Ecclesiastes 1:1-11: a reflection

1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem: 2“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” 3What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun? 4One generation goes, and another generation comes; but the earth remains forever. 5The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it rises. 6The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually as it goes, and the wind returns again to its courses. 7All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again. 8All things are full of weariness beyond uttering. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. 9That which has been is that which shall be, and that which has been done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun. 10Is there a thing of which it may be said, “Behold, this is new”? It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us. 11There is no memory of the former; neither shall there be any memory of the latter that are to come, among those that shall come after.

The Preacher opens his book with a bleak assessment of life lived under the sun: Vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What does man gain from all his labor? The generations come and go, the sun rises and sets, the rivers run to the sea, and nothing is ever full or finished; there is nothing new under the sun, and no lasting memory of what has been. Life pursued merely under the sun, apart from God, is weariness without lasting gain, a round of labor that leaves the heart unsatisfied and is soon forgotten.

Notice what the Preacher is exposing: the emptiness of life pursued apart from God, for merely earthly ends. He looks at life lived only under the sun, seeking gain and satisfaction in the round of earthly labor and pleasure, and finds it empty: wearying, unsatisfying, without lasting gain, soon forgotten. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with hearing; the labor yields no lasting profit. Life sought merely under the sun, apart from God and the eternal, cannot satisfy the heart or yield lasting gain; it is, in the end, vanity.

That sober assessment is meant to turn us from seeking lasting meaning where it cannot be found, to seeking it in God. We can pursue satisfaction and lasting gain in the things under the sun, in labor, pleasure, achievement, possessions; but these, the Preacher shows, cannot finally satisfy or yield lasting gain, and are soon forgotten. The emptiness he exposes is meant to turn us to God, in whom alone lasting meaning is found. Do not seek your lasting satisfaction and gain merely in the things under the sun, which cannot finally satisfy and are soon forgotten; seek it in God, who is eternal, and in whom alone the heart finds lasting rest. Let the emptiness of life pursued apart from God turn you toward him; do not spend yourself seeking lasting meaning where it cannot be found, under the sun, but seek it in the eternal God, in whom alone the heart, unsatisfied by all that passes, finds its rest.

Lord, the Preacher opens his book with a bleak assessment of life lived under the sun: vanity of vanities; all is vanity; what does man gain from all his labor? The generations come and go, the sun rises and sets, the rivers run to the sea, and nothing is ever full or finished; there is nothing new under the sun. Life pursued merely under the sun, apart from you, is weariness without lasting gain, a round of labor that leaves the heart unsatisfied and is soon forgotten. Show me what the Preacher is exposing: the emptiness of life pursued apart from you, for merely earthly ends. He looks at life lived only under the sun, and finds it empty: wearying, unsatisfying, without lasting gain. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with hearing. Life sought merely under the sun, apart from you and the eternal, cannot satisfy the heart or yield lasting gain. Let that sober assessment turn me from seeking lasting meaning where it cannot be found, to seeking it in you. I can pursue satisfaction and lasting gain in the things under the sun, in labor, pleasure, achievement, possessions; but these cannot finally satisfy, and are soon forgotten. Keep me from seeking my lasting satisfaction merely in the things under the sun; help me seek it in you, who are eternal, and in whom alone the heart finds lasting rest. Let the emptiness of life pursued apart from you turn me toward you, Lord; help me seek my lasting meaning in the eternal God, in whom alone the heart finds its rest.