Everybody in one way or another from antiquity to this very day spends time and energy pondering and searching for the answer to the ageless question of “life’s meaning.” All of us want our questions answered and our living to have meaning. “Whether Jew or Gentile, male or female, young or old, rich or poor, everyone struggles with questions of their purpose in life and its ultimate fulfillment.”1 In our postmodern world purpose and meaning seems to be elusive and without real substance, indifference and pessimism characterize our culture, and as a result, we seem to be, caught in a never-ending pursuit of significance and fulfillment wondering if life, on earth, has real meaning.
In his book “31 Days to Happiness,” a devotional study of Ecclesiastes, Dr. David Jeremiah asks this profound question, “can there be a full life in an empty generation?” I believe this is the question of the ages that all of Mankind seeks to answer, “Is there any real meaning in life on earth, or is everything meaningless?”
While the Book of Ecclesiastes documents the story of King Solomon’s quest to answer this question in the context of human experience, I believe his story answers our struggles and concerns about life’s meaning. Since Solomon had all of his basic needs met, his status and position afforded him an opportunity and the resources to look for fulfillment in every aspect of physical life, “under the sun.” In the end, he concludes that fulfillment and satisfaction limited to life without God “under the sun” is “meaningless.”2 This record of his experience is our guide through the disappointments and difficulties of this earthly life and they help us find a glimmer of hope upon which we can find fulfillment and meaning in an otherwise empty world.
In this sixteen-lesson study of the Book of “Ecclesiastes,” my prayer is that God will speak to the earthly challenges of our lives in a fresh new way that will provoke and encourage us to seek life’s meaning in a deeper more personal relationship with Him. I invite you to join us for this unique and stimulating examination of the Book of Ecclesiastes.
Pastor C.A. Lundy