Reading
SAA Notes
Ecclesiastes is a book that pulls no punches in exposing the emptiness of life, as it is presently constituted on this earth. Solomon asks: What’s it all been for? Death robs all life of any purpose or meaning.
SJA Notes
Here we are! Ecclesiastes. What a book.
In some ways, it is a polar opposite start when compared with Psalms, which has so much rejoicing in the Lord, even in the depths of despair.
Ecclesiastes though, it gives us a clear and true picture of the reality of life. It paints for us in bright splashes the folly of striving for what the world says matters (which is similar to Proverbs hey).
The preacher goes out of his way to make sure we understand – Everything in and of the world is folly. Every thought we generate ourselves, every desire, every motivation and action of our own or of the world – It’s vanity (“breath”), nothing.
The preacher stands as the one who tested the limits so that we don’t have to.
We don’t need to test the limits of pleasure to find that it alone is meaningless because here God’s word tells us! The preacher makes it clear.
We don’t need to work for money, for earthly gain, for power and prestige – because God’s word tells us it is but a breath and very much not worth our efforts.
We often read Ecclesiastes and find it hard to see the positives, because we want positives right? We want to know that there is hope.
God’s word cannot be read in pieces. We must remember all that we have read previously, all the books before Eccl and all of them after here.
There is much hope! God’s word points us to the reality of Jesus!
But too, and this is where Ecclesiastes really microscopes down into, God’s word tells us the reality of who we are and of the reality of life itself.
Without Jesus, life has no meaning. A hard word, but one we need to hear. One those around us need to hear.
* Merciful Father, thank You that in Jesus we have a reality that nobody else does. Thank You that in Jesus, life has meaning! His life gives ours worth and importance.
We pray for our unbelieving family and friends, and any in our church families who are wallowing in unbelief – Please call them out of darkness and into Your marvellous light. Please save them from a meaningless existence into one of worth and meaning, of life, and life to the full!
Amen.