HoHum:
There’s a guy who's looking for the meaning of life, and he goes to India to finds a guru, and he climbs the mountain, and there on the top in his cave, sitting cross-legged, is the guru, and the man says, "I've come from America to ask you the meaning of life." The guru says, "Ah yes, the meaning of life. The meaning of life is a rutabaga." The guy says, "A rutabaga? I came all the way from America to discover the meaning of life, and you tell me it's a rutabaga!" The guru says. "Well maybe it's broccoli?"
WBTU:
Listen to what Shakespeare said in MacBeth about the meaning of life: Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.
There is one book in the Bible that clearly tackles the meaning of life and it is a curious book called Ecclesiastes. Although some dispute this, Solomon wrote this book. Solomon reigned over all of Israel and more from the river of Mesopotamia to Egypt after the death of his father David. The Lord gave Solomon wisdom beyond any other man until Jesus Christ. Solomon engaged in many building projects including the temple. Solomon was rich. Probably he was the world’s first billionaire. Solomon had many wives and these wives eventually lead him astray into worshipping idols. This happened when Solomon was older. Ecclesiastes was written after this. Evidently Solomon repented not long before his death and he writes about his search for the meaning of life. The Bible does not talk about Solomon’s repentance but maybe Ecclesiastes is Solomon giving his testimony after he came back to the Lord. Ecclesiastes literally means the preacher and what better preacher than Solomon to tell us both sides of life, worldly vs. godly. Both Ecclesiastes and much of Proverbs are written from the perspective of an elderly man.
Many complain that this book should not be in the Bible because it is so pessimistic, fatalistic, skeptical, cynical, and materialistic. I like it because it is most realistic book in Bible
No book of the Bible has been so misunderstood, misquoted and misinterpreted. To correctly understand and interpret this book we must look at “The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails--given by one Shepherd.” Ecclesiastes 12:11, NIV.
Goads- Long stick with a pointed end. Used to prod livestock or to control their direction
Nails- long spikes or tent stakes. Driven deeply they would hold something securely.
Explanation and interpretive key to Ecclesiastes:
The goads represent the disturbing reflections of men as they ponder life. These futile and fatalistic thoughts prod man’s conscience. These prodding are painful because it hurts when a person sees the emptiness of their lives.
The nails represent stability, solidness, and an anchor for the soul. The nails are truths that come from God through special revelation, the Bible. God is the one Shepherd.
The goads prick our minds and consciences to find answers for our meaning, purpose and existence. Only the solid facts of God’s revelation provide the stable anchor for the soul.
We must carefully distinguish between “Goad” passages (mankind’s wisdom), and "nail" passages (God speaking.)
The goads show that life without God is a dead end street. The nails of God’s revelation point the way to abundant and everlasting life.
Thesis: To give us a taste of Ecclesiastes we will be talking about select phrases or verses from Ecclesiastes
For instances:
Meaningless (begins in 1:2)
Other translations- vanity, futility, pointless, no purpose, useless, emptiness. Ecclesiastes used this word 40 times.
This smashes overconfident wisdom. We do not have everything figured out.
Even those of us who are Christians, we do not have everything figured out because we are not God. From talking to some Christians, we might get the impression that they know the mind of God better than God himself. The Pharisees were like that. They had a solution for every problem, an example for every situation, an answer for every question. This is why Jesus Christ infuriated them so much is because they could not figure him out.
Ecclesiastes is a John the Baptist kind of book. It functions not as a meal but as a bath. It is not nourishment; it is cleansing. It is repentance. It is purifying. We study Ecclesiastes to get scrubbed clean from illusions and mushiness.
Under the Sun (begins in 1:3)
This phrase is used about 30 times.
The purpose of the book is to expose the insignificance and uselessness of life from only what man observe in this life. The purpose of the book is to make our mouths dry, our stomachs empty, and our hearts hungry for something more to cling to than what is found in our temporary life under the sun- SUN
Life only becomes meaningful under the Son- SON
Enjoyment
Ecclesiastes is sometimes given the label of “cynical” or “pessimistic.” These labels will not stick because there is a theme of enjoyment and cheerfulness. It is mentioned that we should enjoy various things several times in Ecclesiastes. Here is one: “That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil--this is the gift of God.” Ecclesiastes 3:13, NIV.
However, this book does not leave it there. The preacher challenges the naive optimism which assumes that being on God’s side carries with it the comfortable wisdom that faith will solve all difficulties, and countering the gushing expectation that God will always come through for us. God has not promised us rose gardens. “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. ” Ecclesiastes 7:14
The writer of Ecclesiastes ties all of this into the creation account of the Bible. “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth...” Ecclesiastes 12:1, NIV. If we believe that this all came about by chance, the universe and even our own existence, then everything is meaningless. We are given meaning and purpose by our Creator.
God is to be the living center of everything we are and everything we do. If we separate any part of our lives from him, we are left holding an empty bag. Nothing can be good apart from God. No idea, no feeling, no truth, no pleasure is good without God.
End of the matter (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13, NIV.
Some editions of the NT has the Psalms included at the end. It is an appropriate conclusion. The Psalms express gratitude and struggle for honesty in our faith. We find there every human emotion and a large dose of realism. In the same way that the Psalms are an appropriate conclusion, Ecclesiastes is an appropriate introduction. People bring so many mistaken expectations to the gospel that they hardly hear the gospel’s real message or confront the gospel’s actual promise.
Ecclesiastes should clear the air of distractions that drown out the gospel message, freeing persons to simply and directly “fear God.” We must be emptied of all vanity, realize the emptiness of all that the world has to offer, and then we will be responsive to the living God.
Watchman Nee relates a story from one of his experiences as a Christian leader in China. A group of young Christian brothers were gathered together to take a swim in one of the many creeks that run throughout the countryside there. Since most were not good swimmers they were careful to remain close to the banks so as not to get in water over their head.
One of the brothers got out a little too far and begin to struggle in the deep water. Realizing his predicament he began to cry out to his neighbors, who by now were out of the water and drying off. “Help! Save me!” he yelled, all the while thrashing his arms and legs in a futile attempt to keep his head above water.
Brother Nee knew that only one man was experienced enough at swimming to provide some assistance, and he turned to him for help. But strangely enough, the would-be rescuer calmly watched the man’s plight but made no move to save him. “Why don’t you do something?” they all screamed in unison. But the man just stood there apparently unconcerned.
After a few moments the drowning man could stay afloat no more. His arms and legs grew tired and limp and he began to sink underwater. Now the slow-moving lifeguard dove into the creek, and with a few quick strokes reached the victim and pulled him to safety.
Once all was well, Brother Nee was beside himself. “How could you stand by and watch your brother drown, ignoring his cries for help and prolonging his suffering?”
But the man calmly explained. “If I were to jump in immediately and try to save a drowning man, he would clutch me in panic and pull me under with him. In order to be saved, he must come to the end of himself, and cease struggling, cease trying to save himself. Only then can he be helped.”
The spiritual lesson here is hard to miss. Nee concluded, and we also conclude, that just as a drowning man cannot be saved until he stops struggling, so must all who would be saved by Christ. When we come to the end of ourselves, then God is able to rescue us.
