The Introduction to Ecclesiastes
A Selection by Tremper Longman III
"All things are wearisome; more than one can express; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, or the ear filled with hearing" (Ecclesiastes 1:8).
Reading Ecclesiastes from a New Testament Perspective
The New Testament never explicitly quotes or comments on Ecclesiastes. However, it is interesting to read Ecclesiastes in the light of Paul's comments in Romans 8:18-25. Paul here talks about how God has subjected the creation to "futility," using the same Greek word (mataiotes) that the Greek translation of the Old Testament uses to render the Hebrew word "meaningless" (hebel) in the book of Ecclesiastes. It appears that Paul is reflecting on the effects of the Fall (Genesis 3) when he describes the "sufferings of the present time," and we have already noted that the Teacher's view of life "under the sun" may be understood as life affected by the curse.
The recognition that life is "futile" deeply discouraged the Teacher, but it provides the foundation of hope for Paul, because he recognizes that God subjected the world to futility "in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay" and that it "will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God."
Paul's comments invite us to read Jesus' story in the light of Ecclesiastes. When we do so, we see that Jesus subjected himself to a meaningless world in order to free us from it. The famous hymn in Philippians 2:6-11 describes how Jesus "emptied himself" and subjected himself to the life of a "slave," even dying on the cross.
As we meditate on the life of Christ, we see that he experienced the "meaninglessness" of life "under the sun." He was the very Word of God, but the world did not honor him as such (Jn 1:10). The Synoptics tell us that he was born in a manger not a palace. Toward the end of his life, not only the crowds but also those to whom he was closest abandoned him. Judas betrayed him and Peter denied him. However, it was when he was on the cross that he experienced the "meaninglessness" of the fallen world in a way that the Teacher could only imagine as he cried out "My God, my God why have you forsaken me?" (Matt 27:46).
In sum, using the language of Galatians 3:13, Jesus became a curse to redeem us from the curse of the law. Jesus defeated death by dying on the cross and being resurrected (1 Cor 15). Jesus, in other words, defeated death, the very thing that most disturbed the Teacher's confidence in the meaning of life.
Reading Ecclesiastes in the light of the New Testament realities suggests that ultimate meaning is found in God through Christ who defeats death and thus brings meaning to life. When Christ is preeminent, the one in whom we find our meaning, then other aspects of our life, including our work, pleasure, wealth, and more, can occupy an appropriate place of significance.