Get ready to start a journey…a journey through the pages of the Bible and the pages of your life.
For those whom Jesus has rescued, they will pass from death to life (John 5:24). They will be absent from the body, but present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). The choice is clear. Trust Jesus, and live forever in heaven. Reject Jesus, live forever in hell. The just Judge will dispense justice to all.
Hoping to find something that would make life worth living, Solomon decides to occupy his mind and time with building projects. His “great works” included great houses. He built the House of the Forest of Lebanon, the Hall of Pillars, the Hall of the Throne, the Hall of Judgement, and his own luxurious palace.
I like to think of Ecclesiastes as Solomon’s journal. He is reflecting over a long life and clearly communicating that without God, life doesn’t make sense. We live under the sun but need an over the sun perspective for things to fit together.
If you must know the answer to every question about life and God before trusting in him, guess what? You will never trust in him. One thing we do know about the future is that death is certain. Here’s the main question. When your body has breathed its final breath, where will your soul go?
Solomon did not oppose doing things that count. He wasn’t against inventions, creativity, and people trying to make a difference. But Solomon is a realist. Whether you invest your time in work that is significant or whether you squander your days, the wise man and the fool are soon forgotten. After you die, your name is mentioned less and less.