Ecclesiastes: A Brutally Honest Take on Faith

We’re kicking off a new series in one of the most surprising books in the Bible: Ecclesiastes. When we first mentioned it during our Christmas Eve services, some of you probably wondered, “Ecclesiastes? To start the new year?” But that question actually proves the point. Ecclesiastes meets us right where many of us already are—tired, questioning, and wondering if the things we chased were ever meant to satisfy us in the first place.

We’ve titled this series A Brutally Honest Take on Faith because Ecclesiastes doesn’t sugarcoat reality. It names the frustrations, disappointments, and injustices of life head-on. If you’re not paying attention, you might miss the point and assume the book is bleak or hopeless. But if you lean in, you’ll find something far more helpful: clarity, perspective, and hope grounded in God rather than circumstances.

Humanity has always asked the same questions we’re asking today: What’s the point? Why does so much effort feel so empty? Ecclesiastes reminds us that “there is nothing new under the sun.” We’re not the first generation to wrestle with disillusionment, and we won’t be the last.

Think about it—have you ever worked hard to achieve something, only to find it didn’t really satisfy? A promotion that felt anticlimactic. A dream vacation that still left you restless. Even incredible accomplishments can fall flat. After winning his third Super Bowl in five years, Patrick Mahomes famously said in a postgame interview, “We’re not done.” Even at the pinnacle, he was already looking ahead. Success under the sun never seems to be enough.

Before digging into the text, it helps to understand what kind of book Ecclesiastes is. The Bible tells one unified story, but it does so through many literary genres—history, law, prophecy, poetry, and wisdom. Ecclesiastes belongs to the wisdom literature, alongside Proverbs and Job. Within the ancient Near East, there was even a subgenre called pessimism literature. Ecclesiastes is the Bible’s only example of it. But unlike other ancient pessimistic writings, Ecclesiastes is not hopeless. It acknowledges life’s frustrations while still pointing us toward joy and meaning rooted in God and eternity.

Ecclesiastes opens like this:

Ecclesiastes 1:1–11 (NLT) – “These are the words of the Teacher, King David’s son, who ruled in Jerusalem.”

The “Teacher” is widely understood to be Solomon. His achievements, wisdom, and wealth align perfectly with what we know from 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles. The Hebrew title for the Teacher is Qoheleth, meaning one who addresses or gathers an assembly. It carries the sense of a seasoned king standing before his people saying, “Listen—I’ve tried it all.”

Solomon likely wrote Proverbs earlier in life—practical wisdom that describes how life generally works. But Ecclesiastes reads like wisdom forged in disappointment. It’s a no-nonsense response to the simplicity of Proverbs. Proverbs says, “Do this, and you’ll get that.” Ecclesiastes replies, “Life isn’t that simple.” The wisest man on earth had lived long enough to see that even true principles don’t always play out the way we expect.

That’s why Ecclesiastes resonates so deeply with our culture. Many of us feel wounded by unfairness, disillusioned by unmet expectations, or hurt by institutions—even the church. Ecclesiastes doesn’t dismiss those experiences. It validates them while redirecting our hope.

That leads us to the central idea of chapter one: a life focused only on what is temporary will always feel empty.

“Everything is meaningless,” the Teacher says. The Hebrew word is hevel—used nearly forty times in the book. It literally means “breath” or “vapor.” Life under the sun is thin, fleeting, and impossible to grasp. Interestingly, hevel is also the name Abel—the first person to die in human history. His life was unjustly cut short, reinforcing the truth that even doing everything right doesn’t guarantee fair outcomes.

The Teacher contrasts life “under the sun” with God in heaven. What we chase here is unstable and unsatisfying. King David understood this too:

Psalm 39:5 (NLT) – “At best, each of us is but a breath.”

Yet David doesn’t end there. He asks the right question:

Psalm 39:7 (NLT) – “And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.”

That’s the heartbeat of Ecclesiastes. Life under the sun will disappoint—but we were made for more than life under the sun.

Believers live with an eternal perspective while remaining fully present. Jesus promises not just future life, but abundant life now:

John 10:10 (NLT) – “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

That life begins today—through gratitude, faithfulness, and trust in God’s purposes, even in hardship.

The book closes its opening section by reminding us that history repeats itself and human achievements fade from memory. But the gospel gives us a greater hope:

Hebrews 12:24 (NLT) – “You have come to Jesus… whose blood speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.”

Life under the sun is fleeting. Life in Christ is forever. That’s the honest—and hopeful—message of Ecclesiastes.

Icebreaker – “Will It Satisfy?”
Ask students to name something they really wanted (a game, phone, win, or experience). After they share, ask:

• “Did it satisfy you as much as you expected?”
• “How long did the excitement last?”
  Explain that today’s lesson is about why even good things don’t always fill us up.

1. Why Do We Feel Empty Sometimes?
Life can feel confusing and frustrating. Ecclesiastes starts by being honest about that.
Read: Ecclesiastes 1:2–3

Discuss:

• Why do you think the Bible would include a book that sounds so honest—even negative?
• What are some things people chase hoping they’ll bring happiness?

Takeaway:
Stuff and success don’t last. God wants us to look deeper for meaning.

2. What Does “Meaningless” Really Mean?
The word “meaningless” doesn’t mean life has no purpose—it means it’s temporary when we try to hold onto it too tightly.
Read: Psalm 39:5

Discuss:

• Why is life compared to a breath or vapor?
• How does that make you think differently about time and priorities?

Takeaway:
Life is short, so what we live for really matters.

3. Life Under the Sun vs. Life with God
Ecclesiastes talks about life “under the sun”—life without an eternal perspective.
Read: Ecclesiastes 5:2

Discuss:

• What’s the difference between focusing only on now and trusting God with forever?
• How can remembering God is in control bring peace?

Takeaway:
When we trust God, even hard days can have meaning.

4. Jesus Gives Real Life
Jesus doesn’t promise an easy life, but He promises a full one.
Read: John 10:10

Discuss:

• What do you think Jesus means by a “rich and satisfying life”?
• How is that different from what the world promises?

Takeaway:
Real life starts with Jesus, not stuff.

Closing Thought
Ecclesiastes reminds us that life can be confusing—but God is trustworthy. We don’t have to pretend everything is okay to have real faith.

Challenge
This week, when something disappoints you, pause and pray:
“God, help me trust You instead of chasing things that don’t last.”