So, what does this depressing book do for us?
I believe it gives us insight into the lie: “if I only had more, did more, if I was smarter, if I had no unfulfilled dreams, then I would be happy and content.” The Preacher/Teacher of Ecclesiastes lived in Solomon’s time. Solomon had everything a person could want, and this is his writing. Solomon had it all, and yet in this first chapter, the preacher sums it up in the term, vanity/fleeting/meaningless (depending on the translation).
So why is this book even in the Bible?
One thing we find in the Bible is honesty. It
is honest about its heroes and the people who are supposed to be serving God.
It was honest in Proverbs about the way creation was intended to run, and here
it is honest about how life actually looks. Without God and God’s heavenly
perspective, life is temporary and fleeting. which can feel meaningless.
I wish I could be encouraging about what you
are going to read, but I doubt you will be. However, it will give you the truth
of what the world looks like without God. It may even give you insight into why
people who seem to have it all kill themselves or do wicked things.
I can't leave you on a downer. Life isn't just what we see. There is a God and a heavenly perspective. There is hope, for life is more than what we see.
Ecc 1:1-18
(1) The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
(2) Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
(3) What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
(4) One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
(5) The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
(6) The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.
(7) All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
(8) All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
(9) The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
(10) Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
(11) There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.
(12) I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
(13) And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
(14) I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
(15) That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
(16) I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
(17) And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
(18) For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment