Are You Disillusioned with Life?
Ecclesiastes 1-12
Jim Davis
Many think modern civilization is under the threat of
self-destruction. The natural disasters we are witnessing are
nothing as compared to the genocides taking place all around the globe.
Looking back through the annals of history we witness the disappearance of
entire civilizations. We ask, why?
Even worse the human species is so unsure of its own place. We live in a
world that knows its greatest needs but is determined to stay focused on
the superficial. Despite our enlightenment the darkness seems
overwhelming.
The news media revealed a Brazilian tribe living deep in the Amazon
forest, which apparently has had no contact with modern civilization.
The Brazilian government forbids any contact with the tribe. The powers
that be are working hard to preserve this primitive world. Fearing
exposure to modern civilization would be detrimental for the tribe.
Permission was granted for a helicopter film crew to film the tribe. As
the helicopter hovered overhead the natives threw spears at it.
As I observed the helicopter hovering over the primitive Amazon
natives I sat in awe. What a startling contrast! One is frozen in
the past. The other is in a constant state of development. One group
carries spears—the other is probing the outer edges of the unknown
universe. The distance between the news crew and the natives is just
beyond the thrust of a spear. Yet, the cultural distance between the two
is unquestionably thousands of years. Both seem so unsure of themselves.
George Bernard Shaw wrote, “All progress depends on the unreasonable man.
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable man
persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.” The natives are at one
end of spectrum as they adapt themselves to their world. The modern world
has sought to adapt the planet to its needs.
Carl Sagan writes, “As long as there have been humans we have searched for
our place in the cosmos. Where are we? Who are we? We find that we live on
an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in
some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies
than people.” In Sagan’s words we stand on the “shores of a cosmic
ocean.”
Losing Our Sense of Purpose
Here we are stuck on a planet whose shifting platelets are floating on a
core of molten lava. Earthquakes in China, a tsunami in Myanmar, floods in
the Midwestern United States, presently 800 fires in California, the
threat of global warming as the icy continents melt away—in the scheme of
things we question our security on planet earth.
We may be tucked away in some corner of the universe in which there
are more galaxies than people. We may live on shaky ground. We may
be unsure about ourselves. We may self-destruct. But we are not
insignificant or forgotten. We have been given an eternal purpose by the
one whose hands continue to develop the farthest unknown reaches of space.
Yet, we feel this sense of being lost—feeling insignificant. Life often
seems meaningless despite our accomplishments and progress.
Solomon is portrayed as one of the wisest foolish men in biblical
history. Ecclesiastes reveals Solomon’s vain struggle to discover
a meaningful existence. Solomon chased his earthly dreams. Each time a
dream was brought to fruition, he cried out all is vanity.
Ecclesiastes 1:3-4
3 What does man gain from all his labor
at which he toils under the sun?
4 Generations come and generations go,
but the earth remains forever. NIV
Solomon felt frustrated and insignificant as the sum total of all
his dreams and accomplishments left him numb .We all have seen
something we desperately wanted and spent all our energies to get it.
Surprisingly, when we get it we are left numb. Despite all
our efforts it didn’t seem to really make a difference.
Solomon became utterly disillusioned as he observed all he
accomplished.
Ecclesiastes 2:10-11
10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my work,
and this was the reward for all my labor.
11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands
had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after
the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun. NIV
Solomon couldn’t straighten out a twisted world. He couldn’t make up
what was lacking. He felt hopeless.
Ecclesiastes 1:15
15 What is twisted cannot be straightened;
what is lacking cannot be counted. NIV
Having the wisdom to know how things ought to be and unable to make
a difference brings much grief.
Ecclesiastes 1:18
18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;
the more knowledge, the more grief. NIV
History is repetitious. More technological discoveries have
been made in the last 50 years than in the last 5,000 years. We have
achieved more than Solomon could have ever dreamt. It is troubling to
think that we are no happier. We are like Solomon—our dreams have become
our masters. They possess us. Fear of losing them is our biggest
nightmare. The world seems twisted far beyond our ability to salvage it.
We feel helpless and insignificant living in a passing world so full
of doubt and uncertainty.
Eccl 2:9-15
9 I became greater by far than anyone in
Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.
10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my work,
and this was the reward for all my labor.
11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands
had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after
the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.
12 Then I turned my thoughts to consider
wisdom,
and also madness and folly.
What more can the king's successor do
than what has already been done?
13 I saw that wisdom is better than folly,
just as light is better than darkness.
14 The wise man has eyes in his head,
while the fool walks in the darkness;
but I came to realize
that the same fate overtakes them both.
15 Then I thought in my heart,
"The fate of the fool will overtake me
also.
What then do I gain by being wise?"
I said in my heart,
"This too is meaningless."
16 For the wise man, like the fool, will
not be long remembered;
in days to come both will be forgotten.
Like the fool, the wise man too must die!
NIV
Salvation’s narrative is different from man’s historical records.
We emphasize our accomplishments. We often fail to see our greatest
failures. Looking back through the biblical record of salvation history we
see civilizations going awry as they meet their own self-destruction.
Salvation history allows us to look into the battles raging in the hearts
of men and women. The greatest failures of God’s people are revealed.
As Solomon ascends to the throne of his father, he asks God for wisdom. He
only asks for the wisdom to enable him to rule his people wisely. He
doesn’t ask for riches. For his wise request God gives him both riches and
wisdom. God blesses Solomon as he works to build his dream for the kingdom
of Israel. He becomes richer and wiser but feels his life is meaningless
and vain. He is given the wisdom to see the meaninglessness of pursuing
life without God.
Ecclesiastes 2:17-23
17 So I hated life, because the work that
is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a
chasing after the wind. 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under
the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And
who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have
control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill
under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair
over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a man may do his work
with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to
someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great
misfortune. 22 What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving
with which he labors under the sun? 23 All his days his work is pain and
grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless. NIV
Solomon simultaneously pursued his dream and its destruction as he over
burdened and over taxed the subjects of his kingdom to make his dream come
true. When he died Israel split into the Northern Kingdom and Southern
Kingdom. Israel never regained the splendor of Solomon. All his dreams
were left to those who failed to sustain what he had worked so hard to
achieve.
The work of Solomon’s hands perished, but he passed on great wisdom as he
reveals the battle of his heart. We are allowed to see Solomon’s splendor
and we are brought face to face with the battles raging in his heart.
Solomon’s wisdom and riches were given to him to bring him to this
conclusion:
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
3 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.
14 For God will bring every deed into
judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil. NIV
Amazingly, God allowed Solomon to accomplish all of his earthly dreams. He
also gave him the wisdom to see the shallowness of his dreams.
Life without a View of Eternity
Knowledge is something we learn as we open our minds up to the
universe that engulfs us. We know there is an infinite body of
knowledge yet undiscovered. This infinite body of knowledge has always
existed. We’re not the creator of the knowledge we discover. Apparently it
was here before the universe’s conception. As our body of knowledge grows,
we learn a startling fact. The universe is already in subjection to this
infinite body of knowledge which Christians believe emanates from the mind
of God. It is this God who has given us life on earth.
Through space technology we can peer into the edge of our solar
system. We observe the apparent creation of stars and galaxies. We
ponder our place in the universe. We seek to comprehend the eternal
dimension to life. If there is an eternal dimension to my life, then the
only important question is, “Where will I be 45,000,000,000 years from
now?” We ponder the hope of heaven as an eternal paradise. But how
significant will today’s dreams look 45,000,000,000 years from now?
It shouldn’t surprise us. No earthly accomplishment can fill the
eternal longing in our hearts. Real significance and meaning is
found as we allow God to rescue us through his Son Jesus Christ.
John 10:10
I have come that they may have life, and
have it to the full. NIV
We have an eternal place in God’s order. It begins on earth
right where I am—where you are. God invites us to spend eternity with him.
I can’t begin to imagine what it will be like to spend eternity with God.
It will be everything this life was meant to be—so much more than we can
ever imagine. I know it will be akin to what Adam and Eve enjoyed before
the fall.
Jeremiah felt overwhelmed and insignificant as God brought his
judgment upon Israel. His world was collapsing. Then the Lord
entered into his life to remind Jeremiah that he was conceived in God’s
mind before the world began.
Jeremiah 1:4-8
4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew
you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the
nations."
6 "Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not
know how to speak; I am only a child."
7 But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I
am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I
command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue
you," declares the LORD. NIV
God deals with Jeremiah’s fears by reminding him of his purpose from
an eternal perspective. Jeremiah is feeling his insignificance.
Jeremiah says, “’Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak;
I am only a child.’ But the LORD said to me, ‘Do not say, 'I am only a
child.’” And then God says, “Do not be afraid . . . I am with you and
will rescue you," declares the LORD.”
We know for certain—the knowledge about ourselves and the knowledge
about the universe, yet to be discovered is beyond our comprehension.
It is overwhelming. We can’t comprehend what God is doing.
Ecclesiastes 8:16-17
16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom
and to observe man's labor on earth — his eyes not seeing sleep day or
night— 17 then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what
goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out, man
cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot
really comprehend it. NIV
Ecclesiastes 7:27-29
"Look," says the Teacher,"this is what I
have discovered:
"Adding one thing to another to discover
the scheme of things—
28 while I was still searching
but not finding —
This only have I found:
God made mankind upright,
but men have gone in search of many
schemes." NIV
Eternity will be full of meaning where the saved will be fully
dedicated to searching out God’s way. That which is twisted will
be made straight and that which is lacking will be fully supplied.
Salvation history teaches us to dream of a new heaven and a new earth
where all is made right. Perhaps our purpose will be to develop the entire
universe into what God meant it to be.
Conclusion:
Luke 9:23-25
"If anyone would come after me, he must
deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever
wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me
will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and
yet lose or forfeit his very self? NIV
Mark 16:15-16
15 He said to them, "Go into all the world
and preach the good news to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is
baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
NIV
Mark 16:15-16
15 He said to them, "Go into all the world
and preach the good news to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is
baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
NIV
