The Book Of Ecclesiastes Pt. 1 Life Without God Is A Wasted Life

I would like to study another book from the Bible's wisdom literature with you. The wisdom books begin with Job and run through the Song of Solomon. 

We previously covered about half of the book of Proverbs, and have enjoyed many lessons from the Psalms.

Now, I would like to study the small book of Ecclesiastes, because it is very relevant to the world we live in. 

Let us first remember God's purpose in giving us wisdom books of the Bible.

God's purposes for His wisdom literature. 

Proverbs 1:2-3  To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; 3)  To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; 4)  To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

Wisdom literature in the Bible is not given to us as mere information that we should read. Nor is it a collection of interesting trivia from the past.

God gave us the wisdom books to reveal what true wisdom is. Divine wisdom is needed, so that we know how to conduct ourselves wisely, with actions and words that are righteous in His sight. God wants us to deal justly and equitably with others. 

God wants us to pay close attention to His wisdom by studying these wise sayings, so that we gain a solid understanding. 

Why? Because Divine Wisdom teaches us how to live this life wisely, and well in the sight of God. 

The wisdom books often deal with topics that we may think are small, mundane matters. This shows us that our God cares even about the smallest details and struggles in our lives. 

Wisdom literature provides instruction in righteousness so that we might please God with our thoughts, words and actions. 

Age or status is not a consideration in determining who can benefit from studying wisdom literature. 

Both young and elderly people can benefit from learning wisdom from God. Both educated and uneducated people, can please God and live wisely, if they learn and heed God's wisdom. 

Most important of all is that "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding." (Proverbs 9:10). 

Thus, wisdom will give us a right worldview, so that we can understand the issues of this life within the context of God as our Creator, Sovereign Ruler, Providential Provider, Redeemer and King.

King Solomon is the Preacher with a message. 

Ecclesiastes 1:1  The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 

There is little doubt about the author of this book. King Solomon was the only son of King David to rule Israel as a united kingdom. 

Solomon was also gifted with wisdom from God to help him faithfully carry out his duties as king of Israel. 

The word "Preacher" means to collect or gather people together, in order to communicate with them.

Life without God is full of emptiness and unsatisfying activity. 

Ecclesiastes 1:2  Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. 

Solomon, as the Preacher and king, states the overall theme he wanted to teach to this assembly of people. He gave us a perspective of what life is like without knowing God. 

The phrase "under the sun" is only used in this book of the Bible, a total of 29 times. In addition, the phrase "vanity of vanities" is also used only in Ecclesiastes (twice).  

The phrase "vanity of vanities" is very forceful. The repetition is designed to increase the intensity of this expression. 

It communicates that life without God is a vast emptiness that men try to fill with money, pleasure seeking, or new experiences. 

Yet, none of these pursuits ever satisfy the longing for God that is in every man's heart. Many do not know that they are really longing for God, so they run after  things that cannot fill that emptiness in their lives which is a life with God. 

King Solomon did not follow his own advice and his heart turned away from God. 

1 Kings 11:1-4  But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; 2)  Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. 3)  And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. 4)  For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 

When was this book written? Based upon the content and Solomon's description of vain things, it was written after Solomon had been enticed by his strange wives. 

He was not discerning in marriage, and sought out strange wives which God commanded against doing. He did not seek to do that which was right in the sight of God by seeking for a God fearing wife. 

The scriptures tell us that King Solomon amassed a tremendous amount of wealth, and built the temple for Jehovah. 

He put the wisdom God gave him to good use, by constructing many good things such as new roads, wells, cities and buildings.

However, after all those good things that the king did, we read "But Solomon loved many strange women." 

How strikingly sad it is, that the King who instructed his sons to avoid strange women at all costs, finds himself doing just that. Going after strange women and straying from God. 

Strange wives turned Solomon's heart away from Jehovah, and he did not fully follow God as his father David did. This is why later in his life, that he is warning the people about the emptiness of life without God.

The empty, meaningless life.

Ecclesiastes 1:2  Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. 

What does it mean when Solomon declares that life is "vanity of vanities?" The word literally means vaporous, breathy, ethereal, fleeting. The best way to describe vanity of vanities is an emptiness of emptinesses.

It has the idea that all of life is meaningless, purposeless and worthless without God. This is the theme of the Preacher. 

Work becomes a daily monotony instead of an act of worship. 

Ecclesiastes 1:3  What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? 

The Preacher asks what good is it to work all our lives? Work by itself cannot make us happy or contented, for true happiness and contentment comes from knowing God. 

A fatalistic view of life dominated his thoughts. 

Ecclesiastes 1:4  One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. 

Men succeed each other in unceasing generations, but the earth is still the same. It undergoes no change that makes it better for everyone. 

The world will continue to deteriorate during the whole course of time, until the end of all things arrives. 

The Preacher describes a pattern of life's monotonous routines, with little hope of leaving things better than we found them. 

People are born and people die. Such is life without God. Youth gives way to the infirmities of old age. All seems hopeless without God. 

{Remember, this is written from a perspective of living life without God.}

Life's monotonous repetitions seem purposeless. 

Ecclesiastes 1:5-7  The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. 6)  The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. 7)  All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.   

The sun rises and sets each day and it will continue to do so until God brings in final judgment. 

Each day, the wind has predictable patterns or circuits, but no one can alter or stop them from recurring. We can feel the wind but we cannot govern where it goes.  

Each day, it rains and as rain drops fall from the sky, they eventually runoff into streams, rivers and ultimately back into the ocean, where the rain cycle is repeated. 

The futility of work for a soul without God.

Ecclesiastes 1:8  All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. 

The Preacher returns to the futility of work without knowing God. Everything requires labor. The need to do work never stops. Think about your lawn. 

In the spring, we must clean up debris from the winter, like fallen branches, or twigs. 

As the lawn begins growing, it requires mowing all summer, and sometimes into the fall. 

A lawn requires periodic treatments of fertilizers and other soil amendments throughout the year. 

Then, we have fall cleanup where we try to keep up with all the leaves as they fall from our trees. 

This cycle repeats every year and it requires our labor. One can sense that the Preacher felt burdened by the drudgery of life without God. 

The eye sees much, but wishes to see more. The ear hears of many things, but is curious to have actual knowledge of them. So desire and curiosity carry men, through all the labors and pains of life.

There is truly nothing new under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:9-10  The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10)  Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us. 

"The thing that hath been is that which shall be" is simply reminding us that no new sources of good or happiness will emerge. 

In product categories like transportation, we may invent new ways of travel, but they still do the same job that they have done since man first invented them. They move people and materials from point A to point B. 

We may take pride in our technology, but the fact remains, that the ancient cultures made very advanced and precise calculations. 

They completed many immense monumental structures requiring a working knowledge of advance math and geometry. 

The ancients had an accurate and advance knowledge of solar movements, such that they could predict a solar eclipse or the arrival of a comet.  

Thus there is nothing new under the sun. In modern vernacular, we might say it is the same old, same old. 

The Preacher laments the fact that when someone says, "See, this is new!" it has already happened in the past. 

Our own accomplishments will fade away.

Ecclesiastes 1:11  There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after. 

The idea here is that older records of transactions, inventions, history, and so on, have been lost. Some people think that they discovered something new, but it was really discovered in a past time. 

The Preacher tells us that the records of our accomplishments will likely suffer the same fate as many ancient records. Succeeding generations won't recall our accomplishments.  

This text is somewhat connected with the idiom of "Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it." Look around, because that is what is happening in the world today. 

Young people, in their rush to embrace communism, have forgotten how many millions of people were brutally murdered by Communists, when they took over Russia, Cuba, China and other places. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

King Solomon, the Preacher, is showing us the futility of trying to live your life without God. 

Without our knowing God, life is hopeless.

Without a relationship with God, life just seems empty.

Without God, men seek satisfaction in relationships, but those relationships do not satisfy, because we need God in our heart.

Without God, men devote themselves to pleasure seeking, thinking that this is all there is to this life. 

So, while the picture painted by the Preacher is indeed, a solemn one, there is hope.

God will be found by all who earnestly seek Him. God will save all who repent of their sins and call upon Him.

My prayer is that anyone who is not born again, and who does not know the Lord Jesus Christ, that they will make this day the day of their salvation.

Jesus said we must be born again and the new birth brings a new life, one that is vibrant, purposeful and filled with God's glory.

Call upon the Lord today. He will save you. 

Romans 10:8-13  But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9)  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10)  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11)  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12)  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13)  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

The longing in your heart for something to satisfy, is really a longing for God. 

Let us early each day seek God in His word and in prayer. Let us long for Him as much as anything else in life we might crave. He will satisfy that deep longing.

Bob