IN THIS LESSON

summary
Ecclesiastes chapter 1 sets the tone for the entire book with a blunt and sobering message: life is fleeting and without lasting effect. The chapter introduces “the Teacher/Preacher” who reflects on the futility of human toil, the unchanging cycles of nature, and the limits of wisdom. He opens with the famous declaration that “everything is meaningless,” challenging readers to wrestle with hard truths about purpose, satisfaction, and the nature of existence.

 

key verse
1:2  “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”