What's the Use?

Be Satisfied Chapter One: Is Life Worth Living? (Ecclesiastes 1:1–3)

The Jewish writer Sholom Aleichem once described life as “a blister on top of a tumor, and a boil on top of that.”

The Jewish writer Sholom Aleichem once described life as “a blister on top of a tumor, and a boil on top of that.”

Be Satisfied Chapter One: Is Life Worth Living? (Ecclesiastes 1:1–3)

The Jewish writer Sholom Aleichem once described life as “a blister on top of a tumor, and a boil on top of that.” You can almost feel that definition!

Another quote by someone most of us have heard about, Carl Sandburg says that “life is like an onion—you peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep.”

Another famous playwright George Bernard Shaw suggested that life was “a series of inspired follies.”

Well, those are not exactly Hallmark cards for encouragement. In fact, some of us may want to go back to bed and pull the covers over our heads until we hear something better.

How about this?

John 10:10 NASB95

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Or how about?

1 Corinthians 15:58 NASB95

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

Words from Jesus and Paul are definitely more along the lines of what we want to hear. So, why is your pastor doing a sermon series from the book of Ecclesiastes? For one thing, I’ve never done it before out of basic fear. But more importantly, I wanted to tackle this book along with all of you so that we don’t ignore an often overlooked book which the Spirit of God chose to give us. Therefore, it must have some important teachings for us. I like what Warren Wiersbe says in his devotional guide on Ecclesiastes: “Life is not in vain if it is lived according to the will of God, and that is what Solomon teaches in this neglected and often misunderstood book.”

Though this is introductory, I want us to keep the following thought as a continual focus. We must remember to carefully listen to God’s instruction and faithfully and obediently serve Him.

Background

This book is often overlooked and avoided because of many reasons. One of the most obvious is that there are a lot of things which the author shares that we know are not teaching by God. However, they are observations made by the author and seem to carry the weight of truth because he has observed them.

There is also no specific author mentioned. Yet, the evidence and descriptions and experiences seem to be none other than King Solomon. This is seen in such things as how he refers to himself as “son of David” and “king in Jerusalem.” In addition, he speaks of having great wealth and wisdom that is unsurpassed. In essence, this book is Solomon’s autobiography, which explains a lot about all the personal pronouns throughout.

We recall that Solomon started his rule quite well as a very humble servant of our Lord. However, if you have read I Kings, it becomes obvious that as a result of disobeying God’s Word, he married multiple wives from various nations who in turn caused Solomon to turn away from God and worship or encourage worship of many false gods. He made agreements with foreign nations and sealed it by marrying these women. As a result, we also read in that God took away the blessings which God would have provided. It was so bad that after Solomon died, the nation was no longer united, but was split in two.

This book appears to be what would be written as a summary of life. Even though we don’t really know if Solomon ever really understood the need to repent of his wrongdoing from 1 Kings, we get the feeling in Ecclesiastes from some of his summary statements that he very well may have done so. In fact, the first part of this book states that it is written from the perspective of a Preacher. It is as if, Solomon, as the official speaker call for the people to gather around so he can share some very important information. The Greek word for such a gathering is “ekklesia,” thus giving us the title of the book as Ecclesiastes.

But the Hebrew form of the word, Koheleth, suggests that this was going to be like a debate. It would not be with the listeners, but rather himself. Nothing like having an argument with yourself. The format is that a topic would be presented, then it would be discussed and evaluated from various angles, and finally a conclusion would be given.

Purpose

This sermon series will be a bit different in that I’m taking a whole message to give you information so that we might understand Ecclesiastes better. In fact, I would like to challenge each of you to read through the entire book 2 or 3 times in the next couple of weeks with some of this understanding.

One way in which to understand a book of the Bible better is to look at the background like we just did. Another thing which is helpful is if we take some time to look at some key words. You can actually gain a lot of insight with a pencil and paper and jot down the words or phrases which either jump out at you or are simply repeated several times. So let’s take a look at some of them.

derstand a book of the Bible better is to look at the background like we just did. Another thing which is helpful is if we take some time to look at some key words. You can actually gain a lot of insight with a pencil and paper and jot down the words or phrases which either jump out at you or are simply repeated several times. So let’s take a look at some of them.

Vanity of Vanities. This phrase is used 38 times in this short book. It’s actually one Hebrew word hevel which means emptiness, futility, or vapor. The idea is that anything which disappears suddenly with nothing left behind or something which does not satisfy is hevel. A professor stated that it is like whatever is left after you break a soap bubble. Think about all that Solomon had—various buildings and structures, wisdom, wealth, etc. He considered it all hevel. Lest you think that is his final thought on the matter, you’ll have to come back for future messages and hear more.

Under the sun. This phrase is used 29 times in Ecclesiastes and is often paired with the phrase under heaven. This helps us to understand a bit better the perspective of the author. If a person does not understand this phrase, it is quite easy to misunderstand the entirety of this book.

We all understand that all of the Bible is inspired by the Spirit of God. However, the author was allowed the freedom here to write from his point of view and more as a reporter and explorer of life. Solomon was blessed with wisdom and he tries to make sense of everything using his own wisdom and not necessarily God’s, as we observed with some of the choices which were made. This is the picture of someone living outside of the thought of spiritual reality.

G. Campbell Morgan explains this even better: “This man had been living through all these experiences under the sun, concerned with nothing above the sun … until there came a moment in which he had seen the whole of life. And there was something over the sun. It is only as a man takes account of that which is over the sun as well as that which is under the sun that things under the sun are seen in their true light”

“This man had been living through all these experiences under the sun, concerned with nothing above the sun … until there came a moment in which he had seen the whole of life. And there was something over the sun. It is only as a man takes account of that which is over the sun as well as that which is under the sun that things under the sun are seen in their true light”

The next word is profit. The Hebrew word is yitron and is used 10 times in Ecclesiastes and is not found anywhere else in the Old Testament. It carries the idea of that which is left over, surplus, advantage, gain. In the context of this writing, it fits in with the question we might ask, What’s in it for me? I hear it with the singer Peggy Lee who sang the quite depressing song which contained the words Is that all there is, my friend? Then let’s keep . . . That storehouse of cyber knowledge, Wikipedia, explains the lyrics like this: written from the point of view of a person who is disillusioned with events in life that are supposedly unique experiences. The singer tells of witnessing her family's house on fire when she was a little girl, seeing the circus, and falling in love for the first time. After each recital she expresses her disappointment in the experience. She suggests that we "break out the booze and have a ball—if that's all there is," instead of worrying about life. She explains that she'll never kill herself either because she knows that death will be a disappointment as well. The verses of the song are spoken, rather than sung. Only the refrain of the song is sung. Solomon is wondering if life is really worth it.

Labor or amal, is used 23 different times in this book. It carries an idea of incredibly, exhausting toil with no fulfillment in the activity. It’s almost like the old HeeHaw quartet that used to sing: Gloom, Despair, and utter Agony. Deep, dark depression, excessive misery. If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all. Gloom, despair, and agony on me. No matter how hard you work, it seems as if life is no better than a gerbil running on his wheel. Remember, this is from an earthly perspective, not from a heavenly one.

Man or adam is used 49 times. In the context, little to no thought is given to the fact that man is made in God’s image. The focus is the earth-substance and earth-bound adam. This refers to the natural man without any thought of God’s grace.

Evil is used 31 times and is translated various ways in Ecclesiastes. It is never good and is exactly the opposite of good. This seems to be a word of choice for our King Solomon as to how he perceives life on this planet. It covers ideas like pain, sorrow, difficult times, distress, anxiousness, etc.

Joy is a word we probably wouldn’t expect to see in this list. The fascinating thing is that Solomon does not encourage us to pursue a lifestyle like Ebenezer Scrooge, who seemed to be full of pessimism and was a complete skeptic. In fact, Solomon actually uses the word Joy 17 times as he encourages us to accept the gifts which God provides and take pleasure and joy in them. Wiersbe suggests: Instead, he advises us to trust God and enjoy what we do have rather than complain about what we don’t have. Life is short and life is difficult, so make the most of it while you can.

Instead, he advises us to trust God and enjoy what we do have rather than complain about what we don’t have. Life is short and life is difficult, so make the most of it while you can.

Wisdom is used at least 54 times. It only seems fitting since it fits with being one of the wisdom books. We also recall that there has never been a man so wise as Solomon, as he was blessed to be so by God.

God is mentioned 40 times. Interestingly, the Hebrew word used is Elohim and never once Jehovah. In our Bibles, we can differentiate by the fact that Elohim is translated God. Whereas, Jehovah is translated LORD. Elohim refers to the Mighty God Who is the God of creation and is sovereign over all. Jehovah refers to the God of the covenant and is eternal, with no beginning nor end, yet reveals Himself to sinful man. This makes sense since Solomon is focusing on that which is under the sun and is not focusing on eternal relationship.

Practicality

For many of us, this book seems a little impractical and a lot problematic. One might legitimately wonder as to the relevance to our current time period. But I would submit to you that this book is quite relevant for today, as much as it was when it was written. If nothing else, because we find it in our Bibles and we’re told that the Word of God is alive and beneficial for all of life.

So what does Solomon have to say to us 2,000 years after Christ from a book written a thousand years before Christ’s birth? Are there similar things from Solomon’s time that we can find today?

How about injustice being done to those who don’t have the financial means to protect themselves? How about crooked or incompetent leaders and politicians? Do we see guilty individuals being kept free or set free who just keep on committing crimes? Surely, nobody shows any greed or hunger for materialism. You name the subject and there is conversation longing for the way it used to be. Yes, I would think this book is very practical for our time.

Conclusion

One of the things we need to remember is that God did not cause Solomon to turn away from Him for the purpose of writing Ecclesiastes. There is another form of inspiration in all of this, in that King Solomon was guided by God throughout his life. But, like so many of us, he didn’t always obey. However, as we so well know, God can take whatever a person experiences, good or bad, and use them for His glory.

One other thing which I believe we can gather from this book is to find God while you still can. We are mere mortals. Regardless of how important a person might be, they just aren’t! What does that mean?

Friends, if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior, then you don’t want to delay any longer. This book clearly shows that regardless of how much money or property you have, how many degrees you have attached to your name, whatever your social status might be; without God, it is all wasted and empty. Everything that can be accomplished and had on this earth is meaningless if you do not belong to God through Jesus Christ.

You can have it all and still have nothing if you don’t have Jesus. However, if you belong to Jesus, you have everything. Just as the animated movie UP states in the one line: Adventure is out there. You’ll never be bored with Jesus. You’ll always be discovering new things about God and what He wants to do in your life. You won’t need to have the wisdom of Solomon, for you’ll have the wisdom of God when you ask for it.

We’ve heard the phrase that Death and taxes are a sure thing. I’m convinced that death is the only sure thing that chases after everyone, as we’ll see in this book. Yet, we know that for the follower of Jesus, death has been defeated and we can live in the power of the resurrection. Therefore, whatever we do for God is not meaningless.

For those of us who have already made that decision to follow Jesus and accepted His free gift of salvation, there is a lesson for us as well. Are we pursuing first His kingdom and His righteousness? Are we spending our energy for ourselves or for God?

When you start living for the world instead of for the will of God, you begin to look at life from the wrong perspective: “under the sun” and not “above the sun.” Instead of seeking those things which are above (), you start majoring on the things that are below. This wrong vision soon causes you to adopt wrong values and you stop living for the eternal. The result is disappointment and defeat; the only remedy is repentance and confession of sin

Solomon had lost perspective as he took his eyes off God. He was living for himself. Christian, keep your eyes focused on Jesus and the prize which is in Christ. Warren Wiersbe states: When you start living for the world instead of for the will of God, you begin to look at life from the wrong perspective: “under the sun” and not “above the sun.” Instead of seeking those things which are above (), you start majoring on the things that are below. This wrong vision soon causes you to adopt wrong values and you stop living for the eternal. The result is disappointment and defeat; the only remedy is repentance and confession of sin.

The important thing for us to do is to remember to carefully listen to God’s instruction and faithfully and obediently serve Him. That makes life so enjoyable and no longer discouraging.