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Ecclesiastes, Purpose

Everyone at some point in their lives asks the age old question; what is the point? Philosophers have devoted countless hours to  this question, and there are numerous books written on the subject. It is a part of our human nature to seek out a purpose.

What most of the world doesn't realize is that we were created with a purpose. God designed us to serve and live with him. So when we sin and break away from God our purpose is lost. In desperation we turn to other things to try and fill the void.

The book of Ecclesiastes deals with this very issue. The author of the book, simply known as the Preacher, does this in very interesting way. Instead of starting with the purpose of life, he goes into all the things that don't fulfill our purpose. The Preacher walks through all sorts of things that we pursue to fulfill our purpose, only to end with commitment to God.

Background

The date of the book of Ecclesiastes is unclear. This largely has to do with the ambiguity of the author. The author simply refers to himself as the Preacher. Many have assumed the author is King Solomon due to the very first verse, "The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem."

Now this very well could be Solomon, but not necessarily. The term son of David is used by pretty much all of the kings of Judah since they are from the line of David. Jesus is referred to as the son of David because he is from the line of David. This means that it could be any king of Judah. 

Themes

The entire book of Ecclesiastes revolves around the Preacher finding life's purpose. Everything in the book builds up to the last few verses. The Preacher expertly walks the people he is addressing through the various things we chase after in life. 

As he goes through the book, the Preacher shows that our lives are meaningless without God. Money, respect, career, and even romance are shown to be inferior and ultimately fruitless. Only serving God and keeping his commandments leads to true fulfillment. 

Theological Point

Serving God is our purpose. It is only through service to God that we find completion and meaning. All the other things in life that we chase after, even the good things like family, are no substitute for serving God. 

Conclusion

The book of Ecclesiastes is often seen as a depressing book. The cry "Vanity! Vanity! All is vanity!" sticks with people. When we read the book, however, we see a theological masterpiece that expertly dismantles everything else in life except our true purpose in God.

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