Ecclesiastes

We often think of our lives in periods of time. There were elementary, middle school, and high school years. We think of our college years and when we first started our careers. We think of life in terms of places we have lived, before and after marriage, before and after kids. There are high times—the birth of children and grandchildren.

The cycle of life keeps us moving forward. Recently I saw a picture of our children when they ranged in age from two to preteen. I lived through that time. I experienced it in real life. But I can hardly remember what it was like. Life is elusive. Time keeps moving forward.

“All things are full of weariness,” says Solomon. I heard one speaker describe this as the “same ole, same ole” disease. You get up every morning in the same ole bed next to your same ole husband or same ole wife, brush your same ole teeth, and put on the same ole clothes. You eat the same ole breakfast, get in the same ole car,

Being a Christian doesn’t make time go any slower. God, through the psalmist, exhorts us to “remember how short [our] time is!” (Psalm 89:47). But we live life under the sun with an over-the-sun perspective. Each moment is a gift from God to be used to honor him.

Solomon decided to take truth into his own hands. He determined what was the best course to take for himself, what made the most sense to him, and what was right and wrong for him personally. He might change his mind tomorrow. But for today, he settled his feelings and thoughts on pursuing his own course of action. This is a textbook example of postmodernism, a philosophy that permeates our present day. 

Solomon explains that man's existence should be defined by honoring, loving, respecting, and obeying God. That is where we find our true identity. Our spiritual identity cannot be lost because it comes from Jesus.

Paul writes that if God isn’t who he says he is, and this life is all there is, then by all means, “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” (1 Cor. 15:32). But Solomon found that hedonism was like chasing after the wind. The target of satisfaction was never hit because God is who he says he is, and this life is not all there is. 

Under the umbrella of naturalism is atheism (there is no God), materialism (satisfy yourself with things), and humanism (man is the center of the universe). And, of course, from this mindset flows evolution, abortion, and euthanasia. Man can do whatever man wants to do because we are the ones in charge. 

Solomon’s teaching on wisdom always leads us back to God’s Word—the source of spiritual wisdom and understanding. There we learn of a God who loves us with unconditional love and embraces us through the sacrificial work of Jesus on the cross. Our union with Jesus changes everything.