Creator, Father, King #139

Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO if someone told you the following?

• I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.
• In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless!
• The dead are better off than the living. But most fortunate of all are those who are not yet born. For they have not seen all the evil that is done under the sun.

Would you consider that person a wise counselor? Would you ask them to colead a Bible study with you? Would you want them as your pastor?

Hmmm . . .

Believe it or not, those quotes are all inspired Scripture, pulled directly from Ecclesiastes. This remarkable, often-confusing book of the Bible features some difficult, timeless topics:

• the search for meaning and purpose in life
• how sin affects the daily human experience
• grappling with injustice—real or perceived
• trying to understand how some of life’s greatest gifts are ultimately short-lived

A cursory reading of Ecclesiastes could lead to cynicism, questioning God’s sovereignty, wondering why the book is included in the Bible—or all of the above. Clearly, that’s not what God intended. We must read and interpret Ecclesiastes carefully, with a biblically informed mindset.

What’s It Mean?

Ecclesiastes was an attempt to make sense of life and its perplexing inconsistencies. We often experience joy and despair in the same day. Evil people thrive while righteous people suffer. This is all part of living in a world stained by sin.

How do we make sense of it all? At the end of his pondering, Ecclesiastes’ ancient author concluded, “Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

But if you are a Christian, you can go a step further than the author! You live on the other side of the Cross. You know that Christ’s great work of redemption is completely finished, and as such, life has great meaning for every believer. You know that when the Savior returns, he’ll destroy the sin that makes our daily experiences so vexing.

Thanks to Jesus, one day everything meaningless will become beautifully meaningful!

Now What?

Are you struggling with things in life that you think are meaningless? Offer them in prayer to God.

Did You Know?

Ecclesiastes’ anonymous author (possibly Solomon) self-identifies as “the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem” (Ecclesiastes 1:1, ESV).