PURPOSE: Questioned

The world claims that a LOT of things will give us security, happiness and a sense of well-being.  From buying the right kind of diaper to investing in the right kind of insurance.  There are NO shortage of external things that claim to provide security, happiness and a sense of well-being.  

While in the extremely short term, when compared to the length of eternity, such things may provide a measure of internal happiness or joy.  But material things by definition are NOT eternal and do not provide eternal, or even long lasting joy or happiness.  Chasing these things in life one often finds that they fail to deliver.  Like running on a hamster wheel, we expend a lot of energy, but get now where.

Solomon made this discovery millennia ago.  When we pursue God and think as one of his family members we can see life from an infinitely better perspective than the limited and blinded perspective that living only for the world offers.  We learn that apart from God, life is meaningless, nothing but a hamster wheel of activity.

 

This lesson is from Ecclesiastes 1:1-14, and again shows us that there is nothing new under the sun.  Ecclesiastes falls into the Bible's wisdom section of  literature which includes Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.  Wisdom points out that no matter how much matter–material things–you can collect, without God it is meaningless.  A life without God is only so much time on a hamster wheel.  A life WITH God is an exploration of all that is.  Which one sounds more exciting and dynamic?

The word god is derived from ancient word roots that indicates that which is called in.  Some also trace god to an ancient word root meaning poured, possibly referencing the sacrifice poured on an altar in favor of a god, or the earth poured over a deceased in a burial mound. God is what is called in when we need help.

The Book's name comes from a translation of the Hebrew qoheleth which in Greek becomes ekklesiastes.  Both terms refer to one who presides over an assembly. The first verse of the book introduces us to this teacher who is Solomon.  Let's look at this introduction.

Ecclesiastes 1:1-7

1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem.2 “Absolute futility,” says the Teacher.“Absolute futility. Everything is futile.” 3 What does a person gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun?4 A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.5 The sun rises and the sun sets; panting, it hurries back to the place where it rises.6 Gusting to the south, turning to the north, turning, turning, goes the wind, and the wind returns in its cycles.7 All the streams flow to the sea, yet the sea is never full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again.

Probably not the most exciting way to start a book -- “Hey y’all, EVERY-THING is incapable of producing result” (the definition of futile).  The word futile also refers to something  easily poured out, hence leaky. So Solomon is telling us that EVERY-THING is leaky and incapable of producing result.  

"Things" are not eternal and pursuing things does not produce the eternal attributes that are required to reconcile humanity with the absolute (without restriction or limitation) that is God. Even Christians struggle with the seeming futility of our lives.  The earth keeps going through its repetitive, natural cycles and at some point everyone wonders Why? Many humans have LONG wondered about the "meaning of life".  So many have wondered about it that it has become a cliche for the mysterious pursuit through esoteric knowledge.  

But if one stops to look at the meaning of meaningless one learns that it is the sense of the observer that gives meaning to the meaningless:  

• Meaningless means "destitute of sense or significance."  

• Significance means force, energy, or meaning; to signify.  

So who gets to determine what is significant to us individually? Is it imposed upon us by tyrants?  It is indoctrinated into us by officials with out our rational thinking? Is it what we feel passionate about?  How and who determines significance and meaningfulness for us?

• If you begin to think that life is meaningless what are some ways to cope?

• What are some pitfalls of pursuing what you are most passionate about, when others are not passionate about it?

In this passage the "Teacher" is Solomon.  The identification of the teacher as a son of David, as a king in Jerusalem, and later as king over Israel in verse 12, pretty strongly indicates that this insight comes from Solomon.   He was the wise king who ASKED God for wisdom rather than power, glory, riches or any other worldly thing.  Solomon was the only descendant of David who reigned over a united Israel, as the nation split in two after his death. 1 Chronicles lists 19 other sons of David, none of whom ruled over Israel.

The Hebrew word used for futility is hebel meaning breath or vapor and is used as a synonym for the wind.   This is also a metaphorical descriptor for spirit, the vital energy of life.  Solomon tells us, in effect, that "everything is spirit" or "spiritual."  The teacher is using it here to illustrate the insubstantial and transitory nature of life. "Every-thing is as breath - insubstantial and transitory."  

He then asks "what does a person gain" and uses a Hebrew word indicating profit, advantage, gain. He notes that generations come and go like the cycles of everything else on earth.  The ancient Israelites were an agrarian society. They understood the yearly growing cycles related to planting, tending, and harvesting their various crops. Nature was monotonously predictable but at the same time incomprehensible.  While the physical world seems to be changeable, the boundaries and limitations of the physical world do NOT change.  While on this earth we are limited by the "laws of nature", so it may seem that we are forever limited and restricted which can become tiresome.

What are some advantages of having lived on this earth?  What is the one eternal thing that we derive and why?

Well, if you have ever felt like your life was pointless, hang on.  The teacher is about to make us feel worse as he teaches us that there is nothing new under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:8-10

8 All things are wearisome, more than anyone can say. The eye is not satisfied by seeing or the ear filled with hearing.9 What has been is what will be,and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.10 Can one say about anything, “Look, this is new”? It has already existed in the ages before us.

Solomon was not stating that technology does not advance, but I doubt that he was implying that humans have accomplished space travel before.  But while new technologies result in new improvements for how we live life, new inventions cannot break the cycle of sin, suffering, and death.

• Where do we see evidence that people are experiencing weariness in our culture?

• Why do so many people feel unsatisfied, no matter how much they accomplish

• What are some experiences in life that have caused you to say, “there is nothing new under the sun”?

The Hebrew term for things literally means “words,” and has the meaning of “to speak.” Solomon literally tells us that words are wearisome.  It is used in reference to such things as commands, promises, and pronouncements.  Solomon used the term in this verse to refer back to the forces of nature; the cyclical, never-ending movement of the sun, the wind, and the water are examples of the weariness and seeming absolute futility of life. 

Solomon's point here is that while "everything" makes us exhausted, while the cycle of life becomes tiresome, while life may seem to be pointless, God never grows weary.  God renews the strength of those who trust, focus, and follow God.  Life is more than useless repetition of the laws of nature or the commands of men.  As we will see in a moment, Solomon had "heard and done it all" and found that it ALL was of limited use.

While the actors (meaning pretenders, hypocrites) may come and go on the world stage, and while nations rise and fall at the most basic level life and nature are cyclical, repetitive, closed systems. The cycles repeat over and over again. The sun rises, the sun sets, and the sun rises again. People are born, they live, they die, and others are born and repeat the same process. 

Solomon was stating that nothing can break the cycle of sin, suffering, and death. Furthermore, people of every generation pursue the same things—fame, power, wealth, happiness, and so forth—and these things remain for the most part elusive. Even those who achieve such goals find at the end of their lives that having those things changes nothing. Death still comes and all of one’s accomplishments and possessions are left behind.  What has been is what will be again and again.  

Not only is life without God unsatisfactory, it also lacks true purpose.  Solomon basically tells us that life without God is merely a way to keep humans occupied on a hamster wheel.

Ecclesiastes 1:11-14

11 There is no remembrance of those who came before;and ofthose who will come after there will also be no remembrance by those who follow them.12 I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 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. 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.

Here was a man driven by exceptional wisdom and armed with the resources and means that come with being the king. He made it his mission to live life to the fullest. Yet in all he did—and he did a lot!

• He sought purpose in pleasure and “living the good life” (Eccl. 2:1-3).
• He sought purpose through the pursuit of knowledge (2:14-16).
• He sought purpose in achievement and in making something of himself (2:4-6).
• He sought purpose in his possessions and what he owned (2:7-8).
• He sought purpose in making a name for himself (2:9).
• He sought purpose in making the world a better place (4:1-3).
• He sought purpose in the pursuit of justice (8:14).

And yet, without God, purpose and satisfaction eluded him.

In Hebrew culture, one’s ancestry provided for one’s identity as a child of Abraham and a member of God’s covenant community. One of the constant themes God emphasized to the Israelites was to remember the limitless God and what He had done for them so that they would not forget and chase after the limited gods and goddesses of the nations around them. 

Solomon noted that ultimately most people, their deeds, and the memories of them are forgotten with the passing of time, even when they are memorialized. The physical memorials may remain (for a time), but the significance of the people and events behind such memorials mean little or nothing to those who will come after.  As we have seen with modern culture seeking to erase the “unpleasant memories” of this historical past. “If we remove the reminders, then there will have been no unpleasantness.”  As one generation is born and grows to adulthood, past generations die and slowly fade from memory. 

The term for mind means “heart.” The Hebrew word literally refers to the internal organ which pumps blood, but is also used in reference to the totality of a person’s inner being as well one’s emotions, mind, and will. Solomon was making an intentional study in his quest for the meaning of life a hopeless task because the answer was not to be found in the search. Because the meaning and purpose of life are found only in the context of God and a relationship with Him, wisdom and philosophy which leave God out of the equation can and do mislead.

The term occupied encompasses all the pursuits of humans, including moral, ethical, and religious activities.Solomon did not despise education and human pursuits. He merely recognized that they had their limitations in a life that does not include God.  All human pursuits that exclude God are ultimately without lasting meaning and significance. Throughout Ecclesiastes, Solomon noted the futility of searching for meaning and purpose in the pursuit of such things, e.g. wisdom and knowledge, wealth and possessions, pleasure, work, and politics. These pursuits easily can and do become idols unto themselves. In the end they are all “futile” because they fail to satisfy.

Like chasing after the wind, or a shining light, all things done under the sun are a never-ending pursuit that leaves the pursuer unsatisfied and empty-handed. Only one who has a saving relationship with God and who is maturing into a child of God through following the teachings of Jesus Christ will find true meaning in life – sharing that knowledge with those who DON'T know.

This week block out some time to carefully read the rest of Ecclesiastes as you meditate on Solomon’s words.  Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart with the question: What am I looking to apart from God for meaning in my life?  

We are surrounded by people with no purpose. Point them to Christ, the One who gives purpose 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 God's ETERNAL perspective.  Not a perspective from under the sun, but one from above the sun;  and one from the perspective of the Son of God.