Living in a "Meaningless" World

IS THIS ALL YOU ARE LIVING FOR?

You are born...

• replacing the generation that came before you...

And you live...

• only to face a world of constant repetition - an endless cycle...
   
• never able to get enough of anything to fully satisfy - you think you're almost there, and then you have to start over...
   
• filled with constant weariness, no lasting accomplishments, and nothing new to look forward to...

And then you die...

• only to be forgotten... just as you forgot those who came before you...

Is this all you are living for? What good is it?

DOESN'T GOD OFFER SOMETHING BETTER?   YES!

In the book of Ecclesiastes, we discover that nothing in this life has lasting meaning. If this "life under the sun" is all you live for, then you are the ultimate loser!

But we also learn that there is meaning, if we find our meaning in God. The ultimate conclusion of all this is found in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14:

This is the final conclusion after all has been heard: Fear God, and do what he says - this is all that each of us must do. ^[14] For God will judge everything - even what we do in secret - whether it be good or evil.

If this is what you live for, then your life will have meaning, both now and forever!

GO FOR THE LIFE THAT HAS MEANING!

The message of Ecclesiastes is the same as what Jesus taught. "What advantage is it, for a person to gain the whole world, and then lose his soul?" (Mark 8:36) Ultimately, we must look beyond this world "under the sun," to the values of God's kingdom. When God's kingdom becomes our focus, and God's Word becomes our foundation - in other words, when we become genuine followers of Jesus - everything in life takes on a new meaning. We can do the activities of this present life, but we will do them with a different purpose - for there is a Day of Justice, and a new heaven and new earth to look forward to. As Jesus' followers, we know that the things we do now, in this "meaningless" world, will result in value and meaning that will remain - long past the time this "meaningless" world has crumbled into the dust!

"He who dies with the most toys... DIES; but he who dies with Christ... LIVES!"

Background Issues (for the whole book of Ecclesiastes)

About the book: It's part of the "wisdom" section of the Bible

• Since it is a book of wisdom, why do so many people not accept what it says? (Most people think the book is "cynical," or an expression of "man's wisdom"!)

About the human author: Most likely King Solomon

• Who was King Solomon? Why would he be qualified to write the book of Ecclesiastes (1 Kings 3:5-15)? [Note: Since Solomon's name is not expressly mentioned in the book, some people choose to leave the question of authorship unanswered.]
   
• Whatever our conclusion regarding the human author, the ultimate author is God - and this is why the book is worth our attention.

The importance of context

• Context is very important. If you tear a paragraph (or even a single verse out of its context, you may reach false conclusions.
   
• "What gives us lasting meaning? What is worth living for?" This is the question, the focus of Ecclesiastes. When we read a passage that tells us something is "meaningless," it is within the context of this question that we must understand what it is saying. The thing being described may have value, but not as something that gives ultimate meaning to our lives.

Issues to Think About (in Ecclesiastes 1:1-11)

What does this passage mean by "meaningless"?

• What things can you do, which will have (or give you) lasting meaning, significance or value? Reflect on the difference between the following:

- Meaning or value that is short-lived/temporary

- Meaning or value that is lasting/permanent

In the long run, only what lasts will have lasting meaning!

•  When you die, what do you think people will write in your obituary? Even if they write only good things about you, will it matter, in the long run? (Will anyone care, a hundred years from now?)

- If a nice-sounding obituary is all that you are living for, what good is it? (Little or none, in the long run!)

- In contrast, what if you change your focus to things beyond the point of death - to the Day of Justice and beyond - what good is it? (Quite a lot!)

What does this passage mean by "nothing new"??

• If we have difficulty with this concept of "nothing new," perhaps the issue has to do with the way we are defining that phrase. Think about the following:

1) Could this "nothing new" be referring to "new" inventions or products people make? (Not very likely!)

- People have always been inventing and making things. The human author would have been smart enough to know it, so he wouldn't have been referring to that!

- Even though this is probably not what the author was referring to, there is a sense in which we could say that new inventions are not new. After all, in many respects, they are nothing more than new ways to do the same types of old things as have been done since the beginning of time! Although the techniques may change, what they are trying to accomplish doesn't. (For example, cars are just another form of transportation; computers are just another form of communication; etc.)

 2) Could this "nothing new" be referring to world conditions, conflicts between right and wrong, human nature, the types of things people live for, values, etc.? (This view is much more realistic.)

• Since God is the ultimate author, we should let the book of Ecclesiastes itself, define what it means by "nothing new." The very issues mentioned in the book will show us what is meant!

Dennis Hinks © 2005 (Scripture = my translation.)
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