The One Year Bible- September 4th
I came into
the office today and I was greeted with ants!! Tons of them just walking around
my desk. There was no point to it. I had no food for them to get, they were not
organized in a line going to or from some sweets, but they were just there. It
seemed to be meaningless. It reminded me of the book of Ecclesiastes that we
read in its entirety this week. Those ants lead meaningless lives at times, but
God created them for a purpose. There are people who live meaningless lives in
our world today. Many do not know the joy of Jesus or the wonderful grace that
comes through him. As we study this book today, don’t forget that this topic is
just as relevant today as it was when Solomon wrote it.
On to the study...
Seth’s Thoughts
The Old Testament
Let’s start with a few last
comments on Job before we jump into Ecclesiastes. . I will be honest with you,
I never read the whole book of Job until my first journey through the One Year
Bible. I had heard the stories and knew the basics, but I never actually read
the book straight through. Job is a hard book to wrap your head around. Does
God really want us to suffer? Is it OK for us to be mad at God? These are rough
questions. In my final analysis, God is a loving God who does not give us
anything we can’t handle. I am reminded of what it says it the book of James, “Consider
it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you
know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must
finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything”
(James 1:2-4 NIV). If that is what it takes, then I guess I am ready.
The book of Ecclesiastes is another
book that is hard to understand. Solomon wrote this book at the end of his
life, after he followed God for a while and then spent a good deal of time away
from God. He brings a neat perspective on the idea of life. A casual reading of
the book may bring up more questions than answers and that is O.K. Once again,
to help us understand this book I am bowing to a higher source.
Roland Cap Ehlke in his
commentary on Ecclesiastes says the following:
The
entire Bible is a unified whole. It all points to Jesus Christ. It all presents
the law of God and the gospel of his love in Christ. Nevertheless, within this
unity there is room for diversity. Some books are historical, others doctrinal.
Some books emphasize one theme, while others stress something else. In other
words, each book of the Bible has its own special emphasis. With this in mind
we shall consider the outlook and purpose of Ecclesiastes.
Throughout
the book two important concepts occur over and over. Together they make up the
combination which unlocks Solomon’s outlook on life.
The first
thought is summed up in the terms “meaningless” and “under the sun.” Again and
again Solomon returns to the initial refrain of Ecclesiastes: “Meaningless!
Meaningless!...Everything is Meaningless” (1:2). This is how he describes life
“under the sun,” that is, in this world. According to Solomon, life on earth is
full of trouble; and even when we find pleasure, it is fleeting and soon
disappears like one’s breath on a winter day.
This is the
first key thought of Ecclesiastes: everything under the sun is, and of itself,
meaningless. Solomon’s repeated use of
this concept implies that there is something “beyond the sun.” Somewhere out
there is something or someone not subject to this meaningless world. That
someone, or course, is God. The role of God in our life is the second main
thought in Ecclesiastes. Solomon describes God as a stern Judge, but also as a
gracious God who blesses us with countless gifts. The greatest of these gifts
is life after death: “The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the
spirit returns to God who gave it” (12:7)
When one
puts these two main thoughts together, it becomes evident what Solomon has done
in Ecclesiastes. He has presented life from two perspectives. First he views
the world without God. This view leads to the conclusion, “Everything is
meaningless.” But he also looks at life with God in control. Here we find many
gifts and blessings. We can picture Solomon’s twofold presentation thus:
spiritual
world
-----------------
material world
-----------------
material world
The
unbeliever sees nothing beyond the material world, or at best catches an
occasional glimpse that there might be something beyond. His sights are focused
on what is under the sun. The believer on the other hand, views life through
the eyes of faith.
From his
perspective the unbeliever can only conclude that all is meaningless. For him
it would be better never to have been born (4:2,3). The believer, however, sees
God’s hand in everything and so finds peace, contentment and stability in a
changing world. And this brings us from Solomon’s outlook to his purpose in
writing. He directs us to God and his love for the purpose of strengthening our
faith and courage as we carry on “under the sun.”
From-
The People’s Bible Commentary- Ecclesiastes / Song of Songs by Roland Cap
Ehlke, Concordia Publishing House, p.p.4-5.
It is important to remember
Solomon’s point when reading this book. We have hope because we know what is
beyond this world. Our hope is beyond the sun as we look to the Son—Jesus Christ
himself.
The New
Testament
I don’t know about you, but I have really enjoyed reading through 2 Corinthians the past couple of weeks. This letter of Paul’s does not get the top billing like Romans, Ephesians, or even 1 Corinthians, but it has been quite an enjoyable read. I have found some connections between what we read in Job and the encouragement Paul gives to the Corinthians. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NIV).
I don’t know about you, but I have really enjoyed reading through 2 Corinthians the past couple of weeks. This letter of Paul’s does not get the top billing like Romans, Ephesians, or even 1 Corinthians, but it has been quite an enjoyable read. I have found some connections between what we read in Job and the encouragement Paul gives to the Corinthians. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NIV).
Paul really spoke to me in
Chapter five this week. At times I think I am nuts for doing what I do. Every
week I look at my schedule and think, “What am I doing???” I have so much to do
as my ministry at Bethany expands, I have multiple Bible studies to write, help
plan worship, visit those in the hospital, meet with various boards, not to
mention spend time with my wife and kids, try to keep up with the Angels, and
the list goes on. But Paul, writing through the Holy Spirit speaks directly to
me, “If we are out of our mind, it
is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For
Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and
therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer
live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” (2
Corinthians 5:13-15 NIV).
One big theological thing that
Paul writes about in 2 Corinthians is The Ministry of Reconciliation. The fact
is that we, as sinful people, are enemies of God. We do not do what he wants,
and we continually fall short. But we are new creatures in Christ, “the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17b NIV) We
have been reconciled to God. The American Heritage dictionary defines
reconciled as: “To reestablish a close relationship between” or “To settle or
resolve”. What has been reestablished is our place in God’s kingdom. What has
been settled is the problem of sin. This is a gift from God, but this is not
the only gift. We are also given us the task of reconciling people to God (see
2 Cor. 5:18 ff.). We have been given the task to share the good news of
reconciliation with everyone!! What an honor!! More on 2 Corinthians next week.
Bits and
Pieces
We will get into the book of Song of Songs this week. Here are the vital stats for the book:
PURPOSE: To tell of the love
between a bridegroom (King Solomon) and his bride, to affirm the sanctity of
marriage, and to picture God’s love for his people (and a foreshadowing of our
life with Christ)
AUTHOR: Solomon
DATE WRITTEN: Probably early in
Solomon’s reign
SETTING: Israel—the Shulammite
woman’s garden and the king’s palace
LAW THEMES: Religious promiscuity
and unfaithfulness (idolatry), like sexual promiscuity and unfaithfulness, are
destructive.
GOSPEL THEMES: In faithful love,
God sent Christ to save the world; He grants to believers the priceless
blessings of love for Him and marital love for spouses.
KEY VERSE: “I am my lover’s and
my lover is mine; he browses among the lilies” (6:3)
KEY PEOPLE: King Solomon, the
Shulammite woman, and friends
We will also start the book of
Isaiah this week. It will take us a while to get through this book. It is deep
and theological. Here are the vital stats for Isaiah:
PURPOSE: To call the nation of Judah back to God and to tell of God’s salvation through the Messiah.
AUTHOR: The prophet Isaiah son of
Amoz
DATE WRITTEN: The events of
chapters 1-39 occurred during Isaiah’s ministry, so they were probably written
about 700 B.C. Chapters 40-66, however may have been written near the end of
his life, about 681 B.C.
SETTING: Isaiah is speaking and
writing mainly in Jerusalem
LAW THEMES: Judgment on false
worship; Judgment day; selfishness; woes against Israel and the nations; defeat
by Assyria and Babylon; idolatry condemned.
GOSPEL THEMES: The remnant
preserved; Immanuel; the Messiah’s just reign; salvation promised to Etheopia,
Assyria, and the nations; the feast; mercy for Hezekiah; God’s comfort for
Zion; the Lord’s Servant; Zion’s deliverance; new heavens and new earth.
KEY VERSE: “But he was pierced
for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that
brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (53:5)
KEY PEOPLE: Isaiah, his two sons
Shear-Jashub and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz
SPECIAL FEATURES: The book of
Isaiah contains both prose and poetry and uses personification. Also, many of
the prophecies in Isaiah contain predictions that foretell a soon-to-occur
event and a distant future event at the same time.
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