Bible: 5 Poetic Books

Lesson 6: The Book of Ecclesiastes: An age-old question!

Where did Solomon look for the answer to this question?

Where did Solomon search for the meaning of life? Let's start by looking at the following passage:

Ecclesiastes 1

Everything Is Meaningless

1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:

2 "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless."

3 What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?

[Do we get the meaning of life from our work, from our job? No...]

4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. 5 The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. 6 The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. 7 All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. 8 All things are wearisome, more than one can say.

[There is an endless cycle in nature. At times, our own lives can feel like we're "stuck in a rut" of daily routine. This routine can often feel dry and boring--not meaningful.]

The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.

[We never seem to be satisfied, whatever we see or hear. We want more. Having something doesn't lead to satisfaction. Solomon should know--he could have had anything materially that he wanted. He could go anywhere see anything, listen to the finest orators, performers, singers and speakers of his time. This too has no lasting value.]

9 What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there anything of which one can say, "Look! This is something new"? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.

[The latest, greatest and newest may bring pleasure for a short time, but ultimately, Solomon says nothing is new. Perhaps that's because God has already created everything, including the human mind, which keeps searching for new technology, new products in an attempt to make life easier, in an attempt to make life happier. This too, Solomon says, is feeble. We will never be happy with what we create.] 11 There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow.

[The majority of people die with no legacy. No name in a history book, and even of those that are in history books, only a few stand out. Even of those names that stand out, how much do we really know about the person? Do we have the full view? Rarely. You can do something to preserve your name in print, but this too does not provide the meaning in life we're all searching for.]

Wisdom Is Meaningless

12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

15 What is twisted cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.

16 I thought to myself, "Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge."

17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.

18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.

[You've heard of the saying, "Ignorance is bliss." If you enjoy singing and you sing your heart out and enjoy it, that's fantastic. Then one day someone tells you, "Whew! You stink as a singer." It'll never be the same for you again. Sometimes, a little knowledge can be troublesome if we don't know how to respond to it.

This section is particularly shocking since Solomon took time to write down so many tidbits and guidelines for life in Proverbs. Now he says the meaning of life has nothing to do with knowledge.]

Let's continue our search in chapter two:

Ecclesiastes 2

Pleasures Are Meaningless

1 I thought in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good." But that also proved to be meaningless. 2 "Laughter," I said, "is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?" 3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly-my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

[The meaning of life is not to have fun. Many in Hollywood, especially, live by the motto, "Live fast, die young, and leave a good-looking corpse." We're not put on this earth to please ourselves (but that doesn't mean we have to be miserable either).]

4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me.

[We don't find the meaning of life in our works, or in that new wing of the hospital that bears our family name...]

8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well-the delights of the heart of man.

10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure.

[Fulfilling our lust does not lead to a meaningful life...]

Wisdom and Folly Are Meaningless 12 Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. What more can the king's successor do than what has already been done? 13 I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness. 14 The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both.

15 Then I thought in my heart,

"The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?" I said in my heart, "This too is meaningless." 16 For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die!

[Solomon is frustrated that no matter how much he learns, he will die, just like the fool. It's like seeing someone who works less than you, but has more money and more possessions. Obviously, the fruit of our labor is not the ultimate goal.]

Toil Is Meaningless 17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.

[Again, you might work to amass great material wealth, but the day you die, it goes to someone else. You can't take it with you!]

24 A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?

[Although Solomon does not yet see the complete picture, he is starting to get at the truth. A life apart from God is surely meaningless.]

Before we move to the next section, answer this question for yourself:

How can God give us what the world cannot?

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