Turn to God during troubling times
Vanity of vanities. All is vanity (emptiness). What do people gain from all the toil at which they toil under the sun? A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. All things are wearisome; more than one can express. I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun, and see, all is vanity and a chasing of the wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:1-4;8,14).
Does this sound familiar? Do we not all have days when we feel this way? It is clear that the writer sounds pretty depressed; it seems like life is getting him down.
The author of this scripture passage is King Solomon, the son of King David. He was the King of Israel who was noted for his great wisdom. We are told that “God gave Solomon very great wisdom, discernment, and breadth of understanding as vast as the sand on the seashore.” (I Kings 4:29) He built a magnificent temple in Jerusalem and lived at a time of great prosperity and peace in Israel. Even the Queen of Sheba was overwhelmed by what she saw and experienced in his presence (1 Kings 10:1-5).
So why would he appear to sound so dejected?
Solomon is writing at the end of his life and he is trying to express an important truth that he has learned — human wisdom and material possessions have limitations. Throughout his life he often trusted more in his own wisdom without God’s guidance. He also seemed to focus more on gathering ‘things’ rather than on God and others, especially those in need. He uses the phrase “under the sun” approximately 26 times as reference to his “worldliness.”
Solomon knows that life is full of contradictions, and that things that happen do not always make sense. There are many things that we may not understand. Human wisdom and material things alone will not give us all the answers and this can lead to a sense of emptiness and frustration if we forget about God.
In order to understand all of the contradictions of life, the Book of Ecclesiastes tells us that we need to be able to trust in God. We are reminded that God has made everything “beautiful” and “good” and that for everything there are “times and seasons.”
When we experience chaos or feel burdened, all we need to do is put our trust in God. (Eccl. 3:1017) In the third chapter we read that even though life might be full of injustice and contradiction, we can trust that God is in control and ultimately justice will prevail. We acknowledge the difficulties; but we never despair because our hope is in God.
The 1960s was considered a time of confusion and social unrest. This was clearly evident in the United States. During that decade a song became popular that spoke to the present moment. “Turn! Turn! Turn!” (To Everything There Is a Season), is a song written by Pete Seeger. The lyrics were inspired by the third chapter of the biblical Book of Ecclesiastes. The song became an international hit in late 1965 when it was recorded by the American folk rock group the Byrds. The song offered hope to people during turbulent times when things were happening that did not make sense.
Today we experience many of the same feelings. We can allow ourselves to become overwhelmed, cynical, or depressed, or we can embrace the message of Ecclesiastes.
We need to put our trust in God and then we will not believe that “all is vanity and a chasing of the wind.”