Meaninglessness - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in  Ecclesiastes 4:4b,

"This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind."

"Meaningless", is used 35 times by Solomon (well, in the English rendered from the Hebrew) in this book (if I counted right). This occurrence in verse 4 follows his observation, "And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person's envy of another."

Solomon had a variety of observations that defined this life "under the sun" as meaningless. Observations in this chapter include oppression of some by others, verses 1-3; envy of others, (this occurrence, verse 4); the pursuit of wealth by being a workaholic, verse 6 and 8 (depicting a man all alone); and rulers that come and go and the fickle way they are seen by their subjects, verses 13-16.

Solomon had great bonafides to make his report to us. He had more wisdom, more wealth, more diversions, more pleasures than any man. He was uniquely qualified to pursue the affairs he observes as he had the means to do so and then report back to us.

We, on the other hand, are easily deceived and think if we only had this or that, we could seize true happiness in this life, in this world, "under the sun". For most of us, those are things we will never have in this life. Just think of all those people who buy those lottery tickets thinking they will find true happiness. 

I recall George Harrison of the Beatles saying in a documentary that he and his bandmates were fortunate to have made riches and massive fame at an early age. The advantage, he felt, was that it enabled them to see that "it" is not in those things, "it" being happiness and fulfillment in this life. Exactly the point of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes goes further though, and points out there is no ultimate happiness and fulfillment in this life based on what this life has to offer in and of itself. What this life has to offer is limited and our hearts yearn for something more.

Solomon took his resources and investigated for us the fallacy that having hordes of money, a harem, gold, wisdom and knowledge, servants, etc. will bring ultimate satisfaction in this life "under the sun". His experiment should prepare us to look elsewhere for that: in the next life, in the kingdom of heaven, and the One who offers it.

This is why Jesus Christ came and gave his life as a ransom for us. He paid the penalty for our sins and offers us freedom from the frustrations of this life "under the sun" (see Romans 8:20-25), satisfaction in the here and now, and ultimate satisfaction in the resurrection for eternity. All he asks is that we place our faith in him...

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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