I am going to die. I have a fatal condition known as humanity and that means that at some point. I am going to die. And so are you.
The one thing that concerns me about death is making sure Rachel is taken care of financially when I’m gone. She has graciously depended on me to provide the bulk of our income for the last 30 years and I would not want her to have to pinch pennies the last 30 years of her life because I’m gone. Other than that, death does not distress me. I don’t want to spend money dying, but it doesn’t distress me. Would I miss watching Theodore and Laurel growing up? From this side of the grave, I would have to say yes, but I trust that once I am in Hades, what is going on in this world will not be of any concern to me.
This is what the book of Ecclesiastes is all about. As Solomon works his way through the message of Ecclesiastes, he tells us that life is messy. But when you get to the end and you cross the valley of the shadow of death, then everything will be set right. Death will put everything into perspective and if we meditate on our own death, that vision can also put our lives into perspective.
Read Ecclesiastes 1:1-11.
One of the joys of being around toddlers is watching them use their imagination. My older brother had an imaginary friend named “Bop-bop.” But there is a huge difference between the imaginary world and the real world. And sometimes when we see and hear children playing in their imaginary world, it makes us sad to know that one day, their perspective is going to change drastically. Because there is real pain in the real world. There is real frustration in the real world. There is real confusion in the real world. There is real death in the real world.
So Solomon tells us right off the bat that “all is vanity.” All is vanity. Everything in life is pretty much a merry-go-around. Out of the 73 times “vanity” is used in the OT, Solomon uses it in Ecclesiastes 38 times. “All is vanity.” Everything is futile. Everything is like tying to grab the wind. James, of course tells us that life is a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes (James 4:14).
As we get older, we realize just how true the statement is “Time flies the older you get.” We are born, we live, we die, and it seems to happen so quickly. It is hard to believe that Rachel and I have been married 30 years. Where did that time go?
So Ecclesiastes is reflections on the brevity of life.
The advantage for the Christian is not that we can stop the merry-go-round; it is that we know the merry-go-round is not all there is. Solomon will talk to us in Ecclesiastes what we should and should not expect out of life. What is most important? Ecclesiastes 12:13-14…
Want to live a fulfilling life? Start by fearing God and keeping His commandments – it’s a game changer for every person.
Paul Holland
