Ecclesiastes asks hard questions to show us what life is really like—and to show us the way to have joy in it all. It opens with an explanation of how fleeting and uncontrollable life really is. While we might pretend we know how to make things happen in the world, the truth is that outcomes are out of our control. Instead of coping by trying to make life obey our will, or by trying to find meaning on our own terms, we find joy by knowing there is someone above the sun who loves us and is in control of all things. Seeing Jesus come below the sun to live as one of us and die for us shows us that we can enjoy the gifts of life until he returns.
Application Questions
1. What are some ways you“play pretend” about the world and your life in it?
2. What do you think about the opening 11 verses of Ecclesiastes? Do they encourage you or discourage you? Why?
3. Are there ways you have experienced life as a vapor? Are there ways you have tried to“gain” from life and found it to be like chasing after the wind?
4. How do you finish the sentence:“There's nothing better than _______” ? How do you think Jesus would finish that sentence?
5. What about the gospel frees you to embrace being human instead of trying to“get above the sun” ?
