Wed.7.15.15...Life is Meaningless!...Eccles.1

A lot of Christians skip over it. Few rightly understand it. Yet it is a gold mine. It is a powerful pre-evangelistic book as well. What do I mean by this? Before a person can get saved, they need to see how terribly lost they are. The book I'm referring to does that very well. It shows man how empty and meaningless life is apart from a relationship with God. But it is an odd book. Even the name of it is strange, Ecclesiastes. It comes from a Greek word and basically means the preacher to an assembly. In the NT, the church assembly is the related word, ecclesia. Who is this preacher? Though he doesn't tell us his name, he reveals he is the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Since he speaks of his wealth and great building projects and quotes many proverbs, most agree that it had to be David's son, King Solomon. But he seems to be going through a midlife crisis. Many men can relate to that. He looks at all the things he's pursued and he keeps coming up empty. He gives us his research findings and the theme of the book at the very beginning, "Meaningless, meaningless, says the Teacher, utterly meaningless, everything is meaningless." Eccles.1:2. The Hebrew word for "meaningless" is "hebel" and it is at times translated, wind, breath or vapor. So it refers to that which is quickly gone. Think of life being like a soap bubble. That's what Solomon is bemoaning. Life is so empty and quickly gone. The NT reminds us of the same thing; "What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" James 4:14. Chapter 1 of Ecclesiastes looks around at life and then makes us hang our heads in despair.

Solomon sets out on his quest to find the meaning of life under the sun, but keeps coming up empty. He cries, "What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?" 1:3. This is an important clue to understanding the book. When people miss it, they can come up with anti-biblical beliefs about life and death, such as that there is no afterlife. If limited to only earthly scientific observation, one might conclude, "Man's fate is like that of the animals...All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return" (see 3:19-21). But Solomon repeatedly says that this is merely how life appears when viewed from under the sun. He is giving us an earthly perspective, not a heavenly perspective from the Son of God. If you just look at life apart from divine revelation, it is indeed meaningless. He uses the word "meaningless" 26 times throughout this 12 chapter book, emphasizing that life is indeed meaningless. That's why this is such a good pre-evangelism book. All which people pursue and bank on is really empty soap bubbles, a chasing after the wind.

In his introduction (1:1-11), Solomon looks at the repetitive cycles of nature. It illustrates the monotonous cycles of life. Man gets up, goes to work, comes home, goes to sleep, then gets up to do it all over and over and over again. "All things are wearisome..." Then he points out that there is nothing new under the sun. We may have new technological inventions, but coming out with new things is not new. And they soon leave us feeling empty again. Is there anything that we can say, "Look, here is something new that will truly fill the hole in man's soul?" He also points out how quickly we are gone and forgotten. Think about it. Who will remember you a few generations from now? How much do you know about your own ancestors from just four generations ago? See how quickly people are forgotten?! 

If man's view is only earthly he may conclude, "What a heavy burden God has laid on men!" 1:13. Actually, the heavy burden was laid on Christ. And he also invites all to come to him for relief, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest" Mt.11:28. Life lived merely under the sun and not with the Son leaves us often feeling restless and meaningless. We need a Savior! But He is not introduced until the NT. So after seeing how empty life really is in Ecclesiastes, we will jump to the gospel of John and meet the One who gives life meaning and true life to empty souls. Jesus said, "I have come to give them life, life to the full" John 10:10. 

1.- Describe one of the most empty or bleak times in your life. It may have been just before you got saved. For me that certainly was the case. Getting high had left me feeling low and empty. My friends were gone along with my first girlfriend. My hopes of becoming a bass player in a rock band vanished and I didn't know what to do with my future after high school. Even my many music albums didn't sooth the hole in my soul. A song by Edgar Winter haunted me, "Why am I dying to live if I'm just living to die?" Everything was empty and meaningless. How about you?

2.- Read Ecclesiastes chapter 1 (Yes, it's right after Proverbs which Solomon also wrote) and pick a verse that grabs you along with some of your thoughts regarding it. As always, write down that MP3 and seek to share it with others. 

Announcements
I'm happy to introduce a sharp young man whom I knew several years ago when he lived in Chicago and attended New Life. He and his wife and children now live in Warsaw, Indiana. His name is Rich Petre who is a sharp Christian college grad. (He graduated from Grace College, next to Grace Seminary whence I graduated many moons ago.) He will bless you as I know you will do the same for him. Welcome Rich!

Thanks Nic Palhegyi (our Moody grad) for inviting Rich, your good friend since high school days when you were leading Bible clubs on campus. Since you already earned and received your Unstoppable award pin Sunday, today you are graduating from Basic Training. You are no longer a Protege in M3 Nic, you are a Coach. This is a role you've filled before in other arenas. Way to go!