Study of Ecclesiastes: Chapter 1

I have read the book of Ecclesiastes (NIV version) many times over, and
I always have a different perspective on it every time I read it.  So, I'm reading it again.  I'm going to go chapter by chapter and write my thoughts
on what I get from it.  Feel free to read a chapter a day with me and comment whenever you want to share your interpretation of what the writer is saying.  Let's get started today. Read chapter 1.  I have...here are my thoughts.

A teacher and son of David is looking for a purpose to his life.  I too, am still looking for my purpose, so I can relate to this.  In verses 5-8, I sense him saying that everything in life goes and comes in a circle.  He says "The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises."
The streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full, and where the stream flowed from, they end up returning to the same place.

I think the Teacher is asking himself "What does life really matter?"  We are here enduring the same things again and again.  What is new?  What in life has a purpose? There is nothing new under the sun.

He says in verse 12 that he has seen everything under the sun and has seeked wisdom, all to no avail.  He calls everything meaningless, a chasing after the wind.  He sounds very doubtfull that the twisted and screwed up things in life cannot be straightened.  He calls the wisdom he has gained comes with sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.

I wonder first, how old is this teacher?  He is down, negative and feels lost at this time as to what the future holds for him.  People today I think feel the same way many times.  Many are lost and don't know which way to go.
We feel life is meaningless.  But is it?  Think about how you feel about
your life as we read together the second chapter of Ecclesiastes for tomorrow.

Until then, may God give us a clear picture of what the Teacher is saying to us individually.