What is Ecclesiastes good for? A brief reflection.

Just after Proverbs and right before Song of Solomon is a little book in the Bible’s library that most Christians frequently flip past. In fact, if we are being honest, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon form a pair of wisdom books that well . . . we simply did not ask for. They are like your two unwanted relatives who offer up their “wisdom” each holiday, except one of them is extremely depressing with an outlook on life that would put Inside Out’s Sadness to shame and the other is frankly, really horny. But we will save Solomon’s Song for another time! Today we are looking at what we can make of Ecclesiastes.

If you are anything like me, your experience with this book will be anywhere from nonexistent to “isn’t that the book that describes life as miserable?” And yes, the Teacher (or Qoheleth) does remind us that life is often vain or fleeting (Heb. hebel), like a lot, like 37 times a lot! That is every half dozen verses! The Teacher’s obvious depression notwithstanding, in between these warnings and even in the warnings themselves there is much to be gained from this book of wisdom. It is something I like to call “shared humanity.” But first, I have to get a quick myth out of the way.

The Ecclesiastes Myth: “It’s all in how it ends.”

If a pastor dares to venture into the book of Ecclesiastes — emphasis on “if” — the point will inevitably be made that the key to all twelve chapters lies in the final few verses, 12:13–14 to be exact. They read:

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. (ESV)

The preaching point is that everything that has come before — the vanity of work, the vanity of self-indulgence, the vanity of righteous living, and the general sense of bah humbug — is all given purpose, or redeemed by the recognition that God will take all into account at the final judgment. Every unfortunate case of cancer and each societal injustice will be given its time in court. It is not so much what you suffer, but how you suffer and attend to God’s good instruction despite suffering. Think Job.

It is not that this myth is untrue, it is just too simple and too quick. The pastor has not allowed his hearers to stew in the messiness of life presented in Eccles 1–12. In actuality, the pastor has substituted his greatest pastoral tool — the inevitable but shared suffering of humans —for a theologically sound, yet glib answer. The result is a glazing over of Eccles 1–12 with two “safe” verses. The presentation of this myth is directly related to how we often handle suffering as it relates to God’s justice: we seek an easy answer. Sitting in suffering is hard. Listening to the young couple recount the death of one of their children is devastating. Hearing the story of a sexual abuse victim and the downstream effects thirty years later is heavy on the soul. And yet, that is actually what the book of Ecclesiastes can help us do.

Suffering and our Shared Humanity

Ecclesiastes offers, in my assessment, one of the greatest compendiums of suffering across our shared humanity:

• What of the person who works double shifts day and night and their only gain is exhaustion? *Eccles 2:22–23
• What of the person who is oppressed by those in positions of power? *Eccles 4:1–3
• What of the person who feels alone and without community, who will be there to pick them up? *Eccles 4:10b
• What of the person whose spouse, strong as he/she is, succumbs to an aggressive battle with cancer? *Eccles 9:11
• What of the person whose age has stripped the pleasures of their youth and each day they are assisted in the most menial tasks? *Eccles 12:1
• What of the person who has built life and family must leave it to be enjoyed by another? *Eccles 2:21

Each of these examples of suffering is real to whom they belong, but the message of Ecclesiastes which is left in plain sight is that we are not alone in our suffering. For many, their sweat and toil will never amount to much. It will not leave a great name and only provide the briefest of respites before more sweat is called for. Yet they are not alone. Others will attain much knowledge symbolized by their degrees, career, and status, but they will be left empty never having learned the trait of satisfaction. And again, they will not be alone.

Do not mistake the pain of suffering for good, it is not, but it is not yet time for the pastor’s final two verses. The pain is still too heavy. God’s truth can wait. God’s presence will suffice. We must not deny what we feel. Only when we allow ourselves to accept our circumstances can we begin to see around the room. This is when we will find each other.

Every individual who has experienced great pain has also experienced the great relief of finding others who have walked our road before us. This is a big part of the message of Ecclesiastes. There is indeed nothing new under the sun for we have all taken part in life’s vicissitudes. This human experience is the common denominator of our shared humanity that allows us to become our fullest selves to others; we become precisely what we can give.

There are of course deep theological themes throughout this concise book of wisdom, not just in the final verses. E.g., humans are created from dust and shall return to uncreation (Eccles 3:20; 12:7); all mankind is prone to sin (Eccles 7:20, enter Jesus); a God-centered life allows enjoyment of temporal satisfactions (Eccles 12:13–14). However, to my mind, one of the true benefits of Ecclesiastes is its recognition of the “lived experience” which we all share. I am increasingly convinced that as Christians, myself included, we have inculcated an aversion to suffering (because God brings blessings of course) that is unbefitting. We need communities which have embraced their own suffering and are capable of sitting in the pain with others. Suffering, handled with care, will always produce humility. This book may just help with that.

To sound like Qoheleth for a moment: None are exempt from suffering, but in suffering none are alone.