God's guidance is very essential in the lives of every living being..
If you have your Bibles, I'd like to invite you to turn with me to Ecclesiastes, chapter 6, as we continue our way in this book. This is a book about satisfaction, about meaning in life, about fulfillment, about fullness, about significance, about happiness and blessedness. Now, you’re thinking to yourself, “Hmmm, those aren't the words that struck me as I've been meditating on this book over the last five weeks or so because it's so often a bleak book. And book that starts out with “Vanity of vanities, all is vanities” is not one of those books that you’re expecting to be an upbeat, optimistic look at the world.
But actually, this book is precisely about meaning and fulfillment and fullness and significance and satisfaction and happiness and blessedness in life. And the very reason why the author, why the Preacher, why Solomon begins by saying, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” The he begins by saying, “Emptiness, emptiness, everything is empty. Futility of futilities, everything is futile. The reason he begins this book that way is because he wants you to find true satisfaction, true significance, true happiness, true blessedness, true meaning in life, fulfillment and fullness. He wants you to find those things. It's very important to realize that. The following of Christ does not mean the abdication of happiness and blessedness. But doesn't Jesus say, “Take up your cross and deny yourself. Die to yourself. Follow me.” Yes, He does and that is very important, but it's not because He is saying happiness and blessedness and satisfaction and significance and meaning and fullness are not to be the experience of His followers, nor are to be desired by His followers. This Book of Ecclesiastes makes it clear that every man desires significance and satisfaction and fullness and meaning in life. The problem is people seek it the wrong way and people seek for it in the wrong things. And so, the Preacher begins this book by saying that everything is vain, everything is empty, everything is futile, everything is meaningless; there is no satisfaction under the sun not because the desire for meaning in this life is wrong, but because so many seek meaning in this life in the wrong places and in the wrong way. His desire is to cut off from you every wrong path to meaning and satisfaction, not so that you will live as meaningless life as possible but so that you would experience true fullness.But actually, this book is precisely about meaning and fulfillment and fullness and significance and satisfaction and happiness and blessedness in life. And the very reason why the author, why the Preacher, why Solomon begins by saying, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” The he begins by saying, “Emptiness, emptiness, everything is empty. Futility of futilities, everything is futile. The reason he begins this book that way is because he wants you to find true satisfaction, true significance, true happiness, true blessedness, true meaning in life, fulfillment and fullness. He wants you to find those things. It's very important to realize that. The following of Christ does not mean the abdication of happiness and blessedness. But doesn't Jesus say, “Take up your cross and deny yourself. Die to yourself. Follow me.” Yes, He does and that is very important, but it's not because He is saying happiness and blessedness and satisfaction and significance and meaning and fullness are not to be the experience of His followers, nor are to be desired by His followers. This Book of Ecclesiastes makes it clear that every man desires significance and satisfaction and fullness and meaning in life. The problem is people seek it the wrong way and people seek for it in the wrong things. And so, the Preacher begins this book by saying that everything is vain, everything is empty, everything is futile, everything is meaningless; there is no satisfaction under the sun not because the desire for meaning in this life is wrong, but because so many seek meaning in this life in the wrong places and in the wrong way. His desire is to cut off from you every wrong path to meaning and satisfaction, not so that you will live as meaningless life as possible but so that you would experience true fullness.
You see, there are two problems that necessitate the Preacher taking this tact. The first is there are so many people involved in the quest for meaning and looking for it in the wrong places, and he's got to show them how they’ll never find meaning in those wrong places. But the other problem is people seeking meaning in the wrong places and finding in this life a tremendous level of contentment, to the point that if they don't think, they are perfectly happy like they are, when in fact, they are not experiencing true meaning and satisfaction and blessedness; they are experiencing a false substitute.You see, there are two problems that necessitate the Preacher taking this tact. The first is there are so many people involved in the quest for meaning and looking for it in the wrong places, and he's got to show them how they’ll never find meaning in those wrong places. But the other problem is people seeking meaning in the wrong places and finding in this life a tremendous level of contentment, to the point that if they don't think, they are perfectly happy like they are, when in fact, they are not experiencing true meaning and satisfaction and blessedness; they are experiencing a false substitute.
And so, he has to hold up before us the ultimate failure of those false substitutes before we can realize that we have bought into a shallow happiness that won't last as opposed to the deep happiness that can weather every storm of life. So far in the first five chapters, we've seen him try and cut off false escape routes into meaning and happiness. We've seen him in chapter one take the way of wisdom. “I'm going to reflect about life; I'm going to thing about it deeply. I'm going to come up with a philosophy of life which will give it meaning apart from God.” And he says, “No, you won't.” And when that fails, he looks at the escape route of pleasure. And we saw that in chapter one and two. “OK, if I can't think my way into meaning, I’ll at least have a good time on my way to satisfaction. I’ll have fun.” And he says, “That way won't work either.” And then there's the way of work. The last time we were together, we looked at the way of affluence–having lots of money and things.And so, he has to hold up before us the ultimate failure of those false substitutes before we can realize that we have bought into a shallow happiness that won't last as opposed to the deep happiness that can weather every storm of life. So far in the first five chapters, we've seen him try and cut off false escape routes into meaning and happiness. We've seen him in chapter one take the way of wisdom. “I'm going to reflect about life; I'm going to thing about it deeply. I'm going to come up with a philosophy of life which will give it meaning apart from God.” And he says, “No, you won't.” And when that fails, he looks at the escape route of pleasure. And we saw that in chapter one and two. “OK, if I can't think my way into meaning, I’ll at least have a good time on my way to satisfaction. I’ll have fun.” And he says, “That way won't work either.” And then there's the way of work. The last time we were together, we looked at the way of affluence–having lots of money and things.
And he says, “Each of those ways to happiness, blessedness, meaning, fullness, fulfillment, satisfaction, is a dead end.” Each of those ways cannot, in and of themselves, provide satisfaction in this life. Only God can provide satisfaction. The only positive answer he has given to us so far is in asking us to look squarely at the providing hand of God. That's where meaning comes from. Well, this chapter that we are going to read today is really rehearsing and summarizing some of the ways that people try to find meaning and happiness in this life and again, cutting us off from those as escape routes and pointing us again to the only One who can provide true meaning, happiness and blessedness in this life. So, let's hear God's word in Ecclesiastes, chapter 6, beginning in the first verse.And he says, “Each of those ways to happiness, blessedness, meaning, fullness, fulfillment, satisfaction, is a dead end.” Each of those ways cannot, in and of themselves, provide satisfaction in this life. Only God can provide satisfaction. The only positive answer he has given to us so far is in asking us to look squarely at the providing hand of God. That's where meaning comes from. Well, this chapter that we are going to read today is really rehearsing and summarizing some of the ways that people try to find meaning and happiness in this life and again, cutting us off from those as escape routes and pointing us again to the only One who can provide true meaning, happiness and blessedness in this life. So, let's hear God's word in Ecclesiastes, chapter 6, beginning in the first verse.
“There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men— a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner enjoys them. This is vanity and a severe affliction. If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper burial, then I say, "Better the miscarriage than he, for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity. "It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; it is better off than he. "Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice and does not enjoy good things—do not all go to one place?" All a man's labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied. For what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have, knowing how to walk before the living? What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and a striving after wind. Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is. For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man? For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few years of his futile life? He will spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?” Amen. This is God's Word; may He add His blessing to it. Let's pray.“There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men— a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner enjoys them. This is vanity and a severe affliction. If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper burial, then I say, "Better the miscarriage than he, for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity. "It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; it is better off than he. "Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice and does not enjoy good things—do not all go to one place?" All a man's labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied. For what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have, knowing how to walk before the living? What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and a striving after wind. Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is. For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man? For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few years of his futile life? He will spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?” Amen. This is God's Word; may He add His blessing to it. Let's pray.“There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men— a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner enjoys them. This is vanity and a severe affliction. If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper burial, then I say, "Better the miscarriage than he, for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity. "It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; it is better off than he. "Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice and does not enjoy good things—do not all go to one place?" All a man's labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied. For what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have, knowing how to walk before the living? What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and a striving after wind. Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is. For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man? For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few years of his futile life? He will spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?” Amen. This is God's Word; may He add His blessing to it. Let's pray.“There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men— a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner enjoys them. This is vanity and a severe affliction. If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper burial, then I say, "Better the miscarriage than he, for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity. "It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; it is better off than he. "Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice and does not enjoy good things—do not all go to one place?" All a man's labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied. For what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have, knowing how to walk before the living? What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and a striving after wind. Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is. For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man? For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few years of his futile life? He will spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?” Amen. This is God's Word; may He add His blessing to it. Let's pray.
If you have your Bibles, I'd like to invite you to turn with me to Ecclesiastes, chapter 6, as we continue our way in this book. This is a book about satisfaction, about meaning in life, about fulfillment, about fullness, about significance, about happiness and blessedness. Now, you’re thinking to yourself, “Hmmm, those aren't the words that struck me as I've been meditating on this book over the last five weeks or so because it's so often a bleak book. And book that starts out with “Vanity of vanities, all is vanities” is not one of those books that you’re expecting to be an upbeat, optimistic look at the world. very important to realize that. The following of Christ does not mean the abdication of happiness and blessedness. But doesn't Jesus say, “Take up your cross and deny yourself. Die to yourself. Follow me.” Yes, He does and that is very important, but it's not because He is saying happiness and blessedness and satisfaction and significance a