Life's Mysteries - Meaning of Life - Ecclesiastes 1:1-11; 12:13-14 - January 3, 2010

Bible Studies - Life’s Mysteries – Wrestling with the Meaning of Life – January 3, 2010

This begins a new series of study entitled “Wrestling with Life’s Mysteries.”

Our scripture is Ecclesiastes 1:1-11; 12:13-14.

We will be in the book of Ecclesiastes for the next five (5) weeks. Through these studies GOD will reveal the wisdom believers need to live for HIM in a world filled with the many mysteries of life.

Most Bible scholars believe that King Solomon was the author of Ecclesiastes. The author identified himself in verse 1 as “1 The words of the Teacher,[1] Or of Qoheleth, or of the Leader of the Assembly son of David, king in Jerusalem.” The Hebrew word for “teacher” refers to someone who taught on a regular basis in the assembly of a church or court. The Greek word “ekklesia” referred to an assembly and was applied to the church. It is believed that Solomon had so many people seeking his wisdom that he regularly instructed them where a number of people could assemble. Some people came seeking his wisdom and others were there to hear his wisdom spoken.

It is fitting that our study of Ecclesiastes, where we will ponder the mysteries of life, begins our new year. This study comes at the close of a year of study where we have pondered our spiritual foundation and relationship with CHRIST.

Solomon was the son of King David and Bathsheba. He was about twenty (20) years old when he was crowned king. He ruled Israel for forty (40) years from 970 B.C. to 931 B.C. At the end of his rule, he was ruling 50,000 square miles of territory. In 1 Kings 11:1-6 the number of King Solomon’s wives and concubines is revealed, which led to his downfall:

Solomon’s Unfaithfulness to God
1 King Solomon loved many foreign women in addition to Pharaoh’s daughter: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women 2 from the nations that the Lord had told the Israelites about, “Do not intermarry with them, and they must not intermarry with you, because they will turn you away [from Me]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. to their gods.”[1] Dt 7:3–4 Solomon was deeply attached to these women and loved [them]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. . 3 He had 700 wives who were princesses and 300 concubines, and they turned his heart away [from the Lord]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. .[2] Dt 17:17 4 When Solomon was old, his wives seduced him [to follow]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. other gods. His heart was not completely with the Lord his God, as his father David’s heart had been.[3] 1 Ch 29:19 5 Solomon followed • Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and • Milcom, the detestable idol of the Ammonites. 6 Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, and unlike his father David, he did not completely follow the Lord.

The wisest man to ever live allowed his flesh to compromise his relationship with GOD.

King Solomon had it all – wealth, fame, wisdom, did whatever he wanted to do, created whatever his heart desired, and the list goes on. He tried it all – He married hundreds of women for political reasons and in addition he had hundreds of concubines. GOD gave Solomon the gift of wisdom but he did not use it the way GOD intended. GOD allowed him to try all that the world had to offer only to find that the only thing in life that brings lasting joy and peace is obediently serving GOD. Solomon learned this valuable lesson late in his life. GOD’S intent is for all people to learn from the life of Solomon and hopefully avoid his mistakes.

Ambition is good and part of GOD’S plan for HIS children but they must seek to obediently serve HIM and not to lose their perspective. It is all about having the right relationship with GOD through CHRIST and maintaining that relationship on a daily basis regardless of our vocation.

It is easy for any believer’s head to be turned away from GOD toward other things because that is the nature of the flesh. Our flesh wants to rule and be satisfied. Satan knows our weakness and he will make sure that temptation will cross our path. Anything to prevent us from obediently serving GOD.

JESUS has a very clear message to all believers in Matthew 6:33 - 33 But seek first the kingdom of God[17] Other mss omit of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

It is vital that believers seek the relationship with GOD through CHRIST to find true fulfillment in life. Just as CHRIST came to serve, believers are to serve as well. GOD calls believers to be plumbers, physicians, attorneys, auto mechanics, day laborers, policemen, government employees, military personnel, pilots, house wives, mothers, dads, preachers, missionaries, teachers, nurses, nursery workers and the list goes on. Believers are the happiest when they know they are serving GOD where HE wants them to serve. Obediently serving the LORD does not means things will always go smooth or without problems.

Our studies for the month:

January 3 – Ecclesiastes 1:1-11; 12:13-14 – Life’s meaning begins and ends with GOD.

January 10 – Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 – Time is a gift from GOD. Believers must discern, with GOD’S help, the right time for the right action.

January 17 – Ecclesiastes 3:16-17; 4:1; 8:2-13 – Believers are to be agents of hope and justice in their communities and in the world.

January 24 – Ecclesiastes 2:4-8; 5:10-16 – We must invest ourselves in what is truly valuable.

January 31 – Ecclesiastes 2:18-26; 5:18-20 – Work is a gift from GOD in which we can and should rejoice.

Let’s read Ecclesiastes 1:1-7:

Everything is Futile
1 The words of the Teacher,[1] Or of Qoheleth, or of the Leader of the Assembly son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 “Absolute futility,” says the Teacher. “Absolute futility. Everything is futile.” 3 What does a man gain for all his efforts he labors at under the sun? 4 A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. 5 The sun rises and the sun sets; panting, [it returns]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. to its place[2] Ps 19:6 where it rises. 6 Gusting to the south, turning to the north, turning, turning, goes the wind, and the wind returns in its cycles. 7 All the streams flow to the sea, yet the sea is never full. The streams are flowing to the place, and they flow there again.

As we read this scripture, you get the idea that Solomon had turned into a bitter, cynical person. He was frustrated with just living life. When we look at his conclusion, in chapter 12, we know that his frustration came from realizing that all his accomplishments were meaningless. HE came to the realization that real purpose and fulfillment in life comes from obediently serving GOD. It dawned on him that he got caught up in his self importance, self promotion and doing his own thing and missed the real lasting joy of serving GOD.

Every human has but one life to live. What a shame to get to the end of life and realize that you have wasted so many years investing in things that are meaningless.

A teacher, broadly speaking, is one who speaks from a source of knowledge and experience. In essence, Solomon was saying “I am immanently qualified to speak on the subject of life because I have done it all and experienced it all. Everything the world has to offer is absolutely futile.” Futile means “meaningless”, “breath” or “vapor.” “When all is said and done life is meaningless, monotonous, and repetitious. All that I thought would bring me lasting enjoyment is like vapor it is of no value, compared to being obedient to GOD.”

Then Solomon cites several examples of the monotony of life and nature.

Generations come and go but people are not remembered. The sun rises and sets only to do it again the next day. The wind blows and it will do it again the next day. The waters of earth flow into the sea but the sea never overflows. Nothing makes a lasting impact whether it is your life or nature. Man is perplexed by endless cycles. GOD is in control of the cycles of life and of nature and HE alone knows their purpose. All cycles have a purpose whether or not they are seen by man. The fact that he had come to this realization had a purpose. It warns others not to waste their time following the desires of their flesh. Devote yourself to GOD and obediently follow HIM.

History repeats itself. Just as the cycles of nature repeat, nothing changes. Humans never seem to learn from one generation to another. They repeat the same mistakes and errors. What one generation of people has learned does not carry over to the next generation to help them avoid repeating the same errors. They do not build upon what was learned from each preceding generation. In time, mankind repeats the same mistakes just as we have experienced with our economy. In the 30’s we had a great depression. So here we are again on the verge of another depression. We have wars and rumors of wars. History repeats itself. Nothing is new regarding social skills. Technology seems to carryover from one generation to another and build upon itself.

Let’s read Ecclesiastes 1:8-11:

8 All things[3] Or words are wearisome; man is unable to speak. The eye is not satisfied by seeing or the ear filled with hearing. 9 What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Can one say about anything, “Look, this is new”? It has already existed in the ages before us. 11 There is no memory of those who[4] Or of the things that came before; and of those who[5] Or of the things that will come after there will also be no memory among those who follow [them]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. .

Human nature is to conquer and achieve. When a person accomplishes the things he/she has dreamed of it never satisfies him/her. He/she always wants more. There is always more to see and to hear. The eyes or ears never get full of seeing or hearing. There is always the need for more. Nothing brings delight, there is no endpoint and because there is no endpoint people are in such despair, they are unable to speak.

When he mentioned the phrase "under the sun" he was speaking of human activity.

The teacher concludes nothing is new - there is birth, life, disease, death, gathering food, cooking the food, happiness and sorrow and the list goes on. It has all been done before. When I read these verses my mind immediately went to all the new things I have seen in my life time, certainly the routine of life. We all have to have food, clothing and shelter. I thought, “Are they really new or just better ways to accomplish the same things easier and quicker?” People have always needed to get from one place to another - transportation. They walked, rode on animals, made carts, wagons, ships, automobiles, trains and airplanes, all to get people from point A to point B. People have always washed clothes. In the early periods of time they beat their clothes on rocks and washed them in streams and communicated. Today, we use washing machines and driers to give people more time. Instead of meeting at streams to wash clothes and communicate, we use telephones, cell phones, computers, mail and social gatherings. People have discovered better ways to accomplish the mundane things in life. But does that satisfy them? No. We want more, bigger and better stuff which we think will bring us happiness. But happiness soon fades because we want more new things. That is why manufacturers constantly come out with new and improved products. Where can we find complete satisfaction? It is not in things. Don’t take this wrong. I like new things, especially new technology which improves life. The point being, if this is all we live for, it is meaningless unless we use our time to obediently serve our LORD as HE directs our lives.

The teacher raised the question of who will remember us after we are gone. Most people live and die with just a few people knowing they ever existed. People attempt to be remembered by building structures which bear their name or other ways. The point being, which is more important to be remembered by people or to be obedient to GOD?

The question is, when we face GOD for judgment, what will be the most important accomplishment we need to satisfy HIM? I will give you a clue it. It will not be about our personal accomplishments but our obedience in serving HIM. The most important is accepting CHRIST as our SAVIOR. The next step after salvation is to make HIM the LORD of our lives. This is a commitment to get to know HIM and puts us on the path to build and maintain the right relationship with HIM. When we build a relationship with anyone, we get to really know them and spend time with them. A relationship grows and matures by doing things together.

The Apostle Paul gave us insight into GOD’S plan for those who obediently serve HIM. It is a composite of Isaiah 52:15 and 64:4 and Paul gives it in 1 Corinthians 2:9.
1 Cor. 2:9:

9 But as it is written: What no eye has seen and no ear has heard, and what has never come into a man’s heart, is what God has prepared for those who love Him.[4] Isaiah 52:15; 64:4

No one, including Christians, has seen, or heard or even thought about what GOD has prepared for those who love HIM. This was what Solomon was seeing as the real value to life. It was one’s relationship with GOD. As we know today, CHRIST provides the way for all who believe in HIM to GOD. Let’s skip to the end of Ecclesiastes to see Solomon’s conclusion.

Let’s read Ecclesiastes 12:13-14:

13 When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is: • fear God[6] Ec 3:14; 5:7; 7:18; 8:12–13 and keep His commands, because this [is for]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. all humanity. 14 For God will bring every act to judgment,[7] Ec 3:17; 11:9 including every hidden thing, whether good or evil.

Solomon gives us insight to his conclusion regarding the matters of life. The bottom line for all humanity is for people to reverently respect (fear) GOD and obey HIS commands. GOD gave the Ten Commandments to mankind to give them guidelines for living in a society and living with other societies. If all people and nations obeyed the Ten Commandments, we would have a peaceful world. I am not saying if everyone obeyed the Ten Commandments they would be saved. Salvation is a separate matter but connected. Connected because the Ten Commandments are guidelines which reveal how difficult to impossible it is for each person to obey. When a person tries to obey them he/she may keep the letter of the law but they cannot keep the spirit of the law which CHRIST brought to our attention. HE said, if you hate a person it was the same as murder or if you lust after a woman, it was the same as adultery. The natural response is, “That is impossible!” That is the correct conclusion.

It is impossible for all humans to keep the spirit of the law. That is why they need CHRIST. GOD tells us in Isaiah 64:6 that the very best in us is like filthy rags. It is impossible for any human to become righteous enough to be acceptable to GOD through his/her own effort. That is why HE sent HIS SON to die for all who will accept HIM as their SAVIOR and LORD. GOD’S plan is for all believers in CHRIST to be made righteous through the passion of CHRIST.

Isaiah 64:6: (Human effort is not acceptable to GOD)

6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (KJV)

2 Corinthians 5:21: (The reason CHRIST came to earth.)

21 He (GOD) made the One (CHRIST) who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we (believers) might become the righteousness of God in Him.
In Luke 12:16-21, JESUS puts life into perspective:
16 Then He told them a parable: “A rich man’s land was very productive. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What should I do, since I don’t have anywhere to store my crops? 18 I will do this,’ he said. ‘I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. 19 Then I’ll say to myself, “You[5] Lit say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.” ’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your • life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’ 21 “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

The bottom line is that every human will die and stand before GOD to be judged. The Good News of being a Christian was spoken by JESUS in John 5:24:

24 “I assure you: Anyone who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.

Do you want a sure thing? Then accept CHRIST as your SAVIOR.

There is no better way to begin this New Year than asking CHRIST to forgive you of your sins and to come into your life. If you do, I would like to know.

Blessings to all.