We have in our possession a considered response to this basic question from one of the wisest, richest, most powerful men to have walked the earth. And yet even today his counsel is widely ignored or misunderstood!
"Vanity of vanities," lamented Solomon, "all is vanity!" Solomon used the word "vanity" 38 times in Ecclesiastes as he wrote about life "under the sun." The word means "emptiness," "futility," "vapor"; "that which vanishes quickly and leaves nothing behind." From the human point of view, life ("under the sun") does often appear futile; and it is easy for us to get pessimistic. But we should not mistake brutal honesty with pessimism.
Ecclesiastes is the kind of book a person would write near the end of life, reflecting on life's experiences and the painful lessons learned. Solomon wrote Proverbs from the viewpoint of a wise teacher,1 and Song of Songs from the viewpoint of a royal lover,2 but when he wrote Ecclesiastes, he called himself "the Preacher."3
The Hebrew title is Koheleth, and it is the title given to an official speaker who calls an assembly. The Greek word for "assembly" is ekklhsia, ekklesia, and thus the Septuagint version gives us the English title of the book, Ecclesiastes.
But the Preacher did more than call an assembly and give an oration. The word Koheleth carries with it the idea of debating, not so much with the listeners as with himself. He would present a topic, discuss it from many viewpoints, and then come to a practical conclusion.
Ecclesiastes is unlike any other Old Testament book and has no parallel in other literature of the Biblical world. It is a philosophical discourse, and yet it is more. Ecclesiastes makes no claim to bring man a word from God. Instead the writer specifically states that he includes only what he can determine by his own reason and limits himself to data that is available "under the sun."
(The doctrine of inspiration, however, assures us that this book conveys the message that God intended that we should receive, but it does not guarantee that all of Solomon's statements are accurate!)
Ecclesiastes is different from any other book of the Bible. It does not dwell on the covenant, the election of Israel, redemption, prophecy, sacred history, or the temple. Its focus is on man the creature, his life on earth, and the inscrutability of God and His ways. Ecclesiastes goes beyond the other wisdom literature to emphasize the fact that human life and human goals, as ends in themselves and apart from God, are futile and meaningless.
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I might not be like solomon ,having tried everything under the sun., but I think I have tried some of the things that I have tried, like gym, exercise, hiking, friendship,things I thought could make me happy. They did, but only for a while.So I must agreed with solomon, vanity, oh vanity all is but vanity.
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