In the rush of modern life, people often forget to pause and consider the spiritual rhythms that govern existence. The book of Ecclesiastes calls us to reflect on time, purpose, and the divine order behind all things. It teaches that life’s meaning is not found in endless toil or ambition, but in recognizing God’s presence within every season. From joy to sorrow, from labor to rest, every moment holds the potential for holiness—if only we take time for God.
Desire must be balanced, or it destroys. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra wrote:
“For the seasons are set. When the season comes around, the person moves to what has been prepared for him. A person's movements are like the movements of ‘the form.’”
(Rabbi Chaim Nachum (H. Norman) Strickman, 2017, p. 67)
It is the desire of the Holy One that we live life to its fullest, allowing even its hardships to sanctify us. As Rebecca Mashburn explained in her article “What Does it Mean ‘For Everything There Is a Season’?”
“God gives us these seasons to build up and sanctify us. We all endure most or all of these seasons because God wills us to go through that which He has laid upon our lives.”
(Christianity.com, May 25, 2021; accessed September 18, 2025)
Birth and death are both mercies of God, and within each human heart rests a spark of the divine—the hope of eternity.
What, then, is the advantage of work? Every people and culture carry a hidden light of Messiah, reflected in myths that point to divine truth—the Great Spirit sending His Son for the Sioux, the Peace Child among the tribes of Papua New Guinea, and others. As Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:11:
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
(New International Version)
Life is a gift from God, and only what He establishes endures. Each person has a calling. Rabbi Levi taught:
“Before a child is born, the angel appointed over conception stands before God and asks, ‘Master of the Universe, what shall become of this soul?’”
(Kohelet Rabbah 3:15)
In the end, God will judge both the just and the unjust.
When man turns from God, dictatorship and oppression arise. Leadership without reverence for the Lord becomes dangerous. As The Israel Bible comments on Ecclesiastes 4:1:
“Sforno notes that the phrase ‘with none to comfort them’ is repeated twice in this verse, hinting that they were lacking the leadership to teach them the two keys for redemption: repentance and prayer.”
Rivalry consumes the hearts of many, and work—though necessary—can become endless vanity. Solitude crushes the human spirit. Solomon later wrote in Ecclesiastes 4:9–10:
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!”
(New International Version)
Better to be poor and wise than rich and foolish. The highest wisdom is to sanctify God in the heart.
We must all walk in reverence before the Holy One. Those who make vows to God must fulfill them, for many words are vanity without reverence. Even economic systems like capitalism, meant to equalize, can create new forms of poverty. Those who love wealth will never be satisfied, for riches are fleeting. True joy comes only from God, who grants contentment to those who fear Him.
There is much evil under the sun, and unrestrained desire can destroy a man. A long life lived without joy is meaningless. Even a poor man who never saw the sun may rest in more peace than one whose greed consumes him. Too many words lead to frustration—but silence, in awe of God, is golden.
Ecclesiastes teaches us that every season of life—birth, death, joy, labor, and silence—has meaning when we acknowledge God’s presence. True wisdom lies not in possessions or power but in humility and gratitude. The one who pauses amid life’s noise to give time to God discovers peace, purpose, and the quiet joy that endures beyond the sun.
