After having completed the introduction and initial lesson for the "Ecclesiastes - Search for Meaning" series; and having prepared for the next chapter, I have some further thoughts......
The author, most likely King Solomon, uses the phrase "under the sun" a lot, indicating that his search is primarily focused on what he sees in this world. That offers insight into why he becomes frustrated in his search for meaning; because, when we look only at the world around us, we are not able to answer the Universal questions like "What is the meaning of life?" The answers can only be found beyond ourselves, in the supernatural realm, in God. That is why our culture today similarly is unable to find true meaning, purpose, and satisfaction in life; because, it is a culture that has largely accepted Naturalism.
However, what I see in Ecclesiastes, is that when a person really tries to seek the Truth, their search will eventually lead them to God.
This is actually a good book to use in reaching out to those who are searching. It is clear that Solomon went through an extensive search, and from his experiences, came to the conclusion that meaning in life can only be found when our perspective includes God.
The meaninglessness encountered in the book of Ecclesiastes was because of:
- The Temporal Nature of Man - there is no lasting satisfaction and we all die and are no longer remembered
- The Futility of Life - there is an emptiness, and ever since the Fall, the world tends toward decay and destruction
- That it is all Incomprehensible - there is no true understanding or explanation of purpose
In contrast , when we include God in the perspective, we find that:
- Eternity - we can invest in what has lasting value in light of eternity
- Restoration - through Christ, we are renewed and in glory, all creation will be restored
- Truth - the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom
After having completed the introduction and initial lesson for the "Ecclesiastes - Search for Meaning" series; and having prepared for the next chapter, I have some further thoughts......
The author, most likely King Solomon, uses the phrase "under the sun" a lot, indicating that his search is primarily focused on what he sees in this world. That offers insight into why he becomes frustrated in his search for meaning; because, when we look only at the world around us, we are not able to answer the Universal questions like "What is the meaning of life?" The answers can only be found beyond ourselves, in the supernatural realm, in God. That is why our culture today similarly is unable to find true meaning, purpose, and satisfaction in life; because, it is a culture that has largely accepted Naturalism.
However, what I see in Ecclesiastes, is that when a person really tries to seek the Truth, their search will eventually lead them to God.
This is actually a good book to use in reaching out to those who are searching. It is clear that Solomon went through an extensive search, and from his experiences, came to the conclusion that meaning in life can only be found when our perspective includes God.
The meaninglessness encountered in the book of Ecclesiastes was because of:
No comments:
Post a Comment