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
“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. And 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 that it alone is meaningless – God’s word tells us 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 the effort.
We can read Ecclesiastes and struggle to see any positives, any words of hope.
There is much hope!
God’s word cannot be read as one part divorced from the rest. We must remember all that we have read previously and all that is to come (in the chronology of God’s word).
But too this is where Ecclesiastes really microscropes down into – 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.
A hard word, but one that must be heard. One those around us need to hear.
* Merciful Father,
Thank You that in Jesus we have a reality that nothing else brings, that no other movement or group or religion has.
Thank You that in Jesus life has true meaning!
His life gives our worth and importance.
We pray for our unbelieving family and friends – Please call them from darkness into Your marvellous light!
Amen.