Read: Ecclesiastes 1:1-11
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher,
vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
3 What does man gain by all the toil
at which he toils under the sun?
4 A generation goes, and a generation comes,
but the earth remains forever.
5 The sun rises, and the sun goes down,
and hastens to the place where it rises.
6 The wind blows to the south
and goes around to the north;
around and around goes the wind,
and on its circuits the wind returns.
7 All streams run to the sea,
but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow,
there they flow again.
8 All things are full of weariness;
a man cannot utter it;
the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done,
and there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there a thing of which it is said,
“See, this is new”?
It has been already
in the ages before us.
11 There is no remembrance of former things,
nor will there be any remembrance
of later things yet to be
among those who come after.
Reflect
Ecclesiastes is classified as Wisdom Literature, along with Proverbs, Psalms, the Song of Songs as well as Job. Wisdom Literature does not read like Narratives or Epistles. They are often reflections of the world around them and not necessary biblical principles for daily living. Insightful as many of these observations can be, they need to be discerned if these are principles which God wants us to follow.
Hence, while it is true for the Preacher to say that all is vanity and what can man gain from toil under the sun; it has to be read as the Preacher's observation of what is generally happening in the world. The Preacher is not saying that this is what we should be aspiring to; meaning to treat everything that we do as useless since it is considered as vanity. The Preacher is lamenting that in a world without God, all things will indeed be vanity. All things will be meaningless since it will just be toil, hopelessness, despair and the impending doom of death.
Yet, for those who know God, Ecclesiastes should be read as a form of wisdom. Ecclesiastes contained general truths about how those who not know God see themselves sometimes. Or how they really feel even as they try to make sense of what is happening around them. Then those who know God, can point them to the Gospel. Point them to a better way to live. For life with God is not vanity but instead a learning journey of joyful submission and humility. Life with God is not nothing new, but everyday can new mercies! Life with God need not be just a form of toil; but we can toil even with meaning and great purpose of the Great Commission. Life with God does not end here on earth but carries through eternity.
Relate
The irony of a Christian reading Ecclesiastes is that we sometimes catch ourselves thinking like what is suggested as hopeless despair. Even as we have God, we are tempted to think that life is meaningless. Or we can have such an attitude of self-entitlement that we miss the point of being Christian. "Oh bother, life is just a routine of work, leisure, rest and repeat."
During those periods of time, Ecclesiastes can jot us into the reality that we are now living the new life in Christ. We need not feel hopeless, but we can reconnect with God and the spiritual community for strength, counsel and refuge. We have Jesus, who promised to be with us as we live the new life. Not an easy journey yes, but all authority has been given to the Master for guiding the disciples. That's us!
In fact, if what Ecclesiastes described is accurate of how the world is thinking, does it not make the Gospel urgent? Everyone needs the Lord. We need to embrace the Great Commission of sharing of the Gospel and helping others mature in the faith. This is the mandate given to the church. We can pray for God's grace to help us get out of however we might be feeling and get on with it.
Jason
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