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
* Lord God, You see all things, even the truth of our hearts. Please watch over us today.
“I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.”
The book of Ecclesiastes 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.
The preacher goes out of his way to make sure we understand – Everything in and of the world is folly.
Deeper still. Every thought we generate ourselves, every desire, every motivation and action of our own – They are vanity (“breath”), nothing.
We don’t need to test the limits of pleasure to find out it alone is meaningless – God’s word tells us that it is!
We don’t need to work for money, for earthly gain, for power and prestige – Because God’s word tells us this is but a breath, not worth our desire, our heart.
There is much hope here in this book, despite what a surface glance might indicate.
God’s word cannot be read as one part divorced from the rest. We must remember all that was previous, and all that is to come.
God’s word tells us the reality of who we are and what the reality of life itself is.
Without Jesus, life has no meaning.
Without Jesus, our travails are breath, gone in a moment and without value.
A hard word, but a good word, a blessed word – to tell those around us of Jesus! He alone brings true and lasting meaning!
* Merciful Father,
Thank You that in Jesus we have a reality that nothing else can match, that no other movement or ideology or religion has.
Thank You that in Jesus life has true meaning!
We find our worth and importance in You, You alone.
We pray for our unbelieving family and friends – Please call them from darkness into Your marvellous light!
Amen.