Koheleth: The Message, Not The Person Essay, Research Paper
Many who seek to understand the book of Ecclesiastes often fail to understand the purpose of the writings of Koheleth [Hebrew for teacher or preacher, also designating the author of this book]. Some view him as a skeptic, disillusioned by that which lives ?under the sun?. Others describe him as a realist, seeing quite clearly the evils which befall men, both good and evil. Still others confuse his particular philosophy on life as a form of ni-hilism. Volumes of material have been written vigorously defending views on who he is. Others do not look at the person, but see the situation that befalls Koheleth. However, many, how profound they might be at psychologically analyzing every facet of him, fail to see his message. Obscured by his discourse on achieving his point, the message within the verses is quite profound and well supported. For when anything is done with God and for God, it has purpose, but without Him life is nothing.
One cannot escape the futility that Koheleth expresses numerous times. The word ?meaningless? alone appears once in the Bible outside of Ecclesiastes, but within it oc-curs about 35 times (NIV Study Note, 1:2). Both in beginning (1:2) and conclusion (12:8) he declares how worthless everything is. From this, many first stray from Koheleth?s main point. They (Gottcent, 84) cite his Job-like discourses on bad things happening to good people and his distaste for three things traditionally highly valued in his time: wis-dom (1:12-18, 2:12-16), pleasure (2:1-11), and toil (2:17-26). The style of Koheleth is such that it misleads some, for even the great Rabbis of early Christian times only ac-cepted its canonization after great debate (Gottcent, xiii). Koheleth?s method, however, is necessary and proper. To say that to live life with God is how to live life, one first must give infallible argument that life without God is meaningless. To do this, he counters every possible happiness with a sadness (3:1-8), and particularly harps on the unfairness of oppression in life, sympathetic to the sizable lower class of his time. The rich are not safe either, for they are never rich enough (5:10-17). None can argue with his points. When compared to eternity, everything man does is meaningless. But what of that which man does with eternity? If man is instead united with God, the changeless, omniscient, eternal being that is with us all, rather than separated, does that change anything? There are specifically six different cases in which Koheleth comes to this alternative conclusion (Hubbard, 93), and once where another has added to the book in summarizing it all (12:13-14). Five of those times, the words eat and drink are included in how to have a life of which there is ?nothing better?. Here we begin to see how man should live life, par-ticularly, and perhaps even more so, regarding menial activities. Now th
That which is not focused on the Lord is ?meaningless, a chasing after the wind.? With God, life has meaning. It matters not who Koheleth was or what he was like, it matters what he said. He certainly was centered on God when he composed Ecclesiastes, and no one can declare his work to be ?vanities.? Take heed of his message and pass it along. With that, ?[g]o, eat your food with gladness, drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do.? (Ecc 9:7, NIV)
Bibliography
Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright ? 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
Modern Critical Views: The Bible, edited by Harold Bloom, ? 1987 by Chelsea House Publishers
The Communicator?s Commentary: Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, by David A. Hubbard, Vol. 15B, ? 1991 by Word, Inc.
The Bible: A Literary Study, by John H. Gottcent, ? 1986 by G. K. Hall & Co.
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