Mark Tabata’s Weekday Devotionals:
Thursday July 3 2025
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Ecclesiastes 1:1-3-The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” 3 What profit has a man from all his labor In which he toils under the sun?
From one point of view, the Book of Ecclesiastes is really an extremely depressing Book. From the very beginning, we are told from the preacher that life is meaningless and hopeless. The rich stay rich, the poor stay poor, people are here for a while and die and then die, and everything you work for is left to others. Pretty soon even those who mourn for you after you die get up and forget about you.
Those are some of the sentiments found in this Book, and boy is it depressing!
Yet is that the whole story-to this Book, and to life?
Not at all.
The key to understanding the Book of Ecclesiastes is that phrase “under the sun.” It is found 29 times in this great Volume, and it is only when we understand this phrase that we can begin to appreciate what Solomon is telling us. You see, the phrase “under the sun” really means “apart from God.” It is Solomon attempting to find purpose and lasting joy in life….apart from the Creator. When we try to find something meaningful and lasting in life apart from God, then we are going to fail! As one of my favorite authors says:
“Under the sun. You will find this important phrase twenty-nine times in Ecclesiastes, and with it the phrase “under heaven” (1: 13; 2: 3; 3: 1). It defines the outlook of the writer as he looks at life from a human perspective and not necessarily from heaven’s point of view. He applies his own wisdom and experience to the complex human situation and tries to make some sense out of life. Solomon wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (12: 10–11; 2 Tim. 3: 16), so what he wrote was what God wanted His people to have. But as we study, we must keep Solomon’s viewpoint in mind: he is examining life “under the sun.” In his Unfolding Message of the Bible, G. Campbell Morgan perfectly summarized Solomon’s outlook: “This man had been living through all these experiences under the sun, concerned with nothing above the sun … until there came a moment in which he had seen the whole of life. And there was something over the sun. It is only as a man takes account of that which is over the sun as well as that which is under the sun that things under the sun are seen in their true light” (Fleming H. Revell Company, 1961, p. 229).” (Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Satisfied (Ecclesiastes): Looking for the Answer to the Meaning of Life, 19 (Kindle Edition); Colorado Springs, CO; David C. Cook)
Life is as meaningless as described earlier in this Book if you take God out of the equation. There is no real love, no joy, no meaning, no fulfillment, no peace, no hope, no real excitement in life, apart from God. But when you put God back into that equation, everything changes! All of those things that were so “meaningless” are now transformed in light of the God Who is love.
So the Book of Ecclesiastes is a science experiment, where the wisest king in the history of the world learns through trial and error this fundamental truth:
Ecclesiastes 12:13-Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.
A few final thoughts.
First, context is extremely important in understanding the Word of God. Look at how the most “depressing” Book of the Bible comes alive when interpreted in its context. This is a reminder to all of us to be humble as we continue to grow in the knowledge of God’s Word (2 Peter 3:18).
Second, there will be times when life gets “out of focus.” If you ever start to take your gaze off of God, this will happen. Solomon tried to find purpose in life in anything and everything and he learned a simple but profound truth: life is only truly worth living when God is your Foundation, your Focus, and your beloved Friend.
Lord, thank You for not leaving us in this world without Your Scriptures. You are so kind to reveal Yourself to us. Help us find our joy, our purpose, and our peace, in You. We love You and thank You. Amen.
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