Lessons in the Wilderness - Part 4
Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
Have you ever had a hollow chocolate Easter bunny? Maybe as a kid, you slowly opened the shiny foil of the bunny-shaped treat, and slowly bit off a corner of the ear, only to find that the taste faded oh so quickly? It's then that you realized, it's hollow! You might even feel a little bit cheated! That, in short, is what this passage is saying. We can easily read this passage and walk away feeling somewhat sad, especially if we just leave it at that. After all, the words of this passage imply that life is empty, futile, and as hollow as a chocolate bunny.
If we look at life from this viewpoint, it is very easy to say, "Yea, life is pretty meaningless! You're here for a short amount of time, and then you're gone. Let's just enjoy ourselves and have a good ole time while we can!" In fact, this is where (so I've read) the phrase "Eat, drink and be merry" comes from. It's easy to walk away with that attitude. Until that is, we remember who has written these words. Solomon, a man who had all the wisdom and all the riches one could ever want, realized that a life lived apart from God is just that –– meaningless. So very meaningless. Unfortunately, it was near the end of his life that he made this discovery. When we read Ecclesiastes with this in mind, we find that we can learn quite a bit.
Solomon was in no way trying to destroy all hope and meaning of life. Instead, he was trying to point to the One where our meaning lies. He was trying to direct us to the One who can truly fulfill our days and give each one of them meaning and a purpose. There are warnings in this book, even in this passage, that we should take seriously. Life apart from God is quite meaningless. If we live without Him, we will look back in the end and find nothing but a hollow bunny. And that's including those who have all the riches one could ever want.
If we turn to the end of Ecclesiastes, we find an appropriate conclusion to a book that makes us wonder and reflect inwardly:
Have you ever had a hollow chocolate Easter bunny? Maybe as a kid, you slowly opened the shiny foil of the bunny-shaped treat, and slowly bit off a corner of the ear, only to find that the taste faded oh so quickly? It's then that you realized, it's hollow! You might even feel a little bit cheated! That, in short, is what this passage is saying. We can easily read this passage and walk away feeling somewhat sad, especially if we just leave it at that. After all, the words of this passage imply that life is empty, futile, and as hollow as a chocolate bunny.
If we look at life from this viewpoint, it is very easy to say, "Yea, life is pretty meaningless! You're here for a short amount of time, and then you're gone. Let's just enjoy ourselves and have a good ole time while we can!" In fact, this is where (so I've read) the phrase "Eat, drink and be merry" comes from. It's easy to walk away with that attitude. Until that is, we remember who has written these words. Solomon, a man who had all the wisdom and all the riches one could ever want, realized that a life lived apart from God is just that –– meaningless. So very meaningless. Unfortunately, it was near the end of his life that he made this discovery. When we read Ecclesiastes with this in mind, we find that we can learn quite a bit.
Solomon was in no way trying to destroy all hope and meaning of life. Instead, he was trying to point to the One where our meaning lies. He was trying to direct us to the One who can truly fulfill our days and give each one of them meaning and a purpose. There are warnings in this book, even in this passage, that we should take seriously. Life apart from God is quite meaningless. If we live without Him, we will look back in the end and find nothing but a hollow bunny. And that's including those who have all the riches one could ever want.
If we turn to the end of Ecclesiastes, we find an appropriate conclusion to a book that makes us wonder and reflect inwardly:
"Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.
For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil."
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NIV)
Perhaps you aren't at the end of your life yet, and you already find this assessment (Chapter 3) to be accurate for you. Look to the One who holds the days in His hands. He wants to fill your days with meaning and purpose. Look to Him. Serve Him. Take Solomon's advice––you won't regret it in the end. You'll bite into the chocolate bunny and find a sweet, satisfying surprise.
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