5 Facts about the Philosopher in Ecclesiastes

When you read through the book of the prophet (Ecclesiastes) you may begin to wonder what kind of man that philosopher was. One strange thing about the philosopher in Ecclesiastes is the fact that despite his immense knowledge, he did not seem to see the bright side of life. In this article, let us examine a few things about the philosopher and a the reasons why His words seem so dark and pessimistic. 
 

  • He is a knowledgeable man.
  • He knows God and has learned his ways.
  • He is a man of deep thoughts and true wisdom.
  • He is a wise man that emphasizes the importance of wisdom even though he understands that only wisdom cannot save you. 
  • He respects God and holds him in high regard.
  • He sees wealth as a gift from God. See Ecclesiastes 5:19 
  • He understands the concept of working and enjoyment. See Ecclesiastes 2: 1 
  • He is constantly in pursuit of knowledge. See Ecclesiastes 1: 17 
  • He understands the concept of investment and multiple streams of income- a true businessman. See Ecclesiastes 11:4  
  • He knows not to waste time and how to make hay while the sun shines. See Ecclesiastes11:6 
  • He is a wealthy man.
  • He believes that life is a continuous replay of itself and its events- nothing new is happening on earth. See Ecclesiastes 1: 9-11
 
Despite all these,   
  • He sees life as useless, nothing worth stressing over.
  • He is a very critical thinker.
  • His thoughts seem negative and depressing.
  • His thoughts are full of pessimism and doubt.
  • As much as he has decided to go in pursuit of knowledge of God, he still could not understand God's ways. 
 
At the same time, one unusual, yet interesting thing about the philosopher in the book of Ecclesiates is the fact that he respects God and tries to daily grow in the knowledge of Him. The only missing bridge in his respect and reverence for God was that he had no direct relationship with God. One would ordinarily expect that a man with so much knowledge of God and understanding of time, life, death even nature would at least get to dive deeper with God but for the philosopher in Ecclesiastes, that was not the case. He was unable to understand God despite all he knew because he was trying to figure things out on his own. A relationship with God helps to open our eyes and mind to perceive the ways of God.
 
Wealthy as he was, he found it difficult to find a purpose for everything- building a relationship with God helps us to be able to give meaning to life. As children of God, we have the Spirit of God who can open up the heart of men to know more and perseverance more. With the Godhead present in the life of a person no matter how random and useless life can be, even though the rich and the poor will still die, he or she will still find purpose in life and live a life of Joy and fulfillment.
 
We also see in Ecclesiastes 2:1-12, how he lived an enjoyable life, trying to find joy and happiness while living for himself but it didn't work out. He lived for himself. As children of God, we should live for God and others. Whatever we have in our possession, should be used for the glory of God and the good of men.This philosopher has one of the most epic pieces of advice to young people. See Ecclesiastes 11:9- 10 & 12:1- 7

In conclusion, the words of the writer of the book of Ecclesiastes 12: 13-  After all these, there is only one thing to say, have reverence for God, and obey his commands because this is all human beings were created for. I will also add that we should serve him in our lifetime on earth. 

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