves to emphasize that our lives are here one moment and gone before we know it, just like a morning fog. Second, life is frustrating. The fact that our lives pass quickly and that, in the end, there is no lasting gain to be had from our labors, creates within us sense of loss. Third, life is to be enjoyed in spite of this. In the midst of the frustrations and disappointments, God has given good things like food, drink, friendship, and marriage. These things are to be enjoyed by His people for His glory and their good. Finally, God has made man to both know and worship Him. This is the great gift of God to mankind and that which affords people the opportunity to find transcendent meaning in the midst of a transitory life.

No proper study of Ecclesiastes would be complete, however, without considering the message of the book in light of the overall story of the Bible. When we consider the added revelation of the NT, we see that the message of the book of Ecclesiastes is clarified. Although the apostle Paul affirms the reality that all is vanity (Rom. 8:20), he looks ahead to the redemption of both the people of God and creation as a whole which Christ’s work has secured and which He will accomplish (Rom. 8:23-24). The Shepherd, referenced in Eccl. 12:12 is also identified in the NT, where we see that Messiah Himself has come to deliver His people from despair in this life and judgment in the next (John 10:11). It is in Him alone that the longing that is uncovered by the message of the Ecclesiastes is truly satisfied. Jesus’ people will dwell with Him forever in a New Creation where they will experience the fullness of God’s presence and the delight of the good things God gives apart from the effects of sin and the curse. The book of Ecclesiastes has therefore a forward looking, hopeful message that finds its culmination where all of Scripture does, in Revelation 21-22!

Join with us this Sunday as we bring our Ecclesiastes study to a close by focusing on Jesus, the Good Shepherd who invites His people to abide in Him both now in this life, and ultimately for all eternity.

Soli Deo Gloria.

-Thomas