All is Vanity | Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

“I've often said that I wish people could realize all their dreams and wealth and fame so that they could see that it's not where you’ll find your sense of completion.” -Jim Carrey. Solomon had everything that the world values: wisdom, women, money, power, possessions, and prestige. Yet, Solomon was empty. Reflecting on his life, he cried, “Vanity of vanities… vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” The message of Ecclesiastes is simple: If God is not in the picture, our own kingdom building will always lead to the feeling of, “There’s gotta be more than this.” Many years after Solomon, God did something truly new: He sent His Son in the flesh to give us a real life of meaning. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

Take-Home Message: Without God, all is vanity.

A biblical definition of “Vanity”– Literally, a wind, breath, mist or vapor. Metaphorically, something that is empty, futile, fleeting or elusive.

Common Meanings of “Vanity” in Ecclesiastes

-       Futility– “striving after the wind”

-       Fleeting– “passes like a shadow”

-       Perplexing– the idea of obscure, dark, difficult to understand, enigmatic

Solomon’s Battle with Vanity (1-2).

The Vanity of My Life and Legacy without God (3-11).

Message: All is Vanity

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

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