“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”
Ecclesiastes 1:2
According to the opening verse in Ecclesiastes, these words
belong to “the teacher”. It’s a tough way to start a book in the Bible. My
reaction is made even tougher when I consider that the “teacher” is described
as the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Immediately, I begin to consider the perspective
of Solomon, a man of great wisdom and understanding. So, what should I make of
the redundant message about the “meaninglessness” of life? Most approaches to
Ecclesiastes begin with the summary statement at the end of the book.
Accordingly, the conclusion of the matter is to “fear God and keep His
commandments”. I breathe a sigh of relief when I read the end, but it hardly
answers all my questions about the cynical tone of the preceding material.
Oddly enough, my questions about Solomon’s existential experiment and
commentary are best answered by a question. Is there a way to interpret
Ecclesiastes in light of the Gospel? I believe there is. Jesus asked the question,
“what good is it for someone to gain the whole world yet forfeit his soul?”
(Mark 8:36) What is the answer to Jesus’ question? It’s meaningless. It’s all
meaningless. Jesus asked a second question, “What can anyone give in exchange
for their soul?” (Mark 8:37) I see evidence all around me everyday of what people
are willing to exchange for the health of their soul. After reading the words
of Jesus, the survey of life contained in Ecclesiastes takes on new level of
gravity. A soul that fears God and keeps His commandments is a healthy soul.
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