What is the point?

“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” – Ecclesiastes 1:2

Well, that’s one way to open a book.

I recently studied the book of Ecclesiastes. You have to be in the right headspace to tackle that book, or you can quickly get pulled into the meaningless life you’re living and feel down in the dumps. I’m serious. As I worked through the chapters, more than once I thought to myself – what is the point of including this in the Bible?! The first two chapters of subheadings are all the wonderful things life has to offer – meaningless! But as I worked my way through the book, and began studying commentaries about it – the full picture began to come to light, and I understood exactly why this was included.

It’s debated who wrote the book of Ecclesiastes – I tend to lean toward those who think it was King Solomon, late in his life.

The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem – Ecclesiastes 1:1

Solomon followed David in Jerusalem’s line of monarchs. In 1 Kings 3, the Lord appears to Solomon and tells him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” (v5) Solomon was young when he took over the throne, and he knew that his reign would be difficult, so he asked the Lord “give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.” (v9) The Lord is so pleased that Solomon wasn’t selfish with his request, and promised to make him more wise than anyone that was or would be. But that wasn’t all, he promised to give him what he didn’t ask for – wealth and honor – and if even more if he walked in obedience to God, a long life. That’s a lot of gifting.

Solomon eventually began to lose sight of God’s commands. He ended up with 700 foreign wives of royal birth – including several from nations which the Lord had told the Israelites not to intermarry with. He also had 300 concubines, and his wives led him astray and he worshipped other Gods. He ruled for 40 years and then died – probably not a very long life considering how early he took the throne. And now, we’re full circle to the ramblings of an old man who was given everything a human could desire on earth and still found himself outside of the will of the God who gave it to him…and the book of Ecclesiastes.

I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. – Ecclesiastes 1:14

Remember how I said if you aren’t careful, you can walk away from this book thinking everything in life is meaningless? It’s not untrue…but there is a definite perspective you need to apply to this book to pull the true value out of it. Solomon talks over and over about things done “under the sun.” By this, he means on this earth. The whole book is meant to make clear that your worldly pursuits of things like wealth, pleasure, wisdom, work – it’s all meaningless if it is simply put in the framework of the time you have here on earth.

A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? – Ecclesiastes 2:24-25

Something changes in you when you shift your focus from this earth to God’s kingdom. Everything changes. All of the sudden, the work your doing isn’t about your own accomplishments anymore, but about how you can leverage it to impact God’s kingdom. That person fighting against you isn’t that person anymore, but influenced by the enemy of God’s kingdom. When things don’t go the way you thought they should or planned for, it’s not a personal attack, it’s simply God’s plan differing from your own. You begin to trust the promises of God in a new and different way. You begin to fight battles from a place of peace and authority. You begin to work for eternity instead of the fleeting time you have here on earth. Without God, none of it makes sense – it is, quite succinctly, meaningless.

We can’t control life, people, outcomes – but God can. And a God who is in control certainly sees what you’ve been through as his precious child, and will hold into account the wrongs done against you – in his own time. So, work hard for the Lord. Enjoy the blessings he gives you in this life. Trust him in the trying times. Lean into him, and let your words and actions glorify him. Focus your eyes on the eternal kingdom – because this life on earth is a fleeting moment in the grand scheme of time.

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. – Ecclesiastes 12:13-14