Ecclesiastes 1:1-3 – Outside of God, life is same, lame and tame

The book opens by introducing the author as the preacher. The term “the preacher” is taken from the Hebrew word “Koheleth.” The word Ecclesiastes is a Greek derivative given as the title of the book by translators of the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament. It essentially means the leader of the called-out assembly. So, here he is giving his wise words. Verse 2 tells us that he was a son of David and a king in Jerusalem. The many insights given in this book, led many to conclude that the person who wrote them must be Solomon. For after all, he was considered to be the wisest man of his time.

The opening proposition of the preacher is that life is meaningless. It goes on and on in an endless cycle of mundane routine. It sounded like one sitting on a rocking chair, full of movement but going nowhere. The question he asked in verse 3 is ^“What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?” Like him, we understand where he was coming from. Man lives in a profit driven culture. The primary concern is therefore, profit, of course. This is a question even students in our day would ask. “What’s in it for me?”  Like all people the author also wants to know the value of his work. He was looking to harvest a great yield from his hard work, but he wanted to estimate the gain he could get out of his work. So, he questioned the worth of his work. He wondered if he was really accomplishing anything at all. He even wondered, what would be the gain from the toil of his hand? Of course, his questions were merely rhetorical. He meant to get us into a discussion of the value of living.

Bear in mind that he was talking about a perspective that was seen under the sun. It’s earthly. It is a perspective where God is left out of the equation, a perspective where the purpose and will of God are not factored in one’s life journey. Hence it is a mundane and endless cycle of emptiness. Here’s where Saint Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo, was right when he said centuries ago, “God, You have created us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in You.” The author of Ecclesiastes was looking at life without God being at the center. That accounts for why life could be so meaningless and unfulfilled. Remember, outside of living for God and His purpose for our life, we will always find life drab, dull and unprofitable. Living outside of God’s will is like running on a treadmill. One can run and run and spend all of one’s energy, but at the end of the running will still be at the same spot. Only as we live in God and for God, will we find fulfilment, advancement, and great meaning to living.