I have always loved Ecclesiastes. Something about this book of the Bible has always just set with me. I recently had the opportunity to learn more about Ecclesiastes and what purpose it serves for our faith walk with Jesus.
Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon, who was wise and wealthy. For his entire life, Solomon searched for the meaning in life. It is a trap that many non-Christians of the world today often fall into. We search for meaning in life, and try to figure out why we are put on this earth.
Solomon soon finds out that everything apart from God is meaningless. Did you catch what I said? I said anything apart from God. Solomon was trying to fill the hole that all of us have in our hearts. Many people waste their lives trying to fill it, but as Christians we know that it can only be filled with God’s love and salvation.
A key theme in Ecclesiastes is “everything is meaningless”. It is said over and over again. It’s how this book begins (Ecclesiastes 1:2). Solomon, in all of his wisdom and wealthiness, found out after seeing much of the world and experiencing earthly pleasures, found this out when he looked back on his life.
Life apart from God has no meaning. Solomon was right. Can you even imagine a life apart from God? It’s something we don’t really want to think about it. But if you do think about it, you realize that life apart from God looks like Jesus on the cross. Jesus experienced total separation from God so that we wouldn’t have to (Mark 15:34).
So if life on this earth has this meaning, what is a person living life on this earth to do? The only answer is to trust in Jesus Christ. In Him, there is an answer to the meaningless of this world. Everything takes on a new meaning with Him. Everything that you do, and say, and experience, and seek out. It is all put into a new light with Jesus in your life.
And Ecclesiastes brings about an important message for young people in chapter 12: to remember your creator in the days of your youth (12:1). If we have Him in our hearts now at the beginning of our lives, our decision-making and peace on this earth will become much easier.
Ecclesiastes can seem like a depressing book, but it is eye-opening. It helps us to realize that there is nothing to search out except for God. He is the only thing that matters in our lives, and He makes our lives meaningful.
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