Is Life Vanity? Ecclesiastes 1

Ecclesiastes 1, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?
A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.”

The great King Solomon had 900 wives and 600 concubines in his Harlem; wisest and wealthiest human ever; no one rivals him in riches, fame, power, and beauty, he had it all, excellent in craft, Kings, and Queens traveled from Ethiopia and Arabia to learn from him.

Towards the last of his days on earth, he looked at all those things, and declared vanity of vanities is vanity.

Is everything truly vanity? God made all things; if we say all is vanity, we are also saying God spent time to create and make vain things, which can’t be true; after creating the world and everything in it, God looked at them and was pleased, so nothing is vanity.

If you can afford a private jet, just fly it, if you can afford a Maybach, just ride it, if you can afford a multi billion yacht cruise it, if you can afford a diamond mansion, just build it and live in, for it’s written, “It’s the Lord that giveth thee power to make wealth, however, you must do it to the glory of God.

God declares, “I wish that you prosper in all things (material) even as your soul prospers (spiritual); spiritual prosperity doesn’t cancel material prosperity, we need both to exercise the complete image of God here on earth as the Creator and Lord (Owner) of all good things.

Vanity of vanities becomes an object of reality when we pursue the pleasures of life outside God’s will just like King Solomon at some point, he made this statement in response to his mistakes, it doesn’t apply when one is materially and spiritually rich within the provisions of the will of God.

Loni Willison was an American model, she was on magazines and billboards yesterday in few years ago, married Hollywood actor Jeremy, this model was addled by drug addiction, she is now homeless on the streets of LA, recently was seen eating lunch from the dustbin, this is the true definition of vanity of vanities is vanity, is stems from living one’s life outside God’s will.

It doesn’t matter how big or small one may be, any life of vanity terminates in vanity, what’s written is written, if one lives a life outside God’s will, it’s already vanity, vanity has nothing to do with what you have, or the pleasure of life, vanity is living outside God’s presence.

In as much as we know vanity of vanities is vanity, but when we don’t have the best things in life, our days here on earth will be vain adventure, so let there be material prosperity as well as spiritual prosperity, this is the ideal standard all should strive to attain.

If we search history both recent and old, we would see people so rich, powerful and influential but ended miserably, it’s needless to mention names, it’s all around us.

Enfin, vanity of vanities is vanity only when we live outside God’s presence, it has nothing to do with being so rich and having every golden life, when we dwell within circumference of God’s Presence, even if we are richer than all, vanity of vanities can’t be translated as vanity.

Love your God, yourself and your neighbour, in addition to these have the best things of life in sincerity of purpose and honesty of approach, life is precious, so being comfortable isn’t vanity.
Solomon made that statement when he was grieving his mistakes, it doesn’t apply to all.

-Kanayo Ebuka