Today in God's Word—July 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
July 13, Ecclesiastes 1
Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity....I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
— Ecclesiastes 1:2,14
I suspect that most of us want our lives to have significance, to accomplish something, to make a difference. I don't like to waste time and energy on pointless activity. What a tragedy it would be to look back and realize that we have squandered not just an hour or a day, but a lifetime in meaningless pursuits.
In these essays about Ecclesiastes, I will refer to the author of the book as Solomon. Bible students through the centuries have taken the phrase, "the son of David; king in Jerusalem" to be Solomon. No other descendant of David was ever king over all Israel in Jerusalem. More kings after Solomon reigned in Jerusalem on David's throne, but they were only kings over Judah after the kingdom divided.
Solomon got to the theme of the book early, in the second verse. He used the word "vanity" five times in that verse, and about 30 times in other verses through the book. The original word was about a vapor, a mist or a breath. It signified something that was fleeting, empty or meaningless. Those words are an accurate (if depressing) assessment of a life lived without regard for God or hope of eternity. When Solomon wrote about "under the sun," he referred to life here and now in this world, without consideration of spiritual or eternal matters. He described life as just another round of an endless cycle. We live without regard for what has gone before us, and what will come after us. There's nothing new for us to discover or experience, and no one will remember us after we are gone.
That is a depressing worldview, but it is the reality of people who live and die without hope in Christ. When we make a commitment to live in Christ and for Christ, that decision infuses
life, even the smallest daily actions, with light and significance. Jesus said those who gave a simple cup of cold water in his name would not lose their reward. Paul taught us to do whatever we do in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving glory to him.
It's true that this world is empty and life in it meaningless if we have no hope of living beyond this world. What difference does it make in the end if death pushes the reset button on all you have achieved? Solomon looked for the significance and meaning of life apart from God, and he described his search in this book. But he said from the beginning that the results were vanity, empty and meaningless. Who wants to live like that?
Surely Solomon's words are in this book to remind us that here and now and material wealth and pleasure are not true life. Solomon’s confession of his experience should drive us to want the real life, everlasting life and significance that can only be found in Jesus Christ.
The historical books that describe Solomon's reign say that God gave Solomon wisdom, granting his humble request for it. But here he spoke as if he had attained wisdom on his own. The tragedy of the empty wasted years of Solomon's life is that he had genuine wisdom as a gift from God, and turned away to look elsewhere. Surely there’s a lesson for us all in that.
Copyright © 2023 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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