Meaningless! Meaningless!

Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless! (Ecclesiastes 1:2). Can you guess who said these words? I’ll give you a hint. He is known for not only his great wisdom but also his immense wealth. It’s King Solomon who writes these words. He goes on to point out that money is meaningless (Ecclesiastes 5:10), as well as the pleasures he chased (2:10-11) and the labor he worked (2:17). It’s discouraging, isn’t it? If King Solomonwho had all the wealth, wisdom, work, and wives a person could ever dream ofcalls everything meaningless, what’s the point? Most of the book of Ecclesiastes is Solomon reflecting on what he and others chased for happiness. Throughout the book, he notes that no matter how much people accumulated, things did not bring meaning. But fortunately for us, the book doesn’t end there. The book concludes by telling the readers to keep God’s commands and to fear Him (Ecclesiastes 12:13). This points to the gospel of Jesus Christ, the source of true hope and meaning. Jesus came down and lived as a human, experiencing things in our world and seeing the things people chased after for meaning. He then died and rose againdying for our sin and the brokenness it causesall so that we could once again find our meaning by being in right relationship with Him, our good Creator (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-14). Without Jesus, it is all meaningless. But with Him, we can find meaning and pleasure in the lives we’re currently living. God is the One who blesses people not only with their possessions but also with the ability to enjoy them (Ecclesiastes 5:19). Through Jesus, our relationship with God is restored and we can be forgiven for the times we put our value and trust in things that are not Godwe can embrace our identity and purpose in Him. Naomi Zylstra Have you ever felt like life was meaningless? Or that you were stuck in the same old routine and nothing mattered? How do you feel about one of the richest men in the Bible calling everything meaningless? If you want to learn more about finding true meaning in Jesus, check out our “Know Jesus” page. 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. Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NIV)

Read Verses:

Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:10-11