Ecclesiastes 6 “Life Has Meaning”

Ecclesiastes 6 NIV

Suggested Praise Songs:      

• Phil Wickham – This Is Our God
• Elevation Worship – The Blessing ft. Kari Jobe & Cody Carnes
• God I’m Just Grateful – Elevation Worship & Chandler Moore

Resources for Family Worship (with Children)

• Object Lesson: Does Jesus help us in hard times? – Lesson for Kids
• This May Change How We Think About Struggles in Life – Lesson for Older Kids
• Power Shuffle | True North VBS | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• Your Power Will Pull Us Through | Rocky Railway VBS | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• Power in the Blood | Jerusalem Marketplace VBS | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• Discussion Questions for Children & Youth are located in the section after Explanation, Meditation, and Prayer (at the end of this email/blog).

Explanation:

The Teacher speaks about a person’s “misfortune and injustice” (v. 1). Although this person possesses wealth and honor great enough to be enjoyed for generations, he himself is unable to enjoy them (v. 2). No matter how long he lives, if he cannot truly enjoy what he has and is not even buried adequately after death, he is worse off than one who was never born (vv. 3–5). What matters more than the length of one’s life is the quality of life. The best thing is to “enjoy pleasure” from what one has been given (v. 6).

The problem is that desire never leads to satisfaction (v. 7). True wisdom is to govern one’s desires and find contentment in what one already possesses (vv. 8–9). Everything that has existed from long ago, and what human life is, has already been revealed. Wisdom is knowing the limits of existence and accepting them, yet people struggle desperately to go beyond those limits. As the saying goes, “No one can contend with one who is stronger than they are” (v. 10); human beings cannot transcend the limits of their existence.

Those who know the limits of existence do not speak carelessly (v. 11), because no one knows what is truly good for a person, nor can anyone know what will happen in the future (v. 12).

Meditation:

When we reflect on human life, a common mistake is generalized from a small number of specific situations. This is called the fallacy of generalization. The person the Teacher describes in verses 1–6 is hard to find. To take the example of one individual in an exceptional situation and conclude, “Life has no meaning,” or “It would be better to be stillborn,” is excessive. Even if such a person does exist, it cannot truly be said that they are more miserable than someone who was never born. In making such statements, the Teacher can be said to have been deeply depressed.

I once visited a children’s hospital in Washington, DC, and saw children receiving treatment there. As you walk down the hallway and see those young children in the wards, it is hard to avoid the question, “Why and how does God allow such young lives to suffer like this?” When we become consumed by that question, we can very easily conclude, “God does not exist. Life is random. There is no meaning or purpose in life.” This, too, is a fallacy of generalization.

We are sinful beings living within God’s good creation. The situations that cause us to question God’s existence and doubt His providence are the result of our sin. Because human sin has broken God’s created order, things like natural disasters, illness and disability, and social injustice occur. Yet God’s good creation is stronger than human sin. That is why, in general, life is worth living, and the world is still beautiful.

Therefore, we must be careful not to view the world only through the lens of exceptional situations caused by sin. While acknowledging that such situations exist, we should live with gratitude and praise for God’s beautiful, created order.

Prayer:

Lord, help us to face the dark realities of the world without being consumed by them. Help us remember how terrifying human sin can be yet also recall the image of God given to humanity. Do not let us judge the world solely by news of incidents and tragedies. Let us recognize how beautiful the world we live in truly is, and help us know, enjoy, and celebrate that our lives are a banquet graciously given by You. Amen.

Discussion Questions for Children & Youth:

Key Point: Even when life feels confusing or painful, God’s good creation is still stronger than sin, and our lives are meant to be received with gratitude and joy, not judged only by the most challenging moments.

• For Preschool-Elementary:
  • What is something beautiful God made that you like?
  • When you feel sad or confused, who helps you remember that God is good?
  • What is one small thing you can thank God for today?
    
• Youth:
  • Why do you think people sometimes decide “life has no meaning” after seeing suffering?
  • What does it mean to say that God’s good creation is stronger than human sin?
  • How can gratitude help us see life more clearly, even when the world feels broken?