Is the Book of Ecclesiastes dreary or uplifting for you to read?

Question

"For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Ecclesiastes 12:14

Answer 1

This is a very good question. I think most people find it troubling in their spirit or emotionally difficult to read. I wondered why I felt that way, and so I read it again and again.

The thesis is that all is vanity. QHLT actually means "philosopher" or "professor" not preacher. Solomon goes about with examples to show that all is vanity, as striving wind. there are many points covered in the book and I think it is by far the greatest work in philosophy known to mankind. there are still things in there that I do not understand: "cast thy bread upon the water for thou shall find it after many days."

But it also says good and uplifiting things "I perceived that there is nothing better for man than to eat and enjoy the good of his labor all the days of his live" (this is more paraphrased, I do not know the exact quote on this example)

The conclusion of the book is that we should fear God and keep his commandments.

There is much to discuss in this book but we would have to look at particular examples in great detail.

Jesus alludes to this book when he askes "what came out you to see, a reed shaken in the wind?" In other words did you come out expecting to find that I am a vain person? This refering to "vanity" as discussed by Solomon. Also on another occasion he says that he himself is wiser than Solomon.

Answer 2

It depends upon how you understand it and what parts you are reading. Most of that book is written from a "deist", under the sun as opposed to under heaven, perspective. That means that the author was looking at life with the attitude that God is not a personal God but a distant God who looks down on earth only when He wants to and then to judge sinners. As most scholars agree, this book was written by Solomon when he had grown old and fallen into idolatry as a result of disobeying God and marrying foreign wives.

However, there are some parts that give hope like chapter 3 where it reminds us that God is a God of seasons and so when we are walking through a valley season of winter we can look ahead to climbing out into a season of refreshing spring time.

Answer 3

I love the entire book. To me, it states the truth about what will happen, but in a way that reminds me of sitting with my grandfather just talking and drinking iced tea and he's telling me like it is. A bittersweet but overall uplifting book for me to read. In my bible, a couple of years ago I had written 'Dust in the Wind' in the margins at the beginning of the book. That's what it makes me feel like. And then of course there's 3:1-9, made famous by the Byrds, a time for everything, you gotta love it! God knows everything I've done and has forgiven me. How about you? :) God bless!

Answer 4

The Book of Ecclesiastes follows the attempts of a brilliant, extraordinarily wealthy man [Solomon] to find the meaning of life without God..."all is vanity." It's a wonderful book: it's profound, the language is beautiful-- I love it!

Answer 5

Good Ecclesiastes 9:5 The living are conscience that they will die but the dead are conscience of nothing at all.
I would say he was a little depressed!
He was trying to say we don't get away with nothing.
It will always be found out about.

Answer 6

I personally like it because it's so honest-it shows us how the world really is-and it gives us a great contrast for the hope and joy we've found in Christ!

Answer 7

That's a tough read. If you do not have commentaries, you can go on line to some of the bible study sites and they have on line resources.

Answer 8

It could be either.