The Vanity of Life
The Vanity of Life
Read Ecclesiastes 1
“Vanities of Vanities, says the Preacher, Vanities of vanities! All is Vanity.”
Like Job, the book of Ecclesiastes is difficult to understand and has led many to question its message. They see the message as dark and foreboding. In the past, it was seen as man’s conclusion of life apart from God. How then do we understand the book in light of its opening statement? At first glance, the book seems to begin with the ultimate expression of pessimism: “Vanities of vanities.”
However, when we delve deeper into the book we discover that the ultimate message is in line with all of scripture; that live has meaning only when we “obey God and keep his commandments” (12:13). The sage takes us a journey, not a journey that leads to nihilism or meaninglessness, but a journey to recognize the centrality of faith in finding meaning and purpose in life.
The word “vanity” derives from the root meaning “wind” or “breath.” It speaks of a vaporless cloud. For the sage, he is not stating that all the things of this world are vain and worthless. Instead, it is like the morning fog, transient and fleeting. Far from being negative or pessimistic, the sage is reminding us that everything in this world is transitory. The world is used in Psalm 39:5,6,11 to describe how short live is, that it passes like a mere wisp of air and is gone.
For the preacher, the starting point for finding meaning in life is to recognize that true sense is not found in the present or in the pursuit of all the things we deem essential here on earth. When our focus is upon the pursuit of the present and the things of this world, we are trying to grasp in fog. We see the mist around us, but we cannot grasp it in our hands, for in the end, it lacks anything solid and lasting. So it is in life. When we look about us, we are reminded of how quickly life passes. On the day a new generation is born, the previous generation dies. If the world in which we live, a world that has existed from the beginning of time, is marked by the continual doldrums of countless repeating cycles. (1:5-7).
The older we get, the more we realize that there is nothing permanent in life, and all the things we pursue and the career success that we sacrifice to obtain, in the end, are lost with the passage of time. We are continually driven to obtain what we cannot keep and what will never bring lasting joy and satisfaction (8-9). In the end, the things we deemed essential and the accomplishments we worked so hard to obtain will quickly be forgotten as the next generation comes (vs 10-11).
However, woven throughout this reflection of the paradox of our fallen world, the writer does not leave us empty and hopeless. Throughout the book, the sage weaves two important threads of truth that serve to give us meaning and purpose in life. The first is that life, with all its incongruities and problems, is still a gift of God to be enjoyed (2:24, 3:12-13, 22, 5:18-19, 9:7-9, 11:9). Even though sin has marred the world and rendered life in the present the pursuit of the insignificant, it is still a gift from God to be embraced and enjoyed.
The second theme woven through the book, and which gives us hope and meaning, is the fear of God, which is the foundation for living life (3:14, 5:7, 7:18, 8:12, 13). While life in the present is like a cloud, it is not meaningless. Meaning and significance in life come when we have the proper focus, and that focus is the fear of God. In our obedience to God and the pursuit of his purpose, we discover what is truly meaningful and substantive. If your life feels empty and without purpose, it is because you are looking for meaning in the wrong thing. Meaning and purpose are not found in the pursuit of the present, but in the pursuit of the eternal, in our obedience to God and our pursuit of him.
Read Ecclesiastes 1
“Vanities of Vanities, says the Preacher, Vanities of vanities! All is Vanity.”
Like Job, the book of Ecclesiastes is difficult to understand and has led many to question its message. They see the message as dark and foreboding. In the past, it was seen as man’s conclusion of life apart from God. How then do we understand the book in light of its opening statement? At first glance, the book seems to begin with the ultimate expression of pessimism: “Vanities of vanities.”
However, when we delve deeper into the book we discover that the ultimate message is in line with all of scripture; that live has meaning only when we “obey God and keep his commandments” (12:13). The sage takes us a journey, not a journey that leads to nihilism or meaninglessness, but a journey to recognize the centrality of faith in finding meaning and purpose in life.
The word “vanity” derives from the root meaning “wind” or “breath.” It speaks of a vaporless cloud. For the sage, he is not stating that all the things of this world are vain and worthless. Instead, it is like the morning fog, transient and fleeting. Far from being negative or pessimistic, the sage is reminding us that everything in this world is transitory. The world is used in Psalm 39:5,6,11 to describe how short live is, that it passes like a mere wisp of air and is gone.
For the preacher, the starting point for finding meaning in life is to recognize that true sense is not found in the present or in the pursuit of all the things we deem essential here on earth. When our focus is upon the pursuit of the present and the things of this world, we are trying to grasp in fog. We see the mist around us, but we cannot grasp it in our hands, for in the end, it lacks anything solid and lasting. So it is in life. When we look about us, we are reminded of how quickly life passes. On the day a new generation is born, the previous generation dies. If the world in which we live, a world that has existed from the beginning of time, is marked by the continual doldrums of countless repeating cycles. (1:5-7).
The older we get, the more we realize that there is nothing permanent in life, and all the things we pursue and the career success that we sacrifice to obtain, in the end, are lost with the passage of time. We are continually driven to obtain what we cannot keep and what will never bring lasting joy and satisfaction (8-9). In the end, the things we deemed essential and the accomplishments we worked so hard to obtain will quickly be forgotten as the next generation comes (vs 10-11).
However, woven throughout this reflection of the paradox of our fallen world, the writer does not leave us empty and hopeless. Throughout the book, the sage weaves two important threads of truth that serve to give us meaning and purpose in life. The first is that life, with all its incongruities and problems, is still a gift of God to be enjoyed (2:24, 3:12-13, 22, 5:18-19, 9:7-9, 11:9). Even though sin has marred the world and rendered life in the present the pursuit of the insignificant, it is still a gift from God to be embraced and enjoyed.
The second theme woven through the book, and which gives us hope and meaning, is the fear of God, which is the foundation for living life (3:14, 5:7, 7:18, 8:12, 13). While life in the present is like a cloud, it is not meaningless. Meaning and significance in life come when we have the proper focus, and that focus is the fear of God. In our obedience to God and the pursuit of his purpose, we discover what is truly meaningful and substantive. If your life feels empty and without purpose, it is because you are looking for meaning in the wrong thing. Meaning and purpose are not found in the pursuit of the present, but in the pursuit of the eternal, in our obedience to God and our pursuit of him.
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