Meaningless Vanity

"I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind." Ecc 1:14

"By the end of the book (Ecclesiastes), after scraping away the detritus of life, he (the Preacher) hits bedrock—God himself. And here and there along the way he allows us glimpses of a divine perspective that transcends meaninglessness. But he takes his time getting there, for we must feel the depressing weight of all questing visions that do not begin with God." D. A. Carson - For The Love of God, Vol 2

Whenever I read Ecclesiastes, I am captured by the stark reality that the author portrays. All of Scripture is brutally honest, but it seems the book of Ecclesiastes is the poster child for this forthright candidness. And, because it is so blunt, it easy to see ourselves and our situations in the midst of the text.

 I have just a few thoughts as I begin another read-through of this God-given gem.

1) This is not my thought, but comes from D.A. Carson.  Context and genre are always important when reading the Bible, but they are especially important when the author's argument is from the negative. The Preacher is on a quest to find meaning and purpose on earth (i.e. under the sun) but is continually frustrated. That is the point. Everything else is written to support the argument: Without God, everything is meaningless. So single verses from Ecclesiastes, out of context, may not say what we want them to say.

2)  Everything, under the sun, is meaningless. Apart from Christ, this is the sad, brutal truth. Even as I write I'm thinking marriage? career? thinking ability? communication skills? And the list could go on. The fact is that each of the things I've listed and the items that may pop up on your list can, in fact be good and beneficial things.  The Preacher is not saying they are bad, just that in and of themselves they have no value. In a way it is like having $1 million in Confederate currency.  There is no value. The reminder here, of course, is that, in Christ all things are redeemed and even the smallest part of our lives become extremely valuable.

3)  There is nothing new under the sun. This is an on going theme in Ecclesiastes, and one I often identify with in my own life. Whether it be work or home or church or in the broader society, things seem to repeat themselves. One could ask why (failure to learn, failure to seek meaning from God, a grace given reminder that by itself this world is meaningless), but when I read Ecc 1:9 this morning, my mind went to Rev 5. (I know Rev 5 is not "under the sun", but bare with me.)

In Rev 5, when the lion-lamb who was slain is found worthy to open the scroll, there is a new song sung in heaven. One gets the sense that it is not just new words or a new melody, but it is a new focus. Now glory and honor are ascribed to the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.  So, if Christ can have such a profound affect on the perfections of heaven, what was His impact "under the sun"?

I will leave that thought for us each to reflect on and I will simply conclude with this. The natural world is bound and broken and cannot fix itself. From a street-level assessment, the Preacher got it right: everything is meaningless, a grasping after the wind. But praise be to God that He sent Christ to invade this meaningless life and fundamentally change things for those who would believe. And one day (I pray very soon!) Jesus will return and remove the word meaningless from our vocabulary.

To God Alone be the Glory