I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness. The wise have eyes in their heads, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both. Then I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?” I said to myself, “This too is meaningless.” For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered; the days have already come when both have been forgotten. Like the fool, the wise too must die! So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless.
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Compare All Versions: Ecclesiastes 2:13-19
7 Days
The Bible's all about the meaning of life. But in the middle of it is a book about the apparent meaninglessness of life. Did Solomon really think that life was completely meaningless? In the midst of everything that Solomon describes as meaningless in life, find out what true meaning is in life, even in these first two chapters in Ecclesiastes.
Most men have experienced times of great frustration and disappointment because they feel like they are lacking something in their lives, or that others have more. So, how do we find our way to true contentment and satisfaction, regardless of our circumstances? Join us in this 7-day devotional for men, written by Tim Bergmann of Alliance Community Church in Sylvan Lake, Alberta.
12 Days
God created us to find meaning in our lives. But we live in a broken world where we’re continually frustrated in our search. So, what’s the point of living life? This is the question the Teacher in Ecclesiastes is asking. At first, the message of this wisdom book seems to lead to despair, but in fact points to the hope of life found in God alone.
Written by an elderly King Solomon, Ecclesiastes reflects on a life of meaningless pursuits. Solomon writes that the world's pursuits, from wealth to self-indulgence, are vain and unfulfilling. Ecclesiastes determines that God and his presence make life fulfilling, and true wisdom is to fear God and keep his commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
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