Ecclesiastes 10-12
Our last
day in Ecclesiastes, the dark diary of Solomon. As you finish this book you'll
probably need to increase your endorphins by eating large amounts of chocolate,
or by hooking yourself up to a tank of laughing gas.
Ecclesiastes
10
There are
a lot of good "sayings" and good advice. Which ones speak to you? I
like vs. 4, 10, and 17-20.
Vs. 1-4 I
knew a guy in college who wrote a song to v. 1. It didn't make the charts, but
it made everyone in the room laugh. The rest seems like good advice from the
Lord.
Vs. 5-7
Solomon was taken up with the unfairness of seeing the wrong persons being
given position or recognition. He didn't understand why God allowed such
things. God is wise, so why would a wise God allow the unwise to rule?
Vs. 8-15
It could be that Solomon added these thoughts to say that although the wrong
person was ruling, his foolishness would still catch up with him and there
would be some sense of justice.
Vs. 16-17
This section, too, seems to reflect back on the thought of the wrong persons
ruling.
Vs. 18-20
These are like three missiles directed at life under a ruler who doesn't belong
in office. First, his foolishness will become obvious. Second, stay unaffected
and happy. Third, watch your mouth. I wish I had learned to heed v. 20 when I
was about 20.
Ecclesiastes
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, Solomon is saying one should enjoy youth; but it is
fleeting, and, in Solomon's mind, meaningless.
Ecclesiastes
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.
And
when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book
a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. 19And
it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he
may learn to fear the Lord his
God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, 20that
his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn
aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he
may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel. (Deut.
17:18-20)
Vs. 13-14
This is all true, but still spoken from the dark heart of a former follower who
got lost on earth. As they say, "a word to the wise ought to be
sufficient." We are wise if we love the Lord, live in His Word and follow
Him in the harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples.
Where Solomon is now, I know he now understands that what we are doing as
disciples is wisdom and blessing, and I'll bet he wishes he had done that too.
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 within 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 Corinthians 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. 6-7 It
seems that Paul is saying that in the same way they knew that the Spirit was
among them through all the gifts they had received, they should also prove the
Spirit's power by allowing Him to help them finish what they had begun.
Vs. 8-9 So,
what was the proof of their genuine love for Christ? It was their imitating
Christ as His disciples. Those first words of v. 9, for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus, are so simple, and yet
they are spirit and life. I don't think we are meant to ever recover from His
grace. Paul had a unique and tender understanding of the grace of Jesus. Here
Paul is seeking to re-open the hearts of these people with the reminder of our
Lord's grace. In 2 Timothy Paul reminded 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 was about to send Paul into the presence of Christ when Paul
wrote, You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace
that is in Christ Jesus. (2
Tim. 2:1) Our
strength is in the grace of our Lord. If we know His grace, it gives us amazing
strength.
Vs. 10-12
The benefit was not just finishing what they had begun, but they had been
motivated out of a heart of love. The benefit was in giving full expression to
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 more) of an
opportunity of grasping Christ as anyone has. How do we grasp and embrace the grace
of our Lord? It is all in our hunger for Him and in our 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 like children, you will
never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matt.18:3) Following Christ is very
simple if you have the right heart in the harvest. We all have Bibles, but the
hungry live in the Word because it brings them close to the heart and face of
our Savior. Jesus is available for us all, but the hungry would rather starve
than eat a meal without being next to Him.
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. Unlike Solomon's
words, there is hope here. The question is why should we fear in times of
trouble. The answer is that God is in control and has determined a time of
judgment for the proud. It seems that this could have been written, like
several of the preceding psalms, after the salvation of Jerusalem in 2 Kings 18
& 19.
Vs. 1-4
This song and its message are for all nations. All the nations would have been
interested after the way God delivered Jerusalem and a lot of other nations, by
humbling the Assyrians.
Vs. 5-6
The riddle is in v. 5 and has to do with the pride of the rich and powerful.
Vs. 7-9 Man cannot ransom his own life from
God. This suggests God's absolute power and that only God could do this. God
solved the riddle of redemption 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 shall a man give in
return for his soul?
Vs. 10-12
This is what happens to those who live life on earth only for themselves. This
is how Solomon was seeing life because he had lost his contact with the Lord.
Verse 12 has a subtle tone of irony and judgment since we were made in the
image of God. But if we try, we can make ourselves like the animals.
Vs. 13-14
This will be the end of everyone who disregards God.
V. 15 Job had this hope living in him,
helping him, giving him hope. Solomon couldn't see anything but life on earth
and he faded into despair. Our strength and hope are in our redemption. I was
reading this morning in Romans
6:5, For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like
his. We certainly shall. Praise God!
Vs.
16-20 Both men and nations come and go. There is wealth and power and abuse,
but what happens before God is what really matters. These 70 years on earth do
not occupy the space of a door's thickness in the entire vastness of eternity.
These are vital years because in them we decide where we will spend eternity,
but once we know Christ, these years take on an entirely different meaning for
us. These are the years that we join our Savior in the harvest, striving on
this lost planet to rescue the perishing and make disciples, who make
disciples. The joy and glory of eternity, for all eternity, will begin after we
are led out of the harvest over that thin, dark threshold into light.
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 John
8:32, you will know the truth, and the truth
will 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 http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/every-day-in-the-word/. If that doesn't
work, go to http://www.esvbible.org/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 complete description of this model
of being and making disciples you can find it in my book: Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011WJIDQA?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
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.
Send comments or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
If you would like documents containing an entire month
of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes. You can download
these to use on your computer or to print.
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