What does this mean? Let’s plunge into the Deeper Waters and find out.
A large portion of my research was devoted to understanding the phrase “under the sun” which only shows up in Ecclesiastes. The term shows up several times in Ecclesiastes. Goldingay sees it referring to this sphere of life and what people can know from an earthly perspective.[1] Miller says it refers to “existence in this world in contrast to the realm of God (heaven) and the realm of the dead (Sheol).[2] Perry relates it to “this mortal world.”[3] It occurs twenty-nine times in twenty-seven verses, first appearing in 1:3 right after saying “everything is meaningless.” The Teacher asks what profit does a man’s toil provide under the sun. Garrett says about this passage that “The phrase “under the sun” is comparable to “under heaven” in Exod 17:14; Deut 7:24; 9:14 and refers to this world. The phrase is also found in Elamite and Phoenician inscriptions. After a life of hard labor, no one can show a net gain; everything one has is vapid.”[4] The idea entails that men can work hard all their life and, in the end, it profits them nothing. They die anyway.
In essence, we could say that the Teacher is setting the scene here. This will also take more precedence when we get to chapter 2 and I point to a further tie-in to Genesis. At this point, the Teacher is taking his wisdom and applying it to the world around him. What does he find that is worthwhile to do in this life?
In a sense, the Teacher could be doing a reductio ad absurdum. He could be saying “Let’s suppose that we have wisdom, but all we have is this world. Where does that get us?” It would be amusing to see what he would say to atheists today. If he saw one of those bus campaign slogans saying something like “There probably is no God so just go on and enjoy your life”, would he roll his eyes or be angry or just cry in sorrow at what he saw? He could just as easily ask “Why?” After all, if this life is all that we have, what’s the point? Why should I enjoy it? How can I enjoy it?
I suspect it would be more like the ending response because the Teacher does not really hold back on anything. He has the guts to follow through his conclusions where they lead. However, in all of this, his questions are not about the existence of God. He is still a faithful Israelite. His questions are about the meaning of life for man. His questions are asking what it is that a man desires in life and why does he desire this? If he gets what he desires, will he be happy?
If he isn’t, well tough luck. That’s the way it is. The Teacher will not sugarcoat the truth.
So let’s keep going tomorrow to see what his investigation gets us.
[1] Ibid. 115-116.
[2] Douglas B. Miller, Ecclesiastes (Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 2010), 43.
[3] T. Anthony Perry, Dialogues with Koholet: The Book of Ecclesiastes (University Park, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1993), 57
[4] Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (vol. 14; The New American Commentary; Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 284.
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