Is Everything Meaningless? John's Response to Ecclesiastes (Part 2)

I don’t know how many times I have heard someone say, “I’ll believe it if I can see it.” It’s a common expression in a world where “seeing is believing.” Since the world is tangible concrete proof matters. But there is a problem with this naturalistic perspective. Our eyes simply cannot see meaning.

The writer of Ecclesiastes (a.k.a. Qohelet or The Assembler) expresses the point best. In his book, he observes the world “under the sun.” Like a modern scientist,

“He seeks out experience of every kind as the most accurate path to insight. He looks, observes, considers, reflects and testifies to the validity of his conclusions; “I said in my heart” (1:16; 2:1, 15; 3:17), “I gave my heart” (1:13, 17; 8:9, 16), “I saw” (1:14; 2:24; 3:10, 16; 4:1, 4, 15; 5:17; 6:1; 7:15; 8:9, 10; 9:11, 13; 10:5, 7), “I know” (1:17; 2:14; 3:12, 14; 8:12), and “there is” (2:21; 6:1, 12, 8:14; 10:5)… If asked “How do you know?” Qohelet readily responds, “I saw it.” (James Crenshaw, Ecclesiastes pg. 28)

Because of this seeing-equals-believing outlook, Qohelet cannot discover any meaning in life. (Ecc. 1:2; 12:8).

He seeks pleasure.

I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself.” And behold, it too was futility. I said of laughter, “It is madness,” and of pleasure, “what does it accomplish?” (Ecc. 2:1-2)

He seeks wisdom.

So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly... Then I said to myself, “As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?” So I said to myself, “This too is meaningless.” (Ecc. 2:12-15)

In the end, Qohelet cannot even distinguish the significance between men and beasts.

“For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they have the same breath and there is no advantage for men over beasts, for all is meaningless. All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust. Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth?” (Ecc 3:19-21)

“Meaningless, Meaningless, all is Meaningless,” He both begins and ends his book.

I hope you will read the book of Ecclesiastes and feel the spiritual void welling up inside the modern world. Scientists, whose eyes are tuned to the natural world more than any other group, tell us that we are the product of blind, purposeless chance. There is nothing outside the material world. We have no more significance then a fallen twig. And like the writer of Ecclesiastes they cry, “Meaningless.”

Stay tuned for Part III.