Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

A Meaningless Life

1:1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:

2 "Meaningless! Meaningless!"

says the Teacher.

"Utterly meaningless!

Everything is meaningless."

 

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.

 

5 The sun rises and the sun sets,

and hurries back to where it rises.

 

6 The wind blows to the south

and turns to the north;

round and round it goes,

 

7 All streams flow into the sea,

yet the sea is never full.

To the place the streams come from,

there they return again.

 

8 All things are wearisome,

more than one can say.

The eye never has enough of seeing,

nor the ear its fill of hearing.

 

9 What has been will be again,

what has been done will be done again;

there is nothing new under the sun.

 

10 Is there anything of which one can say,

"Look! This is something new"?

It was here already, long ago;

it was here before our time.

 

11 There is no remembrance of men of old,

and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow.

 

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This is the Word of the Lord ... It is meant to change the way that we think, and the way that we live.

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Commentary by Bob Pardue

Just Because You are Rich ...

.. Doesn't always mean you'll be happy. These verses for study to follow from Ecclesiastes, even though they are from the Old Testament, ring so true today for those of us who believe we are "all that".

The Wisest Man in the Bible?

Solomon is a classic example of a person who has it all. Sort of the Bill Gates of his time he had power, riches, wisdom, and King David as a father.

Solomon also shows us in this Bible passage from Ecclesiastes and in verses to come that all this wealth and power is meaningless without the love of God. With out him, the other things will deliver no joy - only a fleeting moment of happiness that will fade away.

Advice for You and I

We need to be careful when choosing our priorities. My favorite saying is that money can buy happiness (temporarily) but it cannot buy true joy - This comes from knowing God.

Love in Christ

- Bob

Read the Book of Ecclesiastes and the Wise Words of Solomon