The Vanity of Life Without God

The book of Ecclesiastes shows us the emptiness of the things of this world and is so doing prepares us for the beauty of the things of Christ found in the Song of Solomon. "All is vanity" shows us the emptiness of a life that is lived without God. Nothing could be more empty than a life without God.

1. Solomon is not speaking to us as a King but speaking to us as a Preacher

• a King deals with matters of this life
• a Preacher deals with the weighty things of eternity

2. Solomon says the world is an empty place

• Solomon as a king over a prosperous kingdom was in a unique position to evaluate the things of this life
• Solomon had great wisdom and knew exactly what was taking place in the world
• Solomon understood human nature and saw the folly of immorality and drink and knew the value of godliness
• Solomon also involved himself in base pleasures
• Solomon found in his wisdom and experience that this world is an empty place

3. How can we be delivered from the things of this world?

• "If it is all so empty, I don't want it" you would think we would say
• But there is a perversity in our hearts that wants the things we should not have
• If we would be delivered, we need to think of death
• Go to the house of mourning to help you think soberly regarding the empty things of this world
• If we would be delivered, we need to think of judgment
• God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil