Ecclesiastes and the Search for Meaning

At first glance, the Book of Ecclesiastes might seem an unlikely source for Christian anthropology. Poetic books aren’t typically where we turn for doctrinal arguments. Though not a systematic treatise on human nature, Ecclesiastes offers profound insights into humanity’s nature, purpose, and relationship with God from a theological perspective, revealing the restlessness of a life disconnected from its Creator.

Dream of Solomon Painting

A troubling refrain echoes throughout the book: life is meaningless. “‘Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher; ‘Vanity of vanities, all is vanity’” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). After seeking purpose in various pursuits—pleasure, wealth, wisdom—and finding only disappointment, Solomon sounds almost like Nietzsche, the philosopher tied to nihilism who famously declared “God is dead.” While Ecclesiastes affirms God’s existence, it paints a stark picture of humanity’s futile search for meaning apart from Him. Solomon reflects on the brevity of life, noting, “All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again” (Ecclesiastes 3:20). He equates humans with beasts, claiming we have no advantage over animals (Ecclesiastes 3:19), and laments that wisdom only brings grief, suggesting ignorance is bliss (Ecclesiastes 1:18). The oppressed find no justice or comfort (Ecclesiastes 4:1), and no one above seems to be in control. In this existential quest, Solomon flirts with secularism’s unspoken creed that God is irrelevant, leaving humanity in despair.

Yet this fatalism, embraced by many today, is self-imposed. Amid Solomon’s bleak reflections lies hope, like a diamond in the rough. Our very search for purpose reveals that purpose exists—and a God who gives it. Questioning if we’re like animals proves we’re not. Seeking wisdom and comfort amid folly and pain shows they’re attainable. Considering life a vapor reveals that God has placed eternity in our hearts: “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). This longing for eternity, a mark of the Imago Dei (Genesis 1:26–27), underscores our design for a relationship with the eternal God.

From this, Ecclesiastes informs Christian anthropology in three ways.

First, our nature. Though finite, formed from dust (Genesis 2:7), we bear something eternal. We’re not merely flesh but spirit, given life by God’s breath. Unlike animals whose spirits go downward, ours rise (Ecclesiastes 3:21). We bear God’s image, as evidenced by our deep yearning for meaning, truth, and purpose—capacities that set us apart from creation and point to our spiritual nature.

Second, our purpose. We crave meaning, a longing evident even in a postmodern, post-Christian world. Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life, with over 50 million copies sold by 2020, underscores this universal desire. Solomon sought meaning in wealth, pleasure, intellect, and influence—yet found them worthless apart from God: “Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought… and, behold, all was vanity” (Ecclesiastes 2:11). Then and now, all is “vanity of vanities” without Him, revealing that true purpose lies in God alone.

Third, our destiny. We were created in God’s image (nature), with a desire for meaning (purpose), and for a relationship with Him (destiny). If we’re made by and for Him (Colossians 1:16), we can’t find true life apart from Him. Fearing God is to love Him. Ecclesiastes’ pinnacle—“Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)—is relational. To fear God is to revere Him, an act of love that draws us into intimacy with Him. Solomon warns, “Be not rash with thy mouth… for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth” (Ecclesiastes 5:2), urging humility in His presence. Work, success, wisdom, and pleasure aren’t worthless, but they lack lasting value without God: “For without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?” (Ecclesiastes 2:25). As the Alpha and Omega, God is our beginning and end. Though we struggle in faith being “under the sun,” now our hope lies beyond it, in eternal communion and rest with Him (John 17:3).

In the end, I think the Solomon’s struggle in Ecclesiastes can be summed up best by Augustine’s illustrious words, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”

So, what do you think?

Micah Coate, President and Host of Salvation and Stuff