The Meaning of Life, Book of Ecclesiastes



If there is one book in the Bible that imparts wisdom, experience, sound advice for how to live one's lift and is intriguing it is the Book of Ecclesiastes. Surprisingly, it is not in the New Testament were someone walks on water and rises from the dead.

From Ecclesiastes comes many phrases used in modern English. Examples are "eat, drink and be merry," "nothing new under the sun" and "a time to live and a time to die."

Ecclesiastes was praised by famous author Thomas Wolfe, "The greatest single piece of writing I have ever known." Parts of it were used or referred to by Pete Seeger, Shakespeare, Hemingway, Tolstoy and a list of song writers and poets too long to mention here.

Those who don't like it come not from atheists but from those within the Judaeo-Christian community. Some Jews wanted to take it out of their approved reading. Among Christian scholars the question has been raised as to why it made the cut back in ancient times when other writing which more forcefully promoted the faith were available.

The book addresses a question every human has wondered about, why am I here? The answer, however, is a surprise. Since you live a only a short time in the history of the world and since when you are dead you are dead, the purpose of your life is to enjoy it. From whence comes the phrase, "Eat, drink and be merry (because tomorrow you will be dead)."

The book carries on about the meaning of life is pleasure until right at the end. There, seemingly added on by a later author is a bit about serving God, etc. Most scholars do not think the God part was in the original writing because it is an entirely different message than the rest of the book.

The book has so perplexed scholars you will find many pages in the Catholic Encyclopedia and Wikipedia discussing who and when it might have been written. There are theories it had many contributors over a long period of time. The book is so worldly and contrary to the Jewish message many believe it would not have made it into the Bible without the addition of the God part. Some think it was altered by Greek thinking when it was translated from Hebrew to Greek.

Ecclesiastes is one bit of the Bible even atheists can enjoy.

Comments

  1. tsmApril 20, 2020 at 7:01 PM

    I don't think that it's a book to be enjoyed. It is, rather, on the depressing side. all is vanity..... not that being depressing is necessarily being unwise: depression may simply be realism, bringing silly sentimentalists to realize that not everything in life is love, joy and the good life. it is like a dash of ice water for Christians and atheists alike.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jon LindgrenApril 20, 2020 at 8:34 PM

    Unknown "...a dash of ice water for Christians and atheists alike."

    Ice water on Jews and Christians, yes. It seems to me it is just what atheists have been saying since the beginning of time: life is short, individuals are insignificant and our purpose in life is to enjoy ourselves. Isn't this a rose to atheists?

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    Replies
    1. tsmApril 21, 2020 at 8:07 AM

      to answer your question, hardly. if all is vanity, then enjoying yourself is as much an illusion as anything. to the extent that atheists embrace what boils down to hedonism, then they, too, are building dream castles in the air, avoiding the reality of pain and suffering, as well as avoiding responsibility for their fellow creatures. to put it differently a hedonist is turned in on him/herself, a kind of narcissist. you obviously don't fit that description: you are too busy building dream castles. promoting your atheist creed. and probably forgetting that that, too, is vanity (i.e. pointless, deceiving, what ever.)

      Delete
  3. Ardy BApril 21, 2020 at 8:45 AM

    Jon,

    Looking forward to reading Ecclesiastes in its entirety. Still can hear The Byrds rendition of Seeger’s “Turn! Turn! Turn!”. Fine earworm it be.

    If I may speculate: Ecclesiastes does seem to fit the Old Testament. The image of a prideful, rather unpleasant deity reflected in the vanity and vainglory of its finest composition, the human creature, or perhaps the image of the pride and conceit of rather selfish human beings expressed in the “personalities” of the god(s) they create. Vanity and vainglory in humans may speak of subconscious fear and dread. Vanity may not abide by, that is own, fear and dread, so an external cause must be projected. How about a wrathful, vengeful deity?

    “ To everything there is a season” (Learn! Learn! Learn!)

    ReplyDelete

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