Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 2:11 NIV
Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon, the third king of Israel. And it records his quest to find meaning in life. In Ecclesiastes 2:1-10, he looked for meaning in pleasure and accomplishment. He partied, undertook great projects; planted gardens and built buildings; accumulated slaves, flocks, money, and a harem. He denied himself nothing and took delight in all that he did.
But, looking back at it all, he realized it had gained him nothing. No matter what he had accomplished in this life or how much pleasure he had enjoyed, it was all temporary. And that is what the word translated as meaningless means. It is the Hebrew word hebel. A word that means breath, something with no substance or temporary. Nothing he had done would last. He would die, and what value would all of his accomplishments and possessions have to him then? It was all a chasing after the wind.
Solomon had little understanding of what came after he died. For him, it was the common fate of all people. Regardless of their position in life, death was the common denominator. Yet his words here have value to us today.
The Temporary Nature of Our Stuff
This life is temporary. Regardless of how much you have accumulated, what you accomplished, or how well you lived, we will leave it all behind. All of those things are hebel, meaningless and temporary. How much better to live a life now that has eternal significance. To build your life on the foundation of Christ (1 Cor. 3:11-13). To fix your hope, not on what this life can offer, but rather on the great salvation awaiting us (1 Thess. 5:8). Storing up treasures in heaven that will endure (Matt. 6:19-21). And, in the end, hearing God say, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matt. 25:21).
