Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite books of the Bible, if not my favorite. In it, the most powerful, most wealthy, and (arguably) the wisest man in the world shares the results of his attempts to find meaning and pleasure in life. He refutes all sorts of philosophies that resurface throughout human history--philosophies like hedonism, humanism, and asceticism.
After sharing his conclusions on a multitude of approaches to life, he wraps up the entire book with two simple verses:
If we view these verses as condemning modern society (and I fervently believe that Ecclesiastes is relevant to every society throughout human history as well as the present), then we're missing the point.
If we consider our own tendency to sneak a bit of hedonism into our own lives or dabble in asceticism when we're feeling guilty for sin, the boldness of these last two verses suddenly hits much closer to home.
As Christians, we have a nasty tendency to make our faith more complicated than it needs to be. There are, of course, Scriptures that require insight from the Holy Spirit to fully understand--and it could be argued that no man, woman, or child will fully understand the Scriptures until we all see God face to face. But when it comes to the core of faith--living out a love and reverence for a holy God by keeping His commands--we know what we should be doing but aren't.
These verses leave us no room to sidestep or dismiss our own sinful natures. Facing the truth head-on is very uncomfortable, but the result should be--and I pray it is for you--that we admit what we are and who we are and draw closer to the God we revere--so we may learn and understand His commands and so that He may strengthen us, even in this earthly realm, to fulfill them.
After sharing his conclusions on a multitude of approaches to life, he wraps up the entire book with two simple verses:
The journalist part of me absolutely loves how the writer strips down 12 chapters of philosophy to two verses. In essence, he says, "I have sampled all the world has to offer, I have considered every viewpoint, and I have found that serving God is the best this life has to offer."
If we view these verses as condemning modern society (and I fervently believe that Ecclesiastes is relevant to every society throughout human history as well as the present), then we're missing the point.
If we consider our own tendency to sneak a bit of hedonism into our own lives or dabble in asceticism when we're feeling guilty for sin, the boldness of these last two verses suddenly hits much closer to home.
As Christians, we have a nasty tendency to make our faith more complicated than it needs to be. There are, of course, Scriptures that require insight from the Holy Spirit to fully understand--and it could be argued that no man, woman, or child will fully understand the Scriptures until we all see God face to face. But when it comes to the core of faith--living out a love and reverence for a holy God by keeping His commands--we know what we should be doing but aren't.
These verses leave us no room to sidestep or dismiss our own sinful natures. Facing the truth head-on is very uncomfortable, but the result should be--and I pray it is for you--that we admit what we are and who we are and draw closer to the God we revere--so we may learn and understand His commands and so that He may strengthen us, even in this earthly realm, to fulfill them.
