Happiness Can Only Be Found In God, Life As Vanity: Lessons From The Book Of Ecclesiastes Chapter One

Please ponder and reflect on these questions as you begin to read this article:

A.   What is my purpose in life?

B.     After death, what else?

C.    How should I live life?

Introduction and background:

The message of Ecclesiastes chapter one comes from the "preacher" or "teacher," depending on the bible translation about life under the sun. The teacher embarked on research to search for the meaning of life, and he concluded that life has meaning only in God (verses 12-17). King Solomon has been commonly given the credit as the author of this inspired book, despite some arguments about another author. Nevertheless, whether Solomon is the author or a different man is the author, we should gear our attention to the inspired sermon. Through inspiration, the author delivers a sermon along with his personal testimony to advise the Earth to consider God in life. The first three verses set the conclusion and the thesis of the entire book of Ecclesiastes. The conclusion of the story is that “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity" (verse 2). Then, he sets the thesis of the entire book: "What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?” (verse 3). Taking a journey through the entire book of Ecclesiastes, the summary of every chapter is to fear God and keep His commandments. With this focus on one's life, the teacher defends his thesis throughout the chapters, saying that all is vanity.

Therefore, I would consider the theme of every chapter, including chapter one, as that happiness can only be found in God. In verses 4-7, the teacher tunes our minds to God's greatness and marvelous works. He uses the "sun," "wind," and "streams" to show us that everything in Heaven and on Earth is of God. It is God who made it possible for the sun to shine, or the wind to blow, or the streams to flow to every place. Imagine how the Earth would be if God ceases the sun, wind, and all water bodies? Since God created nature to make life fruitful for us, human beings are finitude, the basis of the teacher's argument in verses 8-10. “All things are full of weariness a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. 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.” God has already created everything and made it possible for things to be discovered. The results from research are discovery and not inventory. God has covered everything and allowed human beings to discover them; there is nothing new under the sun. If we say something is new, it is only for the next generation, which has yet to experience and enjoy the wonders of God's creation. If life is meaningless without God, then what should we do as human beings on Earth? What should be our purpose in life? If nothing is new, human beings are finitude, and God created all things, then our strive in life should be for the Creator. In what ways should we live for God? How should we respond to the teacher’s sermon in chapter one?

Application:

We should consider our limitations as human beings:

Human beings are limited in the sight of God. It is the created who should worship the Creator. Since God made us soul and body, it is mandatory for us to search for Him and offer an appropriate worship daily. If we are to boast of anything, our boasting should be in the Lord alone. In fact, can the pot question the potter about how it is being made? Absolutely no, we should all humble ourselves before God and man. We are there today and are gone tomorrow; only God is forever everlasting. Let us ask ourselves why our towels get dirty even after a bath? If we truly bathe and clean every dirt and sand on our bodies, the towels should always be clean. Nevertheless, we normally see the opposite, indicating that we came from the dust. If we live life with this kind of limitation in mind, the world would be peaceful. Many people mistreat others just because they are in a higher position. There are some people who even desire to be worshipped, a reverence that is only for God. If we accept our limitations as humans and that death awaits us one day, we will not go about hurting others. As the teacher argues in verse 18, even the knowledgeable person brings sorrow upon himself or herself. Show me someone who is all knowledgeable, and I would show you that the person is ignorant of the day of his or her death upon all the knowledge. As you read this article, keep in mind that there is a God who is alive. It is in this God that we live and survive on Earth. After all, what is man that God is even mindful of us?

Life without God is useless:

Can you remember the name of your grandfather or grandmother? Perhaps many people can do that. What about the parents of your grandparents? What about the parents of your grandparents' parents? These would seem to be hard to remember, even as the list goes on and on. Life goes on without you; no one remembers you when you are dead. There would be some lamentation for a short while, but it is never meant to be everlasting. In verse 11, the teacher argues that life is vain because nothing is remembered. Life is an unhappy business. Because things are usually forgotten, human beings build monuments or write books in order not to be forgotten. They establish legacies by which they might be remembered, for such is the reason this very book was written. If we live life with immortality in mind, we should remember that there is no true meaning in such life; all is vanity. Does the Earth cease to operate because a president is dead? In fact, did you cease to eat due to the death of a relative? If we are truly sorrowful of the death of a beloved one, then we should cease to live. Of course, we would answer no to each of these questions because life goes on. The teacher is not saying that living and enjoying life is a sin. There is nothing wrong if we win a scholarship, get a new job, marry and have a family, or get an opportunity in life. But, of all our toils, we should remember that they are meaningless without God. In fact, the teacher did not write in abstract; he preached from his personal testimony. He had the best drinks, all good clothes and shoes, and the best breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He acquired wealth and wisdom and enjoyed himself. Above everything, he realized that they were useless.

Conclusion:

Wealth and accomplishment do bring one to a certain level of happiness. However, the happiness about which the teacher focuses our minds is far beyond this world. Wealth cannot guarantee us happiness. I guess you know many rich people around you who are still unhappy in life. If God is not part of one's life, then there is no purpose for such a life. The goal of human beings in life is to seek happiness, and that can only be fulfilled in God.