The Preterist View of Ecclesiastes Chapter 5

           The Preterist View of  Ecclesiastes Chapter 5

5:1 — “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God…” 

Under the Old Covenant, approaching the temple was dangerous if done carelessly. It was a system of distance—of veils, priests, and prescribed rituals. But now, we are the temple (1 Cor 3:16), and we draw near with boldness (Heb 10:19). The caution Solomon expresses is a relic of a fading covenant where God's presence was limited and conditional.

5:2–3 — “Be not rash with your mouth… let your words be few.” 

Solomon urges reverence in prayer, because under the Law, access to God was indirect. But Paul teaches that in Christ, we cry, “Abba, Father” (Rom 8:15), not in fear but in relationship. Words don’t bring us near—faith and Spirit do. Yet humility in speech remains wise in any covenant.

5:4–7 — “When you vow a vow to God… pay what you vow.” 

Vows were serious in the old system because failure brought guilt (Lev 5:4). But now, Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness (Rom 10:4). Our lives are not built on vows or performance but on grace. This system of fear and retribution is judged and ended in 70AD. What remains is the kingdom that cannot be shaken.

5:8–9 — “If you see oppression of the poor… do not be amazed…” 

Solomon highlights the bureaucratic and corrupt layers of power—even in a theocratic nation. The Law exposed sin but couldn’t stop it. But Paul shows that in the kingdom of God, there is no partiality (Gal 3:28), and in the fulfilled kingdom, justice flows from the Spirit, not from hierarchical systems.

5:10–11 — “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money…” 

Here Solomon speaks as one who had it all—and found it empty. Wealth under the Law was seen as blessing, yet it never satisfied.Paul echoes this: “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evils” (1 Tim 6:10). In the New Covenant, true riches are in Christ (Eph 1:18), not in material gain.

5:12 — “Sweet is the sleep of a laborer… but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.” 

A hint of gospel rest: the humble, who work simply, know peace. The rich—restless with greed—mirror the Old Covenant elites who clung to law and power. Christ offers rest to the weary (Matt 11:28). This rest no longer is future hope, but present reality.

5:13–17 — “Riches were kept… to his hurt… he takes nothing for his toil.” 

Solomon deconstructs the illusion of Old Covenant prosperity theology. Riches couldn’t prevent death. In contrast, Paul proclaims a kingdom not of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17). Wealth perishes—but the inheritance in Christ is incorruptible (1 Pet 1:4).

5:18–20 — “Behold, what I have seen to be good… to eat and drink and find enjoyment…” 

Solomon finds fleeting joy in temporary blessings. But the believer, post-70AD, lives in the reality of the New Covenant kingdom, where enjoyment isn’t just tolerable—it’s infused with the eternal presence of God. Work, food, and life are now holy because we are in union with Christ. Solomon sees the cracks in the system but cannot escape it. He tastes joy but not fulfillment. We, however, live in the kingdom he longed for. In Paul’s words: “The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”