If you don't
have a One Year Bible or prefer something online, this link will take you to
the day's reading, http://oneyearbibleonline.com/daily-oyb/. This
site allows you to select from several languages and several English
translations.
SEPTEMBER 5
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.
Please Read
the Following Disclaimer
I'm writing the Reading Notes to and
for those who are following a One Year Bible and are 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, that is, 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 and important discipleship manual we have and it is the 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, or whom we are to be following. 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, as disciples, 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, 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 (BKC).
I read the BKC in doing background for the Reading Notes and refer to it quite
often. I also make reference to maps or charts in the BKC, though I will only
note where those resources can be found. Often you can do a search for these
and find them in Google books. Buying both volumes of the Bible Knowledge
Commentary would be a good idea.
I am not endorsing any particular
One Year Bible translation; in fact, I read something you probably don't, Die
Revidierte Lutherbibel, 1984. Unless noted, all Scripture quotes are from the
ESV Bible.
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. Often there is a breadth of opinion on certain events, both
historical and prophetic. Many of my views come from my church background,
theological training and my personal study.
I'm doing
this with discipleship in mind, meaning, I'm writing out thoughts that will
keep discipleship and our growth as disciples applied to what we are reading. Remember,
the real focus of the Reading Notes is to be a supplement, a disciple’s
commentary, giving motivation and insight so that we will keep following our
Lord in the harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make
disciples. Being in the Word every day,
sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning directly from Him, is the essential essence of
being and making disciples.
May the Lord bless you as you follow Him in the
harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples. Dan
If you would like documents
containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
If you would like a full
presentation of discipleship read Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples.
Or if you are struggling with
insomnia and would like a long boring dissertation on disciple making, these
can both be found on https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
Reading Notes ©, Dan Kachikis
2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
The One Year Bible © by
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton Illinois 60189
The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of
Good News Publishers.
All charts/graphics/outlines
from the Bible Knowledge Commentary are used with the permission of David C.
Cook.
© 1983, 2001 John F Walvoord and Roy B Zuck.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary is published by David C Cook.
All rights reserved. Publisher permission
required to reproduce.
No comments:
Post a Comment