With Eternity In Our Heart

Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

King Solomon has set out in the first 2 chapters to find anything “under the sun”.....which would mean this life, the human existence on earth.........He starts off this sermon/dissertation/letter by announcing........Vanity of vanities; all is vanity............what does the man profit from all his labors that is done upon the earth, for the earthly?

Ecclesiastes 1:14-18......

First of all, let’s deal with the word vanity......(hebel)............ “meaningless or useless or emptiness”

Either one of them fit in the context of what Solomon is stating here.

Now to understand this a bit better, Solomon was given the wisdom of God.....in 1 Kings 3:5 “In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.”

1 Kings 3:9–12 “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.”

“There is none like Solomon before or after........that has a wise and understanding heart.....essence, inward person..........

So, this is the man that is writing this and had set out to find the meaning of this life......set out to find the value of earthly things!

Verse 14 seems to continue the verse 2 and 3 exclamation.....everything done on earth is meaningless and striving after the wind.

That which is crooked or lacking........No matter how he or she searches, the intellectual cannot answer some fundamental questions of life. The implication behind this is that God’s ways are impossible to understand.......

This referring to God’s ways and thoughts are impossible to know fully.

In his search, Solomon, found grief and sorrow.........

He goes on to look into a few areas of human living.......and the summation is always, that all was vanity and vexation of spirit.........empty and striving after the wind!

So, what is the conclusion of this, this man given God’s wisdom and discernment, what did he conclude.......Chapter 3 Solomon speaks that there are times appointed for different things and each one has their own purpose............

One writer wrote: “God appoints “times”. Earthly pursuits are good in their proper place and time, but unprofitable when pursued as the chief goal.”

Verses 1-8............

As Solomon goes through this list.....it is a contrast between the good of the world and the sorrow and grief of the world....both seem to come........

Verse 9-10 seems to say........Earthly pursuits were never intended by God to be our chief good......

God has made everything “beautiful” which actually means appropriate or proper....which would is beautiful if God is purposing it......if you say this about every time appointed by God, everything for His purpose is beautiful!

We might not understand now, but we will!

The word “world” in the KJV is translated as eternity........

I have read about this “eternity” and the meaning of it in this verse.......There is one thought that if we place this world in the view of eternal, we will be in despair, it will be vanity and striving after the wind.

There is one thinking of this that there is no way we can get the eternal nature out of our view......most folks want eternity down here.....but there was a time that we lived in an eternal nature with God, but we have fell from that and nothing in the “post-fall world” will ever bring us satisfaction!

Then all of these appointed times have eternity in mind........the design is to drive us to eternity with God.......

The heart or the conclusion of this, is to embrace the appointed times, with eternity in mind....mainly God the Father through His Son Jesus!

Whatever God does is forever, nothing can be added to it or taken from God’s purposes....

The idea or thought that we can alter that, is absurd and untrue..........Humans are far from the nature of God......far from the divine nature of God......any nature of God for that matter........

What is the answer then? All of humanity should fear God, reverence is the rightful response to all of this........

Psalm 64:9 “And all men shall fear, And shall declare the work of God; For they shall wisely consider of his doing.”

Isaiah 59:18–19 “According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, Fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; To the islands he will repay recompence. So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, And his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.”

Revelation 15:4 “Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.”

In comparison to the eternal life, let’s call it “the real life” our life is nothing.....James 4:13–14 “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

In the vapor that it is and with eternity in mind, the only response to life.....take what you are given respond to it by faith, enjoy what can be enjoyed, grow in the times that make us grow!

When things are difficult it is hard to look deal with, but with the right reverence of God (meaning God in His rightful place in your heart and mind) you will be able to endure knowing that the value of this life, is what it does for us eternally............For us now, that could only be Jesus Christ!

My conclusion then is in one of my favorite chapters Colossians 3:1-17.......