The Meaning of Life: Ecclesiastes 1 & 2

Limited Perspective

Ecclesiastes 1:12-15

'I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. I applied my mind to examine and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven. God has given people this miserable task to keep them occupied. I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted. '

Solomon is on a quest for happiness. He feels that if he can learn enough about everything in the world, the knowledge will bring him happiness.

So education doesn’t fulfill us. What we learn is that we can’t depend on ourselves, or the things of this world. Only God provides true fulfillment.

Inheritance Blown

Ecclesiastes 2:18-21

'I hated all my work that I labored at under the sun because I must leave it to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will take over all my work that I labored at skillfully under the sun. This too is futile. So I began to give myself over to despair concerning all my work that I had labored at under the sun. When there is a person whose work was done with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a person who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great wrong. '

Here we see Solomon pondering the futility of all the work he has put in. He was bitter that he would likely die, not getting to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

Christian author C.E. Stuart wrote:

Death is a worm at the root of the tree of pleasure. It mars pleasure, it chills enjoyment, for it cuts off man just when he would sit down after years of toil to reap the fruit of his labor.

Solomon was concerned that his heir was going to squander all that he had accumulated. As we discussed this morning with Alex, we saw that Rehaboam did just that. Solomon’s kingdom would be torn asunder.

How does Solomon’s lament about the temporary nature of human achievement give us proper perspective on what we should expect from this life?

Leaving behind wealth should not be our goal. The spiritual gifts we leave behind are the true treasure.

Enjoy Work

Ecclesiastes 2:22-26

'For what does a person get with all his work and all his efforts that he labors at under the sun? For all his days are filled with grief, and his occupation is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile. There is nothing better for a person than to eat, drink, and enjoy his work. I have seen that even this is from God’s hand, because who can eat and who can enjoy life apart from him? For to the person who is pleasing in his sight, he gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and accumulating in order to give to the one who is pleasing in God’s sight. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.'

The people who’s work is truly futile, are those who have no hope in eternity. We know from 1 Corinthians 15:58

'Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.'

It’s OK to enjoy the little things in life. We just always need to make sure that we don’t make a good thing the ultimate thing. We are ultimately working and going through life in pursuit of eternity in God’s presence.

But according to verse 26, enjoying what you do isn’t always how it works. Solomon says that “to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and accumulating in order to give to one who is pleasing in God’s sight.

Does this verse make it sound like God punishes sin and rewards righteousness in this life?

I think we are seeing the results of the individuals heart. When God interacts with us, our response to Him impacts the result. The way the sun interacts with things depends on what they are. The sun will cause clay to harden, or mud to dry up, but it will cause the flower to grow.

As Christians, we have the hope of a future, so we don’t see our work as toil or futility. We respond by gaining wisdom and enjoyment from what we do. A sinner only sees those things as a burden.

I once read a book called “The Happiness Advantage”. It talks about how we “choose” to respond to situations impacts our outlook.

Two people in the same town where it is raining can have two completely different experiences. One may say, “I can’t believe it’s raining. This will ruin tonight’s concert.” Another will look at the rain and say, “Thank goodness it is finally raining. My grass has been dying, and it really needed the water.

So let’s put our dependance on God, and not the things of this world. This world is fleeting. And when we focus on God, we can find that the things of this world can be enjoyed as well, because we know that we have a future.