Ecclesiastes: The Adventure of a LifetimeSample

Vapor

Solomon begins the Book of Ecclesiastes with an enigmatic statement about life on this planet. He says it is “vanity.” Some versions choose the word “meaningless.” Both words are translated from the Hebrew word hebel, which literally means “vaporous.”

Solomon’s point is not that there is no purpose to life, but that we cannot fully understand the purpose of life. It is vaporous, like a puff of air or a wisp of smoke. We try to grab it and it slips around our fingers and into the air.

We all have a compulsion to understand. To pursue knowledge is part of being human. But there is a place where our capacity ends, and trust begins. Faith is the true foundation for wisdom. And we need more wisdom than knowledge. Whereas knowledge tends to reside only in our heads, wisdom enriches our whole experience of life.

It can be frustrating when our compulsion to understand is not being satisfied. We cannot control (or even foresee) how things will work out. There is so much we don't comprehend, so much we cannot do. Often, our reaction is to do nothing. To freeze. But the better path is to embrace a biblical perspective, which is rooted in trusting God.

The Book of Ecclesiastes is a book that shows us that perspective. It encourages us toward self-awareness and embracing the reality of life on earth. Life on earth is a mystery, a vapor. We don’t know all the whys and whats and whens. Solomon will argue that this is by design. The point of life is not to feed our compulsion to understand, but to guide us into worshiping its Creator and enjoying our lives within God’s design. Adopting a true perspective about the nature of our world and the limitations of ourselves is the first step.

Let’s pray together by putting our lives in God’s hands, asking Him to strengthen our faith and make us grow in wisdom. Let’s tell Him that we need His help so that we can recede in our urge to know, and stride along into paths of deeper faith and heavenly godliness. Our eternal journey is not halted at all by death in this world, so let’s ask the Lord’s mercy so that we never lose sight of what lays beyond what we can see, hear, and touch.