The Problem

Turn to and read Ecclesiastes 1:1-11. Pray.

It is “interesting” to me that Ecclesiastes follows right after the book of Proverbs. King Solomon, the “wisest” man to ever live (aside from Christ), wrote both books but they are at polar opposites. The book of Proverbs is a record of Godly wisdom. The book of Ecclesiastes is a book of human wisdom - humanism.

What are the “great questions” of life?

What is the purpose of life?

Why am I here?

Is there more to life than what I am experiencing?

What is my purpose?

How do I find fulfillment?

How do I find peace, joy, contentment, _____?

Why do I go to work every day?

There is actually a website www.thegreatquestionsoflife.com. I don’t know anything about the website however, on its homepage, they state:

Do you sometimes wonder what life is all about? Why were you born? How you can obtain true happiness? If you have ever asked these questions, then this website is for you! Join us as we explore some of The Great Questions of Life!

People - even Christians - grapple with these questions all of the time. Take, for example, a mid-life crisis.

Wikipedia defines a mid-life crisis as...

a transition of identity and self-confidence that can occur in middle-aged individuals, typically 45–55 years old. The phenomenon is described as a psychological crisis brought about by events that highlight a person's growing age, inevitable mortality, and possibly shortcomings of accomplishments in life. This may produce feelings of intense depression, remorse, and high levels of anxiety, or the desire to achieve youthfulness or make drastic changes to their current lifestyle or feel the wish to change past decisions and events.

Although I don’t know for sure, it may be that some of us in this room tonight have struggled with - maybe even struggling now - with some of these questions. I’ll be the first one to admit that I have struggled with some of these questions.

So, what is the answer to these questions. That’s what we seek to find out in our study of the book of Ecclesiastes. Let’s get started...

Solomon begins by stating...

The Problem

Ecclesiastes 1:2 KJV 1900

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

This verse introduces us to one fo the key words of the book of Ecclesiastes. That word is vanity. The word vanity is used 37 times in 12 chapters.

What does the word vanity mean?

Noah Webster defines vanity as...

Emptiness; want of substance to satisfy desire; uncertainty; inanity.

Fruitless desire or endeavor.

Trifling labor that produces no good.

Emptiness; untruth

Empty pleasure; vain pursuit; idle show; unsubstantial enjoyment.

Allow me to explain it with an illustration. What is in this bag? Nothing. It is empty.

I would like you to look into this bag and find happiness.

I would like you to look into this bag and find peace.

I would like you to look into this bag and find satisfaction & contentment.

I would like you to look into this bag and find purpose.

I would like you to look into this bag and find significance.

Why couldn’t you find those things? Because the bag is empty.

That was the problem which Solomon had. No matter what “bag” he looked in, he couldn’t find what it was that he was looking for. That’s why he wrote, “…all is vanity.”

This problem was so frustrating to Solomon that uses the word 5 times in that one verse!?!?

Have you ever gotten frustrated when you couldn’t find something?

What do you do when you get frustrated with life? When you can’t find purpose? When you can’t find happiness? When you can’t find peace? For some, they just keep looking. For others, it leads them to despair.

If you were to do a Google search for “frustrated with life” the second website that would come up in the results would be the website for the national helpline for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services.

In vs. 4-11, we can continue to sense the despair and frustration in Solomon’s voice.

Vs. 4 - the circle of life

Vs. 5 - the circle of the sun

Vs. 6 - the circle of the wind

Vs. 7 - the circle of the water

Ecclesiastes 1:11 KJV 1900

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.

In other words, “What’s the point!?!?”

The Source of the Problem

Ecclesiastes 1:3 KJV 1900

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

In vs. 2, Solomon states the problem. Then here in vs. 3 we see the source of the problem. It is a problem of perspective. This verse also introduces us to the second key word or, in this case, key phrase, for the book of Ecclesiastes.

Any idea what that key phrase is?

It is the phrase under the sun. The phrases under the sun and under the heaven are used 31 times in the 12 chapters of Ecclesiastes. They are the source of the problem.

As one commentary states, the phrase under the sun means...

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible Chapter 1

in this life, as opposed to the future world

Life Beyond the Sun: An Introduction to Worldview & Philosophy through the Lens of Ecclesiastes 1:1–8

This is a crucial phrase as it provides the scope of Solomon’s indictment: everything under the sun will be shown to be vanity. Thus if there is any profit or advantage for man, he must go beyond the sun. He must not operate from a naturalistic perspective.

Solomon, in the book of Ecclesiastes, seeks to understand things from a human perspective, apart from God. His conclusion? All is vanity.

That was part of Solomon’s problem. In his backslidden condition, his entire perspective was under the sun. He did not look beyond to heaven and the rewards thereof. As far as Solomon was concerned, all there was to life were the struggles of life. He had lost his perspective of the resurrection and the rewards available in heaven. His whole perspective was what was going on under the sun. In this book, he did not look higher.

My question is this:

Is this only a problem for the unsaved?

The world deals with this problem in a very strange way...

The meaning of life is whatever you ascribe it to be.

Author, Patrick Morley, in his book, The Rest of Your Life, stated it this way:

Humanism fails by drawing a circle without God, while syncretism fails by drawing a circle around the God we want instead of the God who is. The Christian circle - which includes the God who is - is the only circle big enough to explain the meaning of things and the purpose of life.

As Christian’s we must be careful that we not attempt to solve this problem by only drawing a circle around the God that we want. In so doing, we are ascribing our own meaning to life, just as the world does.

How do we battle this problem? This “perspective” problem? Our memory verses lay it out very nicely...

Colossians 3:1–4 KJV 1900

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.