September 5, Reading Notes

Ecclesiastes 10-12

Our last day in Ecclesiastes, the dark diary of Solomon.

Ecc. 10

There are a lot of good "sayings" and good advice. Which ones speak to you?

V. 1 I knew a guy in college who wrote a song to this verse. It didn't make the charts.

I like verses 4, 10, and 17-20.

I wish I had learned to heed verse 20 when I was about 20.

Ecc. 11

Vs. 1-6 These verses seem to talk about investing and work and have one general motto, "Just do it."

It is interesting that as Solomon talks about God, there seems to be a sense of regret and confusion.

Vs. 7-10 I think these verses on youth are a part of the entire thought that is in the next chapter. Basically, enjoy youth, but it is fleeting and meaningless….

Ecc. 12

V. 1 …and remember your creator in your youth, because you will get old and wrecked.

Vs. 2-7 This is Solomon's poetic description of being wrecked by old age.

V. 8 Solomon's version of "bah, humbug!" I'll bet Paul didn't go out like this.

Vs. 9-12 I wonder if this is what they put on his tombstone. I think Solomon didn't spend enough time in the right book.

Vs. 13-14 This is all true, but still spoken from the dark heart of a former follower who got lost on earth.

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

This section today has to do with the offering for the poor among the churches in Jerusalem. Apparently there was a famine in Jerusalem. Corinth was one of the first churches to get behind this need (v.11) but got stopped by something. What Paul is asking here is not that they should chip in, but that they should complete what they started. This all has to do with the conflict in the church and the presence of these false apostles. In the next chapters we'll see that these super apostles were demanding to be paid by the church. As a point against the criticism of these false teachers, Paul never took any financial help from Corinth. This conflict goes back to 1 Corinthians 9, and those guys probably stopped the church from doing what Paul suggested in 1 Cor. 16.

Vs. 1-5 The churches of Philippi, Berea and Thessalonica all contributed, in spite of their affliction, because of their love for Christ and joy in knowing Him.

V. 5 Note that Paul is letting the Corinthians know this was the work of the Spirit and a response of love rather than apostolic pressure.

Vs. 6-8 Paul urged them to follow the example of others who were following the leading of the Spirit. Here was the spiritual super church being out loved by poorer, simpler groups of believers. How could this happen?

V. 9 Those first words….for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus… are so simple, and yet spirit and life. I don't think we are meant to recover from this grace.

Paul had a unique and tender understanding of the grace of Jesus. Here Paul is seeking to re-open their hearts with the reminder of our Lord's grace. In 2 Timothy Paul reminds Timothy of His grace, to strengthen Timothy to follow in spite of the fear of death. Nero's madness was heating up against the church and about to send Paul into the presence of Christ when Paul wrote, "You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus," 2 Timothy 2:1 Our strength is in the grace of our Lord.

V. 10 The benefit was them having the heart of Christ by imitating Christ.

Vs. 13-15 I wonder if this was a concern in Corinth.

What I appreciate so much about God's wisdom in the gospel and in salvation is that our response to Christ has nothing to do with position, culture, or education. The poorest, most childlike person on earth has as much (if not better) of an opportunity of grasping Christ as anyone. How do we grasp and embrace the grace of our Lord? It is all in our hunger for Him and thanks for His salvation. What an amazing equalizer. How fair and just is the Father in hiding this from the wise and understanding and revealing it to babes. This morning I was reading about Jesus teaching His disciples, "Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Following Christ is very simple if you have the right heart in the harvest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiVvHxgHL5Q

Psalm 49

It is very fitting to have this psalm on the day we finish Ecclesiastes. This sounds like Solomon and deals with some of the same observations Solomon made in his darkness. The difference is the question and the answer. The question is why should we fear. The answer is that God is in control and has determined a time of judgment for the proud.

Vs. 7-8 Sounds like a riddle God solved on the cross. This also sounds like what Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew 16:26 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"

What kind of worship song was this? I wonder if it had a good beat. But all things considered, the truth stated here is something we need to keep before our eyes as we follow Christ in the harvest.

Proverbs 22:20-21

These are introductory words for the next batch of proverbs. This makes me think of, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." Truth frees us to know and follow our Lord.

If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.” 

I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.

If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.

I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.

Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.