How do you preach a book of the Bible that proclaims "Everything is meaningless!" throughout? Well, it's a challenge but I wanted to get a quick post up about the challenges and joys of preaching through this book.
1. It's the Bible.
That's right. It's God's Word. And if God's Word contains someone proclaiming that everything is meaningless, then we need to dig in and ask the Holy Spirit to help us figure out what is going on.
Romans 8 is one of my favorite chapters. It is no less the Bible than some of the difficult chapters in Ecclesiastes.
2. It's difficult.
Sure it is. Ecclesiastes is a difficult book. Not everything Solomon is saying is right. That doesn't mean the Bible isn't true. Sometimes the true Bible shows the false way to find hope in the one true God. Solomon's point is that "under the sun" things are meaningless. As we go on, he will point to God and there will be much that encourages our hearts.
In the meantime, allow the difficult parts of this book to challenge you. Allow the brutal truths to sink in. Allow the smallness and overall insignificance of our lives to speak truth. But . . .
3. Let this book point you to Jesus.
That's the most exciting part - we get to see why Jesus is more fulfilling than anything Solomon could have imagined. Jesus does satisfy -- how can a perfect, sinless Savior not fulfill us?
Without Jesus, life truly is meaningless. Birth, death, peace, war, everything that happens under the sun -- all of it will come and go. With a soul anchored to Christ, we can find true meaning and purpose as we set our gaze beyond mortal life and toward eternity.
I praise God for Ecclesiastes, as I do the rest of His Word. I pray these challenges will speak to us in powerful ways in the weeks and months ahead.
In Christ,
Pastor Kevin