Ecclesiastes: Life under the Sun

“What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:3

Most of us think that time is on our side.

Ecclesiastes reminds us it isn’t. But time isn’t our enemy either. Time is a gift—God’s gift for us to enjoy life’s big and small joys. We’re usually too busy, or distracted, or driven to notice them. But every so often, something slows time down enough to see life for what it really is.

King David’s son, Solomon, had life to excess. Wealth. Achievement. Pleasure. Even time on his hands. What he didn’t have was peace (ironic, since that’s what Solomon—Shalom means.) So he pursued everything he could, looking for life’s ultimate meaning. He recorded his quest in the first ten of the 12 chapters of Ecclesiastes.  

He summarized his conclusion at the start. Life is hevel.  A breath. A breeze. A mist. A puff of smoke. Temporary. Brief. Or as some have translated, vanity.

What do you show for a lifetime of work? Nothing.

One generation comes, one generation goes. We don’t even remember their names.

The sun comes up. The sun goes down. The river flows to the sea.

And he’s right. Life without God at the center is relentless. Meaningless. A puff. Hevel.

But, after his long, depressing look at life under the sun without God, Solomon, “the preacher” turns a corner. In the final two chapters, he finds a beautiful, satisfying answer to his quest.

Life in God is meaningful enough. You don’t have to strive to make your life special. It’s special already.

Too often we don’t discover this until our lives are almost over. Facing death changes us. When we know our time is short, we go from using things to get what we want, to realizing what we want most and it isn’t things.

The wisest way to live is to enjoy God’s gifts today.  Those things right in front of you that make you laugh, or pause in wonder, or weep—this is what gives life meaning. Enjoy every moment.

Enjoy time with your family, with your friends, doing everything under the sun that God welcomes you to do. They are their own reward.  

The people who think life is meaningless just stop too early. Until Jesus Christ is yours, life is relentless. Our common journey to pursue adventure, work, relationships, ambition, pleasure, significance—all come out empty without Jesus. But it all flips when you read his final instructions: “Fear the Lord. Give God the center place of your life. Not only does He deserve it, but nothing works as it should until He’s there. That’s what the man who had it all is telling you. 

It's true—for everything, there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. A time to live and a time to die. But what happens in between—oh, that’s the magic.

Next: The Bible talks about sex?

Fast Facts about Ecclesiastes

In a word: Hevel

In a sentence: King Solomon, as wealthy, wise, and successful as he could be, explores why he feels like life is empty and lacking meaning and concludes that fearing God and being in fellowship with Him is our only hope of a meaningful life.

Where/When did it take place: 940-913 b.c.

Key verse: Here is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey His commands. Ecclesiastes12:13

Key people: Solomon

Read Ecclesiastes like a memoir.

Glimpses of Jesus: 

In Ecclesiastes: Jesus is our satisfaction.

5 familiar verses in Ecclesiastes:

·       “There’s nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1

·       “There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3

·       “Enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—that is indeed a gift from God” Ecclesiastes 5

·       “Eat, drink, and be merry . . . ” Ecclesiastes 8

·       “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has set eternity in the human heart.” Ecclesiastes 3