Bible Study - Wisdom (1) - When Life Feels Empty - Ecclesiates 1:1-14 - March 3, 2019

Bible Study – Wisdom (1) – When Life Feels Empty – March 3, 2019


This is lesson one (1) in our series entitled “Finding Meaning: Wisdom from Ecclesiastes.”


Our focus scripture is Ecclesiastes 1:1-14.


Life without CHRIST is meaningless.


Faith in JESUS gives meaning to life.


Ecclesiastes was written by King Solomon, King David’s son. His mother was Bathsheba. For the next six weeks we will study selected scripture from Ecclesiastes. King Solomon ruled 970-931 BC. He was very wise. One of his more memorable displays of wisdom was recorded in 1 Kings 3:16-28:

A Wise Ruling

16 Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.

17 One of them said, “Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was there with me.

18 The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.

19 “During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him.

20 So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast.

21 The next morning, I got up to nurse my son—and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t the son I had borne.”

22 The other woman said, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours.” But the first one insisted, “No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine.” And so, they argued before the king.

23 The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’ ”

24 Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So, they brought a sword for the king.

25 He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”

26 The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!” But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”

27 Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.”

28 When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.

King Solomon was a deep thinker observer. He studied nature and marveled at what he learned.

This lesson may seem dismal but stick with the other lesson because they build to a wonderful conclusion. We will study the problem with:

Pleasure, Wisdom, Work, Wealth and then Full Contentment.


Let’s explore!


Let’s read Ecclesiastes 1:1-7:

Everything is Futile

1 The words of the Teacher, 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] to its place where it rises.

King Solomon considered himself a teacher. “The ‘words’ of the Teacher” means “speech,” “collection of sayings,” “a Chronicle,” or a “written record.” King Solomon, being the son of King David, was well educated. He had come to one decision about life upon earth or “life under the sun,” which he expressed in verses 2 and 3 - 2 "Absolute futility," says the Teacher. "Absolute futility. Everything is futile." Futile carries the idea of “empty.”

3 What does a man gain for all his efforts he labors at under the sun?

These are the words from a man who had it all and he had come to this conclusion. He had a haram, riches, the very best food and the list goes on. The sun rises and sets and pops up the next day. Sounds like being bored with life. Life upon earth was interesting but when you figured it out or reached an end-point what had you really accomplished. Life was empty.

He went from the sun rising and setting and rising again to the wind and other natural cycles as we read on ----

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.

All the streams and river flowing into the ocean does make one wonder why it does not overflow. GOD is amazing how HE created earth and its cycles.

Let’s read Ecclesiastes 1:8-11:

8 All things 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 came before; and of those who will come after there will also be no memory among those who follow [them].

Some cycles of life can be figured out but there are other cycles are still mysteries. There is nothing new. You get bored with pondering what you see and hear. And they are temporary. They fade. It is very tiresome trying to figure all that one sees or hears. It is like laboring very hard, yet it keeps you busy. King Solomon being had plenty of time to ponder the various things of life. We keep doing things over and over. We do not learn from our mistakes and we do not build upon our successes.

Let’s read Ecclesiastes 1:12-14:

The Limitations of Wisdom

12 I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13 I applied my mind to seek and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven. God has given people this miserable task to keep them occupied.

14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.

As a teacher, Solomon, had reigned as king. As King he had the time and resources to let his “mind seek and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven.” He had concluded that GOD had given people that task to keep them occupied. Now that is an interesting thought. Keep humans occupied until when? Did GOD task mankind such that as it searched it would lead it to discover HIM?

King Solomon had concluded which is expressed in verse 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.

What is futile? Simply it is like chasing the wind, it evades you and when you catch it, you discover that you have caught nothing.

The question is, “Why are we alive upon earth?” Is it to idly pass our time until we go into eternity?

This seems to be a dark time in King Solomon’s life. What was his conclusion? That will be the subject of our lessons.

Let’s ponder what we know. Solomon had concluded that life upon earth was futile or empty. When a person has all his heart desires, life can seem meaningless. What is missing? It is our relationship with GOD. What can a wise person, King Solomon, teach us about GOD from his perspective of having everything physically his heart desired?

When a person has achieved everything, he or she gets frustrated. They have built their achievements not upon a solid foundation but upon a fantasy that is a foundation of sand. The person may even live long enough to see his or her achievements be exceeded by others which establishes a new benchmark. People either keep repeating the things that do not work in hopes they will work or keep repeating the same mistakes. They do not build upon the things they know work.

As humans, we realize that life is but a vapor. It appears for a few moments and vanishes. Most people want to leave something behind for them to be remembered but what is the most lasting thing we can pass onto others? Often our achievements leave us empty and often are forgotten by others.

But what is available to fill and satiate every person and lasts for eternity? We will explore this further! Blessings!!!