BibleProject | One Story That Leads to Jesusنموونە

Does the chaos and utter unpredictability of life mean that life really has no point? Yes, says the Bible. Strive and thrive all you want; life is still futile.

Welcome to the bleak-sounding wisdom of Qohelet, often translated as the “Teacher” we meet in the book of Ecclesiastes. Qohelet watches time and death wash over the world with relentless waves in endless cycles, their undertow finally dragging every human accomplishment—wealth, pleasure, status, work—into the bottomless ocean of oblivion.

Everyone dies. Everyone’s achievements return to dust. Rich or poor, young or old, wise or foolish, Qohelet renders the same “Pointless!” verdict on every human being’s life. “Hevel, hevel,” he declares, “Everything is utterly hevel!”

English Bible translators often use “meaningless” or “vain” to communicate the Hebrew word hevel. In a more literal sense, hevel refers to vapor or smoke. For Qohelet, life is fleeting and fast like a puff of mist, disappearing almost immediately and changing nothing.

You work hard every week, hustling on the weekends, stocking portfolios, and securing your family’s future. Or you can play hard, celebrating at parties, enjoying luxurious food and wine, and merrymaking all around. Either way, you can’t take your investments with you when you die, and luxury creates an appetite that only gets hungrier the more you feed it.

So what does it look like to live well or even see a point to living in a world swirling with hevel? Watch today’s video to learn about the book of Ecclesiastes and the wisdom Qohelet offers in response to this timeless question.

Reflection Questions

• Compare Qohelet’s description of humans in Ecclesiastes 3:18-21 to Genesis 1:26-27 and Psalm 8. What similarities and differences do you notice? Why do you think the biblical authors included both perspectives?
• Meditate on the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:13-21. How does Jesus talk about money in light of the unpredictable nature of life and the inevitability of death? What conclusions does Jesus draw about how we should use our money? How do his teachings compare to those of Qohelet in today’s reading?