May 2 Daily Devotional

Scripture for Day 2—Ecclesiastes 1:1-2

¹The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

² Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher,
     vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

Devotional:

Ecclesiastes wants to be read—at least in some sense—as a royal autobiography. In 1:1 Qoheleth (so the author refers to himself) claims to have been "the son of David, king in Jerusalem," and a good deal of what follows in the body of the book has autobiographic quality. The traditional Judeo-Christian view that Solomon was the author of the work has been in the line of heavy fire since the 19th century. Yet, again, in light of the author's claim not only to royalty, but to exceptional wisdom (1:16) and greatness (2:9), there is no doubt about how the text wants to be read: No one in ancient Israel but Solomon could put up a resumé like the one who calls himself Qoheleth, combining both kingship, unsurpassed wisdom and greatness.

But we should talk about the book. While tracing its plot and literary structure has been notoriously difficult, the dominant themes of Ecclesiastes can be conveniently previewed in the book's exceptional vocabulary. The opening words already function as thematic signposts: "Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity" (1:2). The author uses the word "all" in his introduction, and he never lets up after this. Nearly one half (41%) of the 222 verses of the work feature the term, and this indicates a unique universal perspective. Qoheleth meditates on all of life, not just Israelite, but all of life. As a result, Ecclesiastes is relevant everywhere and in every time, and while this is true of the entirety of the biblical canon, this contribution is specially geared towards sweeping views and reflections on human life—"under the sun," as the author would have it.

The other key word in v. 2 is (often) translated "vanity" (Hebrew hebel). This is an extremely visible term in Ecclesiastes, which towers over the rest of the OT in its prolific use of it. The term has a wide semantic range (and English translations are hopelessly divided from case to case), but one idea connected to the word is discernible in all of the book's references to it. What is that notion? Things are not what they seem to be. There is disparity between what people expect and what happens. Contrary to our common expectation, there is not a single unspoiled value in life. Human labor produces goods, but it all comes to nothing. Wisdom can be acquired, pleasure experienced, but neither of them guarantees happiness or long life. Even the behavior that, according to the piety of ancient Israel and of many people today, ought to be rewarded by God appears instead to be punished. Since the fall of humankind, we have been condemned to eke out a living under the prospect of certain death! There is something absurd, something irrational about the way things are: "Vanity" is Qoheleth’s verdict and the slogan of Ecclesiastes.

Absurdity is a concept the world needs to be confronted with, since we humans are in the business of denying the truth. As for the believer, it is well worth hearing, thinking, and praying about, because it adds color to the rainbow, it adds depth to salvation, and it is not God’s final verdict. For indeed, life is absurd and meaningless until we thrust meaning upon it through faith in the risen Christ. Loss, pain, destruction, and death spell the word "vanity," and we know its meaning. "But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 6:23b)—God’s final word and the triumph he alone has wrought for us. By believing this, even over the head of our own unbelief, we can smile at all our foes, who—or whatever—they may be.

The author of these devotionals, the Rev. Martin Emmrich, is an ordained OPC minister (Westminster OPC, Corvallis, Oregon) as well as the author of Pneumatological Concepts in the Epistle to the Hebrews, a book on the teaching of Hebrews on the Holy Spirit. We are happy to make these devotionals on Ecclesiastes and other passages of Scripture available to you.