When Life Feels Emptyنموونە

The Sting of Wisdom

At the heart of Ecclesiastes, you may be surprised to know, is the story of a father and a son. The story is overshadowed, since nearly the entire book is the words of the Teacher. But at the very end, we hear the father speaking to his son. In fact, the Teacher is not the one telling the story. The father is. And it’s not the Teacher who has the final word. The father does.

Today, just about everywhere we turn, we run into experts like the Teacher. Experts on the economy. Experts on history. Experts on television. Experts in books. Our world is a complex, complicated place, so we ask experts to help us understand it all.

Experts can teach us a lot. They know a lot. But they don’t personally know us. To know us requires a relationship. And that’s what the father offers his son. He doesn't offer his son a mere philosophy about the world. He offers him a way to live in the world.

The father gave this Book of Ecclesiastes to his son. With all its bleak meaninglessness, the book may seem like a strange gift. And it’s actually even stranger.

The father is prodding and provoking his son with the words of the Teacher. Wisdom is not always pleasant. Sometimes it is painful.

For life’s crucial decisions, we need more than experts; we need people who know and love us.

If the son turns to his father, he will find the guidance he needs: “Fear God and keep his commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13), the father says, “for God will bring every deed into judgment” (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

The father’s words point his son to God’s words in the Hebrew Bible: the wisdom, the Law, and the prophets. Some experts might offer life hacks, but God’s words lead us along the path of life that leads to Jesus, the embodiment of wisdom, the fulfillment of the Law, and the anticipation of the prophets.

The Book of Ecclesiastes is indeed painful. Puncturing all the things we hold most dear. It deflates our every hope for meaning in work and wealth, in pleasure and youth. But in keeping us uncomfortable, it keeps us on our toes, it prods us forward, down that path, and into the arms of a God who loves us, who won’t let us down.

In the end, it is not the Teacher but the Father who guides us. His words lead us to a God whose love, wisdom, and faithfulness are unwavering, showing us that true meaning, security, and hope are found not in the world’s answers, but in Him.

Prayer

Lord, in a world crowded with advice and fleeting knowledge, be my Father who knows me fully and loves me perfectly; open my ears to Your Word, shape my choices with Your truth, and carry me through life’s uncertainties into the security of Your presence and eternal purpose.

In Jesus’ name.
Amen.

Thank you for joining us in exploring the Teacher’s words this week, wrestling with life’s paradoxes, the fleeting nature of pleasure, and the pursuit of true meaning. As we’ve seen, the book of Ecclesiastes doesn’t offer easy answers, but it points us to the One who does. As you step into the days ahead, may God’s truth guide your choices, His love anchor your heart, and His wisdom illuminate your path. Live fully, love deeply, and keep your eyes on the One who gives life its ultimate meaning.