When Life Seems Meaningless
Notes
Transcript
Ecclesiastes 1
Pastor Allistair Begg had a great insight on the book of Ecclesiastes. He said while we often wonder if there is life after death, Ecclesiastes asks the question “Is there life before death?”
Solomon wrote this book in an interesting way.
He is brutally honest: his own thoughts, experiences, sins, & questions.
It is a depressing book at times. It opens by basically saying “Nothing matters”.
It recognizes how difficult life on this earth is.
Why does he write this way?
I think it is to reach an audience that may not normally listen to the Word of God. A lot of what he says the unsaved will agree with. I think his strategy is to say:
You think life stinks?
I agree.
He’s provoking us to thought. He doesn’t sound like the common preacher. But we will see he is ultimately taking us to a place of trust in God, not in skepticism.
1. When life seems meaningless remember you are not alone (1-3).
A. Solomon recognizes there is no profit from life under the sun (3).
“Under the sun” used a lot in this book.
Means- Life on earth. More specifically it refers to life in a fallen and sinful world.
Illustration:
As I was studying I started humming: Under the Sea (Little Mermaid)
Mermaid, Ariel, who wants to be human.
A crab named Sebastian tries to convince her not to go and live on the earth. He sings her a song:
Darling it's better
Down where it's wetter
Take it from me
Up on the shore they work all day
Out in the sun they slave away
While we're devoting full time to floating
Under the sea
Solomon would have agreed with Sebastian! Life under the sun is not easy and not fulfilling.
Solomon says a person works their entire life and at the end they have nothing.
A house they can’t clean.
A yard they can’t mow.
A car they can’t drive.
Money they can’t spend.
If you live long enough everything you worked for will be spent up quickly simply keeping you alive longer.
B. Solomon recognizes the futility of life (2).
“Vanity of vanities” is another phrase used a lot in this book.
The word means a few different things in the book depending on context:
1) Fleeting, passing, like a vapor
2) Impossible to understand
3) Meaningless
He says, “all is vanity”. Everything.
If you can’t keep it, why pursue it?
If you can’t understand it, why study it?
If it doesn’t mean anything, why be concerned with it?
In the Greek translation of the Old Testament the same word translated as “vanity” here is used in Romans 8:20.
Romans 8:20 says because of sin:
the creation was subjected to futility.
Paul goes on to say this:
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
When Paul said because of sin creation was subjected to futility he may have been thinking about what Solomon wrote.
Because of sin life on earth has become extremely difficult. We live in a fallen world and because of that it is difficult to make sense of it.
C. Solomon experienced what few people will ever experience.
His level of wisdom was unparalleled in his day
His level of wealth was unparalleled in his day.
His level of power was unparalleled in his day.
His level of fame was unparalleled in his day.
Smartest, richest, strongest, most popular.
Yet he had what we might call an existential crisis.
What is that?
It’s when you become overwhelmed with questions like:
Why do I exist?
What is my purpose?
Does my life have meaning?
If you find yourself there this old man has some wisdom for you.
Listen to me now: No one knows everything, but older people know more.
Technology may not be their thing
Fashionable clothing may not be their thing
Their taste of music may not be your thing
But they know about life.
Illustration:
Old man telling me “Fish while you can because one day you will want to but won’t be able to.”
That’s wisdom. That comes from experience.
You might look at that old man Solomona and think he don’t know anything.
There was a time he didn’t want to live.
There was a time he questioned everything he believed.
There was a time he wondered why he even existed.
2. When life seems meaningless remember you live in a fallen world (4-11).
A. Sin has stolen our joy.
Because of sin life has become boring.
Specifically for people. In verse 4 he says people die but the earth keeps going on forever. He talks about cycles:
The sun comes up and the sun goes down (5). Everyday we watch it to see if something different happens, but it doesn’t.
The wind blows (6). The sun moves from the east to the west. The wind blows from the North to the South.
The rivers run into the sea (7). Idea of watching the sea to see if it fills up and something happens. But nothing happens!
Life is more like a circle than a path leading somewhere. Things just keep repeating themselves.
Illustration: Joke me and Jennifer every Monday morning: “Well, it’s Monday, let’s do it again.”
B. Sin has made us discontent (8).
Everyone is busy
Everyone is tired
No one is satisfied.
The eye hasn’t seen enough, and the ear hasn’t heard enough.
Give me more!
Another dollar!
Another day!
Another swallow!
No matter how many sunrises you have seen you’d like to see another.
You can try and be satisfied with this world but you never will. Material things cannot satisfy a spiritual need. Our need is spiritual.
Why does the multi millionaire keep working?
Why does the married man find another woman?
C. Sin has greatly limited our capacity to accomplish things (9-11).
Verses 9-10 say the future generations will be like the past generations.
This doesn’t mean technology will not advance. It means humans will essentially keep doing the same thing from generation to generation.
They will be born.
They will grow up.
They will work.
They will have kids.
They will grow old.
They will die.
Whatever you accomplish in your 100 years or less will be so insignificant you will be forgotten. Sure, we remember some people but only because their name is in a textbook.
While a few may be remembered most people and their accomplishments are forgotten.
Celebrities of my day are virtually unknown to the current generation.
Most people can’t name the last three presidents.
We don’t even remember our own family members. Grab an old photo album and ask your kids to identify the people in it.
It can be depressing to think about that. You work your entire life and are forgotten very quickly. Thinking about that could cause a person to be depressed.
You have to remember that life is like this because you live in a world affected by sin.
The Bible says to set your affections on things above the sun, not under it!
Lay up treasures in heaven!
3. When life seems meaningless consider the experiences of a wise man (12-18).
A. There are problems that human wisdom cannot solve (12-14).
Solomon tried (13-14).
He was gifted with great wisdom.
He wanted to know the what, when, why, how and who of everything.
He was no sluggard. He pursued it with his whole heart.
He’s trying to make it easier on us. He is letting us know if he could not find the answer then neither can we.
Illust.
Have you ever lost something? You start searching for something and then others join in. They start to look somewhere you have already looked. You say, “I already looked in there.” They look any way.
That’s what the world is doing to Solomon. He is saying “I already looked in there.”
Look at verse 15. Solomon says there are things we can’t fix.
You can’t straighten a crooked stick.
You can’t solve a math problem if you don’t have some numbers to start with.
B. Indulging in sin will not satisfy you (17).
It seems logical to conclude if a life of wise living doesn’t satisfy us then maybe a life of foolish living will.
Sin will never satisfy you. It will only make you thirstier.
“Vexation of spirit” means “chase after the wind”. To chase after the wind means you are engaging in a useless cause.
You can’t catch the wind.
If you did, you wouldn’t know. How could you see the wind in your hand?
The more you sin the more unsatisfied you will be.
Casting wood into the fire will not satisfy it, but increase it: so it is with seeking to satisfy sin by sinning, it only inflames and increases it.- John Owen
We were not made for sin. We were made for God.
Oh how I miss hearing those testimonies of men and women who were delivered from their sin!
C. God has made the solution to our problems very simple (18).
In much wisdom there is much grief. The more you learn of this world the more confused and depressed you will become.
You can try and find a reason to live apart from God.
Philosophies
False doctrines
Foolish ideas
You can learn them all! You will only be more confused in the end.
I remember a person who claimed to be a Christian telling me once “I’m searching for the truth!”
This person knew the truth but went searching for fulfillment in sin.
This person deserted the faith and lives as a rebel to God.
God has made it simple!
Jesus is the answer- John 3:16
Jesus corrects our understanding of everything in this world.
Life is not meaningless with Him. Christ corrects our understanding:
Purpose in our work!
Purpose in people!
Contentment!
Eternal existence, never forgotten!
The crooked are made straight!
Our knowledge gives us joy!
My friend, you have to believe in something. You have to take something by faith. Take the gospel by faith. Faith in the gospel is what gives life meaning.
Why do you exist? For the glory of God.
What is your purpose in life? To live for His glory and point people to Him.
Do you matter? Look at the cross. If Christ died for you then you must be loved far greater than you can imagine.
Life under the sun is difficult. We look beyond the sun. We look to the heavens where Christ is and where He will return from.