King Solomon is probably the author of Ecclesiastes although his name doesn’t appear in the book. He is most likely the one referred to as“the son of David, king in Jerusalem.” Ecclesiastes 1:1

This book was written late in his life, after he had tried all that this world has to offer. Solomon had the means to enjoy anything his heart desired and he denied himself nothing. He was generous with others, too, so he probably had the satisfaction of being surrounded by people who loved him.

Yet, Solomon was weary of living by the time he reached old age. The opening lines of his book groan . . . “Meaningless! Meaningless! . . . Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!” (Ecclesiastes 1:2) He wonders what life is for when it becomes an endless repetition of seasons and events that end in death.

“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun . . . No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them.” Ecclesiastes 1:9, 11

God in Ecclesiastes

God is mentioned forty times in Ecclesiastes, always as Elohim, not Jehovah. Elohim refers to the almighty, transcendent God and is a less personal name than Jehovah, which can be translated as “the Lord.” Solomon knew that he was subject to God, but he didn’t call him Lord.

It seems that by the end of his life Solomon had participated in so much idolatry that he lost his relationship with God. Like some people today, he may have come to believe that God had many faces and names and that all faiths had something to offer. We know he had lost his singular devotion to God.

“As Solomon grew old his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of his father David had been.” 1 Kings 11:4

However, Solomon still believed that ultimately people were accountable to God. In Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 he warned against making vows to God and failing to keep them, and the very last verse of the book says,

“For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:14

The Futility of Wisdom

In an overview of Ecclesiastes, pastor Charles Swindoll says,

“Ecclesiastes presents us a naturalistic vision of life—one that sees life through distinctively human eyes—but ultimately recognizes the rule and reign of God in the world. This more humanistic quality has made the book especially popular among younger audiences today, men and women who have seen more than their fair share of pain and instability in life but who still cling to their hope in God.”

Solomon had lowered his gaze from the glory of God at the temple to the fleeting pleasures of the world.

The thing Solomon valued most was his extraordinary wisdom. He clung to it and used it through all of his experiments in seeking life’s meaning. Because he was so adept at evaluating what he observed, and because he found everything he observed to be meaningless, even his prized possession, wisdom, was a burden to him.

“For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.” Ecclesiastes 1:18

Was Wisdom Better Than Folly?

Solomon believed that it was better to be a wise man than a fool, but in the end both die. He despaired to think that the memory of a wise man is as easily lost as the memory of a fool.

“Then I said to myself, ‘The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?’ I said to myself, ‘This too is meaningless.’” Ecclesiastes 2:15

Solomon’s wisdom had not prepared him for eternity. He wasn’t sure there was an eternity awaiting him. He thought perhaps he was no better than an animal in the end.

“Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?” Ecclesiastes 3:19-21

Solomon didn’t have the knowledge that Jesus revealed to the world. He couldn’t foresee that Christ would come from eternity to the earth, live among people, and then go back into eternity. He never heard Jesus say,

“I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:2-3

Despite all of his wisdom, Solomon lacked this vital hope. And because he gave up his wholehearted devotion to God he lost the comfort his faith could have brought him.

The Emptiness of Power and Wealth

Solomon was all too familiar with the fleeting condition of political power. He saw powerful old kings who no longer knew how to lead and young kings who started out well, but soon lost favor with the people. No matter how well a king ruled, his successor was likely to change what he accomplished.

“There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” Ecclesiastes 4:16

Great wealth was no better than political power.

“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.” Ecclesiastes 5:10

Solomon knew the advantages of great wealth. He enjoyed everything that money could buy, but he also knew the burdens it brought. The craving for more wealth was impossible to satisfy and the fear of losing wealth interfered with the rich man’s sleep.

And in the end it was all left behind when a person died, whether they died rich or poor.

A Sad Conclusion?

 Solomon got tired of life and tired of talking about it.

“The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone? For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days they pass through like a shadow? Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone? ” Ecclesiastes 6:11-12

We should keep in mind that Solomon was not the first man to live and die in the Bible. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and David also died – without complaining about the bleakness of life. Each of them lived and died with a faith in God that gave them hope.

On the last day of his life Moses walked with determination up Mount Nebo to meet his Maker. He knew he would not come back and he was ready for God to take his breath away and deliver him into whatever followed his life on earth.

Moses didn’t have any more information than Solomon did about eternity, but he had a rock solid trust in God. He and the other great people of faith in the Old Testament believed in the goodness of the Maker of the universe.

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” Hebrews 11:1-3

Solomon knew more about what God had made than any of the patriarchs, even his father David, but he didn’t know God in the end. His faith was compromised by idolatry and he had no assurance or peace.

You Can Do Better Than Solomon

Don’t let the bleakness of Ecclesiastes get you down. The man who wrote it was very smart, but he lost his faith. You can do better than that. Let the Scriptures make you wise and grow your faith and you will be better off than King Solomon – even without all of his wealth and power.