Ecclesiastes 10:1-12:14 + 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 + Psalm 49:1-20 + Proverbs 22:20-21
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Old Testament – We finish up the book of Ecclesiastes today, and what a finish it is! Song of Solomon begins tomorrow! I love Ecclesiastes chapter 10 today. It’s basically a series of rapid Proverbs. Great great stuff. I had forgotten about this gem of a chapter in the Bible. This chapter is again a great reminder of why Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes, wrote many of the Proverbs. He had godly wisdom no doubt! I love verse 1 in this chapter today – “Dead flies will cause even a bottle of perfume to stink! Yes, an ounce of foolishness can outweigh a pound of wisdom and honor.” This is a powerful truth for us to take to heart. We can so often live our lives with wisdom and honor… and then, we let an ounce of foolishness seep into our lives and it outweighs all of our wisdom and honor! This is so true… I think this is particularly true if we are harboring any unchecked sin in our life. We need to put that sin in check! We need to repent and flee from that sin. Otherwise we are harboring an ounce of foolishness in our lives that can outweigh our pounds of wisdom and honor… and this is just as bad as a dead fly in a bottle of perfume! What a great analogy by Solomon. Think of unchecked sin in your life a dead fly in the perfume of your life… it is a sad but true analogy… Get that dead fly out of your life!
I love verse 18 as well – “Laziness lets the roof leak, and soon the rafters begin to rot.” This is so very true, of course. Are there any areas of laziness in your life where you are letting some “roofs leak?” Are there “rafters rotting” in your life? Will you pray to God for freedom from your laziness in those areas of your life and will you simply go and fix the roof?
Ecclesiastes chapter 12 verse 13 is the key verse in this entire book! “Here is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is the duty of every person.” Take a moment to meditate on this verse. Do you agree with this teaching? Do you fear God? What does it mean to fear God? (Bible.org has a good overview of fearing God at this link – scroll down on that page to the commentary on verses 11-22) Are you obedient to God’s commands? Do you believe this is your duty?
New Testament – Second Corinthians chapter 8 verse 9 today is one of those verses that can really make you think about how blessed you truly are and why through Jesus: “You know how full of love and kindness our Lord Jesus Christ was. Though he was very rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.” I imagine that most of us reading this blog right now are living pretty nice lives overall. In most respects it may be fair to call us “rich.” Many of us have rich lives in terms of where we live, our spiritual freedoms, and other freedoms. And why do we have these riches in our lives today? Because Jesus, the Son of God, came to this earth and made himself poor for our sakes. Jesus was born in a manger. He lived his life “homeless” in many ways. He was sinless, but yet died a criminal’s death by execution on a cross. Jesus was very rich in heaven. But yet, because of his love and kindness, he made himself poor and died on a cross for us, so that we would be “rich.” And now, realizing this, how are we utilizing our riches? Are we demonstrating love and kindness to others like Jesus did to us? Are we investing our lives – lives that were given to us by God and saved by Jesus – for Kingdom purposes? Are you living your life as if you are literally working for God in all that you do?
Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in Second Corinthians today titled “Learning To Be Liberal” (it is a great essay on Paul’s call to give generously to the church in Jerusalem) is at this link.
Psalms – Psalm 49 verses 1-3 are a fantastic teaching that the Word of God, the Bible, is for everyone, no matter what our lots in life may be – “Listen to this, all you people! Pay attention, everyone in the world! High and low, rich and poor–listen! For my words are wise, and my thoughts are filled with insight.” Are you listening today? Are you paying attention to the wise words and insights of the Bible? Are you truly studying the Bible and then applying the Bible’s teachings to your life? Then, verse 15 in this Psalm is beautiful: “But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of death.” How about for you? Will God redeem your life? Like the parable of the lost sheep that we read about in Luke 15:3-7, has Jesus saved you from being snatched from the power of death?
Proverbs – Proverbs 22 verses 20-21 today teach us: “I have written thirty sayings for you, filled with advice and knowledge. In this way, you may know the truth and bring an accurate report to those who sent you.” These two Proverbs verses today actually tie in quite nicely with Psalm 49 verses 1-3 above. Let us know the truth of God’s Word and then report it accurately to others! Actually, this is probably a good point for me to ask you if you are participating in a Bible study at your church? If not, can I encourage you to consider starting up a One Year Bible study / small group at your church next year? Seriously. Please think and pray about this leadership opportunity. I do realize not everyone is called to something like this. But – I think many of us are – probably more of us than we think are. If you have been going through the One Year Bible with us this year, you have learned much! I think you are in a great position to lead a One Year Bible study / small group at your church next year. All you need is a One Year Bible, perhaps the One Year Bible Companion book with Q&A teachings for each day’s readings, and a willingness to take this opportunity on. Will you think and pray about this? Will you talk to your pastor or the appropriate person at your church about this? You don’t need to know the Bible backwards and forwards to lead a group! You just need to take the initiative to lead, and invite others to join you on the journey. You will be amazed by how God moves in a Bible study! It will bless you and those around you immensely! Will you lead someone (or a group of someone’s) through the One Year Bible next year?
Worship Video: Our 2nd Corinthians readings and Psalm 49 today reminded me of the MercyMe song “So Long Self,” which has a fun video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJtKdjaH2nY
Have you said So Long to your Self? Click here and say Goodbye!
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of every human being.” Ecclesiastes 12:13 TNIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you have a godly fear and an everlasting love of God. Pray that you are able to daily move toward keeping his commandments through grace and a saving faith in His son Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior.
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless,
Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Bible readings at this link.
p.s. #2 – Download a schedule of our Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.s. #3 – I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
BLOG READERS HISTORICAL COMMUNITY COMMENTS:
(our Group Bible Study is below! : )
======= John:
Ecclesiastes10-12
So live supportively, live generously, live thoughtfully!
Solomon has looked at life from every angle, from every discipline, from every philosophy, and apart from God it is all meaningless. God is HERE, He Contols, He Gives, He Judges, but if you live apart from God it is all Meaningless.
So – how are we to live? In ch 10-11, Solomon says, ‘Live supportively with regard to the government; live generously with regard to the hurts and needs of those around you; and live thoughtfully as you daily make the choices and decisions of life.’
Sounds nice, and quite frankly many atheists (and many people of all faiths) live this way. Again, people can do good here on earth from the view of “mankind”. We are all in the image of God (though corrupted after the fall), and we all have sense of right and wrong, feelings of love, compassion, intellect – to some degree we all have the attributes of God and the Trinity. (It is on a spectrum with some more than others.)
But even if you live the way recommended above – in the end – without God, it is Meaningless. Sure people will have fond memories of you for a while. There may even be a building, statue, or library named after you – but in the grand scope of things it doesn’t mean anything. Pretty soon, people will forget you, what you did, and how you lived. They may recognize your name or may be able to study you in a history book – but they will not know you, the person.
======================================================
So what do we do? We can live the reccomended way, but we should:
“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,..”
(I wish I had come to Christ when I was younger!)
“The thought is: recall God’s presence daily; live in a relationship with him; seek to discover the greatness and glories of God while you are still young, before it is too late.”
If you don’t discover God when you are young, as old age approaches one becomes set in his ways, resistant to change, perhaps seeking less. The danger? That you end up like the conclusion below:
“The Searcher’s conclusion, then, as we have been seeing all through the book, is that life “under the sun,” life lived without having discovered the reason for living, is vanity, emptiness, futility. The greatest futility of all is a life that has not found the reason for living. What a waste to live your life and never discover why you are here! What a waste, to die without learning the secret of true existence!” – Ray Stedman
Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Everything is meaningless!”
God is the secret of life; He is the answer to the reason for existence.
======================================================
[The end of the matter [the sum of it all]: all has been heard. [Here it is] Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. {Eccl 12:13 RSV}
I hope you will remove the word “duty” from your version. It is not in the Hebrew, although, unfortunately, every version seems to translate it that way. It is really this statement:
Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the wholeness of man.
That is the secret of wholeness. To “Fear God, and keep his commandments” is to learn to be and to discover the secret of being a whole person. Who does not want that? We all want to be whole persons. Not broken, fragmented, easily upset, erratic, going off in all directions at once, but stable, controlled, balanced. whole people. Here is the secret of it. This is what we are to learn when we are young: “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,” before all the pressures come upon you. This is the secret of wholeness: “Fear* God, and keep his commandments.”]
God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. [Eccl 12:14 RSV}
We can’t hide from God. He is evident in all our life. He knows everything that goes on; he knows every thought of the heart, every word of the mouth. He knows the motives that we seek to hide from others. He sees the duplicity, the deception, the lovelessness. He has made provision for it all; nothing can be hid. Everything is going to come out in the open at last. All the illusions by which we seek to convince ourselves that things are not the way the Bible says they are, will be stripped away and we will see ourselves as he sees us; and there will not be a voice lifted to challenge the righteousness of his judgment.
Because of that the Solomon exhorts us and sets before us the wonder and the glory of our God and says, “Fear God.” Have faith in his existence; experience his grace; stand in awe of his Person; and resolve to obey him. That is what fearing God means. That is the secret to life; that is the secret of the wholeness of man. – ibid.
John
======= Teresa:
Hey Mike! I just wanted to send a quick note of encouragement to you – I am always blessed to take time to look over your comments – they have been an encouragement to me all year – Thank you for your ministry! I pray that God wlll minister LIFE to any dry or weary places in your life (or your family) and that today will be a JOY-filled, PEACE-filled, GOD-filled day for you and yours!
Teresa
======= Simon:
I too like this statement: ”Dead flies will cause even a bottle of perfume to stink”! Ecclesiastes 10:1 I believe it is a good reminders that no matter how good something is, if it has been in the wrong atmosphere to long it will adapt. This is something we all can take into account in our own lives. Stay in the right atmosphere!
Simon
======= Ron:
I like the T-shirt. The retirement benefits are definitely great working for God!!
God bless.
Ron
======== Eve:
We basically know and believe that the human body is composed of over 50 trillion cells that work together and reproduce, according to science. It is the same way with the body of Christ. I strongly believe in the importance of bible study/cell group. Every believer should be a part of it, to stay connected, work together, and reproduce.
Eve
======= Tim:
Laziness lets the roof leak, and soon the rafters begin to rot.
Tim
========== Joyce:
Thank you Mike for your blog today!
Thank you John for your comment!
Mike, thank you for encouraging us to start a one year bible study/small group at our church next year.
I feel I have received His grace abundantly through following this blog, and therefore able to systematically read His Word this year.
I read in a sermon, the person who fears the Lord doesn’t ask “How much can I get away with?” Instead, he/she asks, “What more can I do? What more can I offer? How can I become more conformed to His character?”
Yesterday Ramona in her comment brought up John 1:1.
I looked up the EasyEnglish Bible version:
“When the world began, the Word (Jesus) existed already. The Word was with God. And the Word was God himself.” (John 1:1)
Have you all heard the song “People Need the Lord”?
The Word is Jesus.
Sharing His Word with others, is a powerful way to introduce them to our one true God.
May God and His Holy Spirit move the readers in this blog, and enable us to share His Word with others more frequently, more willingly, more whole-heartedly. May His Name be glorified.
And may God continuously encourage you and reward you Mike. Thank you for your faithfulness!
Sincerely,
Joyce
======= Dee:
Woohoo what an ending to Ecclesiastes..such wisdom..even the best looking sin is deadly like flies in a bottle of perfume. Crazy!!
The love of Jesus for the world is so vast that while he stayed humble and came poor we have much and are penthouse through him. Amen!
Insight and enlightenment for Jesus! Are we listening? Are we learning..are we loving?
Proverbs: knowing the truth of Goda word and using it wisely..utilizing like we are in here..living learning applying..meditating on it is huge!!
Dee
======== Imja:
Greetings,
These two scriptures sum up everything for me…
Ecc. 12 13+14
13 Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.
I found this so encouraging to read that in the midst of a very severe trial, the Macedonian churches had joy and generosity. May it be like that with all of us in this present climate.
2 Cor.8 1+2
And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.
Shalom to all,
Imja
======= Vance:
Ecclesiastes 11 (NKJV)
9
Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these God will bring you into judgment.
10
Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh, for childhood and youth are vanity.
Ecclesiastes 12 (NKJV)
13
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.
14
For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.
NOTE:
How true are these words. I can reflect on my life and see how I walked “in the ways of [my] heart” and “in the sight of my] eyes”—and I am now reaping what I have sown earlier in my life.
Yet, fearing God and keeping His commandments is the way to freedom.
“You shall know the true and the truth shall set you free” (Jesus, John 8)
I once heard a very famous American talk show host (who shall remain unnamed!!) say that the most important thing is to follow your heart.
Is it? The heart, without God’s grace, is hardened against God and separate from fellowship with our Living, Loving Lord.
Without God’s grace believed, received and relied upon through repentance and faith, “know that for all these God will bring you into judgment.”
THE IDEA OF THE TRULY CHRISTIAN LIFE IS VERY SIMPLE: “Fear God and keep His commandments.” That is it. Everything else—being filled with the Holy Spirit, finding the ministry God has for us, prayer and doing God’s will—flows out of that one single thing.
Over Labor Day weekend, my wife and I went to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and to the house of President Dwight David Eisenhower. Truly, very few men have influenced world history as much as President Eisenhower—as commanding general over the allied troops which defeated Nazi Germany or as President of the United States.
Every leader of his or her respective country has had tremendous influence on history.
Yet, I was amazed at the single minded focus that Dwight Eisenhower had his entire life.
Imagine the
myriad of increasing responsibilities that he would have had as commander of all of the allied troops in Europe as he led the troops in defeating Adolph Hitler and Nazi Germany.
Imagine all of the responsibilities as the leader of a nation.
Yet, fis life was focused. His focus which was gained, kept and sharpened enabled Eisenhower an ordinary farm boy, to influence the world.
Think how much you and I could influence the world if we keep our focus on just the one thing from which everything else flows: “Fear God and keep His commandments.”
2 Corinthians 8 (NKJV)
9
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
12
For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.
NOTE:
This is true prosperity. Not just in having—though God does want to bless us richly with all things. But why does God want to bless us? In whatever measure we are blessed—it is for us to be a blessing.
Prosperity clearly is not measured simply by what we have. The worldly mindset outside of Christ and on television tries to convince us that “getting” is success. Yet, the Holy Spirit clearly says this is not true:
Psalm 49 (NKJV)
10
For he sees wise men die; likewise the fool and the senseless person perish, and leave their wealth to others.
11
Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever [or. . . Their graves shall be their houses forever], their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.
12
Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not remain [or. . . does not understand]; he is like the beasts that perish.
13
This is the way of those who are foolish, and of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah
14
Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from their dwelling.
~~~
Christ alone is to be our pattern of living and giving—do not just give “to give because it is the Christian thing to do”.
No, give as an act of worship, and give sacrificially and willingly out of love. Otherwise it is not accepted by God.
THAT IS TRUE PROSPERITY. THAT IS TRUE GIVING. We are given in order that we may use what we have wisely and in order that we may give sacrificially to others as the Spirit of the Lord Jesus guides and equips us.
Only then we can be like the Lord Jesus.
Ephesians 5 (NKJV) – Walk in Love
1
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
2
And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
~~~
Psalm 49 (NKJV)
1
Hear this, all peoples; give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2
Both low and high, rich and poor together.
3
My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.
4
I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will disclose my dark saying on the harp.
5
Why should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
15
But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for He shall receive me. Selah
NOTE:
Fear God to be intimately linked with the Father and grace (God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense). Then, we will have wisdom and strength to stand and be who God made us to be.
Then, we will be preserved and saved, so we can be set apart to do His will!
Proverbs 22 (NKJV)
20
Have I not written to you excellent things of counsels and knowledge,
21
That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth, that you may answer words of truth to those who send to you?
NOTE:
God has indeed spoken and written excellent things. May we feed on who God is and be filled with the knowledge of him. Then we may truly and from our hearts “answer words of truth to those who” God sends to us.
Vance
======= John:
Ecclesiastes10-12
(“under the weather” so taking some medicine and going to bed. A little more “cut and paste” than usual, but I thought the points relevant and something to consider.)
So live supportively, live generously, live thoughtfully!
Solomon has looked at life from every angle, from every discipline, from every philosophy, and apart from God it is all meaningless. God is HERE, He Contols, He Gives, He Judges, but if you live apart from God it is all Meaningless.
So – how are we to live? In ch 10-11, Solomon says, ‘Live supportively with regard to the government; live generously with regard to the hurts and needs of those around you; and live thoughtfully as you daily make the choices and decisions of life.’
http://www.pbc.org/library/files/html/3815.html
Sounds nice, and quite frankly many atheists (and many people of all faiths) live this way. Again, people can do good here on earth from the view of “mankind”. We are all in the image of God (though corrupted after the fall), and we all have sense of right and wrong, feelings of love, compassion, intellect – to some degree we all have the attributes of God and the Trinity. (It is on a spectrum with some more than others.)
But even if you live the way recommended above – in the end – without God, it is Meaningless. Sure people will have fond memories of you for a while. There may even be a building, statue, or library named after you – but in the grand scope of things it doesn’t mean anything. Pretty soon, people will forget you, what you did, and how you lived. They may recognize your name or may be able to study you in a history book – but they will not know you, the person.
======================================================
So what do we do? We can live the reccomended way, but we should:
“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,..”
(I wish I had come to Christ when I was younger!)
“The thought is: recall God’s presence daily; live in a relationship with him; seek to discover the greatness and glories of God while you are still young, before it is too late.”
http://www.pbc.org/library/files/html/3816.html
If you don’t discover God when you are young, as old age approaches one becomes set in his ways, resistant to change, perhaps seeking less. The danger? That you end up like the conclusion below:
“The Searcher’s conclusion, then, as we have been seeing all through the book, is that life “under the sun,” life lived without having discovered the reason for living, is vanity, emptiness, futility. The greatest futility of all is a life that has not found the reason for living. What a waste to live your life and never discover why you are here! What a waste, to die without learning the secret of true existence!” – Ray Stedman
Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Everything is meaningless!”
God is the secret of life; He is the answer to the reason for existence.
======================================================
[The end of the matter [the sum of it all]: all has been heard. [Here it is] Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. {Eccl 12:13 RSV}
I hope you will remove the word “duty” from your version. It is not in the Hebrew, although, unfortunately, every version seems to translate it that way. It is really this statement:
Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the wholeness of man.
That is the secret of wholeness. To “Fear God, and keep his commandments” is to learn to be and to discover the secret of being a whole person. Who does not want that? We all want to be whole persons. Not broken, fragmented, easily upset, erratic, going off in all directions at once, but stable, controlled, balanced. whole people. Here is the secret of it. This is what we are to learn when we are young: “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,” before all the pressures come upon you. This is the secret of wholeness: “Fear* God, and keep his commandments.”]
*See Link for explanation of Fear.
http://www.pbc.org/library/files/html/3816.html
God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. [Eccl 12:14 RSV}
We can’t hide from God. He is evident in all our life. He knows everything that goes on; he knows every thought of the heart, every word of the mouth. He knows the motives that we seek to hide from others. He sees the duplicity, the deception, the lovelessness. He has made provision for it all; nothing can be hid. Everything is going to come out in the open at last. All the illusions by which we seek to convince ourselves that things are not the way the Bible says they are, will be stripped away and we will see ourselves as he sees us; and there will not be a voice lifted to challenge the righteousness of his judgment.
Because of that the Solomon exhorts us and sets before us the wonder and the glory of our God and says, “Fear God.” Have faith in his existence; experience his grace; stand in awe of his Person; and resolve to obey him. That is what fearing God means. That is the secret to life; that is the secret of the wholeness of man. – ibid.
[Link to commentaries on whole Book of Ecclesiastes:
http://www.pbc.org/library/series/3767 ]
John
======= John:
2 Corinthians 8:1-15
Giving
I am a firm believer in that – if you cannot give joyfully, then why give?
Remember it is all His!
Give as the Lord directs.
DO NOT belllyache about how it is spent –
If it is spent wrongly that is between God and the spenders. Our job is to be a part of the body of Christ in all forms.
=================================================================================
8:12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
If yopu pledged an amount that you can no longer pay. Give what you can. Do you not think God knows your circumstances, and will honor a person who gives what they can during their own tough economic times? DO NOT go into nhiding and give nothing.
8:13 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality.
This is not proclaiming socialism as so many in the past have proclaimed. IMO. This is about having the equal opportunity to help a troubled member(s) of the Body of Christ, and them having the same equal opportunity when you are in trouble.
It is about equal opportunities of helping when others are in trouble, NOT EQUALIZING INCOMES ALL THE TIME.
John
I do not watch much TV and only been to a movie theater twice in last two years. satan is not stupid – he knows “Lust” is my greatest weakness. I eliminated internet as a problem, but I constantly get visual stimulation, sometimes offers from women, and constant memories of my past in the “lust” area.
Ecclesiastes 1-3:22
The thing that has been–it is what will be again, and that which has been done is that which will be done again; and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? It has already been, in the vast ages of time [recorded or unrecorded] which were before us. (Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 AMP)
Everything under the sun maybe meaningless and vanity; but everything under the Son is gloriously new!
Today I had to struggle with my perspective. I could either fall victim to thinking under the sun or be delivered by realizing I was under the Son. The stories and images of the devastation wrought by Katrina were difficult for me to handle and I found myself sliding into despair thinking that everything was hopeless but that is a product of being under the sun. Yet I know that despite what things look like God is on the Throne and He is still in control. The Son has risen indeed.
Grace and peace,
Ramona
====== Penny:
Yes, Mike, I read The Cost of Discipleship by Bonhoffer many moons ago and it left it’s mark on me. A particular quote remains embossed on my heart. “When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.” These weren’t just inspiring words to Dietrich Bonhoffer. He carried them out to the full as one of the chief apologists and motivators in the Resistance Movement against Hitlerin Germany. When he could have found safe refuge in America, he chose to practice what he preached in Germany. He ended up in a prison camp, dying just a few days short of the arrival of the allied forces.
The Cost of Discipleship is a series of expositions on topics such as Costly Grace, Discipleship and the Cross, The Beatitudes, Jesus’ Extraordinary Words Concerning Enemies, Hidden Righteousness and Prayer, The Community of Saints, etc. It is NOT light reading. If you’re not a reader I recommend the film “Bonhoffer” http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=60029227&trkid=189530&strkid=706554397_2_0
Looking back through the chapters, I wonder if I actually got through it all. But God used what I read to challenge and change me. It propelled me to lay down my comfortable American lifestyle and live a Spartan life of simplicity in West Africa. There, I experienced the treasures of discipleship in ways I never imagined.
Penny
======= Ramona:
Ecclesiastes 1-3:22
Some brief thoughts on Solomon’s Words:
.1) Balance is the Key to Life
2) We live in a closed system everything is recycled
3) There is a difference from living under the sun and living under the Son.
4) Solomon was a wise man because God gave him wisdom, but even that wisdom was foolishness compared to the Wisdom of God.
Grace and peace,
Ramona
====== Matthew:
Just wanted to say that I appreciate the work put into the Bible reading plan. I’m on my second trip through, and plan on using it again. I chose the plan particularly because it separated out the Psalms and Proverbs (I read those on my own schedule). Anyway, thanks for all the work and God bless you.
Matthew
======= Jenny:
I like Ecclesiastes, but depressing…i remember when i used to sit and think like that! wen i didnt walk with the Lord. Life is sooo empty apart from Him!!!!
I love Psalm 46!
“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear” amen!
v.10 “Be still, and know that I am God” 8 words, but one of the most comforting, powerful verses!
Jenny
======== Cheryl:
A Mighty Fortress has always been one of my favorite hymns. Amazing words and a great message! Praise God! His Kingdom IS forever and ever! AMEN!
I think the sooner in life we can learn the lesson of Ecclesiastes, the better life we will have. Unfortunately many in our world never take take this lesson to heart or do so only in their old age. May God help me to live my life running after Him and nothing else.
Cheryl
======= Art:
PSALM 46
Let us not forget – God is our refuge and our strength today, in present times, as he was in the time of David. All other refuges are lies, all outher strengths weakness. With perils and fears and alarms abounding, let us sing from our hearts today with the “chorus of virgins”.
Art
======= Mary:
So glad Job is over. I just could not get into his words, just yet, maybe later on. I kind of like Ecclesiastes though, looking forward to the time spent here!
Love the “Be still” picture and quote. Thank you!
Mary
======= Greg:
Listen to Steven Curtis Chapman’s wonderful tune “Be Still and Know”
Greg
======= Renee:
The Ecclesiastes scripture reading made me think about the “burden” of Wisdom. 1 Kings 4:29-31 says God gave Solomon this incredible gift. Because, Solomon asked to be wise to lead God’s people.
However, Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 1:18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow, and as knowledge grows, grief increases.
Wisdom is a level of maturity and responsibility that should not be taken lightly.
Where much is given, much is required. Luke 12:48
2 Corinthians 6:2 I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation
Ps. 46 In it’s entirety… is encouragement for the soul!
Shalom to all 🙂
Renee
======= Dee:
I love love ❤️ Ecclesiastes. The book where there is a time for… it is important to know there is time for certain things..and not time for others and we need to he mindful of this..
2nd Corinthians: today is the day!! Of salvation!! Hallelujah! Today is definitely the day of salvation..we need to get ready
Psalm 46..10 my fave!! Be still and know I am God. Love this..makes me think of Natalie Grant s song I will not be moved
Proverbs 22:15. Talks on children, discipline and when there is foolishness..discipline drives it away. Amen!
Dee
======== John:
Ecclesiastes
“Everything is Meaningless”
This is the thesis statement of the author (who I believe to be Solomon).
Key Phrases:
1) “I thought in my heart” (or some variation) occurs about a dozen times.
Interesting that this dovetails with Paul’s concern regarding the Corinthians. Solomon like the Corinthians is trying to reason things out from a self-centered perspective. The Greeks admired man’s wisdom and ability to reason things of life and death. Solomon who was the wisest man ever on earth, is doing the same thing (at least in early chapters), by investigating life and death from a “wise” man’s perspective. As Ramona says, this was “foolishness compared to the Wisdom of God.”
If one examines life and death apart from God, the conclusions in Ecclesiastes are the result. This book is “human philosophy apart from God”, and it is no wonder that atheist philosophers such as Voltaire, Russell, Sarte, and Eliot have come to the same conclusion.
2)”under the sun” occurs twenty-nine times.
“Everything is evaluated according to appearances alone — this is man’s point of view of reality and is utterly exclusive of divine revelation. As such, Ecclesiastes very accurately summarizes what man thinks.” – Ray Steadman
Love Ramona’s comparison of “living under the sun” vs. “living under the Son”.
Solomon is looking at life and death from man’s perspective in man’s domicile (under the sun).
3)”Meaningless” (“Vanity” in KJV;also Hebrew word can mean “purposeless”)occurs thirty-seven times.
When you look at things from man’s wisdom under the sun – Everything is Meaningless!
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ECCLESIASTES: THE INSPIRED BOOK OF ERROR
“The book of Ecclesiastes, or “the Preacher,” is unique in scripture. There is no other book like it, because it is the only book in the Bible that reflects a human, rather than a divine, point of view. This book is filled with error. And yet it is wholly inspired. This may confuse some people, because many feel that inspiration is a guarantee of truth. This is not necessarily so. Inspiration merely guarantees accuracy from a particular point of view; if it is God’s point of view it is true; if it is man’s point of view it may be true, and it may not. If it is the Devil’s point of view it may or may not be true, as well, but the Devil’s ultimate end, of course, is evil. Inspiration guarantees an accurate reflection of these various points of view.
Therefore the Bible does have much error in it. Whenever false views of men are quoted or set forth, the Bible is speaking error. Whenever Satan speaks, most of his statements are in error, and even the truth that he uses is twisted and distorted, and therefore is erroneous.
So it is quite possible to “prove” all kinds of utterly false things by quoting the Bible. because in that sense the Bible is filled with error. But the Bible always points out the error which it presents and makes it clear that it is error, as in the case with this book. Because of its remarkable character Ecclesiastes is the most misused book of the Bible. This is the favorite book of atheists and agnostics. And many cults love to quote this book’s erroneous viewpoints and give the impression that these are scriptural, divine words of God concerning life.
But right away in its introduction this book is very careful to point out that what it records is not divine truth. It presents only the human view of life…..”
http://www.pbc.org/library/files/html/0221.html
======================================================
Solomon examines his thesis statement in regard to Science, wisdom and Phiosophy – and it holds true.
“..the more knowledge, the more grief.” Ask Adam and Eve about this statement.
Solomon next looks at hedonism. Pleasure and materialism are examined. Wisodm is better than folly – but we all die.
“So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me.”
yup. That is pretty much what God told Adam that his lot would be in Gen3. As long as you are man-centered it is a tough world.
Finally in our readings Solomon turns to fatalism and existentialism. Life is what it is, and it is what we perceive it.
We want something deeper, but we cannot fathom it. So we do the best we can while here on earth.
“Ecclesiastes views God as men in general view God — as a not very vital concern of life. sort of a high-calorie dessert which you can take or leave. There is no understanding of God as a vital, living Lord, an authority in life with whom one can have a personal relationship.” – Ray Steadman
God is just out there doing His thing. We are left alone to find our satisfaction. If God were around – would there be “wicked” in the places of judgment and justice? This sounds alot like a “deist” theory of God. Even the judgments sound like they are here on earth (much like was espoused in early Job).
John
======= John:
2 Corinthians 6:1-13
What made this man switch teams? Remember, Paul was a Pharisee who was taught by the famous Gamiliel. As a Pharisee – Paul had all the money and power a Jew could accrue under Roman rule. Paul had it all, and yet switched teams. Why?
One Christian sect minimizes Paul’s writings saying = ‘You have to take Paul with a grain of salt’.
Not me. If Paul was called by God and switched teams – I want to take seriously everything Paul writes.
=================================================================================
6in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7in truthful speech and in the power of God;
Paul kept himself pure in a society where impurity was not only rampant – but ACCEPTED. Remember Romans 1. Paul constantly renewed his mind through the word of God, and exhibited great patience and kindness towards people.
These things Paul exhibited despite ridicule, beatings, imprisonment etc. How? How did Paul keep his sanity????
The same way we must do today. Paul maintains true love and truthful speech because Paul is in daily submission to God and Paul can truly say he is:
– “IN THE HOLY SPIRIT” (and the Holy Spirit is in Paul)
– “IN THE POWER OF GOD”
Because of the Holy Spirit Paul has the power of God. We all can grow as Christians if we remember to ask God to do His work in us through the Holy Spirit.
John
======== Vance:
Ecclesiastes 1
14
Everything under the sun is meaningless, like chasing the wind. (EMPTY of glory)
17
So I worked hard to distinguish wisdom from foolishness. But now I realize that even this was like chasing the wind.
(EMPTY of glory, like a bubble floating in the sky –ready to pop)
Ecclesiastes 3
11
He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.
14
And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose in this is that people should fear him.
2 Corinthians 6
6
We have proved ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, our sincere love, and the power of the Holy Spirit.
7
We have faithfully preached the truth. God’s power has been working in us. We have righteousness as our weapon, both to attack and to defend ourselves.
8
We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us.
10
Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.
Paul exemplified A LIFE OF RICHES THROUGH GOD’S GLORY. Not based on anything or anyone on earth, but “His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) Notice, God’s riches of glory are IN CHRIST JESUS… Who is in us.
2 Corinthians 4 – GLORY of Jesus in US
10
Always carrying about in the body the liability and exposure to the same putting to death that the Lord Jesus suffered, so that the [[a]resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown forth by and in our bodies.
11
For we who live are constantly [experiencing] being handed over to death for Jesus’ sake, that the [[b]resurrection] life of Jesus also may be evidenced through our flesh which is liable to death.
Psalm 46
8
Come, see the GLORIOUS works of the LORD: (FULL GLORY of God)
See how he brings destruction upon the world
10
“Be silent, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.”
11
The LORD Almighty is here among us;
the God of Israel is our fortress.
May we wait on the Lord, and let Him – AND His glory – be our refuge and our riches.
It reminds me again of the meditation on how the eternal is reflected in every day in the meditation of the Jewish Torah —and how waiting on the Lord allows us to enter into His glory:”
a) a ger (HEBREW WORD) is one who is just passing through, like a visitor or tourist
b) whereas a toshav (HEBREW WORD) is one who is a resident, like a settler or citizen.
How can someone be both a visitor and a resident of a place, or a stranger and a citizen at the same time? How can one “pass through” a place he is said to dwell?
Being ger v’toshav means understanding that the changes of life are the medium for that which is eternal and abiding.
We neither detach from life nor cling to it,
but live in the mediation of time and eternity.
Every moment of life is therefore made sacred, since it is the occasion to transform the temporal into the eternal.
Vance
======= Vance:
Proverbs 22 (NKJV)
15
Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of correction will drive it far from him.
Ecclesiastes 1 (NKJV) – The Vanity of Life
1
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2
“ Vanity [Or Absurdity, Frustration, Futility, Nonsense] of vanities,” says the Preacher; “ Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”
3
What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun?
Ecclesiastes 2 (NKJV)
24
Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.
26
For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.
Ecclesiastes 3 (NKJV)
11
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
22
So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?
2 Corinthians 6 (NKJV)
1
We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
Psalm 46 (NKJV)
10
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
11
The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
NOTE:
I see the following key thoughts as summary of today’s readings:
a.
“toiling under the sun” – living life only from a human perspective, not from God’s perspective with His eternal wisdom
b.
Vanity, Absurdity, Frustration, Futility, and Nonsense of life lived only “under the sun”
We were not meant to have meaning only in ourselves and in our experiences.
Thus, the philosophy of existentialism is not true and is not helpful. This philosophy states that meaning only comes to a person through their experiences, and there is no objective reality outside of that.
This does not mean that God sees individual meaning as unimportant. Rather, the Holy Spirit of God Himself tells us that “a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage”. But meaning is not simply in the “work”, but in work as an extension of our worship of and service for the Lord Jesus.
Only God can properly interpret our lives for us: “Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.”
c.
This Foolishness is passed onto children. It is not that a child is born without the foolishness of a sinful nature.
d.
Do not “receive the grace of God in vain”. God is real, and we can know Him. The only sure way to know Him is through prayer, planting ourselves in God’s Word and God’s Word in us,
fasting, etc., and yielding ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit leads us.
Why Jesus instead of any other spiritual leader? Because Jesus made claims about Himself that are unique, and He demonstrated the true reality what He said—the most important demonstration was dying for our sins and raised from death to give His life to us.
Again, I am particularly struck by the example of Johann Christoph Blumhardt, a German pastor who lived from 1805-1880.
A friend had directed his attention to our Lord’s words about fasting. Blumhardt resolved to give
himself to fasting, sometimes for more than thirty hours. From reflection and experience he gained the conviction that it is of more important than is generally thought.
The Holy Spirit used Johann Christoph Blumhardt to bring revival to the town where he lived, and many people were brought to personal faith and relationship with the Lord Jesus. Also, Blumhardt really sought the Lord to know how to help people struggling with sickness or trials.
“I tried it [i.e., fasting], without telling anyone, and in truth the later conflict was extrordinarily lightened by it. I could speak with much greater restfulness and decision. I did not require to be so long present with the sick one; and I felt that I could influence without being present.”
e.
How do we make sure to not “receive the grace of God in vain”? By insisting with a determined faith that we will obey God’s command and gracious invitation: “Be still, and know that I am God”. Then we can know for ourselves for certain: “the God of Jacob is our refuge”.
f.
Finally, I see another idea, not directly stated, but very much present in today’s readings: ““a man should rejoice in his own relationship with God, for that is his heritage”.
g.
Yet, we are never to simply focus on “our own navel” and ONLY have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus.
This relationship is very precious!
Since we “can do nothing without Jesus” (John 15), it becomes evident that we cannot serve the Lord effectively without a deep abiding personal relationship with Christ.
A true relationship with Jesus will greatly desire to break out to others with the Love and Life of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus!
This is confirmed in many passages.
The Apostle Paul quote a from a passage in Isaiah as the basis of the urgent and wonderful statement in 2 Corinthians 6: “Now is the day of salvation”
The Holy Spirit speaks to us that a true, vital relationship with Jesus will break out to others.
Isaiah 49 (NKJV)
8
Thus says the LORD: “ In an acceptable time I have heard You, and in the day of salvation I have helped You; I will preserve You and give You as a covenant to the people, to restore the earth, to cause them to inherit the desolate heritages;
9
That You may say to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’ to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’
THIS IS TRULY AMAZING!–
GOD actually includes us in the work of the Lord Jesus in His work of intercession for people, and saving people from sin, world, flesh, and the devil.
May we be filled with Jesus’ prayers, Jesus’ Life, and Jesus’ activity every day!
Vance