The book of Ecclasiastes

Ecclesiastes was written by a teacher/a king of Jerusalem that was trying to find out a purpose to life.  He found everything very meaningless.  This book seems to be a rant of his thoughts.  I found it very interesting.

He points out that we will all be forgotten someday.  Just as the people before us....what is your great, great, great grandmother's name....you too will be forgotten.  So, what is the purpose.  As I read Ecclesiastes I was able to see where is wisdom answered his questions.  What is it all for....it's for our Father!  But, I can see how meaningless it might all seem to someone that is not a follower of God.

Some of my favorites from this book are passages that I have heard before.

There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,  
(Remember when Kevin Bacon used this in Footloose?  LOVE THAT MOVIE!
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Another one:
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work"
If one falls down,
his friend can help him up!
But pity the man who falls
and has o one to help him up!
Also, if two lie down together, they 
will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 5:9-12

In all his discussion on why everything is meaningless he says:
Whoever loves money never has money enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.
This too is meaningless.  
Ecclesiastes 5:10

Amen to that....and I am totally guilty!

When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe man's labor on earth
-his eyes not seeing sleep day or night-
then I saw all that God has done.  No one can comprehend what does on under the sun.  Despite all his efforts to search it out, man cannot discover it's meaning.  Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it.
Ecclesiastes 8:16-17

In the end, the author comes to this:

Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.
For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14