Friends, read these verses and ponder on them as you read them:

'And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.' - Ecclesiastes 1 vs 13 {KJV}

  • to be exercised with

Can you imagine... All of man's work and labours and toiling in the earth are described as an exercise! Oooo! Keep reading.

'For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? 
For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.' - Ecclesiastes 2 vs 22 - 23 {King James Version}

'What do people get from all of their hard work and struggles under the sun? 
Their entire life is filled with pain, and their work is unbearable. Even at night their minds don’t rest. Even this is pointless.' - Ecclesiastes 2 vs 22 - 23 {God's Word Translation}

  • Their entire life is filled with pain

'What do we gain from all our work?' - Ecclesiastes 3 vs 9 {KJV}

  • What exactly?

'What gain, then, does the laborer get with his toil? 
I have seen the task that God has given to the children of men to keep them occupied.' - Ecclesiastes 3 vs 9 - 10 {Tree of Life Version}

  • to keep them occupied

Our work and labours and toiling on earth are described as tasks to keep us occupied. Amazing! Waow!! This means, we can literally say that man's struggles on earth is pointless, it's a waste of time and a waste of life. Think about it. Keep reading.

'So I became great, greater than anyone who had lived before me in Jerusalem. Throughout all of this, I remained wise. 
Whenever I wanted something I had seen, I never refused that desire. Instead, I enjoyed everything I did, and this became the reward in what I had undertaken. 
Then I examined all of my accomplishments that I had brought about by my own efforts, including the work that I had labored so hard to complete—and it was all pointless, like chasing after the wind, and there was nothing to be gained on earth.' - Ecclesiastes 2 vs 9 - 10 {International Standard Version}

  • nothing to be gained on earth

Eventually the man dies and leaves it all behind. Waow!!! What a study we've had reading through the scriptures. Seeing that man's labour on earth is nothing but an exercise to keep him occupied, where then is man headed to? What's man's future in this world? Where do man's struggles and toilings lead him to? Since his struggles are pointless, why then the struggle? Where are all of man's pains and efforts and hard works leading him to? My friend, the answer is Nowhere! Now hear what Solomon therefore advises:

'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.' - Ecclesiastes 12 vs 13 - 14 {King James Version}

I love how the Good News Bible Translation puts it:

'After all this, there is only one thing to say: Have reverence for God, and obey his commands, because this is all that we were created for. 
God is going to judge everything we do, whether good or bad, even things done in secret.' - Ecclesiastes 12 vs 13 - 14 {Good News Bible Translation}

He said, Have reverence for God and obey His commands; then he said, This is all that we were created for. Ooo that's the answer! The King James Version says, For this is the whole duty of man. Meaning, the actual reason why man is on earth is to do the will of God—every other activity is a futile exercise. Think about this.

Dear friend, live a good life on earth, pay attention to your salvation in Christ Jesus—this is what matters—every other activity is a profitless pointless occupying vanity! Live your life on earth with the understanding that one day, God will judge you.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Jenning Uweye
Teacher,
Global Bible Study Community

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