The Necessity of An Eternal Perspective

Commentary

King Solomon is the writer of Ecclesiastes, a man who the Bible states was given great wisdom by God. God blessed Solomon with not only wisdom, but also wealth and power — more than he could ever need. However, Solomon found himself trying to understand this life. Knowing well that God exists and that He created everything, Solomon still attempted to find the meaning of life without retaining an eternal perspective.

The unbelieving world has nothing but the hope of the here and now, the fruit of their labor — the monetary and material gain. Many go through life assuming that this is it, that you must “live it up now” because before you know it, you will cease to exist, back to the dust you will go.

This is a sad and lonely state to exist in. As followers of Christ, we know for a fact that there is more than this natural life. That God has placed eternity in the hearts of every person, but you need faith in Jesus to realize that promise.

Commentary

Solomon tested the things of this world, seeing and experiencing the fallen nature of it all. If you focus too much of your attention on this world and its things, you’ll quickly learn that life is rife with burden and injustice, sorrow and hopelessness. A narrow focus on the physical leads to weariness and a loss of hope.

A person who derives their happiness from wealth, material items, sex, and so on, will not only come to find that there is no lasting satisfaction but will end up truly miserable. Solomon goes on to state in verse 9 that there is nothing truly novel in this life; what is has been in existence since the beginning. Sadly, the lost soul searches for that something new because without Jesus, there is no satisfaction.

Commentary

Many search for the answers to the mysteries of life. We find this manifested in the false religions of the world, even in some people’s religious view of science.

But there is a book, written to us, from God, which tells us all that we must know to find truth and eternity. Sadly, many, many, many people have and will reject it. Instead, they look to gurus, technocrats, scientists, ancient man-made writings, the stars, and themselves, seeking answers that they will never find in those places.

As a believer in Christ, you have the answers, especially if you’re keeping in God’s Word. The value of personal Bible study can never be understated. Not only does it play an important role in your sanctification, but it also gives you the knowledge that others so desperately seek. You have the True Hope; share it with them!

Commentary

Without the eternal perspective that Christ Jesus gives us, pleasure becomes the main focus. Solomon tested the pleasures of life, only to find that in the end, without God, there is just futility. How many people, even believers, fall into ruts of pleasure seeking? It happens all of the time. For the follower of Christ, it comes when you’ve placed some distance between you and the Lord through unrepentant sin and a lack of spending quality time in prayer and study.

Living for this life is a pointless endeavor, one filled with a grind and a dissatisfaction that comes with never being able to obtain enough to find the lasting joy and completeness that you desire. Understand that there is absolutely nothing in this world that can fill that void in your inner man, apart from Jesus.

Commentary

In the midst of all the struggles of life, the worthless pleasures and the frustrating injustices, comes blessing to those who love the Lord Jesus. As hard as it might seem to understand, from the “justice” perspective of humans, Solomon states that God takes the gathering and accumulating work of sinners and uses it to bless His children.

We know that with God there is no injustice; His ways are perfect. So His taking from the unbeliever in order to bless the righteous is perfectly just. For those of us who walk through life with Jesus as our Shepherd, our focus is eternal. Your thoughts and actions are influenced by that eternal focus. Whether it be sharing the Gospel, worshipping the Lord, living a holy life — know that your ultimate rewards will be found in Heaven — the place where your heart should always be focused.