Nothing New Under the Sun (7)

But if a man lives many years
And rejoices in them all,
Yet let him remember the days of darkness,
For they will be many.
All that is coming is vanity. Ecclesiastes 11.8

As good as dead
I’ve painted a rather dour and gloomy portrait of our secular age, I’m afraid. As we look around, people appear to be having fun, enjoying life, making friends, attending to their responsibilities, minding their own business, and wishing others well. Probably no one we know seems as morose and discouraged as Solomon can sound in the book of Ecclesiastes.

It’s true, people are living longer and filling their lives with more things and circumstances conducive to a measure of happiness, be it ever so fleeting. We are the “now generation,” living only for the moment, filling our lives with as many positive experiences and enjoyable moments as we can, stacking the deck of life with good things, good friends, and good times so that, whatever dismal or discouraging card this day may deal, we’ll have a trump to play against it.

We seldom look back, and we don’t dare look ahead – not too far ahead, at any rate. For if we look too far ahead, we’ll see ourselves dead, buried, and gone, done, over, finished. No amount of fun and adventure in the present can keep us from entering the “days of darkness,” which will finally prove the vanity of the lives we’ve lived.

We’re as good as dead already. We just won’t admit it to ourselves.

A too-small horizon
The adherent to a secular worldview passes his life in an open grave. He is limited in what he can see of the world because his horizon stretches only as far as the setting sun. He is walled in by the circumstances that life in a world of limited opportunities, natural obstructions, insurmountable obstacles, and narcissistic people affords. He is anchored to the ground, or, rather, in it, from the moment of his birth.

Granted, some people’s hole in the ground may be larger and more handsomely appointed than others, but sooner or later the dirt is coming down over them, too, just as it will over everyone else.

And once they’ve crossed that horizon, which draws nearer every day, they know there’s no turning back. And they hope there’s no further horizon, which they’ve heard about but ignored, that they may have to contend with beyond the grave. For that deck, they know implicitly, is seriously stacked against them.

Solomon sensed the terror of those who glimpse the coming days of darkness, and he wanted us to glimpse it, too.

The ultimate leveler
Throughout the book of Ecclesiastes death stalks King Solomon. His wealth and power won’t allow him to escape it. Death could come at any moment. Will anyone be around to mourn him when he is gone? And even if so, what difference will that make? What will happen to the riches he has accumulated and the many wonderful things he has done? Will he be forgotten by history, like almost everyone else?

As he grew older and began to see his body decline (Eccl 12), Solomon was haunted by the certainty, the inevitability, and the horror of death. He may have been the greatest king of ancient Israel, but when he dies, even the mangiest dog in the street would be better off than he (9.4-6).

Death is the ultimate leveler for those who live only under the sun. Dust and the grave are the most any of them can hope to achieve, and, in the grand scheme of things, that doesn’t present a compelling case for a life of charity and sacrifice toward others.

People with no faith in God live in the fear of death all their lives (Heb. 2.15). They don’t talk about it; instead, they do everything they can think of to postpone it, insulate themselves from it, or euphemize it and soften its inevitable blow. They hope to live on after death in their children, works, or the monuments and institutions they erect to themselves, but deep inside they know this, too, is vanity.

Every day of his life the secularist fears the first shovelful of earth, raining down upon his head. He knows it’s inevitable, but, given his lack of an eternal and unchanging horizon or framework, he cannot really consider his demise or that of anyone else anything other than a fact of existence – neither a triumph nor a tragedy, merely a fact, signifying nothing. He may weep at a friend’s funeral, but his tears are only for himself and his prospects. Secularists of every stripe, size, and sex are going to die, and darkness for “many days” is all they can look forward to, all they can hope for, all they may ever expect to know.

That secular people live otherwise, however – seeking happiness, meaning, purpose, hope, love, and joy – indicates that they suspect the secular worldview they espouse is a lie. The secularist knows he is more significant than he will admit, knows that life is more than stuff, and knows that death is not merely a fact, but a tragedy.

But only someone as wise as Solomon, or a believer in the truth of God, can tell him why.

For reflection
1.  What are some ways people try to postpone or euphemize death? Why do they do this?

2.  How can we see that the writer of Hebrews is correct when he says that people fear dying (Heb. 2.15)?

3.  What is the Christian view of death? How would you explain this to a non-Christian friend who had just lost a loved one?

Next steps – Conversation: Solomon wanted his son, Rehoboam, to look ahead and see where his life was going. Should we be doing this for our unbelieving friends and co-workers? Why or why not? Talk with some Christian friends about this.

T. M. Moore

A free PDF is available for this week’s study by clicking here.

For a more complete study of the book of Ecclesiastes, download our Scriptorium series on Ecclesiastes by clicking here. Ecclesiastes is an excellent book to share with an unbelieving friend, as it confronts all the idols and vain hopes of unbelief, exposing their folly and holding out the hope of life in God alone. We’ve prepared a verse translation of Ecclesiastes which is suitable for sharing with believers and unbelievers alike. Order your copy of Comparatio, by clicking here.

We look to the Lord to provide for our needs, and He does so through those who are served by this ministry. Please prayerfully consider becoming a supporter of The Fellowship of Ailbe with your financial gifts. You can send your tax-free contribution to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452, or use the Contribute button at the website to give with a credit card or through PayPal.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.