The Vain and the Sane in Ecclesiastes

Many have been fascinated by the Book of Ecclesiastes, and most have been perplexed and frustrated by its apparently negative sentiments. However, Ecclesiastes is as robustly God-centred as the rest of the Bible, and its message is reflected in other places such as the Psalms and Romans. It is however only in Ecclesiastes that the theme of vanity is pursued to its logical conclusion.

    

It is not without reason that the Wisdom literature, to which Ecclesiastes belongs, is called by this name. It does require wisdom to understand and appreciate this book. One needs to be something of a philosopher or sage to plumb its depths.

 

However, we can pray with the apostle Paul that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him (Ephesians 1:17). We would all be well advised to offer this prayer before entering the harsh world of Ecclesiastes.