WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE?
(Ecclesiastes 12:1-18)

The name of this book signifies "The Preacher." The wisdom of God preaches to us, spoken by Solomon, who is the author. At the close of his life, being made sensible to his sin and folly, he recorded here his experience for the benefit of others, as a book of repentance; and he pronounced all earthly goods to be "meaningless"!

Solomon shows that:
1. All things are meaningless. (1-3)
2. Man's desires are never satisfied. (4-8)
3. There is nothing new. (9-11)
4. Knowledge alone is meaningless. (12-18)

1. All things are meaningless. (1-3) If this world, in its present state, were all, it would not be worth living for; and the wealth and pleasure of this world, if that were all there was would not be enough to make us happy. (Matthew 16:26)

2. Man's desires are never satisfied. (4-8) All things change and never rest. Man, after all his labor, is no nearer finding rest than the sun, the wind, or the current of the river. His soul will find no rest. Our senses are soon tired, but we still crave what is untried. (Proverbs 27:20) God satisfies! (Psalms 103:1-5)

3. There is nothing new. (9-11) Men's hearts, their corruptions, their desires, their pursuits, and their complaints are still the same. It is not the marvel of the creature that can make us happy but the marvelous love of the Creator! (Isaiah 40:5-9)

4. Knowledge alone is meaningless. (12-18) Solomon tried all things and found then vanity. He found knowledge tiresome, not only to the flesh, but to the mind. The more he saw of the works done under the sun, the more he saw their vanity. He could neither gain that satisfaction to himself, nor do that good to others, which he expected. Even the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom discovered man's wickedness and misery; so that the more he knew, the more he saw caused him to mourn. Knowledge alone is empty, wisdom fails, we're never smart enough! God again saves us from our own foolishness! (1 Corinthians 1:19-31)

Conclusion: So the question, "What is the meaning of life?" is the wrong question; we should ask "Who is the meaning of life?" The answer is of course JESUS!!! (Hebrews 12:1-3)