Ecclesiastes: Unlocking the Mysteries of Life

The “Preacher” or writer of the book of Ecclesiastes declares that life from beginning to end is vanity. But is it really? Is there a key that can unlock such a pessimistic view of life? The answer is “you must go to the locksmith who made the lock. God holds the key to all the unknown and he will not give it to you. Since then, you cannot get the key, you must trust the locksmith to open up the door.” (J. Stafford Wright; Classical Evangelical Essays in Old Testament Interpretation) Ecclesiastes is a book rich in theology and the discovery of our lives through the lens of creation, fall, and God’s design of redemption. It is real in speaking of life as it is and points us to a greater hope that is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The result is that rather than such a grim view of life, when rightly understood, Ecclesiastes is a book of great optimism.