Ecclesiastes 9:4 Anyone who is among the living has hope –even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!
Solomon’s cynicism really bothers me at times. He is to me one of the most tragic figures in the whole Bible, because he was given so much and threw it all away because of humanistic intellectual pride. He certainly had a powerful intellect and his writings do contain a lot of truth, but he benefitted essentially not at all from it. He had as much “creature comfort” as was possible in those days, with absolutely nothing being denied him. His mind enabled him to see the futility in all of that, but he failed to develop the personal relationship with his Creator that would have given meaning to it all. As a point of reference, the average American today has far more physical comfort than Solomon did, and the amount of knowledge that is instantly available to us on our cell phones totally dwarfs the entire volume of knowledge that was available in his day, not to mention what he knew personally. He indeed had more gold, jewels, and the like than we could imagine, but all of that together couldn’t have purchased what we take for granted. This particular verse of his is well known, and has been used by some as an excuse to run away from battle or other danger. The problem with it is that Solomon’s concept of “life” was limited to the physical, as is clear throughout this chapter and indeed, throughout all of Solomon’s writings. Someone who dies physically in a right relationship with his Creator, at whatever age, is far better off, and has far more hope, than someone who lives past 100 who doesn’t have such a relationship.
Naturally this applies to me. I’ve already outlived my father by over nine years, but “length of days” seems increasingly less important to me. I am “among the living” not because my heart is beating, but because I know and trust in my living Lord. When this physical life is over that will be a minor bump in my existence, because I already have eternal life. My intellect has presented me with some of the same temptations to which Solomon succumbed, and I am deeply grateful that the Lord has enabled me to avoid some and get over others. I do desire that others join me in the hope that I have, but I can’t force them to believe and accept it. However, I can speak the truth in love, and that is what I want to do consistently, for as long as the Lord leaves me here.
Father, thank You for this reminder. I still get tied up in temporal things all too often. Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in the hope that I have in Christ, so that others may see that hope and desire and receive it for themselves, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!
Understanding the Bible; April 18, 2022
Luke 24:44-45 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
Two things here. The first is that the Messiah is thoroughly prophesied in the Old Testament. It was literally hundreds of years before the New Testament canon was settled, and the believers actively used the Old Testament as they shared the Good News of Jesus with both Jews and Gentiles. Churches and Christians who ignore the Old Testament do so to their great loss. The second thing is that our hearts have to be opened to receive the truth of Scripture. I know someone who has read through the whole Bible and still stubbornly refuses to commit to Jesus Christ as Lord. There are many who treat the Bible strictly as literature. It is that, and magnificent literature indeed, but if it is taken just as that it does us very little good. I’m sure the disciples were totally blown out of the water by all this, first that Jesus had risen from the dead and then to realize that everything had been prophesied long before. Even today we need to pray that God would open our hearts to understand the Word, not only as we read it but as we think of it through the day. The Bible can be very simple, and it can be extremely deep – sometimes in the same verse! Like the Ethiopian eunuch, we need someone to explain it to us. (Acts 8:26 ff) Who better than the Holy Spirit, who caused it to be written? John picked up on that very well in his first letter. “As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit–just as it has taught you, remain in him.” (1 John 2:27)
Of course this applies to me as much as it does to anyone else. I have slipped up by thinking otherwise! I have been familiar with the Bible since childhood and I have a high IQ, so at times I have trusted in that instead of asking God what He was saying, to me and to the particular situation. Sometimes He has surprised me! Reading the Bible is a joy and a privilege, and doing so in different translations and languages has been very enriching. However, I’ve always got to remember that it’s not just an academic exercise, it’s an opportunity to open my heart to hear what God is saying to me, and perhaps wants to say through me. If I can be used to open someone else’ heart, that is a high privilege indeed.
Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the blessed Resurrection Sunday yesterday. Thank You for all the children and their parents who came to the afternoon program. I pray that Your truth that they heard would remain in their hearts and minds and bear fruit for eternal life in the future, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!