Longman, Challenging the Idols of the Twenty-First Century

5/26/2018 Longman, Challenging the Idols of the Twenty-First Century

1/11

Challengingthe Idolsof the

Twenty-FirstCentury:TheMessageof theBookofEcclesiastes1

Tremper LongmanIII

Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies

Westmont [email protected]

Proper understanding ofEcclesiastes beins with therecognition that therearetwovoicesin thebook, theTeacher (1:12-12:7)and theframe narrator (1:1-11;12:8-14).Theframenarrator examinesandevaluatesthethoughtof theTeachertogivehis son (12:12)alessononlife.TheTeacher expressesan ccunderthesun"

perspective. Theframe narrator encourageshis son towardan "above thesun"perspective. Finally, Ecclesiastesisreadin thelightof theNewTestament.

Ecclesiastes is an enigmatic book. The Teacher repeatedly declares that life is

"meaningless" (*?3,hebet). He emphasizes his sad conclusion by describing the

pursuit of meaning as a "chasing after the wind" (1:14,17; 2:11,17,26; 4:4,6,16;

6:19). He concludes that there is "no profit" inlife (1:3; 3:9; 5:11,16).

The book is neglected by many Christians, including preachers, because it is

so difficult to interpret. A book that grapples with the meaning of life, however, is

on the surface of it one that has great relevance to the present generation that also

struggles with finding purpose to existence. The potential relevance of this book

makes the effort to understand it worthwhile. The following essayis an attempt to

bring clarity to reading it, not only according to its "discrete witness" in the con-

text of the OT,2but also in its broader canonical meaning.

Two VOICES

Manyreaders miss the subtle, yet clear presence of two speakers in the book.

The failure to differentiate the two voices can lead to a serious misunderstanding of

Ecclesiastes and its message. One speaker speaks in the first person and goes by the

name Qohelet while the second speaker addresses Qohelet in the third person. The
http://westmont.edu/http://westmont.edu/


2/11

name Qohelet, while the second speaker addresses Qohelet in the thirdperson. The

SC]12 (Fall,2009): 207216

shift of speakers is hard to follow unless the text is read closely (as it should be)

since the second speaker does not have a name. Iwill refer to him as the second

wiseman or the frame narrator since his words are in the frame of the book.

Qohelet's voice emerges in 1:12 in what is a formulaic introduction to an

ancientautobiography ("I, Qohelet, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem")3and

continues to 12:7 where Qohelet concludes a poignant reflection on death. The

frame narrator then is responsible for the prologue (1:211, after the superscrip-

tion) and the epilogue (12:814). The presence of the frame narrator makes a brief

appearance in 7:27 ("Qohelet said"), indicating that Qohelet's autobiographical

speech is a long quote by the frame narrator. The epilogue also indicates that the

frame narrator has an audience ofone,his son, who in good wisdom literature fash-

ion is the recipient of his father's instruction.

Recognizing this literary dynamic leads to some initial interpretive conclusions

thatwill shape how the book is approached. Qohelet's speech is a long quotation

that is framed by a second speaker. Thus, Qohelet's theology is not necessarily the

theology of the book. An analogy may be seen in the book of Job where there are

also long speeches by a number ofcharacters,Job, the three friends, and Elihu. The

theology of Job,however, is not to be identified with the thought ofthesehuman

characters,but in the Yahweh speeches at the end. In Ecclesiastes, the theology of

the book is to be derived from the frame narrator as he evaluates Qohelet's mes-

sageto his son in the epilogue.

We, the readers, should identify with the son and listen to the teaching of his

(our) father, the frame narrator. However, to do thiswell,we must come to a clear

understanding of Qohelet's theology with which the father interacts.

T H E TH EO L O G Y OF QO HE LE T

Qoheletexpresses his theology in 1:1212:7. His major point is easily sum-

marized:"Lifeis hard andthenyou die." He searched for meaning in many places

(work, pleasure, wisdom, wealth, status) and came up empty(*?2).Why>Qohelet

comes back time and again to three reasons whylifeis so hard: death, injustice, and

human inability to know the "right time."

Death

Qohelet believes that death is the end of the story. He lacks a firmbeliefin

the afterlife. In 3:1622, he sounds agnostic about it, concluding "Who knows

whether the breath of humans goes up above and the breath of animals goes down


3/11

whether the breath ofhumansgoesup above and the breath ofanimalsgoesdown

Tremper LongmanIII:Challenging the Idols

The scene is a bright sunny day that turns cloudy. He then describes the four groups

that live in the house. Two are female and two male. One male (the landowners) and

one female (the women who look through the window) are the owners, and one male

(the house guards) and one female (the grinders) are the servants of the house. They

languish like our bodies languish as they age. But this verse contains more than

metaphors. It also contains allegorical thrusts. The "trembling" of the house guard

and the "bending" of the landowners suggest the shaking and bending of our bod

ies in old age. The women grinders imply the teeth that "cease because they are few"

and the dimming of the women looking through the window refer to loss of sight.

Other parts of the description of the house and its environs may also point to the

change that takes place in aging bodies. The closing of the doors to the street suggest

the failure of bodily orifices. The budding almond tree well depicts the whitening of

the hair. The failure of the caperberry (an ancient aphrodisiac) indicates that at a cer

tain point not even supplements can help an old man's virility.

Qohelet changes metaphors in 12:6 when he likens death to the destruction of

precious objects. Life is like a silver thread, a golden bowl, a jar, but at death these

are destroyed. In the final analysis, death brings about a reversal of the creation

process when the dust and the spirit are divided (compare 12:7 with Gen 2:7).

That death renders life meaningless can be illustrated by Qohelet's reasoningin 2:12-17. Here Qohelet attempts to find meaning in wisdom. Though promising

(since "there was more profit to wisdom than folly," 2:13), in the light of the death

that ends the life of both sage and fool, wisdom is ultimately meaningless.

Injustice

Qohelet, like Job and his three friends, believed that good people should live

happy, carefree lives, while sinners should suffer and die young. If one takes certain

passages out of context in Proverbs (for instance, 8:17-21), they might lead to asimilar conclusion. As Qohelet observed life in 7:15, however, the results were dra

matically different:

Both I have observed in my meaningless life: There is a righteous person per

ishing in hisrighteousness,and there isawicked person living long in his evil.4

In other words, Qohelet saw examples that directly contradicted the idea ofa

just world. This conclusion compels him to give some surprising advice in 7:16-18:

Do not be too righteous and do not beoverlywise. Why ruinyourself}Do not

be too wicked and do not be a fool Why die when it is not your time? It is


4/11

be too wicked and do not be a fool Why die when it is not your time? It is

SCJ12 (Fall,2009): 20721

Qohelet encourages his listeners/readers to seek a middle way. If wisdom and

righteousness do not benefit, why diligently pursue them? If wickedness and folly

do not lead to disaster, why work hard to avoid them?

In a passage like8:1014Qohelet appears conflicted, at least atfirstglance.

Thus,I observed the wicked buried and departed. They used to go out of the

holyplace,and theywerepraisedin thecity wheretheyactedinsuchaway. This

too is meaningless. Because the sentence for anevildeed is not quickly carried

out,thereforethehumanheartisfilledwith evildoing.Forsinners doevilahun-

dred times, and their days are lengthenedalthough I know itwillbewellfor

thosewho fearGodbecause they fearhim, and itwillnotbewellforthewicked,

and their dayswillnot lengthen like a shadow, because they do not fear God.

Thereis another example of meaningless that is done on the earth: There arerighteous people who are treated as if they did wicked deeds, and wicked peo-

ple who are treated as iftheydid righteous deeds. I say this too is meaningless.

At first Qohelet points out the injustice that wicked people received respect not

only duringlifebut also after it. They received an honorable burial. He then mor-

alizes on the fact that the wicked do not seem to get what they deserve by saying

that such injustice only encourages wicked acts. All of a sudden, however, a shift

occurs,when he surprisingly saysthat "he knows that itwillbewellfor those whofear God . . . and itwillnot bewellfor the wicked." But before the end ofthepara-

graph Qohelet isgivingexamples of inequity in the world.

Some scholars detect a later editor at this point trying to inject a bit of "ortho-

dox theology" into the context. This is a desperate move. The key to understanding

Qohelet here is to pay attention to his use of the verbs "observe" (, m^ah)and

"know" (JH%yada*).The former indicates his experience in the world and the latter

his theology. Heknowsthat the righteous should be rewarded and the wicked pun-

ished, but heseesthe opposite. His theology conflicts with his experience, and sincehe ends with the latter, we can conclude that his experience trumps his theology.

The "Right Time"

Knowing the "right time" is critical to the wisdom enterprise. Proverbs makes

it clear that thewiseperson knows the right time for action and for speech. A few

examples include:

Itisajoy to a person togivean answer!

How goodaword at the righttime!(15:23)5


5/11

bl

Tremper Longman III: Challenging the Idols

The right application of the "contradictory" proverbs found in 26:4 and 26:5

depend on the wise person knowing the situation and applying one or the other at

the "right time":

Don't answer fools according to their stupidity;

otherwise, you will become like them yourself.

Answer fools according to their stupidity;

otherwise, they will become wise in their own eyes.

Qohelet himselfmakesit clear that he believes that God created the world in

such a way that there is a right time, and he made humans so they are aware of this

fact. The famous poem in 3:1-8 begins: "For everything there is a season, and a

time for every activity under heaven." God made humans aware of this truth

(3:11a: "he makes everything appropriate in its time. He also places eternity in their

hearts"). While all this sounds comforting, Qohelet himselfisdeeply troubled by

this.He believes, though God has made everything for a time, that human beings

are unable to read the time (3:11b, "But still, no one can discover what God is

doing from beginning to end"). This means that sages cannot do the right thing at

the right time or say the right thing at the right time. In 9:12, the themes of death

and not knowing the time come together in a way that reveals Qohelet's conster

nation: "Indeed, no one knows his time. Like fish that are entangled in an evil net

and like birds caught in a snare, so people are ensnared in an evil time when it sud

denly falls on them."

The Search for Meaning

Thus, these three factors (death, injustice, and the inability to read the time)

render everything meaningless. Qohelet searches for meaning in pleasure (2:1-11);

wisdom and folly (2:12-17); work (2:18-23; 4:4-6); political power (4:13-16), andwealth (5:10-6:9). His final conclusion is that these are allb2.6

In Qohelet's search for meaning, I believe we come to understand the con

nection between the book and Solomon. Beginning with the superscription (1:1),

Qohelet is associated with Solomon. After all, he was the "son of David, king in

Jerusalem." The significance of this association is that the historical Solomon had

unprecedented wisdom, wealth, work, political power, and pleasure. If Solomon

could not find "meaning" in these areas, then "what can anyone who comes after

the king do but that which has already been done?" (2:12b). Most mortals wonderif the reason why they do not find satisfaction in money is because they do not have


6/11

SCJ12 (Fall,2009):207-21

enough of it. The example of Solomon undermines that argument. Solomon had it

all,and according to the book of Kings (1 Kings 11) ended his life with a broken

relationship with God and a kingdom about to split in two.

The indications are strong, however, that the author does not want us to iden

tify Qohelet with Solomon. In the first place, if Qohelet were Solomon, why use

the pseudonym? The pseudonym is part of the strategy of association since the verb

(pp^ qahal "to assemble") from which the name Qohelet ("Assembler") derives

is used in connection with Solomon a number of times in 1 Kings 8. In addition,

after the first couple of chapters, the Solomonic fiction is dropped and Qohelet dis

tances himself from the king(4:1-3;5:8-9; 10:20).7

Carpe Diem

Since life has no ultimate meaning or purpose, the best one can hope for in

life are moments of pleasure. He communicates this part of his theology through

what have been called carpediem (Latin for "seize the day") passages, the first of

which, in 2:24-26, states:

There is nothing better for people than to eat and drink and enjoy their toil.

This too, I see, isfromthe hand ofGod.For who will eat and who will worry

apart fromhim?For hegiveswisdom, knowledge, and pleasure to the one whopleases him, but he gives to the one who is offensive the task of gathering

wealth to be given to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless and

chasing the wind. (2:24-26)

In the absence of meaning or purpose oflife,Qohelet advocates grabbing whatev

er gusto one can from the little pleasures of life (see also 3:12-14; 3:22; 5:18-20;

8:15; 9:7-10). His statements must have been delivered with a tone of resignation,

since there is really "nothing better" in life.

The reason why Qohelet urges people to carpediemis revealed in 5:18-20:

Indeed, this is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate to eat, to

drink, and to enjoyallthe toil that one does under the sun the fewdaysGod has

given to that person for thatishis reward. Furthermore, everyone to whom God

gives wealth and possessionsandallowsthem toeatof itand to accept their reward

and to take pleasure in their toilthis is God's gift. Indeed, they do not remem

ber much about thedaysof theirlivesfor God keeps them sobusywith the plea

sure of their heart.

The final sentence indicates the advantage ofcarpediem.To paraphrase, a glass


7/11

f i d d l h ibili h b di d f

Tremper LongmanIII:Challenging the Idols

In other words,carpediemis like a Novocain shot to the heart to help people cope

with life.

THE THEOLOGY OF THE FRAME NARRATOR (1:2-11; 12:1-7)

Qohelet's words are framed by those of a second wise man who is speaking to

his son (12:12). The prologue (1:2-11) serves the purpose of setting the stage for

Qohelet's autobiography and thus reflects the mood and thought of Qohelet. The

epilogue reveals the theology of the frame narrator as he describes and evaluates

Qohelet's ideas. He begins by simply stating Qohelet's bottom line that everything

is meaningless (12:8), and then he goes on to say in 12:9-12:

Furthermore, Qoheletwasa wise man. He also taught the people knowledge.

He heard, investigated, and put in good order many proverbs. Qohelet sought

tofindwords of delight and to write honestlywordsof truth. The words of the

wise are like goads, andlikefirmlyimplantednailsare the masters of collections.

Theyaregivenby ashepherd.Furthermore, of these,myson,bewarned!There

is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body.

The frame narrator begins by complimenting Qohelet. He does not praise him

but in essence by calling him a "wise man" and saying that "he heard, investigated,and put in good order many proverbs," he calls him a good technician. He com

ments that he "sought to find words of delight." One wonders in what way the

frame narrator even imagines that Qohelet had the intention of writing words that

might elicit or express delight! More relevant is his comment that Qohelet "wrote

honestly words of truth." In what way, could the frame narrator have thought that

"Life is hard and then one dies, so go out and grab whatever pleasurable distrac

tion is available" is true? The answer to that question comes in understanding the

parameters of Qohelet's thinking. Qohelet describes the world "under the sun"

(1:14; 2:11,17,18), a phrase that is hard to pin down but must mean something

like "apart from revelation." If this is correct, then the frame narrator informs his

son that Qohelet was right, that if you restrict your purview to what is "under the

sun," that is what one sees, thensadlyhis conclusions are true.

The frame narrator wants to expose his son to Qohelet's theology to understand

where "under the sun" thinking leads. It is a hard truth that hurts like a "goad" or

"firmly implanted nails." It also explains why the frame narrator warns his son not to

wear himself out by studying the endless books that are available to him.

A modern analogy to the dynamics of the book of Ecclesiastes might be a par


8/11

A modern analogy to the dynamics of the book of Ecclesiastes might be a par

SCJ12 (Fall,2009):207-21

The end ofthematter. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his command

ments, for this is the whole duty of humanity. For God will bring every deed

into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil.

The two introductory phrases ofthispassage abruptly shift to a more positive

theological teaching. The frame narrator essentially states that they have dwelt long

enough on an "under the sun" perspective. He wants his son to know where

Qohelet's thinking leads, but he certainly does not want his son to stay there. Thus

he urges his son to adopt the proper attitude toward God ("fear God"), to main

tain that relationship ("keep his commandments"), and live in the light of the com

ing judgment ("God will bring every deed into judgment"). In short compass, the

frame narrator has articulated the basics of OT theology. More than that, he pointsto the broader revelation that can give his son an "above the sun" perspective

"Fear God" is a keyword for wisdom, the commandments evoke the law, and the

coming judgment makes one think of the prophets. Though brief, the frame nar

rator's positive theology is evocative of the basics and depths of the teaching of the

Tanak.

ECCLESIASTES AS AN IDOL BUSTER

In its OT canonical context, one of the chief functions of the book of

Ecclesiastes is to serve the purpose of debunking idols. The message is that if one

tries to make wealth, wisdom, pleasure, or anything more important than a rela

tionship with God, then one makes that thing an idol, and idols do what they

always do, they disappoint.

READING ECCLESIASTES AS A CHRISTIAN

While some worry about reading the NT back into the OT, Jesus himself

encouraged his disciples in the belief that the OT as a whole (Torah, Prophets, and

Writings) anticipated his coming (Luke 24:25-27,44-49). While the disciples came

to understand that the OT anticipated Christ in the light of the resurrection, Jesus

anger at their lack of understanding (24:25) indicates that they are not imposing a

foreign meaning to the text when they do so.

It is in the spirit ofLuke24 then that I ask the question, how should we read

Ecclesiastes in the light of the NT? Or, how does Ecclesiastes anticipate Christ? Ibelieve the response begins with Paul's words in Rom 8:18-21

8:


9/11

TremperLongman III:Challengingthe Idols

ofGodto be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its

own choice, but by thewilloftheone who subjected it, in hope that the cre-

ationitselfwillbe liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the

glorious freedom ofthechildren ofGod.

The connection of this passage to Ecclesiastes is marked in particular by the

use of the word "frustration." The Greek word {matalotes) is the word

used by the translators of the Septuagint to render the Hebrew word *?in the

book of Ecclesiastes. Paul is pointing to the Fall (Genesis 3) as the moment when

Godsubjected the world to "frustration" in response to human sin. At that point,

theharmony of therelationship between God and his human creatures was lost as

was the harmony among humans and also between humans and the rest ofcreation.However, the use of theword to describe the postFall world brings us

toEcclesiastes and the recognition that what Qoheletseesunder the sun is a fallen

world.

Paul's awareness that the world is fallen does not lead him to the sad conclu-

sions of Qohelet.Paul goes on to talk about liberation from bondage and the glo-

rious freedom of the children of God. Paul knows that it is Jesus who already

accomplished this redemption, and, though already accomplished,willbefullyreal-

ized in the future.

Indeed,the message of thegospel is that Jesus has accomplished this redemp-

tion from the "meaninglessness" of the fallen world, by subjecting himself to it, a

pointwhich Phil2:611powerfully expresses:

Who, being inverynatureGod,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

but made himselfnothing,

taking theverynatureofaservant,being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

hehumbled himself

andbecame obedient to death

even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

andgavehim the name that is above everyname,

thatat the name ofJesusevery knee should bow,

inheaven and on earth and under the earth,andevery tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,


10/11

SC] 12 (Fall,2009): 20721

Matthewand Luke narrate his lowly birth in the manger. Jesus' experience of th

fallen world's "meaninglessness" (*?3,)comes to a head, though, dur

ing the PassionWeek.After entering Jerusalem to shouts of joy, the crowds soon

desert him. Toward the end of the week,his disciples turn against him or abandon

him. Judas betrays him and Peter denies him. But it is on the cross, when he crie

out, "MyGod, myGod, why have you forsaken me? (Mark 15:34), that Jesus expe

riences the *?3 of the fallen world like Qohelet could not even imagine.

Jesus subjected himself to the fallen world in order to free us from its effect

(Gal 3:13). Specifically, Jesus subjected himself to death in order to free us from it

"victory," from its "sting" (1 Cor 15:55).

CONCLUSION: LI VI NG " A B O V E T H E S U N "

How do Christianslivein the light of the message of the book of Ecclesiastes

First, the book's original purpose remains relevant. John Calvin described th

humanmind as a "factory of idols." Christians struggle throughoutlifewith idols

While we know that God should be our most ultimate concern, other things (work

pleasure, money, career, relationship) rise up and dislodge him from his rightfu

place in our lives. When that happens, Christians live "under the sun," and th

book of Ecclesiastes is a reminder that these idolswilllet us down. The frame nar

ratorpoints us back to an "above the sun" perspective on life.9A NT reading of th

book proclaims that God's response to the meaninglessness of the fallen world i

Jesus' death and resurrection.sCj


11/11

^ s

Copyright and Use:

Asan ATLAS user, you may print, download, or send articles for individual use

according to fair use as defined by U.S. and international copyright law and as

otherwise authorized under your respective ATLAS subscriber agreement.

No content may be copied or emailed to multiple sites or publicly posted without the

copyright holder(s)' express written permission. Any use, decompiling,

reproduction, or distribution of this journal in excess of fair use provisions may be a

violation of copyright law.

This journal is made available to you through the ATLAS collection with permissionfrom the copyright holder(s). The copyright holder for an entire issue of a journal

typically is the journal owner, who also may own the copyright in each article. However,

for certain articles, the author of the article may maintain the copyright in the article.

Please contact the copyright holder(s) to request permission to use an article or specificwork for any use not covered by the fair use provisions of the copyright laws or covered

by your respective ATLAS subscriber agreement. For information regarding the

copyright holder(s), please refer to the copyright information in the journal, if available,or contact ATLA to request contact information for the copyright holder(s).

About ATLAS:

The ATLA Serials (ATLAS) collection contains electronic versions of previously

published religion and theology journals reproduced with permission. The ATLAS

collection is owned and managed by the American Theological Library Association(ATLA) and received initial funding from Lilly Endowment Inc.

The design and final form of this electronic document is the property of the AmericanTheological Library Association.

Longman, Challenging the Idols of the Twenty-First Century

Documents

Transcript of Longman, Challenging the Idols of the Twenty-First Century