Author

 

The author says that he is the “son of David, King in Jerusalem” (see Ecclesiastes 1:1). Up until the 1600’s, it is generally taught that Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes. Since then, some Bible teachers have questioned this view. Our view depends partly upon how we interpret the word “son” in the above phrase. The Hebrew word “son” can refer either to a later descendant or to an actual son.

 

The message of Ecclesiastes

 

Many Christians need to read the Book of Ecclesiastes to obtain a balanced perspective on life. The main message of Ecclesiastes is everything outside of lovingly fearing God and doing what He says is useless in the long run. Ecclesiastes 1:2 says: “‘Vanity of vanities’, says the Preacher; ‘Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.’”

The word “Vanity” or “meaningless” is used 33 times throughout this Biblical book. The word “vanities” is used 4 times. Ecclesiastes stresses it is meaning less or vanity for us to devote ourselves to:

 

·         study and obtaining wisdom (Ecclesiastes 1:13).

·         pleasures and enjoyments of various kinds (2:1-3).

·         building houses (2:4).

·         having beautiful gardens, parks and trees (2:5).

·         having great amounts of farming animals (2:7).

·         having great singers and musicians constantly perform for us (2:8). This is regardless of whether these are godly or ungodly singers and musicians.

·         having large amounts of gold, silver and treasures (2:8).

 

Unless God specifically wants us to have these things and they are only of minor importance to us compared with Him. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 puts everything in the right perspective: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil.”

Ecclesiastes 3:14 states: “I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever.” So if what we are doing is His specific will and done with His strength, it shall stand forever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other key points in Ecclesiastes

 

a) Natural dreams comes from cares

Ecclesiastes 5:3 says: “For a dream comes through much activity.” As believers, we need to be very careful not to confuse God-given supernatural dreams while we are asleep with natural dreams such as the above verse mentions.

 

b) Those who love money and wealth never have enough

Ecclesiastes 5:10 states: “He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This is also vanity.” Some people have plenty of savings, extra houses and/or flats and/or other investments and a very high income and still feel wrongly they are poor and struggling.

 

c) Sometimes some righteous people get what the wicked deserve and vice-versa

Contrary to the simplistic doctrine that all righteous believers are constantly materially blessed more than the wicked, Ecclesiastes 7:15 and 8:14 reveal that sometimes, some righteous people have long or short periods of the opposite occurring in their lives. Ecclesiastes 7:15 states: “I have seen all things in my days of vanity: There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness.” Ecclesiastes 8:14 declares: “There is a vanity which occurs on earth, that there are just men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.”

 

d) Live joyfully with your wife

Ecclesiastes 9:9 states: “Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun.”