A couple weeks ago we finished our study through the book of Ecclesiastes. This book is also apart of the wisdom literature in the Bible. Some quick facts:
Ecclesiastes was not written by Solomon as most think, but about Solomon by a man named Qohelet (meaning "preacher" or "one who calls an assembly" in Hebrew).
This book addresses the fact that acquiring wisdom and knowledge alone can deter your faith and lead to a meaningless life if not first accompanied with the fear and experience of the Lord. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." (Proverbs 9:10)
The book opens up with the words, "Vanity of vanities, says the preacher, Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." This is better translated, "Vapor of vapors" and is the same thing in English as saying... more meaningless than the most meaningless thing...vapor of vapors. From the very beginning the book has a very pessimistic feel to it and some may ask why this book is even in the Bible. Well, I'm a simple, get to the point, kinda guy so I won't go into all the details of this book but rather just give you a quick overview of the point that God is trying to make through the writings of this man.
First of all, the main point of this book is that everything is vapor, meaningless, or here and gone the next without starting with the fear of the Lord as stated in proverbs, and experiencing Him in your life. This word experience is very important and Proverbs 9:10 states it "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the KNOWLEDGE of the Holy One is understanding." The word knowledge means experience. So, not only is the fear of the Lord the beginning of wisdom but also experiencing him in your everyday life. Everything is vapor without first having a relationship with God.
Qohelet starts out basically saying that everything will always be the same, you do not matter, and nothing will ever change so you might as well just get on board..."That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun." He never mentions God at all, and this is exactly the point. This is the mentality that people end up with without having God in the picture.
Qohelet starts out in 1:12 saying that he searched for wisdom....and found it. In our day it would be the same as always searching for knowledge, reading many books, getting a degree, doing the right thing, trying to live a "wise" life, worshiping knowledge instead of God. After Qohelet attained wisdom he proclaims that "this also is just like chasing after the wind." In other words it is meaningless without God.
In chapter 2 he decides that since the attainment of wisdom was found to lead to an empty life, maybe wisdom accompanied with partying will satisfy his restless soul. Qohelet says, "I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom." He then moves on to acquiring material things... building a huge house, planting a big garden area, having all the toys to play with such as a big boat, four-wheelers, vacation home, etc... He says in 2:4-9, "I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. I made myself gardens and orchards...I acquired male and female servants...I also gathered for myself silver and gold...So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem (insert your city here)...Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them." He then comes to the same conclusion after filling his heart with much partying and acquiring all the material things that he desired...in 2:11 he says, "Then I looked on all the works that my hands had dome and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind." This too was found to be vapor and meaningless without a relationship with God.
Throughout the book he continues to pour out his heart and it ends with this in 12:13..."Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandment, for this is man's all." This is reinforcing the same thing that is said in Proverbs 9:10 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." If you are reading this and have experienced all that Qohelet is talking about, I'm sure you too have found that all is "vapor and meaningless"- there is no LASTING joy or satisfaction apart from God.
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