Understanding Ecclesiastes

[Montie_Claunch]

I am trying to read and understand the book of Ecclesiastes. It seems rather depressing. I can’t quite understand it. Sirach praises gaining wisdom, James praises work and other books praises other things while Ecclesiastes says eavrything is vainity. Can someone point me to some material to help me understand it? Thanks and God bless.

 

[Todd_Easton]

Introduction to Ecclesiastes.

 

[drafdog]

The word may also be translated as “vapor,” making the statement “Vapor of vapors, all is vapor.” Consider a pot of boiling water and the steam rising from the pot. Now pretend that the steam has been “boiled” again. See how insubstantial it is now? The activities of this life without faith are just that important. In order to place this in perspective, read the first ten verses of Second Peter.

Matthew

 

[Jesusstreet]

I am trying to read and understand the book of Ecclesiastes. It seems rather depressing. I can’t quite understand it. Sirach praises gaining wisdom, James praises work and other books praises other things while Ecclesiastes says eavrything is vainity. Can someone point me to some material to help me understand it? Thanks and God bless.

How about some food for thought.

Vanity is related to pride. Vain prayer is done waving one’s arms in the street. Don’t give thought to what you wear. When you pray go into your closet, what you do in secret our HEAVENLY FATHER sees and will reward. Ecclesiastes is like a priest, the leader of a congregation. We see that King Solomon was at once a great sinner (having many wives) and also having purported great wisdom. He also has tendency to evoke the extreme by using phrases like “Song of Songs” or “Vanity of Vanities” and we could also link the term “Holy of Holies” as well, indicated the summit of these things.

Now a vanity is superficial. Where as a humble heart seeks these things of themselves for the sake of the DIVINE not to seek the superficial or vain aspects, as how will their peers perceive them, but out of a genuine LOVE for GOD THE DIVINE. But the wisest of the wise was also the vainest of the vain seeking to build temples but to who’s glory? And seeking wives in abudance, but to who’s glory and pleasure?

The modest and humble man seeks goodness for others, and praises GOD in their hearts to GOD’s GLORY and builds TEMPLES for GOD’s GLORY and not one’s own glory.

The themes of work in Ecclesiastes are some of the most poetic and profound in the Bible. And goes to show us that all we do is work, but isn’t necessarily for any point of mammon. However King Solomon lived in oppulence.

Incidentally, JESUS did rebuke the pharisees for their vanities, their delight at meetings in the marketplaces, and their long tassles, and other vanities to their own glory which were not for the sake of HOLINESS.

just some food for thought . …

 

[Ghosty]

My take on Ecclesiastes is that it is the Sacred Book that shows us the summit of purely human wisdom and experience. When all is said and done, the best conclusions humans can make, when left to our own and with the world we are given, are displayed in Ecclesiastes.

It’s SUPPOSED to be dark and depressing, because that is what creation is without God. Ecclesiastes is the voice of the “materialist” in the deepest sense; everything is in vain because everything is just passing fluff, dust in the wind. In fact, that song “Dust in the Wind” is a perfect example of the Ecclesiastes mindset.

So why did God Inspire such uninspiring writing? In order to set forth with Divine clarity what humans can expect when we cut God out of the picture. Christ, and the Grace that follows on Christ, is the answer to Ecclesiastes. God is saying “this is the best you can hope for when left to yourselves, but I can do something so much greater”. Ecclesiastes is the reminder of what we turn to without God.

When looked at in that context it’s ultimately not depressing at all, but merely serves as the contrast to the Glory of God we know as Catholics.

Peace and God bless!

 

[Zooey]

My take on Ecclesiastes is that it is the Sacred Book that shows us the summit of purely human wisdom and experience. When all is said and done, the best conclusions humans can make, when left to our own and with the world we are given, are displayed in Ecclesiastes.

It’s SUPPOSED to be dark and depressing, because that is what creation is without God.

Yes!!

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Peter Kreeft 's Three Philosophies of Life discusses - Ecclesiastes: Life as Vanity, Job: Life as Suffering, and Song of Songs: Life as Love. It is the book of philosophy and shows that philosophy alone leads us nowhere. We must have more. We must find something new that is not under the sun.

 

[anniemart]

This past Sunday was the only reading from Ecclesiastes for this cycle. Our pastor summed it up very nicely…when you leave this earth, you don’t have a U-Haul attached…

According to the lector’s guide I use, the author of Ecclesiastes didn’t have the personal experience with God that St. Paul did but they both shared the same reverance for our Lord. This being so, St. Paul didn’t have to questions (or ponder them) the way Qoheleth did.

When I think about this, I figure that Qoheleth didn’t have to undergo the incredible, momentary blindness that St. Paul was chosen to experience… However, Qoheleth still required the insight to recognize that the good of life begins with and ends with the Glory we give to God. And because we are forever and constantly being called to a conversion to holiness, every aspect of the Glory we give to God depends on where we place it on our list of priorities. The greater the priority given, the greater the Glory. The greater the Glory, the greater your life.

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

Yes!!

I’ll second that - Post 5 got to the heart of the matter very nicely. ​

The only point I’d like to add is one I read some years ago, to the effect that the inclusion of the book in the Bible shows how universal the Bible is - there is something for every mood, including the questioning & doubtful ones.

 

[ryanoneil]

Here are the foodnotes from my lectors and gospel readers workbook year C 2007 James L. Weaver.
Qoheleth sees the evidence of divinity and power in the created order that he examines but does not think this evidence tells people anything useful about God or themselves. Qoheleth had long observed his world, assembled much knowledge about it, and concluded that its meaning, like its Creator, connont be fathomed. His observation leads him to more and more questions, while he is still grateful to God (3:12-13). Vanity is the only word he knows to describe the fevered human drive of wealth and property with all its anxiety, sorrow, grief, and sleeplessness. In light of Christ’s word to the rich man that treasure in heaven requires the sale of all he owns and the distribution of the proceeds to the poor (Mat19:21), we can see this drive for material things as the human tragedy it is. Even if you cannot agree with his verdict on the sum of all possible human thought and effort (“All things are vanity”) his description of a life aquiring things is on the right track.