This week's Bible Study - January 3, 2010
Wrestling with the Meaning of Life
 Background Scripture:
Ecclesiastes 1:1-11; 12:13-14
Quote of the Week:
“Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.
-- Ernest Hemingway
As we begin a new year, we begin with a new study entitled "Wrestling with Life's Mysteries". Over the next five lessons, we will examine selected passages from the book of Ecclesiastes. In these lessons, we'll consider the meaning of life, time, injustice, materialism and work. These are somewhat basic concepts that we all deal with. If you have an inaccurate view of these issues, you'll find that your life can very easily become disrupted.
A few years ago, Rick Warren wrote a book entitled "Purpose Driven Life" and it became an instant hit, both within churches and throughout society. It was on the New York Times Best Seller List for over 150 weeks. It was translated into over 50 languages and was one of the bestselling books in the world from 2003-2005. Why did so many people buy that book? What were they looking for?
This first lesson is about the meaning of life. If there was a single lesson that clearly defined that, it could be packaged and sold and make untold millions. People want to know the meaning of life. Many people will pay whatever it takes or go wherever they need to go if they thought that would fully answer that question. This has been the subject of much speculation throughout history, from many different aspects.
From time to time, people will search for answers online, and undoubtedly, somebody that reads this lesson will have searched for the meaning of life. Only God can truly answer that question. My prayer is that he will speak to you through this lesson and help you to understand the true meaning of life.
Solomon was the human author of Ecclesiastes. However, the true author of every book in the Bible is God. The writing is from the hand of the human, and the experiences often document what the human observes or personally experiences. However, the truth behind what is written and the application for those who read it is solely from God. As a person, Solomon had a lot to offer from his own experience - not all of which was positive. He was the builder of the First Temple in Jerusalem, and was known as being great in wisdom, wealth and power.
In finding meaning in life, some people think that if they could say the following phrase and add their own words, they'd have it. "If only I was … richer, more powerful, wiser, stronger, etc". They think that if they had those qualities or assets, their life would derive much more meaning. Some would say if they had more money, they could buy whatever they wanted and make their life more worthwhile. Others think if they had more power and authority, they could tell others what to do; thereby enhancing their own lives. So much of life is wasted in thinking 'if only..'. Some of the saddest people in the world are those who get everything that they thought they wanted. Perhaps their testimony to us would be that what they strived for didn't really fulfill life at all.
The experience of Solomon is derived from a man that had any and everything that he wanted. He could afford anything and throughout the book of Ecclesiastes, he did not spare himself from any luxury or desire. That method of life fulfillment is summed up in the first couple of verses. Meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless. Wow - that isn't the answer anybody wants to hear, is it? Could it be true that life is meaningless and without purpose? Could we be nothing more than gerbils in a cage, running ad nauseum in that wheel that goes nowhere? You might make that wheel turn quicker, but it never really goes anywhere. Is that what life is all about?
I can tell you this. If you choose the wrong pursuit in life, you will find that life appears to be without purpose. So many invest their lives into making money, career promotion, hobbies, exercise, church work and so forth - yet they find life to be like running on a treadmill. There is a lot of sweat and tears, perhaps with some measure of success, but they are still on that treadmill. If this was all I had to say, I wouldn't be writing any more lessons. But, the good news is that there is more.
Before we get to the good news, let's spend a little time and talk about what many people are taken captive to - their jobs. It would seem that many people act as if they don't enjoy working, dreading Mondays and looking forward to Fridays. However, there is something deep inside of us that has a desire to work. You can just talk to people that are out of a job and unable to find one and you'll see that it is something to be appreciated. I remember talking to a friend of mine a few months ago and he told me about the number of jobs and their diversity over his career. In comparison, my career almost seemed monotonous, but he told me that he would have much rather been in the same job for 20 years, as opposed to 10 or more jobs in 20 years. Having a job is a good thing. Having a career is a good thing. But, work is not the meaning of life.
The Bible is clear in many places in saying that if a person can work, they should and there is benefit from it. In 2 Thessalonians 3:10, Paul wrote "If a man will not work, he shall not eat". And, there are a few verses in the book of Proverbs, such as Proverbs 10:4, "Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth". Work is good and necessary. It helps us provide for our needs and our wants. However, work is not the meaning of life. You may know people that have put everything they had into their job and may have found some measure of success, but overall, it disappoints as a 'life' filler. It may lead to the "American dream", but the problem comes when the dreamer has to awake. They may have more things, but life is still empty.
Granted, there have been huge advances in technology in our lifetimes. It is unbelievable to see the changes that have taken place. You may recall earlier cell phones which were initially inside of big bags that were inside your car. It was only as mobile as your car and it was very clunky to use. Now, there are so many cell phones that are very small and much more capable. There have been amazing advances to technology and it keeps changing. You may have heard of Moore's Law, which basically observes the frequent change in technology, as it nearly doubles every couple of years (which is probably an understatement considering where we are today).
We can change the things around us in the world, but the point of this passage remains the same. Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. There is the rise and fall of climate change and many other factors. As this passage states, the sun rises and then sets. It always comes back in the morning, even on the dreary days of winter - you can find the sun above the clouds if you are flying. The wind blows as it has ever blown. Streams always flow into the sea, which never fills. The streams continue to come from the place that they originate. In beginning science classes, you probably learned about the water cycle, as it can be liquid, vapor or ice at different stages. It occurs naturally - day by day, year by year and generation by generation. You can imagine thinking back a few generations or a few hundred years or as long as you would like to think back. Technology has changed, but the world stats the same, despite changes in and around it. Isn't it amazing that we are seeing the same sun, the same mountains and the surroundings of the world? Generations have come and gone, but the world remains.
Solomon continues to speak of the weariness of life. He says that all things are wearisome, more than one can say. Again, Solomon was a man that was able to 'try' any and everything in the pursuit of life fulfillment. He wrote about how we cannot be sated by what we see or what we hear. There is truly no satisfaction. You may remember the song made famous by The Rolling Stones - "I Can't Get No Satisfaction." We can all relate. We've seen good movies, read good books, been on good vacations, had special experiences, but was it ever enough? You will always want more.
Everything that has been done will be done again. I enjoy sports and ESPN shows the Top Ten Plays of the Day. Some are incredible, but they are new each day and by the end of the week, you likely have forgotten most of the earlier ones. You may see great plays or your team may have a great season, but what happens tomorrow? It all starts over again. Never can a team just sit back and say "we achieved it". There are some good things that you can get out of events and things in life, but you will never be satisfied - it will never be enough. You have to get right back on that gerbil wheel and start running.
Generations have come and gone, and have been forgotten. In our time, we see the movers and shakers -
the leaders and celebrities - others are around us. In the world of sports, you may see apparent
'dynasties', but they too will be forgotten. There are names that I could mention that we would all
recognize today, but over the course of time - fifty or one hundred years from now - those names will
not mean anything. Just as an experiment, think to yourself about 5 people that were household
names in 1910. Can you think of one? I was looking online at events of 1910 and I can't say that I
remember hearing of many of them. Wouldn't you think that the major events of 1910 were very relevant to those people - even if they are forgotten now?
Each of us live our lives, and many of us will have a funeral with anywhere from 10 to 1,000 people in attendance. After some time of remembrance, each of us will be forgotten by most people, with only those closest to us thinking about us. This can really leads to some empty thinking, can't it? That is precisely the point that Solomon was trying to get across. This emptiness is what is intended to draw us to God. As long as we think have 'it' in and of ourselves, we are content with that. But, when we see meaningless drivel, we are motivated to search for more. That is precisely why some people will have come to this lesson.
What is the answer then? We've seen that, though we can have good experiences in life, we still find life meaningless. Solomon gives in his conclusion the best way to live. What does he say? Fear God and keep his commandments. Every deed will be brought into judgment, including every hidden thing, good or evil. Some will take this to imply that life becomes a pursuit of legalism. We may spend time trying to do the right thing, and trying to avoid the wrong thing, but even that leads to wearisome living. We know we can't always do the right thing and we know that we fall under judgment.
The key message of the Bible is that the best way to live under the sun is to live under the Son, Jesus. God did not create us and leave us to fend for ourselves. He had a purpose in sending Jesus Christ, to give us purpose, peace and significance. When we try and live our lives apart from Jesus, we will find life to be terribly disappointing.
Each of us wants to have some impact on our world. When we focus our lives on the pursuits that God
has given us, our lives begin to count for not only today, but also for eternity. We will still
face disappointments as things don't always work out as planned, but life is much bigger than the circumstances we face. In Matthew 11:8, Jesus said "Come to me all you who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest".
Closing
What do you think you need to make life more meaningful? Hopefully, through this lesson and your own experience, you will know that there isn't anything that you can attain in life that will give true meaning to life. Goals are good, but when you reach them you won't find meaning as much as emptiness, because you will realize that there is more. I have heard the testimony of test pilots, who lived on the edge. They were driven as much as anybody else in this world. Then, they retired and there were no longer goals for them to meet - many of them became utterly depressed. There are worthy pursuits and good ways to invest your time, but in and of those things is not where true life is found. Solomon had the assets to obtain anything that he wanted, which he did - and he still found life meaningless. If you are looking for something that you can buy, or a skill that you can improve upon, or a goal to reach, or a situation to work out just like you want it to for fullness of life, you will be found wanting.
Those who go for what they can get right now may find something that pleases for a while, but it will never satisfy. I've heard many times of a vacuum or space inside each of our lives. We know that something is needed and many people will attempt to fill that space with any and everything, hoping to sate that feeling of meaninglessness. However, that vacuum was put there by God and he is the only one that can fill it. It is only filled through Jesus Christ. As we see our need and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we begin to experience the peace and purpose of life. We have hope that we can find in no other manner.
Some people may read this and hear the words about our need, and accepting Jesus, without understanding what that means. In a nutshell, there is a need that all humans have and it is caused by our own sin. Sin is when we do wrong - not as in missing a question on a test, but making decisions or doing things that we know are wrong. Each of us have cheated or lied or just done things we know to be wrong. The Bible tells us that this sin breaks the relationship we have with God, and if unaccounted for, it leads to an eternity apart from God. God, the Creator of life, has a lot to do with adding meaning in our lives. It makes sense that we would lose meaning if we disregard God in our lives. God's plan to deal with the sins of mankind was a series of sacrifices, as described in the Old Testament. However, there was the need for continual sacrifice - even after taking care of one sin, we all commit another and another and another.
A true sacrifice is given when perfection pays the price. None of us can be perfect, because of this sin problem, but that is where Jesus comes in. God sent his Son, Jesus, into the world - to live a perfect life, modeling how to live, and then to be unjustly crucified as an innocent man. That wasn't the end, as Jesus rose from the dead and conquered the power of sin and death in the life of believers. This death paid the penalty for our sins, if we only trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
It is as simple as praying to God with a prayer something like this
"Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."
When you do this, you have begun to fill that vacuum. As you mature in your faith, you will find that meaning in life becomes more understandable. You can still see that gerbil wheel in the cage, and from time to time, you might actually get on and start running, but your perspective changes and you know that the meaning of your life is derived elsewhere.
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