ECCLESIASTES
His name is not mentioned in the book, but King Solomon probably wrote it. He calls himself “the Preacher,” which means “one who calls an assembly and discusses a topic.” The Greek word for “assembly” is ekklesia (the New Testament word for “church”), and the book’s title comes from this word. As the wisest, wealthiest, and most powerful man of his day, Solomon certainly had the opportunity and resources to do the things mentioned in Ecclesiastes.
In this book, Solomon seeks to answer the question, “Is life worth living?” First, he states the problem and argues for the negative (chaps. 1–2). Then he examines the problem from many different angles (chaps.
Called a pessimistic book, Ecclesiastes is actually realistic. Solomon looked at life and death, success and failure, time and events, and wrote some wise counsel about how to live a meaningful life in a world of contradictions and seeming futility. When viewed apart from God (“under the sun”), life is indeed “vanity” (futility); but when you live for Christ, life is never “in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58).
Six times Solomon advises you to enjoy life now and be grateful for God’s gifts (2:24;