Solomon: The Meaning of Life

Lesson for April 29, 2018

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11, 4:1-2,13, 12:9-14

What are the most important inventions of all time?
the wheel
the printing press
the light bulb
the telephone
penicillin
integrated circuits
the internet
?

The printing press changed the world, but as technology advances, printed documents are less and less necessary in our lives.  This year's innovations will soon be discarded in America's landfills.  The shelf life of every great advancement for mankind gets shorter and shorter.

But... we look for ways to leave a meaningful legacy.

Solomon was the same way. He concluded that everything that is about making this life on earth more pleasant, is ultimately meaningless.  Life is NOT meaningless, but living for THIS life is vanity.

Take a breath and hold it as long as you can.  While you are holding your breath, do whatever you want.

1. Your life is like that breath
2. Some can hang on longer than others, but none can last long
3. After that breath is gone, whatever you did is probably meaningless because now you need another breath.
4. Psalm 144:4 says about humans, "They are like a breath;
       their days are like a fleeting shadow."

 Read Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

How do you feel about Solomon's view of life in Ecclesiastes 1?

Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes later in life.  He had already experienced just about everything that a person could want.

• wisdom, scientific understanding, recognition and glory for being so smart
• accomplishments like building the temple, palaces, beautiful gardens, he lived for his work
• fabulous riches of gold, silver, chariots, animals, slaves, etc
• parties, pleasures, wine, women, and song
• he experienced a relationship with the true God, and worshiped many others too

If Solomon had everything a person could want, why did he say life was meaningless?

Read Ecclesiastes 4:1-2,13

In light of the suffering that faces both the righteous and the wicked, what should be our purpose in life?

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your
labor is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58).

When everything else in life is vanity, meaningless, or even chasing after wind, serving the Lord by serving others is not in vain.

Read Ecclesiastes 12:9-14

After all the mistakes Solomon made in life, God gave him the wisdom in the end to say, "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind."

How do you decide if your activities are meaningless or meaningful?

 Homework assignment:  Identify ten things you spend a lot of time doing, for each, rank it from 1 to 5 where 1 is totally meaningLESS and 5 is totally meaningFULL.  How can we make the ordinary daily stuff we do have ETERNAL value?