January 25, 2019

Ecclesiastes 1:1-8


Rachel Workman: These are the words of the Teacher,[a] King David’s son, who ruled in Jerusalem.
“Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!”
What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes. The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.

If this doesn't describe today's world I don't know what does. We are just blowing in circles only to have accomplished nothing. We are never satisfied. 

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John Burnett:  The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
[a]Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,
[b]Vanity of vanities! All is [c]vanity.” 
Uselessness or futility of excessive pride in one’s achievements.  Your achievements will not bring you happiness are useless in the big scheme of things. 
What advantage does man have in all his work
Which he does under the sun? 
Our works do nothing for us if we are not in Christ.  In fact, the thought that our works do anything for us as far as salvation is concerned is one of the sins Jesus hates the most.  It is called self-righteousness and it provides us no advantages in the short blip of time we are here on earth.
A generation goes and a generation comes,
But the earth [d]remains forever.
Also, the sun rises and the sun sets;
And [e]hastening to its place it rises there again.
[f]Blowing toward the south,
Then turning toward the north,
The wind continues [g]swirling along;
And on its circular courses the wind returns.
All the rivers [h]flow into the sea,
Yet the sea is not full.
To the place where the rivers [i]flow,
There they [j]flow again.
All things are wearisome;
Man is not able to tell it.
The eye is not satisfied with seeing,
Nor is the ear filled with hearing. 
Ecclesiastes was written around 935 B.C. by Solomon according to the consensus of Bible Scholars.  If there were ever a man who could have found happiness in worldly material things, Solomon was that man because he had everything a worldly man’s heart could desire.  Money, hundreds of the most beautiful women, power, and anything else a man could want could not bring provide happiness.  Based on the tone in which Solomon uses here, it actually brings despair and depression. 

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Monday’s reading for Ecclesiastes 1:9-11

History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. 10 Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. 11 We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.

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