I do not have much time on this Earth. Like any human, my lifespan is very limited despite being longer than most other living things on this planet. Anyone reading this will probably be thinking, of course, what difference does that make? You might even be wondering, what does this have to do with the book in the Bible called Ecclesiastes. People through all of world history have been wondering what the purpose of life is. It is a preeminent question that has existed before life truly began. People have sought the answer centuries, even millennia. People have attempted to find it in fame, wealth, power and pleasure. It is the oldest and most profoundly difficult question to answer. Or so it seems. We have conjectured to answer this question through primarily materialistic solutions.

This has not succeeded in any attempt. A king who was granted wisdom beyond all other men and rulers attempted to find answers in all of the pursuits there could possibly exist in the limited continuum of humanity. We all seek to fill our lives with tangible things or simply things that perceive as potentially life-invigorating and proliferation of joy.

What do you find yourself looking for security and happiness in? We are notoriously distracted and blind creatures to our deftness and frankly frivolous lifestyles. We are transfixed with the fear of wasting our lives to such an extent that we often do not even realizing we are wasting our lives more by doing so. How is this so? Causes our perpetual inclination towards superficiality. The answer according to Solomon the (son of king David of Israel), is really simple. We are too consumed with the materialistic naivety of our present world. We wonder why the United States, the "land of opportunity" has one of the highest suicide rates in the world in a 28-year study. Clearly, the American Dream is not as ideal as previously believed and people are finding life more and more hopeless. Why are we losing faith in the heralded system of 'liberty" and "freedom"? Solomon introduces his own experiences with pursuing the emptiness of our world.

"Vanity of vanities!" says the Teacher, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity!" What does a person gain in all his toil with which he toils under the sun? A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth stands forever. The sun rises, and the sun goes down; to its place it hurries, and there it rises again. - (Ecc 1:2-5)

In the book of Ecclesiastes Solomon discusses what he calls the "vanity of vanities" of which uses to define life by. So for intents and purposes, I will refer to life in this context and reference this phrase through much of this discussion. Solomon discusses our vanity in a very rigorous and thorough detail and I will do my best to walk everyone reading this through what he is writing and saying through his writings. He often describes the cyclical nature of human existence as being extraordinarily depriving and malicious in a purely existential fashion. A careful examination of the text will clearly align how life and of itself bares little lasting joy.

Solomon also spends some time experiencing all of the pleasures to determine whether they really contributed real happiness. He delved and sampled everything that was supposed to bring joy. And when one says everything, everything is exactly what is meant by saying this.

I said to myself, "Come! I will test pleasure to see whether it is worthwhile." But look, "This also is vanity!" I said of laughter, "It is folly!" and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?" I also explored the effects of indulging my flesh with wine. My mind guiding me with wisdom, I investigated folly so that I might discover what is good under heaven for humans to do during the days of their lives. - (Ecc 2:1-3)

1. Solomon delves into the immediate pleasures of food and drink and finds them to be empty of lasting joy. It continues to reflect the fading nature of all aspects of vanity. It is devoid of all characteristics that are explicitly desired. Furthermore, Solomon a pursuit in complete satisfaction and fulfillment in the nourishment of earth will render someone devoid of contentment.

Ecclesiastes 2:4-7

2. He pursued wisdom with all vigor and adamant energy and came up feeling just as empty and unfulfilled as previously discovered. He conjectures that his pursuit of great works and accomplishments to be just as uninspiring and temporal as previously convened. Upon these grim revelations, continued to base his deeply held thesis that there was no lasting pleasure to be discovered in these things alone. In continuation, he pursued women and the allure of marriage and feminine beauty to its fullest. Some consider this to be the ultimate vanity of all. Again, Solomon found this to be in and of itself intrinsically void of holistic completion. Nothing provided him enduring pleasure to continue and enrich the king of Israel.

Fascinating, the man who practically owned all of the world regarded none of it as having the ability to completely gratify the human desires. Why then do we still so vigorously pursue its deceitful spectacle? Perhaps in part due to Solomon's other revelation in the latter chapters.

So I deemed the dead who have already died more fortunate than the living who are still alive. But better off than both of them is the one who has not yet been born and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun. - (Ecc 4:2-3)

He continues on to discuss the implicit and explicit oppression within life. He discusses the cruelty ad evil that is carried out by the governments, societal systems, and many other works. We often forget these parts of our life and do not recognize some of the burdens they bring upon our lives. Solomon is examining the systemic oppression initially seen within tyrannical governments.

Solomon does not stop at this. He also critiques the silent oppression from implicit forms of the endless toiling of worker "the youth under the sun" toiling to no end. He sees the loss of life of the unborn, the elderly, and frailty of our very finite existence. We surmise rightly that we live in an insidiously broken world. We realize the fragility of our life is plagued by our incompatible malicious spirit and addiction to the fleshly desires of this world.

I saw all the living who move about under the sun with the youth; the second who will stand in his place. There is no end to all the people, to all who were before him. Yet the later generation will not rejoice in him, for this also is vanity and chasing wind!
(Ecc 4:15-16)

So what is there to be gained from this bleak and despairing picture of the broken world we live in? Where can we really find lasting joy and hope in a dark and impossibly vulgar world? As you may have considered, we have to look outside the physical world of which we are so familiar with. This solution lies solely within the proposition that Solomon contends is the true answer to life's meaningless realities.

Then I saw all the work of God--man is not able to discover the work that is done under the sun. Although man may toil in seeking, he cannot find it. Even if a wise man claims that he knows it, he cannot find it. (Ecc 8:17)

Interesting, as soon as God enters the scene of our creation he introduces a legitimate purpose behind our desires. He gives real meaning. We cannot find it, but He understands exactly its contents and proper placement. This means our contentment is derived not from lifeless things, but instead in the embodiment of a person.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. (Ecc 9:18)

Man still possesses an incredible tenacity to destroy the good works of the Lord in our sin. Truly, since the beginning of time, we have endeavored to rebel against every good design and pure structure for our good. We have desecrated all of his creation in our wickedness. And yet, He still offers and desires a relationship with us despite not even remotely deserving such a contact and affection from a God we have scorned so egregiously.

Imagine this story,

You have a friend who you like very much. You spend time with him/her for most of your life. However, your friend has never showed much affection for you. They have despised you, rejected you continuously and continued to deride you at every turn in the course of your friendship. Imagine one day, in hopes to reconcile whatever animosity that exists between you; you offer a gift in the form of your most valuable possession. Say a valuable a vintage vinyl record worth millions of dollars or a vase made of diamonds. Imagine your friend taking this gift and smashing it to the ground for hundreds of people to see.

Remember the feeling that you had when you think about this story. Remember the pain you feel in the obliterated gift, the crushed spirit of affection, the feeling of ultimate betrayal. Imagine God and His son, Jesus being the friend whom were scarred, and imagine us as the hateful and spiteful friend. Now realize how insane the love He continues to extend to us far beyond the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. We forget just how profound this love really is.

Real satisfaction does not come from our vanities it originates only within the sacrificial gift in the form of the Lamb of God. The one whom we murdered thousands of years ago by our rejection of God. Our hatred brought about his death and ultimately gave us life eternally. Our vanities suddenly fade into the background of our lives and become a faint memory upon the mental landscape of our existence. We begin to finally recognize how irrelevant the petty and vain worries of our lives really are. We have come to terms with our reality. Consider for yourselves where you stand upon this discussion. Read Ecclesiastes and hear the words directly for yourself. You may not be persuaded by the argument, or you may find it radically transforms your perspective. In any case, consider its ramifications for the sake of your soul.