Ecclesiastes 1:2

B. THESIS: THE VANITY OF ALL EARTHLY THINGS Ecclesiastes 1:2

TEXT 1:2

2

Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 1:2

5.

How many times is there a reference to vanity in this verse?

6.

What does the Preacher include in his category of vain things?

7.

List some popular meanings and some dictionary meanings given to the term vanity.

PARAPHRASE 1:2

Empty and transitory, sighs the Preacher, Everything is fleeting as a vapor and unfulfilling!

COMMENT 1:2

Ecclesiastes 1:2 The Preacher's first declaration, All is vanity, is not one of despair but one which simply states the truth concerning the nature of his world and everything in it. The Lord has cursed the earth (Genesis 5:29) as a result of Adam's sin. Therefore, Paul writes, For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope. The fact that the earth and all that it contains has felt the curse of death, is in harmony with the message of the Bible. Study Genesis 3:17-19; Psalms 39:5-6; Genesis 5:29; Hebrews 1:10-12 and James 1:10-11; James 4:13-17.

We often ascribe the idea of vainness of false pride to the term vanity, but this is not the meaning to be given the term as it is interwoven throughout the Preacher's message. It is evident that it conveys the idea of a short life, as the proper noun Abel comes from the same Hebrew word that is here translated vanity. The Hebrew term hebel is used thirty-seven times in Ecclesiastes.[5] Such extensive application of one idea, discussed in each chapter except the tenth, demands a thorough understanding of its use.

[5] Ernest W. Hengstenberg, A Commentary on Ecclesiastes (Rochester, Wn.: Sovereign Grace Publishers, 1960), p, 46.

The term is rich in meaning and usage as it appears over and over again in the book. No one term could possibly convey the meaning of each situation. The New English Bible has replaced the word vanity with emptiness, while the Anchor Bible replaces vanity with vapor. Listed here are terms which serve as synonyms or corresponding ideas. They are: vanity, futile, empty, meaningless, fleeting, pointless, incomprehensible, breath, vapor, unfulfilling, striving after wind, short-lived, Abel, transitory, temporary, sublunary, under the sun, under heaven and upon the earth.

Many lessons in the book are based on the conclusion that All is vanity. It is vital, therefore, that one see the numerous possibilities contained in the word vanity. When all of life and its hopes are qualified by sublunary restrictions and limitations, when everything a man has to remember, enjoy today, and look forward to, is limited to and qualified by experience in this life only, then one begins to sense the impact of the term. The term vanity, therefore, is applicable to everything that falls beneath the curse of sin. When man sinned, he began the process of death. As noted in Genesis 3:17-19, the process was passed on to man's world. Therefore, the All of Solomon's declaration is comprehensive enough to include both man and his world. There is a genuine pity associated with this truth. As the Apostle Paul has said, If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most to be pitied (1 Corinthians 15:19). Or again, If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die (1 Corinthians 15:32).

At the beginning of the book, we are confronted with the most basic question man can possibly ask: Is this life, in its toil, pleasures, possessions, challenges, and ambitions all there is to living, or is there a Word from God to give hope to man in the midst of his activities? It is in the face of this question that the Preacher embarks on his quest.

It is with deep gratitude to God that we study Ecclesiastes with the wisdom of His final revelation. On numerous occasions Jesus pointed to the transitory nature of man and his world and always directed his hearers to a higher calling. It was indeed Solomon that Jesus had in mind, clothed in all his glory, when he drove home the lesson that ... not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions (Luke 12:15). It is in the light of this truth that he challenges us, But seek for His kingdom, and these things shall be added to you. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, and unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your hearts be also (Luke 12:31-34).

Solomon's use of vanity does not convey the idea of fatalism because God is always present in the sense that He is the acknowledged Creator of this world (Ecclesiastes 12:1), and in His providence He controls the ultimate outcome of all events.

FACT QUESTIONS 1:2

9.

What should be included in the term All in the statement All is vanity?

10.

Since the proper noun Abel is derived from the Hebrew term for vanity, what meaning should be ascribed to Abel?

11.

How often does the term vanity appear in Ecclesiastes?

12.

List some of the possible ways the Hebrew term hebel could be translated.

13.

According to Paul's reasoning in 1 Corinthians 15:19, what would cause man most to be pitied?

14.

What did Jesus say concerning earthly possessions? Cf. Luke 12:15

15.

Fatalism is the teaching that the world is controlled by fate. Why can we rule fatalism out as a possible interpretation to the book of Ecclesiastes?