Ecclesiastes

Watch video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrsQ1tc-2wk

Theme: everything is hevel (meaningless) Hebrew translation is vapor/smoke (used as a metaphor)

Lets look at some back ground of our author: (Solomon)

• son of David
• King of Israel
• He was given wisdom
• Solomon had everything and was given everything
  • he never had to experience true faith in the way that many of us do

Think about your own life

• when do you typically turn to God?
  • times of tragedy
  • stress
  • when you need help/want something
  • praise/thank
• when we SEEK God, we have hope
  • we have hope that he can and will help us
  • when we do not, we see things as meaningless and hopeless (hevel)

Ecclesiastes deconstructs things we try to build meaning in apart from God

• wealth
• pleasure
• status
• career

There is only some meaning in wisdom and fear of the Lord

• even with these, there is no guarantee that all will go well which makes them hevel too (9:13-18)

How do you live life in the midst of hevel?: accept that all of life is out of your control

true meaning: hope of God’s judgement (that one day God would clear away the hevel)

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How can we as young people look at this message of hevel?

Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 

Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” ² Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. ³ Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly.

⁴ Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint.

⁵ Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral.

⁶ Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. ⁷ For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

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This is how Solomon, the wisest man chooses to end this book 

If everything is hevel except seeking God, that seems like the most obvious thing we should do, but why?

That is the one thing that can give us hope in the midst of all the crazy things in life

12:13 fear God and obey his commands 

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Where is Jesus?

Solomon did not know of Jesus, but he had heard the message of the messianic king that is to come. Jesus is the message of hope so desperately sought for. He is not hevel; he is hope and our opportunity for a better future.