“That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.”
Ecclesiastes is a puzzle to many people, because it has so many negative things in it that seem to take away from a positive, joyous life. That is because they misunderstand the reason for the book in the first place. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon relates that he had tried everything, pleasure, wine, work, etc. and it all proved futile. In the final analysis he wrote in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.” These two verses make the whole book understandable. There is nothing on this earth that can bring the satisfaction to our lives that a relationship with God can bring. This is true of our text as well. In a sense there really is nothing new under the sun. For example, history repeats itself frequently. The settings are different, fashions are different, communication is different, but we human beings keep making the same mistakes over and over again. I think the book of Judges gives us an example of that. After Joshua and his generation died, Israel went into a spiritual spiral. Repeatedly throughout the book, Israel made the same mistakes. Today, it seems that people think paganism is a new thing. It’s almost as if people think that “anything goes” is a new concept, dreamed up only by this “enlightened' generation. If you will read world history, you will see that it is just like Judges: We keep making the same mistakes over and over again. We keep thinking that immorality is “freedom” and morality depends on what an individual wants it to be. The closing words of Judges describes our own situation: “Every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” It is true that “there is nothing new under the sun,” if you remember that this pertains to the things of the earth. But the Bible also deals with that which is new, that does not just have to do altogether with worldly matters, but with our relationship with God. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 explains what I mean: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. 18. And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. 19. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” Jesus makes all things new in the life of the Christian, and gives him or her, a new purpose in life. Romans 6:4 relates to us that “we also should walk in newness of life.” The day is coming when all things will be made new: “And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold I make all things new…” The Bible promises a new heaven and a new earth. In Ecclesiastes 1:9, Solomon wrote of the tired materialistic life that he was living. It is still true that in the matters of earth there is “nothing new under the sun.” Newness comes only in that which is eternal. It is in Christ that we have newness in our lives. Otherwise, life just goes on monotonously from day to day, and we try to find “newness” in that which is not, and cannot be new. God wants to do a new thing in the lives of every person on this earth. In fact, He sent His Son, Jesus, to give every person that newness. But most people choose the monotony of the world, and never learn what real newness is. I hope that this is not true of your life. If it is, Jesus is available to you. If you have given your life to Jesus, rejoice and enjoy the new life that God has given you. Bro. Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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