As the teacher, Solomon, continues his discussion of life's enigmas, he addresses one of its cruelest certainties - death. Death will come for all, no matter who you are or what you do. Life is better than death and Solomon calls us to lean into living, enjoy life, rejoice in the good gifts of God to you. The seeming injustices and enigmas of life cannot be fully understood in our mortality, so we must trust our good and sovereign God and his work in our world. Despite life’s unpredictability and the certainty of death, our God can be trusted entirely.

As Solomon writes Ecclesiastes, as the teacher (Qohelet), he expresses various aspects that everyone experiences in life. Throughout Ecclesiastes, Solomon rehearses the frustration, futility, irony and fleeting nature of life. The difficulties that exist are described throughout Ecclesiastes as hevel or vanity (futility). This theme consistently appears throughout this wisdom literature. Together, all of these frustrations can be rightly engaged, only as we rightly engage God through his revealed word. God offers the perspective and strength that we need to endure the hardships, trials and frustrations that life presents. This is why Solomon calls everyone to fear God and to keep his commands – to follow his instructions. This will not take away the frustrations of life, but it does offer a proper framework by which view them.