Introduction to Futility | Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

This week, we are starting a new series called: The Wisdom of Ecclesiastes: Life Under the Sun. Over the last several months, we have been spending time studying the wisdom of Proverbs. As we have observed, Proverbs describes wisdom as an understandable pattern of causes and effects, but as we begin our journey in Ecclesiastes, we will see that this book offers a contrasting perspective. Though it’s not contradictory, Ecclesiastes does present the world as much more complex.

As we begin, this week we will be introduced to the main theme of the book, the Hebrew word hebel. This word can be translated as vanity, smoke, or meaningless—leading some to conclude that Ecclesiastes has a pessimistic perspective on the world. What we hope you will experience is not the pessimism of the book, but rather the incredible wisdom from seeing the world in a realistic way. We invite you to join us as we attempt to add another layer of wisdom to our lives, one that understands the complexity of life but still finds ultimate meaning in God.