What's Life All About? - Ecclesiastes 1-3

No man has any control over who his parents are or who he is; if you are reading this you are alive whether you like it or not; you are happy or sad, rich or poor, thin or fat. This is your life! What is it all about? Your life started a very short time ago; your life is in existence today; and your life will end in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. You can shorten your life’s existence but you can not eliminate it, because a part of it has already existed. Keep in mind, that you had absolutely nothing to do with your appearance on this universe. So, who are you? Where did you come from? Why are you here? What are you doing here—and last and most important—where are you going when you leave this earthly life?

It is an amazing fact that the vast majority of those alive in this world today, as you read this statement are living much less than a happy and fulfilled life. They are ill, sad, broke, and broken, hungry, homeless, in prison, or on drugs, and can compare their condition with that of Job. Allow me to use one word that will attempt to cover all of these conditions, no matter what they are—most people are EMPTY. A new car [motor] with an empty tank will not run. Empty arteries and veins will result in death. When a lake dries-up and becomes empty, all the fish die. When a person becomes empty they have reached the lowest ebb; they are drained, unproductive and miserable and there is only one key that will unlock their very own filling-station—LOVE is the key…because GOD IS LOVE.

Do you want to be empty for the rest of your life? The answer must be a resounding NO. The book of Ecclesiastes is a short book and easy to read; there are only twelve chapters—and it was written by King Solomon, who prayed for wisdom and received a special anointing of wisdom from God—and he gave us the advantage of God’s wisdom to help us make the right choices in this life. Ecclesiastes will teach you that there are certain paths in life that lead you to emptiness—anyone with wisdom will choose not to follow these empty paths located on the map drawn by Solomon.

What is our life all about? This profound book will help us discover what the true purpose of life really is. It can make you wise. It can impart wisdom to you as you study and utilize its truths. This wisdom can spare us from the emptiness which results—every time in every case—from a life without God. This book teaches that we will never find the meaning of life through money or wealth, pleasure, power, popularity, not even through knowledge as important as it is. Solomon says that the only thing that will ever bring total happiness and complete satisfaction to any person is for us to know that what we are doing is performing that which will accomplish God’s will in our lives. Please read, NO, please study this book because it is a book that can help free us from our scramble for power, prestige, approval and the desire for wealth. Read and believe this book and it will draw you closer to God. Read God’s Word three time a day…it is food!

Few if any doubt that experience is the best teacher. Solomon asked God for wisdom and his wish was granted. Then Solomon used his wisdom to look back over the experiences of his own life and write a book that would help guide people successfully through life. Solomon searched to find what would bring him satisfaction. He was extremely wealthy and there was nothing that he could not afford… if he wanted it, and truthfully he tried about everything. Through this process he discovered that life without God is a fruitless [empty] search for fulfillment. It is not within the power of man to attain happiness because we never seem to have enough; always want more than we have and then… circumstances out of our control can destroy all that we have even before we are able to utilize it.

Solomon uses all the illustrations and examples he can to convey to us that it is impossible to live a fulfilling life apart from God. He insists that men do not naturally and willfully seek to find fulfillment in living a Godly life. It is not normal for man to gravitate toward God unless or until there is a need. One of our Baptist hymn writers must have espoused this same philosophy even about Christians when he wrote these words: “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.” How foolish man is.

There are three phrases that the author uses over and over and it seems to indicate that the author was making a special emphasis in each case. The first phrase is “Under the sun;” and literally is emphasizing that he is talking about every one under the sun—on the earth—under heaven or that ever lived. The second phrase is “Meaningless;” and here the author uses meaningless as synonymous with ‘vanity,’ ‘futile,’ ‘empty,’ or it may simply be beyond man’s comprehension. The last of these often used phrases is “Chasing after the wind.” I personally have no problem with this because it has been one of my choices to explain what I think someone is doing when they are wasting their valuable time. There is more than one strong image invoked by this phrase. Wasting time to gain something worthless; trying to follow the wind when you cannot see it and can not determine when it changes course; chasing the American dream only to find that when you catch it life is still one of anxiety and boredom…these are all examples. Did you ever watch a playful puppy chase his own tail? That is vanity.

In the very first verses, Solomon did not waste any time in shocking his readers into a position of awareness that explained that their lives were meaningless apart from God. Ha you—I tell you that every thing is vanity…useless…empty…What has man got for his labor under the sun? Or, what has man profited without God’s help? He proceeds to build the case that life away from God is empty, meaningless, and out of man’s control. He gives us a good look at some of the simple elements of nature that we take for granted and reminds us that they function in a set pattern and it is all by the hand of God. For example…All streams flow to the sea but it is never filled—and then they return to their beginning but not by way of the same path. The sun rises and sets then hurries back to the east to rise again. Everything keeps working the same…nothing changes…there is nothing new under the sun…and it seems that Solomon is thinking that since God made man his special creation…man should be the one that lasts on and on…man should be the one that never changes and last for ever…but not so…vanity of vanities. This makes it look like things are not right…Isn’t the human being the greatest of the creation? Does man have the greatest worth in the sight of God? The answer is—only when he is in God’s will for his/her life.

This brings to mind a conversation that I had with a successful business lady [who happens to be Baptist] while we attended Rotary Club on Tuesday of this week. She told me that one of her greatest joys in life was having a part in the building of a new university. My ego jumped out and told her about how I was able to obtain federal money to build a needed structure in a certain community…Our pride showed. Now that I have had time to think on things that are lasting…I wish that I had relayed to her that my greatest accomplishments, of which I am really most proud, is that several people have thanked me for being a strong spiritual influence in their lives. If just one of those people meet me in heaven and give me any credit that will be my greatest accomplishment. Man is like a vapor…here a moment and gone. BUT when that same man becomes a Christian he becomes eternal in the presence of God. Solomon makes his case that life apart from God is meaningless by pointing to the futility of trying to leave a legacy. Read 1: 11-14 and remember that the phrase “under the sun” here means “apart from God.” We simply must make our priorities reflect His.

All through the first chapter, Solomon makes several references to the way the world [wind, rivers, oceans, sun & etc.] work. His observations cause us to face the facts about God’s creation and the undeniable truth that life is empty…meaningless, and futile when we are away from God.

Solomon used chapter one to solve the riddle of life through his wisdom and found that apart from God there is no answer. In chapter two he turns to bodily appetites as a possible source of fulfillment. In a way of speaking, Solomon tested himself to determine whether or not unmitigated pleasure can give man what he wants in life. Remember that Solomon was one of the richest men that ever lived and he could afford any pleasure he wished. He admitted that he denied himself nothing that his eyes desired. But when he surveyed all that his hands had done he found his life empty; and that he had been chasing after the wind. Nothing had been accomplished aside from God. God has a plan for YOUR life too; follow it.

Take a look in chapter 2; you will find that the same things that Solomon took for himself in order to be happy are the same as today’s world is chasing after. The desire for more possessions, pleasures, power is nothing new. We must understand that there are no innocent diversions if it takes our attention and service away from God. Even food can cause gluttony; and our wholesome hobbies can get in the way of our spiritual race [Heb.12:1-2].

The third chapter is no doubt the best known of this book—THERE IS A TIME FOR EVERY THING—but we argue that we do not have time for anything. Are you guilty? Do you have enough time? If your answer is no, let me remind you that you have all the time there is and as much as anyone else has. Our problem is learning how to use our time. We should remember that it is possible for us to do all that God expects us to do—only when we are willing to give up our selfish and sinful agenda. We were created to know, love and obey God and live in harmony with our fellow man. Before we were conceived, God knew our names, even the number of hairs on our head…and much more importantly he had a specific plan for our lives. No one…No one can complete your plan; you must complete your plan alone in vanity—or with the leadership and power of God who then will exalt you.