Explore God Week 1 (Novato) - What is the Purpose of Life?
September 24, 2023
‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.’” —Ecclesiastes 1:2 NIV
Meaningless, hevel -
“Under the sun,” a humanistic phrase that also appears twenty-nine times in the book.
Ecclesiastes describes the emptiness that we experience when we try to find meaning in creation without knowing the
Solomon - Life Under the Sun
In his early years, Solomon sought the
In the first half of his life, scripture describes Solomon in this way: “Solomon loved the
In the second half of his life, scripture describes Solomon in this way: “Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. (1 Kings 11:1)
In the first half of his life, Solomon had a divine assignment - to build the temple. In the second half of his life, he became unmoored and drifted.
He began to seek the gifts
- Let’s outline some of the things that Solomon chased:
1. Wisdom and Knowledge.
“Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge…but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.” —Ecclesiastes 1:16-17 NIV
2. Accomplishments.
“I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees.” —Ecclesiastes 2:4-6
…when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun. —Ecclesiastes 2:11
3. Pleasure.
“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure.” —Ecclesiastes 2:10a
“Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. —Ecclesiastes 2:1
4. Wealth.
“I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces.” —Ecclesiastes 2:8a
> “Now all has been heard; > here is the conclusion of the matter: > Fear God and keep his commandments, > for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.” —Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
- We were created to live in a relationship with God. Life is meaningless without God, but God gives everything meaning.And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. —John 17:3
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the Lord, —Jeremiah 29:11-14a
- “God if you are real, make Yourself real to me.”
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Matthew 6:25
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. —Matthew 6:33
