Nothing New Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

Vanity – emptiness, vapor or breath ALL is vanity (1-3) Vanity – emptiness, vapor or breath About 75x in OT, with 38 in Ecclesiastes Of things (ultimately) – they are nothing, worthless, of no value Of mankind – futility, emptiness

What profit has a man for all his labor… (1:3) ALL is vanity (1-3) What profit has a man for all his labor… (1:3) How many today pursue wealth, fame, power, pleasure, etc. – seeking true fulfillment, only to be left empty.

What profit has a man for all his labor… (1:3) ALL is vanity (1-3) What profit has a man for all his labor… (1:3) How many in their search refuse to consider God? Matthew 16:26 1 Timothy 6:17, 6-7 James 4:4 1 Corinthians 15:19 Consider Ecclesiastes 12:12-14

The consistency of this world (4-11) One generation passes away, and another generation comes (1:4) We are all going to die! Psalm 90:10 Hebrews 9:27

The consistency of this world (4-11) But the earth abides forever (1:4) The world goes on! Is there ANYONE who is truly indispensable? Few have any lasting impact beyond their generation, and even fewer have an impact for good

The consistency of this world (4-11) The sun rises and sets… (1:5) The sun is very consistent – we can determine its place to the second for decades to come Genesis 8:22, Psalm 19:1-6

The consistency of this world (4-11) The wind goes toward the south… (1:6) Another element of nature that just continues and accomplishes its purpose – heat and cool, etc. Luke 12:55 - the south wind blows and you know it will be hot

The consistency of this world (4-11) Rivers run into the sea… (1:7) Another rule of nature. Genesis 1:9-10 – He separated land and sea Job 38:8-11, Psalm 33:6-9

The consistency of this world (4-11) ALL these things happen day in and day out! Consistency! Consider those who advocate general evolution (naturalism) – they rely on the consistency of science and nature to make their case & conduct experiments Yet, they speculate unexplained changes by chance, mutation and catastrophe Romans 1:20-23, Psalm 14:1

The consistency of this world (4-11) We also find the power of God to sustain Lest we forget – 2 Peter 3:5-7 We need the sun to rise and set We need wind for cooling and heating We need water to circulate to sustain life

The consistency of this world (4-11) We also find the power of God to sustain Psalm 119:90-91 IF God can sustain the worlds, He can sustain us and keep His word! We can depend on Him – Matthew 11:28-30, 1 Peter 5:7

The consistency of this world (4-11) The exasperation of man (8) Full of labor – wearisome To survive in this world, we have to work at it. Both together and individually Life becomes routine and mundane We spend most of our lives this way

The consistency of this world (4-11) Man cannot express it (8) Can we really put into words, the futility of life at times? The eye is not satisfied… - it is never enough. Not merely about contentment. We want to see more, hear more, taste more. And our bodies need more!

The consistency of this world (4-11) Man cannot express it (8) As you examine your life, are you in a rut? How about spiritually? Do we need to renew our minds? Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:23 NOTE: Because the world keeps turning, you need to keep working!

The consistency of this world (4-11) There is nothing new under the sun (9) What has been is what will be. What is done is what will be done. There is nothing new under the sun!

The consistency of this world (4-11) There is nothing new under the sun (9) The nature of man has not changed (either), nor will it ever! Man is still driven by sinful conduct, selfish, troubled, rebellious against God, rejecting His word.

The consistency of this world (4-11) There is nothing new under the sun (9) Why are the proverbs and Ecclesiastes still relevant today? HOW can the Bible still apply? Because God is constant – Hebrews 13:8, 1 Peter 1:23-25 James 1:17

The consistency of this world (4-11) Is there anything of which it may be said, “See this is new”? (10) One might ask about modern day inventions, developments and advancements. While new in detail, they still address the needs of man since the beginning – transportation, wellness, protection, etc. Even most philosophies are not really new!

The consistency of this world (4-11) There is no remembrance of the former things, nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come, by those who will come after (11)

The consistency of this world (4-11) There is no remembrance of the former things,… (11) “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Solomon alluded to this. Typically, when man dies he is forgotten. And we refuse to really learn form the past

Why are you really here?