Title: In vain, in vain, in vain!
Text/ Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:8
1. Introduction
“Vanity, vanity, vanity, vanity, all things are vanity” Ecclesiastes 1:2
"Vanity of vanities, vanity of vanities. All is vanity!"
"Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless. Everythingis meaningless"
This is the first verse of the famous Ecclesiastes. And the last practical sentence of Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiastes 12:8, also ends with vanity, vanity, all things vanity!
why in vain
Why is everything so empty as to catch the wind?
This is because the unavoidable existential problem of <my own death>, not someone else's, lies behind the emptiness.
Therefore, the writer of Ecclesiastes, frankly, so frankly, declares, vanity and vain, vain and vain, all is vanity. Seeing that the word vain is repeated five times over and over again, you can guess how much the writer of Ecclesiastes felt the futility of his life.
2. A very exquisite metaphor for people
The text Ecclesiastes 12:3-7 speaks of a person who grows old, gets sick, and finally has no choice but to die in a very exquisite parable. To unravel the meaning, it is as follows.
In such a day those who keep the house will tremble: their hands and feet will tremble.
The strong will be crooked: the loins are crooked.
There will be few millennials: all the teeth fall out.
Those who look through the windows will be darkened: the eyes will be darkened.
Street doors will be closed: deafness.
It will rise by the sound of birds: with old age there will be no early sleep.
All women who make music will decline: the taut voice is gone.
You will be afraid of heights: when you are old you will be afraid of heights.
On the street, you'll be surprised: you'll be afraid to walk the streets as you get older.
The apricot tree will bloom: it will be gray.
Grasshoppers will also be a burden: my lack of strength will make my body a burden.
The greed will cease: everything will become a nuisance.
The silver cord is loosened: all the muscles are loosened.
The gold bowl is broken: the head is not spinning well.
The jar is broken by the spring: there is no strength to go draw water
The wheel broke over the well: it had no power to draw water.
Thus, the body is buried in the dust and returns to the dust, and the spirit returns to the God who gave it.
3. What is the nature of man?
The writer of Ecclesiastes said in the first chapter, first verse of Ecclesiastes, that all human works are vain, vain, vain, vain, all things are vain. And in the last part of the book of Ecclesiastes, it is revealed with an exquisite metaphor that man is a being that grows old, gets sick, falls apart, and finally returns to a handful of dust. And at the end again, all the works of men are in vain, in vain, in vain, all in vain! is concluding. The essence of human beings is that it is useless to color with any words.
4. Then, is life itself meaningless?
The writer of Ecclesiastes said that all human activities, whether business, art, academic, sports, or politics, are in vain as in chasing after wind. But nevertheless, the writer of Ecclesiastes tells us to enjoy and enjoy life in Ecclesiastes 2:24-26, 3:22, 5:18-20, 9:7-10, etc.
What does it mean? Life itself is essentially meaningless, but what can we do with this life already given to us? Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself with your wife and children according to your portion. What do you do? There is ample room for interpretation. But I would like to interpret it this way.
5. Closing Story
The nihilities of the writer of Ecclesiastes are thought to be open emptiness, not closed nihilities. Life is futile. Therefore, life is not a closed void that is fundamentally meaningless, but life is clearly emptiness itself from a human level. But when God's light is thrown on the emptiness, the new light of the divine meaning can shine through the dark emptiness.
ss="list_eng" align="right">