New Series Begins March 3, 2019

What’s the point?

If you’ve ever asked this question, Ecclesiastes is for you. Solomon, the one who penned this book, asked a similar question. And while he often may sound like he’s throwing up his hands in exasperation, it’s quite the opposite. Some people even prefer to skip over Ecclesiastes because “it’s a bummer,” but we can gain much insight from it. In fact, Ecclesiastes is an exciting and fascinating book to study.

In this study we’re going to walk with the richest and smartest person in the world. Solomon built an enormous empire. He established trade with the surrounding nations. He was a living encyclopedia of knowledge. He lived a life of unrivaled luxury and pleasure. Yet with all he had, he shows us that all of it—every single bit of it—is nothing!

Nothing, that is, apart from God.

Let’s join Solomon on his exploration of life “under the sun.” We’ll see clues along the way of the purpose and meaning God provides when we live life keeping our perspective “above the sun.” We’ll be both challenged and encouraged to see how wonderful our God is and how much He wants for us to enjoy this brief life He’s given us.

Finding Meaning: Wisdom from Ecclesiastes

1  When Life Feels Empty Ecclesiastes 1:1-14
2  The Problem with Pleasure Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
3  The Problem with Wisdom Ecclesiastes 2:12-17; 7:23-29
4  The Problem with Work Ecclesiastes 2:18-23; 3:9-13
5  The Problem with Wealth Ecclesiastes 5:10-20
6  Full Contentment Ecclesiastes 11:7-10; 12:12-14

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

My daughters asked for hamsters. My first thought was, What do they do? My next thought was, What do you do with them? Hamsters live in a cage. You give them food and water. They eat. You clean their cage. You repeat the cycle. What’s the point?

And hamsters are nocturnal, which means they’re active at night. So, while we’re trying to sleep, we hear that squeaky hamster wheel going round and round for hours. It’s pointless!

Sadly, life can feel like that sometimes. Now and then we may feel like hamsters in a cage, running hard and fast on the wheel of life, making a lot of noise, but going nowhere fast! And we might wonder: does it all really mean anything?

The Book of Ecclesiastes answers questions about meaning in this life by exposing the absurd futility of viewing life only from a secular perspective. As Christians, we must understand that, apart from Christ, our lives are no more meaningful than living in a cage and running on a hamster wheel.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Ecclesiastes 1:1-7

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 do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun? 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. 

“Meaningless.” OK, that may not seem the best way to start a book, especially a book of the Bible. It sounds more like a depressed philosopher who has come to the end of life and announces, “All is pointless!” But this is not just any book nor just any philosopher. We’re in the Book of Ecclesiastes—in God’s Word!—and Solomon, “the Teacher,” was David’s son and the reigning king in Jerusalem.

What had gotten Solomon so worked up that he would declare, “Everything is meaningless”? Why would he, of all people, say life is pointless? After all, Solomon was the wisest person in the world. If Solomon had given up on the meaning of life, what hope is there for the rest of us?

Solomon began Ecclesiastes with an important question that he’ll try to answer as the book unfolds. “What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?” Solomon would struggle again and again to find life’s key, to no avail (2:11,22; 3:9; 5:16). Life “under the sun” is life apart from God. It is life viewed through the lens of someone who believes there is nothing above the sun, in the heavens. 

In Ecclesiastes, Solomon placed himself in the shoes of the atheist and tried to explain this world from that perspective. Solomon wanted us to know that, apart from God, this life has no meaning.

As Christians, we believe God has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ (Heb. 1:1-4). But even as believers, we can still struggle with the seeming futility of our day-to-day lives. We live and we die, generations come and go, but the earth keeps going through its endless natural cycles. Solomon used three pictures from nature to make this point: 

Life can seem like the repetitive cycles of the sun (v. 5). “The sun rises and the sun sets,” up and down, and it always returns to its place in a hurry. Do you work hard all the time, but feel like you always end up back where you started?

Life can seem like the directionless flow of the winds (v. 6). The wind goes around and around without any apparent purpose or direction. Do you ever feel like, no matter how fast you go, you’re getting nowhere?

Life can seem like the never-ending flow of the rivers into the oceans (v. 7). Rivers and streams continue to flow into the ocean without ever filling it. Does it often feel like, the harder you work at some things, you never get done?

We never really seem to change or accomplish anything. The cycle never ends! If you’ve ever felt like your life was pointless, hang on. It’s about to get worse before it gets better.

Ecclesiastes 1:8-11

8 All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. 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. 11 No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them. 

It’s bad enough that what we do in life feels pointless, but we often find those “pointless activities” don’t bring us satisfaction either. The bottom line is, when we try to find meaning and purpose in this life apart from Christ, we’ll discover that nothing satisfies. As Solomon said, the very pursuit of these things will wear us out.

Look at entertainment and culture. So many of our songs and movies are simply a remaking of the old. And what about today’s fashion trends? They’re mostly recycled styles too. Unfortunately, we also see this “repeating of the old” in far more serious ways. Humanity never has moved beyond poverty, injustice, wars, famine, or disease. 

Jesus, however, promised to bring us into a new home: His “Father’s house” (John 14:2-3). History is unfolding toward the culmination of all things. We are looking forward to that day when there will be no more sorrow, no more pain, and no more sin (Rev. 21:3-4). 

One way many people try to bring meaning into their lives is by building a strong reputation and leaving a legacy. We want to be remembered! Sorry, but it doesn’t matter what we’ve done or who we are; we will be forgotten. 

That was Solomon’s sad point in verse 11. Not only do we forget the things that came before us, we’ll forget the things that are yet to come—and the things after that. Apart from Christ, all the work we do in this life adds nothing new and is quickly forgotten. 

It’s all meaningless! So, where do we go from here? 

Ecclesiastes 1:12-14

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

The search for life’s meaning is a noble task. God has hard-wired us for it. After all, no one wants to live a pointless life. When we search for the answers to life’s ultimate questions apart from looking for them in Christ, we’ll find it to be a “heavy burden.” But this is precisely what Solomon set out to expose.

Solomon was wiser than anyone else in the world. He could speak and write confidently on any number of subjects (1 Kings 4:29-31).

Solomon was more productive than anyone else. He spoke three thousand proverbs and wrote more than a thousand songs (v. 32).

Solomon had more wealth than all the other kings in the world (10:14-29). In fact, he didn’t even use silver, “because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s days” (v. 21). 

From his vast wisdom, knowledge, wealth, and experience, he set out to expose the emptiness of a secular worldview by trying to find meaning to “all that is done under the heavens”; that is, apart from God. His conclusion? It’s all meaningless, “a chasing after the wind.”

The good news is that our perspective isn’t limited just to what is “under the sun.” Our heavenly Father created this world through Christ and for Christ (Col. 1:15-17). We can enjoy this world, and we can have confidence that history is moving toward God’s appointed end. Our search for meaning is not a miserable task when we find our purpose in Christ (Matt. 6:33). 

  

LIVE IT OUT

What will you do this week to view life from a Christian worldview, a view from above the sun, where our Creator God dwells? Choose one of the following applications:

Go for a walk. Go outside to a place where you can enjoy God’s creation. Give thanks to God for what you see. God wants His people to enjoy His creation. 

Set personal goals. One reason life may seem meaningless is because we have no goals. Think about what you want to accomplish over the next twelve months and write it down. 

Share the gospel. Lots of people around us have no meaning in life. Point them to Christ, the One who gives meaning to this world and to our lives. 

If we fall into the trap of seeing life merely from a secular viewpoint, life will feel like an endless, monotonous hamster wheel. Reset your perspective and view life from above the sun instead! 

Hope to see you on Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan


Teacher Notes:

The world offers a lot of things intended to give us security, happiness, and a sense of well-being. When truly put to the test in the face of life’s challenges, we discover these things fail to deliver. We’re still left with a feeling of futility. Solomon made that discovery centuries ago; however, it’s not the end of the story. When God is in the picture, we see life from an infinitely better and more meaningful perspective.

Ecclesiastes is wisdom literature, meaning biblical literature that helps us in our struggle with practical and philosophical issues of life. Ecclesiastes confronts the issue of how we can find meaning in life in light of the seemingly futile nature of everything.

Solomon offers sage advice – he writes from a perspective of personal experience.

He argues that since all our accomplishments will pass away, we need to look to God for significance. From a New Testament perspective – Life without Christ is meaningless, empty, and purposeless. 

Definition of vanity 

· inflated pride in oneself or one's appearance: CONCEIT

· something that is vain, empty, or valueless

Ecclesiastes 1:1-7

The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again.

What had gotten Solomon so worked up that he would declare, “Everything is meaningless”? 

Why would he, of all people, say life is pointless? 

· Solomon was the wisest person in the world. If Solomon had given up on the meaning of life, what hope is there for the rest of us?

I. Without Christ, what we do in life can feel pointless.

· Life truly is meaningless apart from God. Nothing has lasting satisfaction here on earth – all temporary.

· Our attempt to make our lives meaningful through our own effort is futile.

· Left to our own devices, we are trapped in a monotonous cycle of life, much life the created order, in constant motion but going nowhere.

1:1 The author, Solomon (king of Israel), referred to himself as the Teacher. He was both assembling the people to hear a message and gathering wise sayings (proverbs). Solomon is one person in the Bible who had everything – wisdom, power, riches, honor, reputation, God’s favor, and is the one who discussed the ultimate emptiness of it all – that is all this world has to offer. He tried to destroy people confidence in their own efforts, abilities, and righteousness and direct them to commitment to God as the only reason for living.

1:1-11 Solomon had a purpose in writing skeptically and pessimistically. Near the end of his life, he looked back over everything he had done, and most of it seemed meaningless. A common belief was that only good people prospered and that only the wicked suffered, but that hadn’t proven true in his experience. Solomon wrote this book after he had tried everything and achieved much, only to find that nothing apart from God made him happy. He wanted his readers to avoid these same senseless pursuits. If we try to find meaning in our accomplishments rather than in God, we will never be satisfied, and everything we pursue will become wearisome.

1:2 Solomon’s kingdom, Israel, was in its golden age, but Solomon wanted the people to understand that success and prosperity don’t last long. All human accomplishment will one day disappear, and we must keep this in mind in order to live wisely. If we don’t, we will become either proud and self-sufficient when we succeed or sorely disappointed when we fail. Solomon’s goal was to show that earthly possessions and accomplishments are ultimately meaningless. Only the pursuit of God brings real satisfaction. We should honor God in all we say, think, and do.

Solomon used three pictures from nature to make this point: 

1. Life can seem like the repetitive cycles of the sun (v. 5). “The sun rises and the sun sets,” up and down, and it always returns to its place in a hurry. Do you work hard all the time, but feel like you always end up back where you started?

2. Life can seem like the directionless flow of the winds (v. 6). The wind goes around and around without any apparent purpose or direction. Do you ever feel like, no matter how fast you go, you’re getting nowhere?

3. Life can seem like the never-ending flow of the rivers into the oceans (v. 7). Rivers and streams continue to flow into the ocean without ever filling it. Does it often feel like, the harder you work at some things, you never get done?

We never really seem to change or accomplish anything. The cycle never ends! If you’ve ever felt like your life was pointless, hang on. It’s about to get worse before it gets better.

Ecclesiastes 1:8-11

All things are wearisome; more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. 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.  No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them.

Why do people often strive to be remembered?

II. Without Christ, what we do in life does not satisfy.

· No explanations, experiences, or learning will completely satisfy our desire to find meaning in life.

· What we may think is new, is not; it is only an extension, advancement, or reworking of what has been in some other form at some other time.

· The future is really the past repeated.

1:8-11 Many people feel restless and dissatisfied. They wonder:

· If I’m in God’s will, why am I so tired and unfulfilled?

· What is the meaning of life?

· When I look back at it all, will I be happy with my accomplishments?

· Why do I feel burned out, disillusioned, and dry?

· What is to become of me?

Solomon tests our faith, challenging us to find true and lasting meaning in God alone. As you take a hard look at your life, as Solomon did his, you will see how important serving God is over all other options. Perhaps God is asking you to rethink your purpose and direction in life, just as Solomon did in Ecclesiastes. 

Ecclesiastes 1:12-14

I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

How would you describe your life’s purpose today?

III. Without Christ, what we do in life is a miserable task.

· Fame is fleeting, so don’t rely on it. Each generation convinces itself that its experiences, struggles, discoveries, and so forth are new, but they are not.

· Our best efforts to make sense of life without God are fruitless. All that exists is under the control of the Sovereign God; we do not have the power, authority, or ability to change it.

1:12-15 “What is twisted and cannot be straightened” refers to the ultimate perplexity and confusion that come to us because of all the unanswered questions in life. Solomon, writing about his own life, discovered that neither his accomplishments nor his wisdom could make him truly happy. True wisdom is found in God, and true happiness comes from pleasing Him.

The search for life’s meaning is a noble task. God has hard-wired us for it. After all, no one wants to live a pointless life. When we search for the answers to life’s ultimate questions apart from looking for them in Christ, we’ll find it to be a “heavy burden.” But this is precisely what Solomon set out to expose.

· Solomon was wiser than anyone else in the world. He could speak and write confidently on any number of subjects (1 Kings 4:29-31).

· Solomon was more productive than anyone else. He spoke 3,000 proverbs and wrote more than a 1,000 songs (v. 32).

· Solomon had more wealth than all the other kings in the world (10:14-29). In fact, he didn’t even use silver, “because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s days” (v. 21). 

From his vast wisdom, knowledge, wealth, and experience, he set out to expose the emptiness of a secular worldview by trying to find meaning to “all that is done under the heavens”; that is, apart from God. His conclusion? It’s all meaningless, “a chasing after the wind.”

Wrap it up!

Look again at the key word included in the heading for each section of this study: pointless, dissatisfying, miserable. They are not very encouraging, are they?

If they weigh heavy in your mind, that is just what they are intended to do. Because they describe a life without Christ.

But here are some hope-filled words with promise. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” – Matt. 6:33

Questions:

1. Can you recall a time in your life when you were like the preacher, searching for meaning in life but coming up empty?

2. What were your feelings during that period of life?

3. What is your personal testimony of having found meaning, satisfaction, and joy in life when you gave yourself over to seeking the things of God rather than striving for the desires of your selfish heart?

Was Solomon saved?

Of course, Solomon lived in the Old Testament dispensation and thus did not experience being “born again” or the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, for that was not possible before the Christ’s ascension and the birth of the church (see John 16:7). The terms born again and saved (in the sense of eternal salvation) are New Testament terms. That kind of language is not used of Old Testament saints. So, when we speak of Solomon’s being “saved,” we are simply referring to his justification before God and his presence in heaven today.

King Solomon was greatly used by God in many ways. He received wisdom and riches from God. He built a beautiful temple because God chose him for that, and God’s presence later dwelt there. Solomon’s dedication of the temple in 1 Kings 8 is a humble, awe-filled occasion marked by thousands of sacrifices and a prayer overflowing with faith and praise. God used Solomon to write three books of the Bible: Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes. God said concerning Solomon, “I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father” (1 Chronicles 28:6). Surely, these facts allow us to surmise that Solomon was saved and is in heaven today.

On the other hand, King Solomon also sinned greatly against the Lord (1 Kings 11:3–13). Sadly, he married pagan wives, built pagan altars for them, and even participated in pagan worship himself. The only reason God did not immediately take the kingdom from Solomon was that God wanted to keep His covenant with David (1 Kings 11:12). The record of Solomon’s sins, plus the dismal tone in Ecclesiastes, has led some to suggest that Solomon was not saved and is not in heaven today.

Some point to the fact that Solomon is not mentioned in the great hall of faith of Hebrews 11 as another clue that he was not saved. However, many other Old Testament characters are not mentioned there, either, and Hebrews 11 was never intended to be a comprehensive list of the redeemed.

Just as in the life of David, there were periods of disobedience in Solomon’s life that required confession and repentance. Do believers today ever sin? Of course they do. The actions of God’s people don’t always match up with what they profess. When believers stumble, they should confess their sins and receive God’s promised cleansing (1 John 1:9). We know that David did exactly that (Psalm 51). Did Solomon? Yes, we believe he did.

The book of Ecclesiastes is a dark study on a life lived apart from God. Solomon looks back over his wasted years and finds no joy in them, only futility, vanity, and “a chasing after the wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14). But he had learned his lesson—albeit the hard way—and he wraps up the book with this advice: “Now all has been heard; / here is the conclusion of the matter: / Fear God and keep his commandments, / for this is the duty of all mankind. / For God will bring every deed into judgment, / including every hidden thing, / whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14). This surely sounds like a man who has returned to the Lord and is trusting in Him.

Of course, the ultimate answer to whether or not Solomon was saved rests with God, not with us. Salvation is in the hands of God and God alone because, as Scripture says, God looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). But we believe that Solomon did trust in God and, in spite of his disobedience, was a son of God. His writings clearly speak of a man who had a personal relationship with God and knew firsthand the folly of living without God. We assume that, upon his death, Solomon went to heaven to be with the God he loved and served. Despite his failures and shortcomings, Solomon was saved, by grace through faith, just as we are today.