Please read “E1. Meaning to the Meaningless” before reading any of my other articles on Ecclesiastes.
Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

Fear and respect are not the same. Tommy learned this at an early age. He had been afraid of his father for a long as he could remember. His father was a strict and harsh man. Tommy learned not to make promises to his father, even those he intended to keep. He once promised to mow the backyard on Saturday so he could spend Friday evening at his best friend’s house. Tommy was young and lost track of time; he did not get the yard mowed before dark. His father was angry, and threw away all his toys as punishment.

Tommy’s father was a mean drunk. When his father came home drinking, Tommy soon learned that if his father saw him it was best to keep his mouth shut and say nothing at all. He learned it was better yet if his father did not see, or hear him. When his father was drinking, he did his best to remain hidden. Yes, it is very true to say that, Tommy feared his father. Tommy’s father was nothing like God.

When he was in his early teens, Tommy’s father became a Christian, and his parenting style began to change. He no longer yelled at or hit Tommy. He still had rules, but he enforced them consistently and honestly. He began to tell Tommy that he loved him. He would take the time to talk to Tommy and ask him how things were going in school. He quit drinking and began to spend more time with his family. The more time we spent together, and the more they talked, the closer their relationship grew. In time Tommy’s feelings for his father changed; Tommy was no longer afraid of his father; he had come to love and respect him.

The writer of Ecclesiastes did not have a relationship with God. What a shame, if he had he would have known God is nothing like a mean drunk. God is a loving father.