Solomon sought to find meaning in life, comparing two starkly different paths in the book of Ecclesiastes: one devoid of God’s enlightenment, leading to a despondent conclusion, while the other, illuminated by spirituality, finds purpose in loving and serving God.
Yet, within the pages of Ecclesiastes, the word “God” rarely appears in chapter 3, suggesting Solomon’s exploration from a naturalist human perspective, mired in futility.
As he looks at justice found in the world, Solomon finds it tainted with wickedness, prompting a common question: how can evil evade true justice?
He says in Ecclesiastes 3:16-17, “Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. I said to myself, ‘God will judge the righteous and the wicked,’ for a time for every matter and for every deed is there.”
Conversely, thinks if God’s test reveals humanity’s likeness to animals, both destined for the same end – returning to dust. Ecclesiastes 3:18 reflects his thoughts, “I said to myself regarding the sons of mankind, ‘God is testing them in order for them to see that they are as animals, they to themselves.'”
In the face of mortality’s equality, Solomon continues to think on life’s ultimate unknown – what follows death. Ecclesiastes 3:19-20 takes his thoughts further, “For the fate of the sons of mankind and the fate of animals is the same. As one dies, so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath, and there is no advantage for mankind over animals, for all is futility. All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust.”
Solomon continues grappling with uncertainty about the afterlife in Ecclesiastes 3:21-22, “Who knows that the spirit of the sons of mankind ascends upward and the spirit of the animal descends downward to the earth? I have seen that nothing is better than when a person is happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him?”
For the unconverted, this philosophy offers peace, advocating a carefree existence, unburdened by thoughts of eternity.
If you think about it, this really is the best philosophy that an unconverted person can come up with. This is a “problem free” philosophy adopted by many today to live in the present moment, free from anxiety about the past or future.
Yet, for Christians, life is a call to serve God and others, pursuing eternal significance beyond passing pleasures. They anticipate a final judgment and eternity, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
This belief underscores the Christian conviction that there will be a final judgment and the only meaning to our immediate and physical life is to serve and love God.