Ecclesiastes 1:1-18

The Teacher searches for
the purpose of our lives

Book of Ecclesiastes

Hilda Bright and Kitty Pride

About the Book of Ecclesiastes

The Author

The word ‘Ecclesiastes’ tells us about the author of this book. This word means ‘someone who gathers a group of people together’. So, the author of this book was an official who had responsibility for other people. He was leading his people as they searched for the truth about God. There are various English translations of this word: 1) *Preacher; 2) Teacher; 3) Philosopher (wise person who thinks a lot about everything).

The words at the end of this book show that the author was a wise man. He was a teacher and he was a skilful writer Ecclesiastes 12:9-12). He collected special phrases that people say. These are called ‘proverbs’. And there is a book in the Bible called Proverbs.

The author of Ecclesiastes calls himself the ‘king in the city called Jerusalem’ Ecclesiastes 1:1). He also says that he ruled over *Israel Ecclesiastes 1:12). He was famous because he spoke wise words Ecclesiastes 12:9).

King Solomon was famous because of his wisdom (1 Kings 4:29-34; 1 Kings 10:6; 1 Kings 10:24). But this book does not use Solomon’s name. It seems to be clear, especially in Ecclesiastes chapter 2, that the author is teaching lessons from Solomon’s life. But other passages cause people to think that the author is not actually King Solomon. (See, for example, Ecclesiastes 8:2; Ecclesiastes 9:15 and Ecclesiastes 10:20.)

So perhaps the best opinion is that the author or editor was a ‘wise man’ in *Israel. These were men that most people in Israel respected because of their wisdom. He intended that the book should give honour to Solomon. And he wanted his readers to learn lessons from Solomon’s life.

The message that Ecclesiastes teaches

The author of Ecclesiastes writes about our lives that are ‘in this world’. He connects this phrase with a word that means ‘a breath’ or ‘wind’. And it also means ‘a mystery’ or ‘something that is difficult to understand’.

The author writes about many things that are not fair in this world. For example:

• People are cruel to other people, but they suffer no punishment.

• People work hard, but they do not benefit from their efforts.

• Good people suffer, but bad people receive rewards.

• Both good people and bad people die in the same manner.

• Wise people and foolish people all die.

At that time, most people believed that God punishes evil people during their lives in this world. Most people did not understand that there will be a judgement after death. But the author proves that sometimes, bad people have pleasant lives. And he also proves that good people often suffer during their lives in this world. These things are not fair. But God is always fair. So the author thinks about whether people’s *spirits continue to live after the death of their bodies Ecclesiastes 3:21). If they do, then God could issue a fair judgement about each person after that person’s death.

However, the author does not answer his own question that is in Ecclesiastes 3:21. In many other places, the Bible says clearly that there will be a judgement after death. (See, for example, Revelation 20:11-15.) God will be the judge of every person. And God’s judgements will all be fair and they will all be right. The author of Ecclesiastes does not explain these things. Instead, he emphasises things that seem unfair to us.

People have 2 main ideas about the author’s attitude:

1. The author’s attitude is complete despair OR

2. The author has an attitude of both despair and hope.

Our opinion is that the second idea is right.

It is clear that there is a sense of despair in this book. The author has had sad experiences. So he often expresses his sad thoughts. He believes that our lives have no permanent value. It is impossible for people to know the answers to all their questions. Some writers who study Ecclesiastes emphasise this attitude. They believe that the author was a man without any hope. He did not believe that God ruled.

However, Ecclesiastes is a book that a ‘wise man’ wrote. These were men that most people in Israel respected because of their wisdom. *Israel’s ‘wise men’ in the Books of Proverbs and Job believed strongly that God does control things. And they believed that God is good, kind and fair. But they were not afraid to discuss things that seem unfair. They tried hard to understand these things. And they believed that genuine wisdom comes only from God (Job chapter 28; Proverbs 3:5-6).

That is why the Book of Ecclesiastes seems to contain two different opinions. Sometimes those opinions seem to be the opposite of each other. The writer of Ecclesiastes discusses many unfair things. But he also shows that God is generous. God wants people to enjoy their life and their work Ecclesiastes 2:24-26). God shows people how they must act in order to please him Ecclesiastes 5:1-7). And God has taught people that wisdom is a wonderful thing Ecclesiastes 10:13-17).

The writer urges people to live wisely. People can live wisely only if they have a relationship with God. That is why the author urges people to remember God’s gifts. Young people in particular should remember that God made them Ecclesiastes 12:1). He created them, and so their lives belong to him. Of course, older people should remember this too. But people should start to serve God before they become old. That is much better. People should not neglect God until they are old and weak. That is a foolish attitude. We should not waste our opportunity to live in a manner that pleases God.

People who are wise will be afraid to make God angry. They will realise that they cannot expect to solve all their problems. They will trust God. So they will believe that they are alive for a purpose. And there will be a time when God will be the judge. Everyone will stand in front of him and they will hear his judgement. Therefore people can be confident. But also they should be cautious about what happens after death.

Chapter 1

The title – Ecclesiastes 1:1

v1 These are the words of the man who was called the Teacher. He was the son of King David. And he was king in the city called Jerusalem.

Verse 1 Our translation here uses the word ‘Teacher’. The word means someone who gathered people together to speak to them. Some translations use the word ‘Speaker’ or ‘*Preacher’. King David’s son might mean Solomon. Or it might mean another king who was from David’s family. Solomon was famous because he was wise (1 Kings 10:24). The writer or editor was someone who was like Solomon. He wanted to understand why we are alive.

The problem – Ecclesiastes 1:2-3

v2 ‘What a mystery!’ says the Teacher.

‘What a big mystery!

There seems to be no purpose in anything.’

v3 You work hard for the whole of your life in this world.

But you gain no benefit that lasts.

Verses 2-3 The words ‘in this world’ show what the Teacher is thinking. (The *Hebrew words say ‘under the sun’.) The Teacher speaks about people who think only about their life in this world. He shows what their life is like for them here. They have left God out of their lives. People cannot trust that anyone or anything in this world will make them completely happy. They cannot achieve anything that will last. And soon, their life ends. Work is hard. And although you work during your whole life this seems to have no real reward. The Teacher thinks in the end that this is a puzzle. We cannot understand it.

Nothing changes in the world. Neither nature nor people change. – Ecclesiastes 1:4-11

v4 People are born and people die.

But the earth always stays the same.

v5 The sun rises and the sun sets.

Then it hurries back again to the place where it rises.

v6 The wind blows to the south,

and the wind blows to the north.

The wind continues to return as it moves round and round.

v7 All streams flow to the sea,

but the sea is never full.

The water returns to the place from where the streams came.

Then the streams flow again.

v8 Everything in his life tires a person.

Things make people more tired than they can explain.

Our eyes can never see enough,

and our ears can never hear enough.

v9 Whatever things existed in the past will continue to exist.

Whatever has happened before will happen again.

There is nothing new in this world.

v10 Nothing can make someone say,

‘Look at this! It is new!’

It was already here a long time before we were born.

v11 Nobody remembers people who lived before us.

And nobody will remember people who will be born in the future.

Verses 4-11 are a poem that describes history. Nothing in human history and nothing in nature moves forward. Things always seem to change. But they remain as they were. People are born and people die. But the earth, that they come from, never changes. The sun, the wind and the streams return again and again to where they begin. There is nothing new in people’s experience. Nobody in the future will remember people and events from the past.

Verse 5 In Psalms 19:4-5, the writer describes the sun, ‘like a bridegroom in his splendid clothes’. And here the writer describes that sun as he would describe a person. The sun ‘hurries’ back to where it started. The *Hebrew word ‘hurry’ refers to someone who is running. So the sun is like someone who is running. And he is struggling to breathe. The sun is eager to return to where it started. Or perhaps the writer thinks that the sun is tired. It must rise and it must go down again daily.

Verse 6 The wind seems to be free. It may blow where it chooses to blow (John 3:8). The Teacher thinks about the wind’s constant movement. It is always changing the place from where it blows. But it always comes back to its first direction.

Verse 7 Streams flow into the sea but they never manage to fill the sea. The streams continue to flow. Job spoke about water that comes from streams. Water comes from the clouds and it comes from the rain. Then it returns to the streams (Job 36:27). Water goes up from the sea as mist and it returns as rain.

Verse 8 Our senses are like the sea, which is never full. There is no end to what we can see. And there is no end to what we can hear. It is impossible to describe this tired person. He looks at the world that God created. After God had made Adam and Eve they did not obey him (Genesis 3:17-19). Then God said that they will have troubles because of their wicked deeds.

Verses 9-11 Everything that existed in the past will continue to exist. People will continue to do everything that they have done before. The Teacher is describing events to us. They will happen in this way if we think about the world without God. Then nothing can change. This is different from what the *Israelites believed. They believed that God controls human history. God can change people and events. One example is Joseph. His brothers had intended to hurt him. But Joseph believed that God had a purpose for him. God intended him to save lives in Egypt (Genesis 50:20).

People often think that they have found new things. People may invent something that is new. But they use what God has created. And people soon forget what happened in the past. They do not remember people who lived before them. The word ‘people’ can also mean ‘things’. So people also forget things. And they forget events that were in the past. People always want something ‘new’.

A wise man cannot discover the purpose of his life if he just thinks about it – Ecclesiastes 1:12-18

v12 I am the Teacher. I have been king in the city called Jerusalem. And I ruled over the country called *Israel. v13 I decided to study everything that happens in the world. I tried to understand it. I searched as carefully as wise men search. God has made it very difficult for people. Nobody can search easily in this way. v14 But I have seen everything that people do in the world. And all of it has no value. It is impossible to discover what it means. It is like someone who tries to catch the wind.

v15 You cannot make something straight if it has a curve in it.
You cannot count something that is not there.

v16 I spoke to myself. ‘I have become wiser than anyone who has ruled in Jerusalem before me’, I thought. ‘I have learnt how to behave with wisdom. And I have learnt a lot of facts about the world.’ v17 Then I tried hard to understand what wisdom really is. And I wanted to know more about stupid people and their foolish behaviour. So I tried to understand these things. But that was like somebody who was trying to catch the wind.

v18 You worry more when you become wiser.
You will suffer more when you understand more.

Verses 12-13 Here it seems that the Teacher was King Solomon. He decided that he would try to discover the purpose of our lives. He would think very carefully about people’s experience. He wanted to search for purpose, but it was very difficult. God has given a strong desire to everyone. They all want to discover the truth about why we live in this world. And God wants people to discover the truth. He is the only answer to the purpose of our lives. So people are not peaceful without God.

Verse 14 People cannot expect to control the wind. In the same way, they cannot expect to understand all that happens in the world.

Verse 15 The words say that people cannot do everything. Sometimes they cannot change their circumstances. People must realise that they cannot know everything.

Verse 16 The Teacher said that he had become very wise. He was wiser than the kings who had ruled before him. He knew a lot about wise behaviour. He knew a lot of facts about the world. But he wanted to understand more. He wanted to be really wise all the time. And he wanted to understand what stupid behaviour and foolish behaviour meant. Although he searched carefully he was not successful. He felt like somebody who was trying to catch the wind. It was an impossible task.

Verse 18 When you know more about people and about situations, you will worry more. You will think about whether you should help to discover a solution to the problems. You will be sad because people suffer. And you will not always understand why some things go wrong.

preacher ~ someone who tells and explains important things (often about religion) to a group of people.
Israel ~ the nation that God chose to be his special people or their country.
spirit ~ part of a person that we cannot see and that remains alive after death; sometimes it may refer just to a person’s or to an animal’s breath.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Israelites spoke.
Israelite ~ a person that belonged to the nation called Israel.
Israel ~ the nation that God chose to be his special people or their country.
Israelite ~ a person that belonged to the nation called Israel.
Israel ~ the nation that God chose to be his special people or their country.