Lately I’ve been studying the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes.

It’s not a very long book, only 12 chapters, so I thought it would be just the right size to take apart and study to better understand it.

When I first started I was a little intimidated but once I got into it I realized just how relatable to me it is.

Written by someone who calls himself the Teacher, it tells about a man’s quest for fulfillment in this world and how everything he tried “under the sun”  was meaningless (Some Bible versions translate meaningless as vanity or pointless).

The Teacher talks of how he has chased all the worldly pleasures there are. He admits that all the things he has done have not brought him the joy he thought they would.

He continues by talking about how he worked hard to attain various riches. He bought slaves and owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before him had ever owned. He even gathered for himself a harem. Yet in all of these he found no meaning.

The book ends with the teacher concluding that nothing in this world has meaning and the only thing that brings fulfillment is to fear God and keep His commandments.

That message really hit home for me.

I spent a lot of years out in the world doing things I shouldn’t. Try as I might I never found peace until I found God.

Even now, there are times when I am tempted to look at the world instead of God.

It made me wonder:

How many times have I overlooked the simple pleasures of life because I was looking for the so-called better things – the shiny objects?

How many times have I missed an opportunity to enjoy a sweet, brief conversation with a stranger because I was so busy looking ahead to what I thought I was going to accomplish or acquire?

How many times have I looked to the world and it’s cares instead of to God and His love?

It really gave me a lot to think about and was a good reminder of what’s really important.

During the time I’ve been studying this book I’ve been writing out a few of the things I’ve seen and learned.

Over the next few months I will be publishing posts to share what I am learning and to explore some of the truths this book holds.

I hope you will join with me as I seek to better understand all the Teacher has to say about this world and why it’s “Meaningless! Everything’s meaningless!”

(This is part 1 in a series on the book of Ecclesiastes. The series is a brief overview designed to give you a gentle introduction to the book. You can find all the posts here.)