June 6th~Life Under the Sun

Ecclesiastes 1:12-6:12

We covered the first half of Solomon’s book of Ecclesiastes, which is filled with the results of his efforts to understand the meaning of life. What he recorded here may depress you. “I discovered that God has dealt a tragic existence to the human race,” he wrote. “Everything under the sun is meaningless” (1:13, 14).

He continued, “I said to myself, ‘Come now, let’s give pleasure a try. Let’s look for the good things in life.’ But I found that this too was meaningless. It was like chasing after the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere” (2:1, 11). “So then I decided to compare wisdom and folly... but I saw that wise and foolish people share the same fate. Both of them die. Then I said to myself, ‘This is all meaningless...’ So now I hate life because everything done here under the sun is irrational” (2:14-18).

While Solomon’s observations might seem to be correct, at first glance, there are some flaws in his reasoning. I realize that might sound arrogant to say, but Solomon was just a man. While he may have been the wisest man to live, he was still fallen and flawed. Therefore, we must take everything he wrote and filter it through the truth of his depravity.

But wait, isn’t Ecclesiastes part of God’s Word? Didn’t Solomon write these things under the inspiration of His Spirit? Yes, but we must recognize the context in which Solomon lived and balance his wisdom with the rest of Scripture. What do I mean?

Solomon lived 900 years before Christ. His understanding of the purposes of God and of the Messiah were limited. Since we live on the other side of Christ, knowing what He did on earth in His ministry and why He came, we have a much better understanding of God’s picture than Solomon ever did. The other truth to note here is that we have the rest of God’s Word to rely upon. The revelation that Solomon had in his day was very limited. He had the books of Moses, Joshua, Judges, and David, and not much else. You and I have the books of the New Testament.

What’s my point? Solomon wrote an accurate depiction of human life but with a limited view of the world. First, God has not dealt a tragic existence to the human race. When He created everything, it was all good. It was mankind that ruined everything with his sin. We are to blame for the futility of life, not God. Second, Solomon wrote from his perspective which was from “under the sun.” When we view life from man’s perspective, we will depress ourselves. It is only when we view life from above the sun, from God’s perspective, that life makes sense. He has redeemed our time through Jesus Christ and given us lives filled with meaning and purpose in Him.

Daily Reflection

Perhaps you are like Solomon and have allowed life to beat you down, even depress you. But are you viewing life as he did or as God does, from “under the sun” or from “above the sun”?

What is the meaning of life from above the sun?

BiAY.org | Day 157 — 208 Days to Go