Ecclesiastes 1:1-2
1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”
The word “meaningless” is really better translated: “Vapor” or “Mist.” So, this world we’re in is important, but it’s a Vapor - a cloud that will disappear as quickly as it came.
The whole experience of reading through Ecclesiastes gets us to confront the frailty of life, and realize that we’re just not going to be here forever.
Ecclesiastes 9:1-4
So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them. 2 All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.
As it is with the good,
so with the sinful;
as it is with those who take oaths,
so with those who are afraid to take them.
3 This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. 4 Anyone who is among the living has hope—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!
When we are confronted with our own mortality, we start to see things very differently. We’re not only mortal, our time on this earth is so small and uneventful that history might not even remember who we are.
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6
5 For the living know that they will die,
but the dead know nothing;
they have no further reward,
and even their name is forgotten.
6 Their love, their hate
and their jealousy have long since vanished;
never again will they have a part
in anything that happens under the sun.
Mortality Salience Hypothesis:
States that if indeed one's cultural worldview, or one's self-esteem, serves a death-denying function, then threatening these constructs should produce defenses aimed at returning the individual to a state of feeling invulnerable.
We as people are wired to live very differently when we are confronted with our lives being over. Solomon in Ecclesiastes, is trying to do just that! He wants us to think about it all.
Ecclesiastes 9:7-12
7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. 8 Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. 9 Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
11 I have seen something else under the sun:
The race is not to the swift
or the battle to the strong,
nor does food come to the wise
or wealth to the brilliant
or favor to the learned;
but time and chance happen to them all.
12 Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come:
As fish are caught in a cruel net,
or birds are taken in a snare,
so people are trapped by evil times
that fall unexpectedly upon them.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
13 Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.
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I challenged you to rethink your perception of the world,
and to let GOD be in charge of your direction in life.
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Josh talked about maturing into fullness in Jesus,
and knowing when to let loose and have fun,
and when to act mature and work hard.
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I talked about battling the oppression and injustice in the world,
but in that,
to stop trying to fix spiritual problems with worldly solutions.
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I talked about not living for things
like happiness and accomplishment.
- Adam talked about being a man or woman of your word,
and following through with what God has called you to.
- We talked about how being obsessed with money ruins us
and causes us to take advantage of people around us,
and I challenged us to live content with that we have.
- My challenge to you is to
always remember that this world is temporary,
and make decisions that impact ETERNITY.
