Nothing is Better than Something??

Have you ever heard the expression, “It’ll feel better when it quits hurting”? It is a silly way of saying that the absence of pain is better than pain. I know, it’s a kind of an “Oh, duh” thing.

If you’ve kept up with this blog in recent weeks, you’ve noticed a common theme: odd statements from Ecclesiastes. If you’ve read the past four blog entries, you should have noticed something else: All of these strange statements are understandable when viewed from Solomon’s perspective.

Solomon intentionally, and wisely, limited his search for meaning to the material universe. After all, he too was a part of the material universe. So, he could not speak about anything or anyone beyond the physical universe. He could not speak for God unless he was given God’s words to speak.

Solomon’s search for meaning ended poorly; he found no meaning within the limitations of the material universe. He also observed the activities of mankind “under the sun,” that is, man’s activities carried out on this earth. That too had a rather negative outcome as expressed in another startling statement in Ecclesiastes in which he compared the living and the dead:

But better than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun. 

—Ecclesiastes 4:3

The fourth chapter began with Solomon writing, “Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun.” This is one of many injustices that Solomon observed and reported. Yet, it sounds worse than simply saying that there are many injustices in life. It sounds as if life was full of injustices in Solomon’s day.

Solomon considered all the injustices, the acts of oppression of man, and then “congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living.” (v. 2) Do you understand Solomon’s reasoning; his point of view?

Solomon was saying that death resolved the pain experienced by those who were being oppressed. Death felt better because the oppression of life quit hurting. If a person cannot look beyond the material universe, then Solomon’s reasoning makes logical sense.

Solomon reasoned a step further. The one who has never existed is better off still. His simple reasoning is that the non-existent one will have never had to endure any kind of oppression in life on the earth.

Even admitting that his reasoning makes sense, it sounds defeating. And yet, that is what we are supposed to think. We are supposed to be dissatisfied with Solomon’s observations even though they are reasonable. That is the whole point of the book. When man looks at life in the material universe and cannot find answers and cannot find meaning, he ought to despair of life...but not give up! Rather, he should ask, “Is there something beyond this universe?” Solomon explained that God “so worked,” that is, made the universe the way He did, SO THAT, man would come to this conclusion about his existence within the material universe. (3:14) Man would then be forced by his own reasoning to look beyond the universe to his Creator. In humble awe and reverence created man would then be ready to listen to the Creator’s revelation from beyond. All of the negative things written in Ecclesiastes are meant to drive man, not to despair, but in reverent awe to his God.


Mark Stinnett

August 13, 2023