The saying “there is nothing new under the sun” comes from Ecclesiastes 1:9, which states “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” This phrase points to the repetitive nature of human existence and history. Let’s explore in detail what this means and what the Bible has to say about this topic.
All human endeavors are fleeting
Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon later in his life. After experiencing many worldly pleasures and achievements, Solomon concluded that human efforts are futile because nothing lasts (Ecclesiastes 1:2). People come and go, generations pass, but human nature stays the same. The earth keeps rotating as it has since creation, going through the same cycles endlessly (Ecclesiastes 1:4-7). No matter how hard we try, we cannot change the fundamental realities of human existence. Our efforts to make a lasting impact or leave a permanent legacy ultimately fail. As Solomon says, “there is nothing new under the sun.”
This is not meant to promote idleness or irresponsibility. Rather, it is a reminder that we should not put our hope in earthly things or human achievements which are all destined to fade. Our labor should be motivated by eternal purposes instead of merely temporary rewards. Knowing the fleeting nature of this life should encourage us to invest in that which has eternal significance. As Jesus said, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Matthew 16:26). We must keep first things first.
Human nature and behaviors remain unchanged
Solomon also observed that human nature stays predictably the same throughout generations (Ecclesiastes 1:10-11). The tendencies, desires, and behaviors of mankind are on repeat mode. As the French proverb goes: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” We see the same cycles of human behavior today just as in ancient times: love, hate, ambition, jealousy, joy, sadness, virtue, vice, construction, destruction, justice, corruption, courage, cowardice, loyalty, betrayal. “There is nothing new under the sun” because the heart of man remains unchanged.
Though cultures and technology progress, human nature does not. Our devices and circumstances may change but our inner being does not. We remain prone to the same flaws and limitations that have plagued humanity from the beginning. History repeats itself as succeeding generations succumb again and again to pride, greed, lust, and self-destruction. Even society’s attempts at reform or progress end up going in circles due to innate human corruption. “What has been done is what will be done.”
This sober view of human nature should make us cautious of utopian visions that assume solutions lie in reforming external factors alone. Lasting change must start from the inside-out. As Jesus taught, cleaning the outside of the cup is meaningless without first cleaning the inside (Matthew 23:25-26). Any philosophy or system built on an overly optimistic view of human nature is destined to fail. We cannot ignore or downplay the reality of human sinfulness and expect progress.
God’s truth and principles are timeless
While so many things in this world are unstable and temporal, the word of God remains forever fixed and unchanging. “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8). The truths found in Scripture are just as timelessly relevant now as when they were written thousands of years ago. God’s moral directives and wise principles for living are constants that we can build our lives upon. They are “nothing new under the sun” because God knew exactly what we would need.
This includes teachings on faith, salvation, worship, wisdom, relationships, marriage, family, justice, virtue, work, wealth, charity, honesty, courage, leadership and every other important facet of human existence. When it comes to how we should live and what really matters, there truly “is nothing new under the sun”. God’s word has spoken definitively to these matters from the very beginning. We only need to heed and obey His time-tested commandments and instructions.
Even amidst an ever-changing world filled with new discoveries, theories and ideas, God’s truth remains unmoved. We never have to wonder about how God wants us to live or what the purpose of life is. It has all been laid out for us in Scripture under the sun long ago. This unchanging foundation allows every generation to walk in God’s wisdom and display His excellence, no matter the time, place or culture. There is great assurance in knowing that what was taught by biblical authors thousands of years ago remains just as true and relevant today.
True fulfillment only comes from a right relationship with God
After a lifetime of pursuing every human endeavor under the sun, Solomon concluded that only a right relationship with God can provide lasting meaning and satisfaction. “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). As Augustine of Hippo famously stated, “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You.”
All other pursuits leave us unfulfilled. Sensual pleasures are fleeting. Intellectual stimulation and discovery have limits. Achievements and accolades eventually ring empty. Even family and relationships – as precious as they are – cannot ultimate satisfy the spiritual void in our souls. We inevitably find ourselves back where Solomon started with the sobering realization that “all is vanity and striving after the wind.”
Ultimately, there is nothing new under the sun that can provide enduring purpose or meaning apart from knowing and walking with our Creator. This has been true from the very beginning and will remain so until the end of the age. Thankfully, such a life of godliness has been made available to all people through faith in Christ. Yet this glorious truth shines as a beacon of light in the vain repetitions of history and human existence under the sun.
God is sovereign over all human history
When Solomon surveyed generations past and present, he concluded that both were guided by the same sovereign hand of God ruling over all (Ecclesiastes 3:1-15). The implied metaphor is of a cyclical drama unfolding on the stage of history as directed by the divine playwright. Individual players come and go, unaware that they are acting out predetermined roles in God’s master script. But the Author of history remains enthroned above the circle of the earth overseeing the redemptive arc of His grand narrative (Isaiah 40:22).
This means all historical events, from global kingdoms to individual lives, ultimately move according to God’s perfect timing and purposes. He uses everything under the sun to bring about His desired ends. “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand” (Proverbs 19:21). Therefore, we need not be dismayed by temporary setbacks, surprises, or inexplicable cycles of life. Our all-knowing God causes “all things” to work together for good in accordance with His unchanging, eternal purposes (Romans 8:28).
Recognizing God’s complete sovereignty should give us deep comfort and confidence. No matter how chaotic or depressing life under the sun may seem at times, we know God has total control. He transcends time and sees the complete story from beginning to end. We can trust that His wise and loving plans that were set in motion before the foundations of the world will come to pass. He makes all things beautiful in His timing (Ecclesiastes 3:11). What seems meaningless, repetitious or futile to us is actually part of the melodic cadence of providence under the Master Conductor’s baton. There truly is nothing new under the sun – only the all-wise God who orchestrates all things according to the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11).
This present world is passing away
While life under the sun often seems monotonous and unchanging, the current order of this world is actually passing away. Solomon laments the endless cycles of futility bound to this fallen age. But Scripture tells us that world history as we know it is approaching a dramatic climactic conclusion ushering in a new and glorious age to come.
The vapidity and vanity of this present world ultimately stems from sin and the curse of the Fall (Genesis 3:17-19). However, God has promised to shake the heavens and earth once more to undo the damage of sin upon physical creation (Isaiah 13:13, Haggai 2:6, Hebrews 12:26-27). He will then replace this temporal world tainted by sin and death with the new heavens and new earth which will never fade – a world full of righteousness and eternal joy in God’s presence (2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1-4).
Until that glorious day, we live in an overlap of ages where the kingdom of God has been inaugurated but not yet fully consummated. We taste the powers of the age to come through Christ even while the old age lingers. Like Abraham, we live as strangers and exiles seeking an eternal homeland that is arriving soon (Hebrews 11:8-10). But the dull monotony of life under the sun will give way to the infinite novelty of the new creation. The cycles of vanity will be shattered by the dawning of a new day without end.
This certain hope energizes and motivates us amidst the futility of the present. We can persevere knowing that our labor in Christ is never in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). The day is soon coming when the mundane drudgery of life under the sun will be eclipsed by the exceeding greatness of the glory to be revealed in us (Romans 8:18-19). Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus.
Conclusion
What Solomon observed long ago remains just as true today – there is nothing new under the sun when it comes to fundamental human nature and existence. But we should respond not with fatalism but with wisdom. By fearing God and keeping His commandments. By walking in His timeless truth rather than chasing after fleeting vanities. By trusting in His sovereignty rather than human schemes under the sun. And by setting our hope fully on the day when Christ will make all things new. Until then we can rest in knowing the steadfast love and mercies of God are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness.