Finding Fulfillment in an Unsatisfying World: Part II

Hebel Applied
Before diving into Part II, be sure that you have read Part I of this blog post so that you have an understanding of what I mean when I use the word hebel. Qoheleth, the author of Ecclesisates, has no qualms with opposing the prevailing, idealistic view of Wisdom. Though he recognizes that “there is more gain in wisdom than in folly” (2:13), he also acknowledges that “what happens to the fool will happen to me also” (2:15) and asks, “’why then have I been so very wise?’ And I said in my heart that this also is hebel” (2:15). Qoheleth is observing that, though wise living is better, it does not change the inevitability of death. And this is hebel. Even a life wisely lived is transient and fleeting.  
In 7:23, Qoheleth cries out that wisdom itself was “far from [him]” and that it is so deep that no one can know it. Even though he applied himself diligently, he found that wisdom always felt outside his reach. With the best teachers, the most varied life experience, and intimate knowledge of the scriptures, wisdom could still not be grasped. Like a vapor, wisdom could not be attained and held. It was too deep and incorporeal. It left too many unanswered questions. It is apparent that part of Qoheleth’s frustration stems from the fact that men cannot understand the ways of God, no matter how much they try. He states “then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out” (8:17). 
This speaks to the limits of human ability in comprehending the mind of God. Even with tremendous resources to commit to pursuing wisdom; even with laser focus on trying to figure it out; even after giving an exorbitant amount of time and energy, Qoheleth cannot discern the mind of God. This quest was hebel. Like a mist, a breath, or a vapor it could not be grasped, was nebulous without a defined shape, and was fleeting in its benefits.


The Lack of Benefit in Human Labor
Qoheleth also sees the hard work of man to be hebel. In 2:18-23, he observes that people work their fingers to the bone to store up resources to leave to someone else. What is even worse is that the one who inherits the wealth may be a fool. This can be the source of incredible frustration. It makes hard work even harder when you consider that it may not be stewarded well. Human labor is ultimately unfulfilling and leaves a sense of emptiness and dissatisfaction. This carries forward a theological theme from The Fall in Genesis 3: human work is harder and less rewarding than it should be because of the curse. It is one of the ways that creation groans in waiting (Rom. 8:20-22). Though work was initially a part of God’s good design, it was corrupted by the fall. Like hebel, work can feel insignificant, fleeting, and pointless.15

No Justice in Life
Based on traditional wisdom, one would expect that the righteous would experience the blessing of long life while the wicked would perish. Qoheleth observes, however, that this is often not the case. He sees that “there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing” (7:15) and he recognizes this as hebel. This reality cuts against the grain of everything he has been taught and feels wrong, unjust. Not only does death come for all, but so does calamity, sickness, heartbreak, and all kinds of brokenness. 
From this observation, he extends advice to not overprioritize righteousness or be overly foolish. This interesting stance seems not to be rooted in a disdain for righteousness, but in a recognition that obsessing over doing things the right way does not guarantee a longer or more happy life. This moderation is not to encourage disobedience to the Lord, but to prevent obsessive perfectionism. This particular insight would have been helpful for Job’s friends who instructed him to place his life under microscopic observation to discern what sin he had committed to bring destruction upon his household. If they had understood that all is hebel rather than a static tit-for-tat equation, they likely would have extended comfort and kindness to their friend rather than harsh judgment. 

Pleasure in Ultimately Unsatisfying
In the first section of chapter 2, Qoheleth enumerates the various indulgences he procured for himself. He enjoyed choice wines, savoring the finest notes they could provide. He pursued mirth, enjoying levity and laughter. He explored the creative potential of his mind and resources, constructing dream homes and cultivating lush gardens. He sat in the lap of luxury with servants to wait on him hand and foot. He amassed incredible wealth. He was serenaded by the finest musicians, experiencing all the pleasure artistic genius could provide. He had the sexual encounters of his wildest fantasies: frequent, varied, and with the most beautiful women in the land.  
His pursuit of pleasure was expansive, varied, unrestrained, and thorough. His pleasure seeking was so indulgent that he would say “whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure” (2:10). Nothing was off limits or out of reach for him. Yet at the end of his quest for pleasure, he found “all was hebel and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun” (2:11). After grasping at the hebel of pleasure, he found his hands to be empty. Though it was enjoyable for a time, pleasure was fleeting and unsubstantial, leaving Qoheleth dissatisfied.  

Follow along for Part III of this blog post (the final segment) as we uncover how to find fulfillment and modern application for the book of Ecclesiastes in light of this sobering truth.
14Alaribe, “Seeing the World through the Eyes of God,” 4. An expanded treatment of Qoheleth’s application of hebel can be found in this work.
15 Wu, “The Hebel World, Its Ambiguities and Contradictions,” 202.