"Work That Matters" Ecclesiastes 1:1–11

Before we begin, will you pray with me?

Father in heaven, we are people in need of wisdom, always.

! We understand in times of struggle and humility that we need your wisdom.

! And the times of pridefulness and hubris only proves that we need your wisdom.

We need your wisdom all the time.

Lord, we thank you that you are a wise God.

In fact, you hold this entire world together because you are the one who created it.

So you know how we ought to live and you have communicated that to us.

So Lord, as we enter into this new series in this book of Ecclesiastes, Lord,

please give us minds to really comprehend what you would have to speak to us about.

And we'd ask that you'd make us wise.

Wise to live this life in a godly way, but also wise unto salvation.

We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.

In the last 300 plus years since the Industrial Revolution,

incredible advancements in healthcare and labor and automation, science and nutrition,

we have been allowed an incredible life.

A life that is so much more healthy and strong in many respects than our ancestors could have ever imagined.

We live longer, produce more efficiently.

We have healthier lives.

All of this allows us to pursue a wide range of interests and hobbies.

And really, you know, go back 500 years ago,

describe even a quarter of what our world is like to people that lived back then.

And it would seem inconceivable.

One example of how advanced we are in the life that it has allowed us to live is the washing machine.

Here's a quote from a book called Enlightenment Now by the renowned Canadian psychologist Stephen Pinker.

He says this, quote,

Now, whether that's the case or not,

that it is one of the better inventions from the Industrial Revolution.

I mean, the point is made clear.

We live in an incredible age that allows us to enjoy life and life to the full in many respects.

So the kind of the too-long-didn't-read of that book and really this idea of progress since the Industrial Revolution,

is that materialism is a huge, and I truly mean huge, positive force in many ways.

And to some degree, Stephen Pinker is right.

Who would want to go back to a life of poor nutrition?

And with poor nutrition comes, like, child mortality, right?

A huge, huge part of that.

Hard labor for little pay and shorter lifespans.

I mean, imagine this summer without air conditioning in your car or your house, right?

It was crazy hot this summer.

Nobody wants to go back to pre-air-conditioned days.

But one thing Stephen Pinker and other materialists and futurists and inventors and Enlightenment thinkers

often overlook when discussing this post-Enlightenment world that we live in

is that more stuff, more money, and the opportunities that they provide,

it does not give us what we truly desire and long for.

Meaning, legacy, genuine security in this life,

and life in the eternal life in the life to come.

It just cannot provide that.

So as we begin this 10-week series in Ecclesiastes,

this will take us almost to Advent, I think potentially right till Advent.

The central figure, the preacher or teacher or sage,

tradition has him as King Solomon.

That could very well be that King Solomon wrote this.

I think if we focus too much on King Solomon,

we might miss some wise tidbits.

So I'm just going to call him the sage throughout these 10 weeks.

The sage is brutally honest in his reflections on the nature of life.

He searches for answers to questions that we might find too provocative to ask,

or we might see a person who asks such questions as a pessimist.

At times he seems to have resigned himself to believing that every aspect of life is meaningless,

while at other times he appears to indulge in unchecked consumerism.

Eat, drink, live, be merry.

But the sage, he is not a nihilist, nor is he a hedonist,

nor is he a fatalist, that human agency matters not.

Instead, when we view the book as a whole,

Ecclesiastes uncovers a wisdom from above

that awakens us from a narrow, worldly, centered perspective on life.

What it does, it really shakes us both as individuals and collectively out of our malaise,

out of our consumption and how quickly we can become automatons.

We can shut our minds off.

We can become dull.

It rattles us.

It shakes us.

So in this opening section that Margaret read,

we'll find that the sage addresses something we cherish very much.

I mentioned this just, you know, a couple minutes ago.

What is the thing that we cherish very much?

Wealth and what it promises.

And what does it promise?

It promises meaning, legacy, and eternal life.

The very things it can't deliver.

And he argues that such a pursuit of achieving these ultimate things with wealth and work is pointless.

But for many in Ottawa and perhaps many of us here this morning,

if we're honest, right, we want to be honest and sober people as we come to God's word.

What kind of life is there really apart from the modern way of living?

Is work truly a waste of time?

Will the sage provide a better way to live?

Is there a better way to live?

So before we look to answer some of these questions,

we need to look at verse 2 and ask the question,

what does the sage mean when he talks about vanity?

Let me read verse 2.

Vanity of vanities, says the preacher.

Vanity of vanities.

All is vanity.

So repeatedly in this one verse,

the sage uses the Hebrew word for habel,

or it can also be pronounced havel.

This word in Hebrew,

it conveys the image of a breath or a mist or a vapor,

something so fleeting that you see it,

but you can't grasp it.

And it's here for a moment and then it disappears.

I don't want to, you know, trigger anybody here,

but what your breath looks like on a cold, frigid January morning.

Think of that, okay?

We're far away from that.

We're still enjoying summer vibes, hopefully.

But that's the image, if that helps you.

A freezing cold day, you breathe out mist, vapor.

You see it disappear.

You can't grab it, but you see it.

It's here for a moment and then it is gone.

But what does this mean in Ecclesiastes?

Why is it translated as vanity?

There are several ways to interpret this

and it seems that the sage throughout Ecclesiastes

really explores the full nuance of the word.

And that's an important thing to think about.

We're not going to examine every last nuance.

But we'll look at just a few right now.

It could signify meaninglessness

as something without substance.

So like literally the vapor or the mist

that we breathe out in a cold Ottawa morning.

It might also describe the temporary nature of a thing.

Here today, gone tomorrow.

Like the grass in the field.

Over half of the other instances in the Old Testament

of this word relate to idol worship and idolatry.

And then the Greek translation of this word

in the Septuagint.

So the Septuagint is the Greek translation

of the Old Testament.

The Greek translation of the word havel or habel

is the same term used by the Apostle Paul

in Romans 1 and 8 to describe a futile way of thinking

or things that are subjected to futility.

For our section, I think the best translation

appears to be related to the idea

of pursuing something in vain.

In this context, it's the fruitlessness

that results from our fixation

on exploiting all of life for our benefit,

especially our work and labor.

We misuse our God-given abilities

to exploit God's good creation,

believing that we can achieve a God-like permanence

and satisfaction in this mortal life.

So, I mean, again, that's a lot.

There's a lot of different potential meanings.

It's a very pregnant word.

Funny enough, a commentator that I read said,

if you're really trying to explore

the full breadth of meaning of this word,

of vanities, it is a vain pursuit in and of itself.

But for us this morning,

Romans 1 seems to make a great deal of sense.

The Apostle Paul puts it this way

in Romans chapter 1, starting in verse 21.

Romans 1 · chapter mention

For although they knew God,

he's talking about those people

that are living unrighteously.

For although they knew God,

they did not honor him as God

or give thanks to him,

but they became futile,

that's that word,

in their thinking,

and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Claiming to be wise,

they became fools

and exchanged the glory

of the immortal God

for images resembling mortal man

and birds and animals

and creeping things.

There's a connection here

to that idolatry bit.

Verse 24.

Therefore God gave them up

in the lusts of their hearts

to impurity,

to the dishonoring of their bodies

among themselves.

Verse 25.

Because they exchanged the truth

about God for a lie

and worshipped and served

the creature

rather than the creator

who is blessed forever.

Amen.

That's what that feudal thinking is.

That vain thinking is.

So, going back to Ecclesiastes.

When the sage says

that all is vanity,

he cannot be then referring

to all of creation

and the good gifts

that are God-given,

these things are not described

as futile,

even though he says

all is vanity.

How could he then affirm

that everything is a vapor,

which would have to include

truth itself,

if the very truth he claims

is vapor?

So, clearly he is not saying

all in a completely blanket sense.

Rather,

the only thing

that he is referring to,

which covers still

a great deal,

is anything

that is done

or achieved

or viewed

that is disconnected

from the creator.

Put another way,

only the triune God

can give real meaning

and substance to life,

for he is the author

and sustainer

of all life.

You remember

Colossians chapter 1,

Colossians 1 · chapter mention

the Apostle Paul

is talking about Jesus,

the pre-incarnate Christ,

which can be extended

to the entire Godhead

and he says of this

in verse 16,

for by him

all things were created

in heaven and on earth,

visible and invisible,

whether thrones

or dominions

or rulers

or authorities,

all things were created

through him

and for him,

and he is before

all things

and in him

all things

hold together.

I mean,

that is a really

intense,

thick few verses,

but what I wanted

you to understand

and what it is

that the sage

is conveying

is that

to pursue

God's creation

apart from God

is the definition

of vanity,

is the definition

of trying to grab

something

for you to

find that it is

slipping right

out of your fingers.

What is vanity

in this context?

It is the pursuit

and effort

of our work

of achieving

material wealth

and everything

that's associated

with it

completely,

completely disconnected

from the one

true triune God.

If we are trying

to build a legacy,

find purpose,

seek meaning

and enjoyment

that satisfies

our longings

and desires

outside of God,

the sage is saying

it is a vain pursuit.

It is vanity.

It is vapor.

It is mist.

It is pointless.

The sage

in verse 3 to 11

now turns to toil

and labor

and work

to help us see

how our efforts

are ultimately

in vain

when they are

self-serving.

Let me read verse 3.

I'll make a few comments

on it

and then we'll continue

on with the rest

of the section.

In verse 3,

what does man gain

by all the toil

at which he toils

under the sun?

The sage asks

a rhetorical question

about earthly toil.

What follows

in 4 to 11

really is him

unpacking

and explaining

verse 3.

but before we go on

if you can

either in the margin

or maybe even

on the actual

page

in your scripture

journals

mark under the sun.

Okay?

Because that's a term

that we'll be coming back

to throughout Ecclesiastes.

We're not going to do

a deep dive into it now

but really

for us this morning

it is

a term

that really describes

both the created world

and the lifespan

we have here on earth.

It also kind of

contrasts with

this under heaven

which refers

to a place

where God dwells

in eternity.

Again,

we'll explore more

of this in the coming weeks

but for now

it describes

this mortal life

under heaven.

So we ask the question

what does man

gain by all the toil

at which he toils

under the sun?

The answer rhetorically

is nothing.

But again,

can the answer

truly be just nothing?

Okay?

Again,

he's not

a nihilist.

He's not a fatalist.

It's hard to

kind of grasp this now

but he's not even

a pessimist.

So what is he talking about?

Can the answer

truly be nothing?

Does the work

of teachers,

designers,

system managers,

armed forces,

personnel,

trades,

people,

public servants,

nurses,

engineers,

entrepreneurs,

if I've missed

a category,

let me know.

It still applies

to you.

Does this work

amount to nothing?

So as we saw

with vanity,

the answer

isn't a simple

nothing.

But again,

it's linked

to verse 2

considering the vain

pursuit of work

and toil,

divorced from the

knowledge and love

of God.

Working for God's

glory.

Again,

it means that

work and toil

become vain

when they are

viewed solely

on a horizontal

level without

any consideration

for the vertical

perspective.

But surely,

surely,

even people

who do not know

the triune God

can produce work

that matters for

something.

I mean,

I go to the

hospital.

I don't go to

the hospital,

but if I go to

the hospital,

I don't care

if my doctor is

Hindu or an

atheist.

I don't care.

He's doing good

work.

I am benefiting

from it.

The person that

comes to do a

repair on my

home, I don't

before I let him

in say,

listen,

can you recite

the creed and

check mark before

you come in?

No, no, no.

He's going to

come in.

He's going to

benefit.

I'm going to

reap the benefits

of it.

So surely,

even people who

do not know

the triune God

can produce work

that matters for

something.

How can the

sage paint

all of creation,

all of the

world with

such a broad

brush?

He'll explain

in verses 4 to

7.

A generation

goes and a

generation comes,

but the earth

remains forever.

The sun rises

and the sun

goes down and

hastens to the

place where it

rises.

The wind, it

blows to the

south and goes

around to the

north.

Around and

around it goes,

the wind, and

on its circuits,

the wind returns.

All streams run

to the sea, but

the sea is not

full to the place

where the streams

flow.

There they

flow again.

Sages are

reminding us of

the transient nature

of human life.

So our

existence in

comparison with

the earth is

almost incomprehensible.

Incomprehensible.

You might

remember your

grandparents.

You might even

remember your

great-grandparents.

I would be

surprised if half

of us know our

great-grandparents'

names, let alone

our great-great-grandparents.

generations that

seem like in the

distant, distant,

distant past, they

are forgotten.

And really, their

lifespan was just a

blip in the

entirety of human

history.

The notion that we

possess a piece of

land or various

possessions in an

ultimate sense is

also a fallacy.

For such materials

existed long before

we were born and

will exist long

after we're gone.

We cannot control

the seasons,

weather, or the

natural flow of the

seas.

We think we've

mastered the world.

world.

Our entire economy

really is predicated

on ocean travel

and giant

container ships

bringing things

from the east to

the west and

back again.

But the oceans are

untamable.

We are along for

the ride.

We build bigger

and greater and

stronger vessels,

but we don't

stop the ocean's

tides from

crashing upon

us.

the sage is

saying that we

are finite.

We are here for a

moment.

In many respects,

we are along for

the ride.

The earth does

not belong to us.

It belongs to the

Lord.

We make money, we

purchase land and

the things that come

with it, but the

value of earthly

ownership, it must

always remain

relative to the

acknowledgement that

all of it belongs

to God.

And therefore, we

do not have an

ultimate claim.

So this section

here, it really

deconstructs human

pride.

It deconstructs

human pride.

It deconstructs

the human desire

for a permanent

profit, a

permanent spot

achieved through

earthly means.

The pharaohs no

longer own Egypt.

Like, just, it's

unbelievable.

There is no Roman

emperor anymore who

rules and owns the

conceivable world.

Even the greatest

among us, even King

Solomon, if he truly

wrote Ecclesiastes,

Israel's most richest

and wisest king, he

is gone.

And what did he

leave?

He left a kingdom

that was just ready

and rife to be

split and destroyed

and to be torn

apart.

This section helps

us to understand

this, that we are

finite.

And how we cannot

alter the nature of

this world one bit,

we simply inhabit it

and we are subject

to its cycles.

again, going back to

verse 3, we live

an under the sun

type of existence.

And it's not a very

long one at that.

From a very

materialistic

perspective, this is a

difficult thing to

accept.

Because if it's true,

it suggests that life

really, truly is

without ultimate

meaning or

satisfaction beyond

self, beyond

just a fleeting

self-fulfillment.

We can enjoy the

things for a

moment, but they

will not be enjoyed

for eternity.

The sage, he is

shooting a shot

across the bow of

our post-secular,

post-

our post-modern

secular age.

sage.

So, if the gifts

you are pursuing

are elevated above

the gift giver,

the sage is really

telling us that we

will not experience

God-given joy,

but rather we will

experience a God-given

disappointment.

Because we are using

his creation in a

way that was never

intended for it to

be used.

Again, we are

separating the gift

from the giver,

and to confuse the

gift from the giver

will result in

constant disappointment

and fruitless toil.

Look with me at

verses 8 to 11.

All things are

full of weariness.

A man cannot

utter it.

The eye is not

satisfied with

seeing, nor the

ear filled with

hearing.

What has been is

what will be, and

what has been done

is what will be

done.

And there is

nothing new under

the sun.

Is there a thing

of which it is

said, see, this is

new?

It has been already

in the ages before

us.

There is no

remembrance of

former things, nor

will there be any

remembrance of

latter things, yet

to be among those

who come after.

other.

I'm telling you, if

you're honest, if

you're kind of

sitting in the

heaviness of these

verses, if you're

not quick to push

them away, or to

fill your mind with

something else, a

distraction, the

things you need to

do when you go home

after this, do you

not want freedom

from this empty

pursuit, this

vapor, this

vanity, to

avoid working

in vain, to

stop constantly

consuming without

ever being

satisfied, to

enjoy life without

constantly looking

for the next

hit, the next

trip, the next

experience, the

next toy, to

find fulfillment

and purpose in

our work and in

our life during

our time under

the sun.

This takes us to

our final section

and I'll just say

this before we get

into this final

section.

It would take you

about 45 minutes

or so to read

this out loud,

maybe a lot

shorter if you're

a speed reader.

It's meant to be

read kind of

continually.

So we're reading

verses, chapter

1, verses 1 to

11, and without

reading the entirety

of Ecclesiastes,

this can just be

heavy and really

depressing.

There is hope

that the sage

will bring to

us.

And I don't want

to be too quick

to go there.

He's building

tension in the

book.

He's not saying

this is a problem,

here's a solution.

He's saying I'm

going to

deconstruct your

faulty thinking.

So there is hope,

it's a bit later on.

Read ahead, please,

by all means.

But I'll just say

this when it comes

to vain work.

Christ affirms

the work of the

sage.

Christ discusses

money and wealth

and material things

quite frequently in

the Gospels.

However, like the

sage, he does not

condemn them

outright.

Instead, he focuses

on the issues of

the heart, the

motivations behind

our labors and

toil.

Let me read a few

passages from the

Gospels to illustrate

my point.

And again, these are

just a couple

examples, actually

three examples.

Jesus has much

more in the Gospels

where he's talking

about money and

work and motivation.

The first one,

Matthew chapter 6

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

in verse 19.

Do not lay up for

yourselves treasures

on earth where moth

and rust destroy and

where thieves break in

and steal.

But lay up for

yourselves treasures

in heaven.

where neither moth

nor rust destroys

and where thieves

do not break in

and steal.

For where your

treasure is, there

your heart will be

also.

No one can serve

two masters, for

either he will hate

the one and love

the other, or he

will be devoted to

the one and despise

the other.

You cannot serve

God and money.

Matthew chapter 16,

Matthew 16 · chapter mention

starting in verse

24.

Then Jesus told

his disciples,

quote,

If anyone would

come after me,

let him deny

himself and take

up his cross and

follow me.

For whoever would

save his life will

lose it.

But whoever loses

his life for my

sake will find it.

For what will it

profit a man if he

gains the whole

world and forfeits

his soul?

Or what shall a man

give in return for

his soul?

And Luke chapter

Luke 12 · chapter mention

12, starting in the

16th verse, and for

whatever reason, this

hit hard in my

studies.

Verse 16,

And Jesus told them

a parable, saying,

The land of a rich

man produced

plentifully.

And he thought to

himself, What shall I

do?

For I have nowhere to

store my crops.

And he said, I will

do this.

I will tear down my

barns and build

larger ones.

And there I will

store all my grain

and my goods.

And I will say to

my soul, Soul, you

have ample goods

laid up for many

years.

Relax, eat, drink,

be merry.

Verse 20, But God

said to him, God

said to him, Fool,

this night your soul

is required of you.

And the things you

have prepared, whose

will they be?

What do we notice

about these teachings

of Jesus?

They highlight that

work and treasures

on earth lack

lasting or eternal

value when they are

self-serving.

However, when we are

united with Christ,

we are connected to

the one who is not

bound by the earth's

cycles because he

created the earth

from nothing with

his word.

He is not beholden

to the powers of

the seas.

Why?

Because he spoke to

the seas.

What did he say?

Be still.

And the seas obeyed

him.

The wind and the

waves ceased.

He is not limited

by mortal life, for

although he became

fully man and lived

and died, Jesus did

not stay dead, only

to be forgotten, but

he rose again to new

life and still reigns

on high.

Everything he did

was completely not

in vain.

And by faith, when

we are united to

Christ, we are

united to the only

one who has not

experienced vanity,

vanity, all his

vanities.

This has huge

implications for us.

When we are united

to him, our ultimate

meaning and value are

found in him.

We don't need to

chase after the

gain, verse 3, that

the world promises or

we think we will get.

As we work in vain,

day in and day out,

instead we rest in

Christ's finished work

and eternal work on

the cross.

And we join in him,

in his ongoing work

of building the

eternal kingdom here

on earth.

And this is one of

the beautiful things

of the New Testament.

It says that

everybody can live a

life, including their

work, that brings

glory to God.

You do not have to

be a minister standing

in front of a

congregation preaching

to have work worthy

of the Lord.

It's like as if my job

is good but you guys

are all engaged in

vanity.

No, no, no, no, no.

But a life that is

turned towards God and

about his kingdom,

using our resources to

obey him, taking care of

our family, proclaiming

the good news, living

holy lives, relying upon

him for our bread.

Even though we can

certainly go by it at

any time, but he is the

one truly is giving us

what we have.

This transforms our

work so that it is no

longer vain, but it is

eternal.

No longer is it a vapor,

but something that is

tangible, that will last

from this life into the

next.

Christ.

So you see that Christ

completely transforms our

labor, our work, our

toil.

He infuses it with eternal

significance, something that

we could never do.

For when done to the glory

and praise of God, what we

do will endure forever.

I'll close with this.

John chapter 6, verse 27.

John 6:27

Again, the words of

Christ.

Do not work for the food

that perishes, but for the

food that endures to

eternal life, which the Son

of Man will give to you.

For on him, God the Father

has set his seal.

And that seal is upon us if

we have our faith in

Christ.

Let us pray.

Father in heaven, we thank

you that you love us enough

to show us the futility of

our ways.

That you love us enough to

shake us out of our

slumber and to deconstruct

bad thinking.

To open our eyes to the

futility of a life that we

think will give us ultimate

meaning that is so self-

centered and about us.

Lord, help us to be people

that look to the only one who

did not live a vain life.

Not even 1% of his life was

in vain.

Not one of it was devoted

to self, but for your

glory.

Lord, we pray for these

next few weeks in

Ecclesiastes that you would

make us wise.

Wise with how we work.

Wise with how we live.

Wise with how we spend our

money.

Wise with how we spend our

leisure time.

Wise with our families, our

friends, every part of our

life, Lord.

We pray that the wisdom

that you give us, we will

by your spirit put it to

good work and that we will

continually live for the

kingdom that is to come.

Not just for this life under

the sun.

We pray all this in Jesus'

name.

Amen.

Thank you.