Fifteen years ago, I posted a study of my favorite book in the Bible, Ecclesiastes. Jeffrey Meyers’ work, “A Table in the Mist,” served as my guide for the study. I found myself drawn to Ecclesiastes, a book that is remarkably unique and frequently misunderstood within the biblical canon. Since then, it has continued to be the biblical book I’ve read most often.
Throughout my life, I’ve always aspired to gain and learn about wisdom. We all need wisdom, regardless of our perceived intelligence or thoughtfulness. This Old Testament book presents it with an honesty that I find deeply relatable.
Few Christian books offer an in-depth study of Ecclesiastes, so when I found “A Table in the Mist,” I purchased it right away. Throughout the book, Pastor Jeffery Meyers’s Reformed Presbyterian background and theology are very clear. He breaks down the book of Ecclesiastes into four parts: Chapters 1:1-2:26, Chapters 3:1-5:20, Chapters 6:1-8:17, & Chapters 9-12. Meyers’ central argument in the book is that wisdom is mysterious, and life inevitably brings uncontrollable events. It is important for us as believers to understand that we should walk by faith and not by sight. Ecclesiastes is the Old Testament’s book about faith.
Meyers addresses the misreadings of Ecclesiastes especially from its most popular verses, 3:1-8
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace (ESV Bible)
Time is not on our side. We don’t control it. We can’t stop it or speed it up. That is Solomon’s point in this passage. This is not an advertisement for an office management philosophy. Whatever habits highly effective people might have or acquire, they do not have control over time.
According to Meyers, all human activities are bound by a specific timeline, with beginnings and endings that transcend our influence. Those well-known scripture verses in Chapter 3 confirm the truth that challenges a secular perspective on time.
One of the many arguments Meyers puts forth in the book is this example, and he dedicates significant attention to the phrase “under the sun”—a frequently misunderstood expression from Ecclesiastes, appearing at least thirty times.
The world that man can observe and the world that man seeks to influence and control is under the sun. It is our ground-level observation point from which we try to make the world work for us—to find a leverage point in the confusing whirl we call life. Through one may attempt such things, if one is wise–truly wise—and if one believes in God, then it will all be recognizable as vapor.
Controlling life and forcing it to bend to our will is a futile endeavor; even Solomon, the wealthiest and wisest man of the Old Testament, concluded that some events lie beyond our command. He found that by having faith in God, one can better navigate life’s unpredictable turns.
Meyers highlights Solomon’s journey from surface-level paradoxes to the deeply earned conclusion that God intends for humanity to savor life’s pleasures as much as possible, within His established boundaries. The last sentence would probably be met with resistance by those who have renounced God. My position is that Ecclesiastes speaks most powerfully to our current times, regardless of whether you consider yourself a believer. The wisdom I’ve gleaned from reading Ecclesiastes goes far deeper than simple sayings or memorable slogans. This book of the Bible resonates with me deeply as a believer; its authenticity feels profound, more so than any other book from Genesis to Revelation.
I’m glad that after re-reading A Table in the Mist, Meyers’ arguments from Ecclesiastes still resonate with me fifteen years later. Ecclesiastes, a profoundly wise book, warrants a deeper look and has bolstered my faith more than any other biblical text I’ve encountered.
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