Leading in a Fallen World
Leading in a Fallen World
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At first blush, Ecclesiastes would appear to offer little by way of help on the subject of leadership. This book, after all, famously repeats the phrase “everything is meaningless” throughout the book.[1] If everything is meaningless, what role do leaders have in the world?
As we will see, though, the book of Ecclesiastes has a very important message concerning leadership in a difficult and fallen world. All who aspire to lead a ministry, business, or military/political organization need to pay very close attention to the message of the book, or risk tremendous frustration in their efforts to guide others in a productive direction. However, before diving into the topic of leadership per se, we first must address the question of how to read this interesting yet enigmatic book.
The Two Voices of the Book of Ecclesiastes
To properly read the book of Ecclesiastes, we must be careful to identify there are two speakers in the book, not just one. The presence of two voices is subtle to be sure, but also clear. There is a significant consensus among recent interpreters that there are two voices in the book,[2] and it is a view that many past interpreters also held (for instance the medieval Jewish thinker Rashbam the grandson of the better known Rashi [c. ad 1080–1160]).
The major speaker in the book goes by the nickname Qohelet. In what is an introduction to his autobiography, he says “I, [the] Qohelet, was king over Israel in Jerusalem” (1:12). Qohelet is simply the transliteration of the Hebrew nickname, and we should immediately recognize that it is not a personal name since it has the definite article before it (“the Qohelet” [haqohelet]). Traditionally, the Hebrew qohelet has been translated “Preacher” (see ESV, among modern translations), but today most translations render qohelet as “Teacher” (niv, nlt, nrsv). While the latter makes most sense (“preacher” is both anachronistic for an Old Testament book as well as inappropriate for the rather radical views of this speaker), truth be told qohelet means neither, but rather “Assembler.”[3] Further on we will explore the significance of this translational difference. In the meantime, I will simply transliterate the nickname as Qohelet.
Qohelet speaks in the first person (“I Qohelet”) through the body of the book of Ecclesiastes. We have already mentioned that his speech begins with his self-introduction in 1:12 and continues until his final reflection on death that ends at 12:7. Indeed, in previous work, I have shown how 1:12–12:7 follows a basic pattern for Near Eastern autobiography.[4]
While Qohelet’s speech occupies the largest part of the book, his is not the dominant voice. The second speaker, who speaks about Qohelet (“he, Qohelet”), frames his words, thus introducing (1:1–11) and concluding (12:8–14) the book. Interestingly, and also subtly, we note in 12:12 that this second wise man or frame narrator, as he is sometimes called,[5] is speaking to his son (“Furthermore, of these, my son, be warned!”[6] ). In the final analysis, the book of Ecclesiastes contains a wise man’s reflections on the thought of Qohelet given to his son. Thus, to understand the book of Ecclesiastes, we must ask two questions: “What is the message of Qohelet?” and “What is the message of the frame narrator who is teaching his son?” The message of the latter, not the former, is the message of the book.
The Message of Qohelet
Qohelet speaks in 1:12–12:7. As we have seen, he introduces himself in 1:12, and then embarks on a search for the meaning of life (particularly in 1:13–6:9) and finally imparts advice based on the conclusion of his search (7:1–12:7).[7]
The gist of Qohelet’s message may be summarized as “Life is meaningless.” In other words, his search for meaning ends with failure. He cannot discover the meaning of life. He looks for meaning in work (2:18–23; 4:4–6), pleasure (2:1–11), wisdom (2:12–17), and money (5:1–6:9).
There are three things that render life meaningless. The first, and perhaps the most telling, is death. Death renders life meaningless. As an example, he believes that wisdom has relative value over against folly, but in the light of death wisdom is no better than folly (“I said to myself, ‘Even I will meet the same fate as the fool, why then have I become so wise?’ So I said to myself, ‘This too is meaningless’” [Eccl. 2:15]). For Qohelet, death is the end of the story; there is no afterlife (3:16–22; 12:1–7). The second reason for the meaninglessness of life is injustice. If there is no reward in the afterlife, then one might expect to benefit from right action in the present. According to Qohelet, however, “Both I have observed in my meaningless life: There is a righteous person perishing in his righteousness, and there is a wicked person living long in his evil. Do not be too righteous and do not be overly wise. Why ruin yourself? Do not be too wicked and do not be a fool. Why die when it is not your time?” (7:15–17). Third, and finally, life is meaningless because the wise person cannot discern the right time to do the right thing or to say the right thing. To understand why this frustrates Qohelet, we must remember that in the Old Testament wise and skillful living depends on knowing the “right time.”[8] Qohelet knows well that God made the world so that “for everything there is a season, and a time for every activity under heaven” (3:1, see also vv. 2–8), but as for humanity “no one can discover what God is doing from beginning to end” (3:11).
Since there is no meaning in life, what is a person to do? Carpe diem! Seize the day! On six occasions (2:24–26; 3:12–14; 3:22; 5:18–20; 8:15; 9:7–10), Qohelet encourages his listeners to enjoy themselves, since that is the most they can expect out of life. The first carpe diem passage is typical: “There is nothing better for people than to eat and drink and enjoy their toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God. For who will eat and who will worry apart from him? For he gives wisdom, knowledge, and pleasure to the one who pleases him, but he gives to the one who is offensive the task of gathering wealth to be given to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless and chasing the wind” (2:24–26). If one were to ask what is the advantage of living a carpe diem life in spite of its meaninglessness, Qohelet answers “they (those who carpe diem) do not remember much about the days of their lives for God keeps them so busy with the pleasure of their heart” (5:20). In other words, those who carpe diem can momentarily at least forget that life is meaningless and that death is at its end.
Qohelet thus presents us with a pretty sad perspective on life. We will return soon to the question of Qohelet’s perspective on leadership, but before we do, we need to remember that Qohelet’s view is not the perspective of the book of Ecclesiastes. What we might call the normative message (or teaching) of the book of Ecclesiastes is connected with the message of the second unnamed wise man who speaks to his son. We learn his perspective primarily from the epilogue to the book.
The Message of the Frame Narrator
At the very end of the book, the second unnamed wise man or frame narrator evaluates the message of Qohelet for his son, “‘Completely meaningless,’ Qohelet said. ‘Everything is meaningless.’ Furthermore, Qohelet was a wise man. He also taught the people knowledge. He heard, investigated, and put in good order many proverbs. Qohelet sought to find words of delight and he wrote honest words of truth. The words of the wise are like goads, and like firmly implanted nails are the masters of collections. They are given by a shepherd. Furthermore, of these, my son, be warned! There is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body” (Eccl. 12:8–12).
In the first place, we can see that the second wise man understands that Qohelet’s message was an important one for his son (and later readers) to hear. He spoke “honest words of truth.” At first, that might sound surprising since his message was that “life is meaningless,” but we must remember that Qohelet was searching for meaning “under the sun,” a phrase he frequently used (that signals that he was searching for the meaning of life apart from God’s revelation).[9] In short, the second wise man is saying: “You know son, Qohelet is 100% correct. If you look for meaning apart from God’s revelation, you will conclude that life is meaningless. This lesson is hard to hear (“like goads”; “like firmly implanted nails”), but important for you to hear.”
The father, however, has no intention of keeping his son “under the sun.” While it was important to learn the lesson that life apart from God is ultimately meaningless, he does not want him to get bogged down in this type of thinking (“Furthermore, of these, my son, be warned! There is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body”). Thus the father continues his instruction, “The end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of humanity. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil” (Eccl. 12:13–14).
In these last two verses of the book, the second wise man turns his son away from Qohelet’s conclusion that life is meaningless and toward what we might call an “above the sun” conclusion. He urges his son to (1) fear God; (2) obey the commandments, and (3) live in the light of the coming future judgment.
While brief, these two verses pack a wallop. An “above the sun” perspective begins with the fear of God.[10] That is, the father urges his son to understand that he is a creature and that God is his Creator. In a word, the son must put God first in his life. After establishing a relationship with God characterized by fear, the son should maintain that relationship by living in conformity to God’s commandments and in expectation of a future judgment. In two brief verses, the father covers what we might, in modern theological language, call justification, sanctification, and eschatology. Not only that but in these two short verses, the father urges his son to develop an “above the sun” perspective by embracing God’s revelation in Scripture. I do not believe it is a stretch to say that in these final two verses, the father is telling the son to turn to Scripture to find the meaning in life.
It is therefore appropriate to call the book of Ecclesiastes an idol-buster.[11] The book warns that if one tries to find meaning in anything other than God, it will let you down. Put God first in your life, and then everything else can find its proper place.[12] Now, with this understanding of the book, what lessons about leadership should the son (we) derive from Ecclesiastes?
Lessons on Leadership
Qohelet was a wise man who wanted to discover the meaning of life under the sun. He tried to find it in work, money, pleasure, wisdom, relationships, and elsewhere, but came up empty (“meaningless, meaningless, everything is meaningless”). He also gave advice about how to live life in a meaningless world. As we have seen, he encouraged people to try to distract themselves with small pleasures of life (eating and drinking for instance) to distract themselves from the harsh realities of a difficult life. But he also imparted advice and made observations about various areas of life including, as we will see, leadership.
By now we should realize that Qohelet’s advice and his observations will be deeply affected by his rather jaundiced view of “under the sun” life. To quote Qohelet and say “thus says the Lord” is as naïve as quoting the “three friends” of Job in the book of Job and assuming that their thinking represents God’s truth. That said, as long as we acknowledge that Qohelet’s thinking, which is “under the sun” thinking, we can learn helpful things from his reflections and thus, it is here where we will start reflecting on leadership. We will conclude the chapter by examining Qohelet himself as an object lesson on leadership, and this personal example might be even more helpful in our pursuit of a theology of leadership from Ecclesiastes.
Qohelet’s Reflections on Leadership
If this were a chapter on the book of Proverbs and leadership, the main lesson would be clear: Seek wisdom to lead well! Wisdom, on a practical level, points to the ability to read people and situations in order to be able to say the right thing at the right time and do the right thing at the right time.[13]On this practical level, wisdom is very similar to what we call emotional intelligence and studies have shown that emotional intelligence has a much higher correlation with life and leadership success than a high IQ.[14]
Qohelet too knows that wisdom is better than folly, but that ultimately, particularly in the light of death, wisdom is meaningless (2:12–17). This observation is applied to leadership in one of his anecdotes, “A poor but wise youth is better than an old and foolish king who no longer pays attention to advice, though he came from a prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom. I observed all who lived, those who walked under the sun, with the next youth, who replaced him. There was no end to all the people, to all those whom he led. Yet people who lived later did not like him. This too is meaningless and chasing wind” (4:13–16). There is a measure of ambiguity about this anecdote (are there two or three characters), but no ambiguities about the main point which is that in the short run wisdom is superior to folly,[15] but in the long run wisdom brings no advantages. Indeed, the same point is made in a second anecdote, “Moreover I observed this example of wisdom under the sun, and it made a big impression on me. There was a small city and there were a few people in it. A great king invaded and surrounded it. He built huge siege works against it. A poor but wise man was found in it, and he rescued the city by means of his wisdom, but no one remembered that poor wise man. And I said, ‘Wisdom is better than power.’ But the wisdom of the poor man was despised! His words were not heeded” (9:13–16).
As we read Qohelet’s observations what we learn is that there are no guarantees or formulas that lead to surefire success, “Then I turned and observed something else under the sun. That is, the race is not to the swift, the battle not to the mighty, nor is food for the wise, nor wealth to the clever, nor favor to the intelligent, but time and chance happen to them all. Indeed, no one knows his time. Like fish that are entangled in an evil net and like birds caught in a snare, so people are ensnared in an evil time, when it suddenly falls on them” (9:11–12). Relating this passage to leadership, we can work the hardest, be the best qualified, most capable people in the world, but if we aren’t in the right place at the right time, then we won’t be successful. And this is important to learn because we live in an “under the sun” world. If becoming a leader is all important to us (that is, it becomes an idol), and we don’t get the position we want and even deserve, then we will become deeply depressed and even feel that God has let us down. In reality, our frustration reveals our idolatry.
In the light of the “under the sun” reality that life is not predictable or controllable, Qohelet gives some helpful advice: ”There is an evil that I have observed under the sun, an error indeed that originates from the ruler. The fool is placed in important positions, while the rich sit in low places. I observed slaves on horses and nobles walking on foot like slaves” (10:5–7).
Woe to you, O land whose king is immature
and whose leaders feast in the morning.
Blessed are you, O land whose king is a noble
and whose leaders eat at the appropriate time—
for strength and not to get drunk (10:16–17).
Of course, these are observations, but in the observations we can see advice for leaders. In the first passage (10:5–7), we see evidence for the view that Qohelet himself is a social snob, who believes the noble rich class should rule (see also 10:17a, “Blessed are you, O land, whose king is a noble”), while the lower classes should be the ruled. That said while at the same time remembering that Qohelet’s comments, like those of Job’s friends, are not to be taken automatically as normative biblical teaching, we can still appreciate his insight that leaders should be mature and experienced and should also exercise self-control and restraint in their personal life. In this Qohelet offers advice to leaders that sounds very similar to that which the mother of King Lemuel gives him at the end of the book of Proverbs. She urges him to avoid drinking heavily and thus “forget what has been decreed, and deprive all the oppressed their rights” (see Prov. 31:1–9, particularly v. 5).
Another example of good advice for leaders in a chaotic and unpredictable world has to do with risk taking:
Send your bread upon the surface of the waters, for after many days you may find it. Give a portion to seven, even to eight, for you do not know what evil may occur in the land. If the clouds are full, they will empty rain on the earth; and whether a tree falls south or north, the place where the tree falls, there it is. Those who watch the wind do not sow, and those who observe the clouds do not harvest. In the same way that you do not know what is the way of the wind or how the bones are formed in the mother’s womb, so you do not know the work of God, who does all things (11:1–5).
In this interesting passage, Qohelet again reminds his readers that there are no magical formulae that guarantee success. The second part of the passage speaks to those who might be paralyzed from action or making decisions because of this truth (“those who watch the wind do not sow, and those who observe the clouds do not harvest”). The first part of the passage says that we should act, but that we should diversify our efforts since we can’t be sure exactly what will work. The enigmatic opening about “sending bread on the waters” is best understood as a reference to maritime trade, and the need to diversity one’s efforts is because we are not sure which will succeed and which will not because “you do not know what evil will occur in the land.” This thought is picked up and expressed in agricultural terms in 11:6: “In the morning plant your seed and do not let your hand rest at evening. For you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.”
These passages are not the only ones from Qohelet’s reflections on a fallen world that prove to be helpful not only to living in, but also leading in a fallen world. That said, as we have repeated several times, Qohelet is an “under the sun” thinker and we have to be cautious in how we appropriate his insights.
Qohelet/Solomon as Object Lesson on Leadership
The superscription to the book identifies Qohelet as a king who is a “son of David” (1:1). He is wealthy and wise. While other descendants of David share many characteristics with Qohelet,[16]Solomon is the closest match, so it is not surprising that many lay readers think that Qohelet is Solomon. However, not everyone believes that the historical Solomon lies behind the figure of Qohelet [17] Nevertheless, for our purposes it does not matter whether Qohelet is Solomon. Further, it also does not matter whether the author of Ecclesiastes is making a connection between Qohelet and the historical Solomon. The main point to be made is regarding wisdom “above the sun”.[18]
The point is that even the richest, wisest, hardest-working, most pleasure-seeking man known to the ancient audience, namely Solomon, could not find meaning in money, wealth, work, or pleasure.[19] Thus, “What more can the king’s successor do than what has already been done?” (2:12). In other words, while readers might live with the illusion that “if I only had more money, wisdom, pleasure, etc., then I would find meaning in life.” Solomon had it all and he failed to find meaning. Furthermore, not only did he ruin himself, he destroyed the kingdom. Thus, he becomes an object lesson or warning about bad leadership.
Of course, he does not start his reign as a bad leader, but as one of the best. Why? Because he put God and his people first. His concern for God and others expresses itself soon after he becomes king, when God gives him a choice of whatever gift he would like God to bestow on him. Solomon shows that he has his priorities straight when he goes to the holy place at Gibeon in order to offer numerous sacrifices. In response, God gives him a remarkable opportunity when he says to Solomon: “Ask for whatever you want me to give you” (1 Kings 3:5).
Solomon immediately asks for wisdom, a “discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” (3:9). God is so pleased with his request for wisdom that benefits others, that he also gives him “wealth and honor” as long as he lives an obedient life before God (1 Kings 3:13–14).
As a result of Solomon’s humility before God and his people, Israel prospers in every way. Justice reigns so that even the marginal benefit from his wise rulings (1 Kings 3:16–28, the story of the two prostitutes). He organizes his kingdom to achieve maximum prosperity (1 Kings 4). Solomon’s wisdom is so great that his reputation, and that of Israel, reverberates throughout the world (1 Kings 4:29–34). His building projects, most notably the temple, are a further indication of his wisdom and the blessing that it brings to his people (1 Kings 5:1–9:9). The benefits that Solomon’s godly leadership brought to Israel are described in 1 Kings 10:14–29, and is well-captured by the statement of the visiting Queen of Sheba:
The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw them with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told to me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness (1 Kings 10:6–9).
What a wonderful picture of the benefits of godly leadership, and one for which all leaders today should strive and pray. But as the association between Solomon and Qohelet reminds us, that is not the end of the story. Indeed, when Solomon dies, he does not leave a harmonious, peaceful, prosperous, and happy kingdom to his son, but one that is racked by external enemies and eternal fragmentation. Indeed, the immediate aftermath of Solomon’s leadership at the end of his life leads directly to the division of the kingdom into two parts (1 Kings 12).
What happened that transformed Solomon from being the epitome of wise leadership to being the epitome of foolish leadership? In retrospect, the seeds for this transformation come even before Solomon asks God for wisdom. The narrator begins the story of Solomon’s request for wisdom by informing the reader that “Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter” (1 Kings 3:1). But this marriage to a foreign pagan woman was just the beginning. Toward the end of the account of Solomon’s reign, the author of Kings tells us that “King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites—from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.’ Solomon clung to these in love” (11:1–2).
The result of these marriages was Solomon’s apostasy: “his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David” (11:4). The consequences were devastating, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant” (11:11).
What then do we learn about leadership in this reflection on the life of Solomon through the figure of Qohelet in the book of Ecclesiastes? The story of Qohelet/Solomon gives leaders and potential leaders a clear warning. God must be the center of your life or else even “successful” leadership is a failure. Unless God is the one who guides your life, you will never find satisfaction in your leadership, because leadership itself can become an idol and idols always let you down. Also, if God is not the center of your life, then when difficulties and setbacks happen you will not have the strength to survive, they will fill your life with disappointment, bitterness, and regret.
Indeed, the message of the book of Ecclesiastes should prepare us for the difficulties of life. If Qohelet was right about anything at all, it is that “life under the sun” is hard. After all, the world and its inhabitants suffer from the consequences of human sin. And this includes, of course, our life’s work. God specifically spoke to the effect that sin had on work when he said to Adam: “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, saying ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:17b–19). This punishment applies to all work, not just agricultural work, including the work of leadership. Thus, the wise leader will not be surprised by difficulties and setbacks, but will expect them. And expecting them means that we will be prepared for them and we will try to minimize them. We should not understand the punishments of the Fall as things we should simply accept without a fight. We do our best to remove the thorns and thistles from our gardens, but don’t panic when they grow back.
Conclusion
While there is much debate among Ecclesiastes’ scholars about the details of the book’s interpretation, there is little doubt about its central message. No one can find meaning in life by staying “under the sun,” to live a successful life and to become an effective leader one must adopt an “above the sun” perspective on life (fear God, obey his commandments, and live in the light of the future judgement), while acknowledging that we still live in a fallen world. Leaders who find meaning in life in God will not treat leadership like an idol. They will realize that, while there may be helpful principles of leadership, that there are no guarantee to success. Good leaders will anticipate disappointments but will not avoid action. They will be willing to take risks by diversifying their options.
Ecclesiastes is not a manual of leadership or even often directly speaks to leadership. Even so, its message about life “under the sun” and “above the sun” do have important implications for how we think of ourselves and conduct ourselves as godly leaders in every walk of life.
Reference information
[Benjamin K Forrest (2018). (p. 172). Biblical Theology for the Church: Biblical Leadership: Theology for the Everyday Leader. Retrieved from https://app.wordsearchbible.com]
