Finding Fulfillment in an Unsatisfying World: Part III

Fulfillment in a Vaporous Life

Before diving into Part III, be sure that you have read Part I and Part II of this blog post so that you have an understanding of what I mean when I refer to the word hebel and its applications throughout the book of Ecclesisates. With the prior segments in mind, what should we conclude, then, from the teachings of Qoheleth, the author of Ecclesiastes? Is life essentially worthless? Are we to despair of life itself, knowing that around every turn is disappointment? Not at all. Humans are not consigned to a life of pointless misery. We simply need to have an appropriate perspective and priorities. Qoheleth and the Frame Narrator provide two significant exhortations for those seeking to learn to live in light of hebel.

First, Qoheleth encourages us to enjoy the simple things in life. Crenshaw says it like this: “The truth of Qoheleth’s observations about human existence speaks for itself. One can hardly escape the wisdom in his advice to enjoy the simple pleasures of daily existence while the strength and financial means to do so endure.”16 Numerous times throughout the book of Ecclesiastes Qoheleth expresses to his hearers that they should eat, drink, and find joy in their toils. This, he says, is ordained and blessed by God. It is what God has apportioned for us. In this, we hear Qoheleth saying, “though it cannot provide ultimate satisfaction, it is still right and good that we enjoy the everyday pleasures of life as good gifts from God.”

As good gifts, he mentions marriage, food, drink, hard work, the rewards of labor, and wisdom. He expresses that failing to enjoy these good gifts from God is more pitiable than being stillborn (6:3). This strong statement displays how passionately Qoheleth believes that humans are designed to enjoy the gifts God gives and that we are missing out on the essence of existence if we fail to do so.

Second, the Frame Narrator gives us an important additional anchor at the conclusion of the book: “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (12:13-14). In this conclusion we see that a “Carpe Diem” approach to life is not enough.17 Yes, enjoy life; but enjoy it as a gift from God. Acknowledging God as the creator of all things and therefore the righteous judge over his creation should cause a reverent fear resulting in obedience.

When humanity has failed to acknowledge God, he has given us over to our own wickedness. This is what has ultimately caused the world to be hebel. By fearing God and keeping his commands, we have the opportunity to reclaim what was lost in The Fall, experiencing even in the simple things of life the pleasure and fulfillment that God intended for his good world. Though this will not ultimately fulfill in this life, we can experience joy now and ultimate fulfillment in the life to come.


Modern Application of Ecclesiastes

Most people are not prepared for the disappointment they encounter in life. We spend much of our lives being told we can become whatever we want to become, that “the world is our “oyster.” We see the glamorous lives of celebrities and influencers, and think “Man, they’ve got it made.” We see our friends’ highlight reels on social media and notice that they seem so happy and fulfilled. We are left wondering: “Why am I so unhappy, disappointed, and unsatisfied? Is this all there is to life?” When left unchecked, this thought process can lead to dissatisfaction, depression, and even suicide. Even when not taken to the extreme of suicide, however, this process subtly but significantly impacts our experience of life. 
Take work, for example. There are more career options available now than ever before. No longer is a person destined to be a blacksmith or a farmer simply because it’s the family trade. Educational opportunities, career paths, and networking connections are easily accessible for anyone with internet access. One would expect that this would lead to greater career satisfaction as people are able to “do what they love.” But this is not the case. Interestingly, many young people experience what I would call “decision paralysis.” Because there are so many options, and because there is immense pressure to find the one that is the perfect fit for them in order to maximize their fulfillment in their work, many young men and women simply delay choosing a career or constantly change jobs.

In addition to the decision paralysis experienced by people entering into the workforce, the cultural expectation of finding happiness and fulfillment in work has also led to dissatisfaction and disillusionment for the workforce at large. While previous generations were content to work a job that paid the bills and put food on the table, that is not good enough for many modern workers. The immense pressure to find a career that maximizes enjoyment or that does not feel like work has caused many a mid-life crisis or career change.

The message of Ecclesiastes speaks into the dynamic of work by setting the expectation that ultimately work will be unsatisfying. When we grasp that after years of hard labor we will die and leave it to someone else; that there is often no real net win of work here on earth; that it is normal to feel frustrated and empty, we can have more healthy and realistic expectations of our careers. This same paradigm of expectation and disappointment can be rightly applied to our relationships, our experience of pleasure, and everything else about life “under the sun.” Acknowledging that all these things are hebel, Qoheleth encourages us to work and enjoy the fruit of our labor without looking to our work or pleasure for ultimate fulfillment.

Add to this the Frame Narrator’s exhortation to fear God and keep his commands, and we discover that the missing component to earthly fulfillment is that we were created to obey and enjoy God.18 When we do this, we can enjoy the simple things of life for what they are: gifts from God.19 Qoheleth’s teachings provide a sobering dose of reality to counterbalance the rest of the Hebrew wisdom tradition.20 The idealism of the maxims of Proverbs are no less true as a standard, but they must be viewed as principles, not promises.

This injection of realism prepares us for the hebel experience of life, as we can know that it is not an atypical experience or because we’ve made a mistake and ended up on the wrong path, but that it is the normative experience of human beings.21 This honest acknowledgement is healthy and much needed to prevent people from straying from the faith when they encounter experiences that don’t match with their expectations. In this way, the book of Ecclesiastes is a gift to a people learning to follow the Lord in a hebel world.


16 Crenshaw, "Ecclesiastes, Book of," 277.
17 Peter Enns, “Ecclesiastes 1: Book of,” 129.
18 Craig G. Bartholomew, Ecclesiastes, Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms, ed. Tremper Longman, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009), 359, ProQuest Ebook Central. 
19Elisabeth Birnbaum, “Christian Interpretation of Kohelet [Ecclesiastes]: Three Examples from History and the Present,” European Judaism 54, no. 2 (September 2021): 23, doi:10.3167/ej.2021.540203. 
20 Philip Graham Ryken, Ecclesiastes: Why Everything Matters. Preaching the Word. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010), 18, ProQuest Ebook Central. Ryken states that Qoheleth asks the “biggest and hardest questions that people still have today.” 
21 John Goldingay, Ecclesiastes, 54