Ecclesiastes 1 (2)

Pray Psalm 104.10-13.
He sends the springs into the valleys;
They flow among the hills.
They give drink to every beast of the field;
The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
By them the birds of the heavens have their home;
They sing among the branches.
He waters the hills from His upper chambers;
The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works.

Read Ecclesiastes 1.3-7.

Reflect.
1. What is Solomon contemplating here? Why? What does he seem to be looking for?

2. Summarize his observations.

Meditate.
Where do people turn to discover meaning and purpose for their lives? The same places Solomon was led to explore, once he had turned away from the God of Scripture.

People try to find meaning in their work (v. 3), their experiences (and those of the human race, v. 4), and the patterns and processes of the created world (vv. 5, 6). As he will explain, Solomon had “been there, done that” with all these traditional sources of meaning, and none of them yielded anything other than short-term satisfaction.

Ultimately, all these areas lead to disappointment when it comes to discovering permanent, abiding things. People cannot help but wonder about what their lives are supposed to count for in an impersonal, uncaring world. Rehoboam was surely doing the same; Solomon only hoped to guide his son away from the dead end toward which (by the end of Solomon’s life) he must have already been heading. “I know what you’re thinking,” Solomon seems to have been saying, “and I can assure that what you hope to find in your work, your experience, or your reflections on the world in all its complexity will not be what awaits you there.”

These first 11 verses of Ecclesiastes are a kind of synopsis of Solomon’s experience apart from God. The chapters that follow will elaborate on topics raised here. Like the overture of a musical or opera, Ecclesiastes 1.1-11 presents the themes, moods, and motifs that will recur throughout the book. While it is difficult to impose a consistent outline or logical flow to the chapters of Ecclesiastes, this opening synopsis seems to have served as a touchstone to which Solomon returns again and again in seeking to turn his son from vanity to hope.

A sense of impenetrable mystery pervades verses 3-7. We can recognize priorities and patterns – work, life and death, sun and wind and water – but they appear as mere phenomena; they do not yield explanations as to who we are, why we are here, or how we can make sense out of our lives. If all we have to look to for discovering our reason for being are those things we can see and experience, then we are headed for frustration, disappointment, and, ultimately, meaningless death.

Reflect.
1. Do you think we should spend more time, like Solomon, contemplating creation and trying to understand the times? Explain.

2. Solomon seems to be saying here, “You look around you, and everything just goes on, without any meaning.” Do you agree? Explain.

3. What should we expect to discover by contemplating the things Solomon mentions in these verses?

What is the goal of the water’s course which always fills the unquenchable sea? What is this influx of water which never fills the ever-constant sea? Ecclesiastes speaks like this that he may explain the insubstantiality of our frenzied pursuits which result from elements constituting man’s existence. Gregory of Nyssa (335-394), Homilies on Ecclesiastes 1

Lord, the world awaiting me today is filled with meaning, beauty, goodness, and glory. Help me to see it, so that I…

Pray Psalm 104.16-30.
Praise God, and meditate with wonder and joy, on His comprehensive, gracious, faithful, and glorious management of the entire creation. Make a point to be alert throughout the day to reminders of His sovereign Presence and care.

Sing Psalm 104.16-30.
Psalm 104.16-30 (Creation: Exalt the Lord, His Praise Proclaim)
The trees You water with Your grace, the mighty cedars in their place;
in them the birds their dwellings build, and goats inhabit every hill.
You made the moon the times to mark; the sun declines; You made the dark.
By night the beasts pursue their prey, and man to labor goes by day.

How many are Your works, O Lord, which You have created by Your Word!
The earth and sea with creatures teem – they look to You to care and feed.
You give to them, they gather all; You hide Your face, they fail and fall.
You take their breath, they gasp and die; You send Your Spirit, they revive.

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006). All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (available by clicking here).