Ecclesiastes Chapters 9-12 : Some Concluding Remarks on the Book of Ecclesiastes

The final few chapters of Ecclesiastes had some good thoughts:

Everyone dies. This shouldn't be a shocker to anyone unless maybe Enoch is reading this. We all die and sadly, some die unexpectedly and tragically. We need to be living our life TODAY in a way that brings honor to God because there may be no tomorrow.

We also don't need to wait for "perfect" timing to do anything. Maybe we are waiting for the perfect timing to minister to a coworker or go on the mission trip. Ecclesiastes tells us that no time will ever be perfect, so we should act anyways without hesitation.

It is best that we don't waste our youth. We need to be living for God now. If we wait until we are old and frail to live for God, then we will not be able to enjoy it. Along with this, we need use our time wisely for God. We shouldn't waste our valuable time (remember, tragedies occur) on meaningless tasks.

SOME CONCLUDING REMARKS ON ECCLESIASTES: Here are just a few main themes that I picked up from this book:

1) Life apart from God is meaningless
2) All material things and titles are meaningless without God
3) Seek wisdom
4) Cherish your time and don't waste it on meaningless things
5) Everyone dies (the rich, the poor, the wise, the foolish, the joyful, the sad, etc.)
6) And . . . as the final two verses of the book say, "Here is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey His commands, for this is the duty of every person. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad."


Proverb of the Day: Proverbs 25 : 15
"Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can crush strong opposition."

Ecclesiastes Chapters 6-8

A few bullet points from this reading:

1) God controls my destiny, not me.
2) Seek wisdom
3) Wisdom is difficult to obtain and even with wisdom we cannot fully understand God or His ways
4) Wisdom leads to righteousness
5) Since we cannot have total wisdom, we must lest joy and contentment replace the unkown

Proverb of the Day: Proverbs 23:17-18
"Don't envy sinners, but always continue to fear the Lord. For surely you have a future ahead of you; your hope will not be disappointed."

Ecclesiastes Chapters 3 - 5 : Turn, Turn, Turn

Much of this was similar to yesterday's writings.

We need to remember to focus on God, not on making money, being popular, having that prestigious job. As Solomon tells us, in the end, those things do not matter. Questions then arise, why not just do whatever we want? Why not be a couch potato? The answer is because God has a time for everything. We are not to work so hard that we pursue only riches, nor are we to be lazy. We are to do everything to the best of our ability without letting it consume our lives. God should consume our lives. If we are truly focused on God, then we won't have to worry about earthly possessions or awards. God will reveal our rewards to us at a later time.

Proverb of the Day: Proverbs 18:10
"The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe."

Ecclesiastes 1 & 2 : Wasting Our Lives Away?

Today's reading was the first two chapters of Ecclesiastes. These aren't the most optimistic chapters in the Bible, but they are important.

Solomon tells us that our lives, apart from God, are a waste. They are like "chasing the wind." He shows that wisdom, possessions, and hard work alone do not bring satisfaction and joy. Instead, we must live our lives according to God's plan for us. If we seek God's will and act upon it in faith, then our lives will count. Nothing we earn, learn or make can be taken with us once we die. If we fulfill God's plan for us, however, we will have our rewards in Heaven.

It kind of reminds me of the Casting Crowns song "American Dream." I listened to this over and over again when I lived in D.C., because this is how a lot of people live up there.



This passage speaks well to me. I'm pretty sure a Ph.D. in Political Science is pretty worthless, but I'm still here. God brought me here for a reason. Now, I have to figure out what that reason is. I'm pretty sure that reason is NOT to do the same type of pointless research most professors do. I also need to learn to approach this time in my life with joy and be excited about the opportunity that God has given me. Someday, the reason I am here doing this will come to light.

Hebrews 10:19 - 13:25: Superiority of Faith

I finished Hebrews today starting with chapter 10 verse 19. These final chapters were pretty intense. There was everything in here from the fact that God created the universe from nothing, to the fact that He disciplines those He loves, to reminding us not to stray from Him. I will be focusing on the main theme of these chapters which was faith.

They begin by showing the superiority of faith. Without faith in God we have no salvation. Then, of course, comes Faith's Hall of Fame. We've all heard the stories of Noah, Abraham, Moses, etc., but I still can't fathom the faith it took to act the way they did. Whether it was building a massive ark, preparing to sacrifice your son, or choosing to live among the oppressed instead of the wealthy and powerful, all of these men had to have an amazing amount of faith. I question whether or not I have this type of faith. I most definitely have this faith when things are going good. I might even show signs of it when things are going bad. I just can't imagine me giving up everything I have to do something that might seem crazy for God. I hope that my faith grows to be as strong and steadfast as those mentioned in Hebrews 11. It will take a long time, much discipline, and a lot of God to get me there.

The verses that really stuck out are below. Hebrews 11:32-39:

"32And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 33who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

39These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised."

Proverb of the Day: Proverbs 16:33

"We can throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall."

Do I Love the Same People God Does?

Given the fact that I am in a Sunday School class that is made specifically for graduate students, and given the fact that it is Summer, our class is obviously on hiatus. Instead, we, along with the entire university ministry are watching a video series called "Breakaway".

Today's lesson was about loving people. Yeah, that's pretty simple stuff, right? Well this session was not just about loving people, but about loving people that you find difficult to love. The argument was made that God so loved the world that He gave His only son. Again, this isn't earth-shattering. The first verse everyone learns is John 3:16. This session, however, made the point that even those people that drive you nuts and make you angry are covered in Christ's blood.

Think about it. That guy that cut you off in traffic, that waitress that charged you for an extra drink, that lady at the supermarket that was rude to you, that child that stole money from you to go get that fancy tattoo; all of these people were so loved by God that He gave His son for them. They may seem like rude, dishonest, degenerates to you, but to God, they are His children.

The point is, that Christ died for everyone, not just those of us that profess to love Him. He died for the unbelievers as well. He died for those that are hard-hearted and vengeful. If God loved them so much, and we claim to love God, why do we treat people that aren't in our circle so poorly?

Think to yourself: how would the world change if every person treated every other person as if they were important enough to God that He gave His son as a sacrifice?

I know I have problems with this, especially at school. However, my eyes were really opened today. IF I LOVE GOD, AND GOD GAVE HIS SON FOR ALL MANKIND (AND NOT JUST THE BELIEVERS) THEN I NEED TO TREAT ALL MANKIND (AND NOT JUST THE BELIEVERS) AS BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST.

So, the next time you get a bit agitated at someone, think before you speak. Remember that Christ died for that person because He loves Him. Might this change your response?

Hebrews 8 - 10 : 18: The Superiority of the New Covenant

These verses clearly establish God's new covenant with us as superior to the old. Through the old covenant blood had to be shed regularly in an effort to seek God's forgiveness. Through the shedding of Christ's blood, we were forgiven once and for all. Christ's blood is enough to buy us eternal life.

One thing I thought was interesting was that in the old covenant the priests sacrificed animals. These sacrifices were to teach the people that sin costs something. In the new covenant, the people did not have to sacrifice anything for forgiveness. Instead, God sacrificed His son. I just found it interesting that the sinners no longer are sacrificing to pay for their old sins. Instead, Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice for us. We sacrifice NOTHING for salvation. This was kind of a no-brainer, but I guess reading it really put it into perspective for me.

Proverb of the Day: Proverbs 12:25
"Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up."