| Ecclesiastes
12 |
Oct 23, 2003
|
The concluding words of the
Preacher, remind us that faith in God is the source of all wisdom. It is
the guarantee for living a good and happy life.
"Because the Teacher was wise, he taught the people
everything he knew. He collected proverbs and classified them. Indeed, the
Teacher taught the plain truth, and he did so in an interesting way.
A wise teacher's words spur students to action and emphasize important truths.
The collected sayings of the wise are like guidance from a shepherd.
But, my child, be warned: There is no end of opinions ready to be expressed.
Studying them can go on forever and become very exhausting!
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." (Ecclesiastes
12: 9-14)
|
| Ecclesiastes
9 |
Oct 14, 2003
|
The reality of death that
drags all humans, no matter their background, to the same fate, is a frightening
thought. It has a great impact on humans
"This, too, I carefully explored: Even though the
actions of godly and wise people are in God's hands, no one knows whether
or not God will show them favor in this life. The same destiny ultimately
awaits everyone, whether they are righteous or wicked, good or bad, ceremonially
clean or unclean, religious or irreligious. Good people receive the same
treatment as sinners, and people who take oaths are treated like people
who don't.
It seems so tragic that one fate comes to all. That is why people are not
more careful to be good. Instead, they choose their own mad course, for
they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway. There is hope
only for the living. For as they say, 'It is better to be a live dog than
a dead lion!'"
(Ecclesiastes 9: 1-4)
|
| Ecclesiastes
8 |
Oct 6, 2003
|
|
Wisdom teaches us to see, beyond the
meaninglessness of existence, a way to live a decent human life.
"How wonderful to be wise, to be able to analyze
and interpret things. Wisdom lights up a person's face, softening its
hardness.
In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked,
and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is
so meaningless!
So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people
to do in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they
will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives
them.
In my search for wisdom, I tried to observe everything that goes on all
across the earth. I discovered that there is ceaseless activity, day and
night. This reminded me that no one can discover everything God has created
in our world, no matter how hard they work at it. Not even the wisest
people know everything, even if they say they do."
(Ecclesiastes 8: 1,14-17)
|
| Ecclesiastes
7 |
Sep 29, 2003
|
Human wisdom can not solve
all the riddles of life and death. A wise person, who believes in God, does
not rebel against the riddles of human existence, but, among contradictions
and excesses, chooses to walk the golden mean
"A good reputation is more valuable than the
most expensive perfume. In the same way, the day you die is better than
the day you are born.
It is better to spend your time at funerals than at festivals. For you
are going to die, and you should think about it while there is still time.
Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on
us.
A wise person thinks much about death, while the fool thinks only about
having a good time now."
(Ecclesiastes 7:1-4)
"Being wise is as good as being rich; in fact,
it is better. Wisdom or money can get you almost anything, but it's important
to know that only wisdom can save your life.
Notice the way God does things; then fall into line. Don't fight the ways
of God, for who can straighten out what he has made crooked?
Enjoy prosperity while you can. But when hard times strike, realize that
both come from God. That way you will realize that nothing is certain
in this life."
(Ecclesiastes 7:11-14)
|
| Ecclesiastes
6 |
Sep 21, 2003
|
As a good believer, the author
of Ecclesiastes attributes to God everything that happens on earth. He sees
that God has planned everything, but this immutable predestination of all
things by God, the author affirms, must teach man contentment and modesty.
"There is another serious tragedy I have seen in
our world. God gives great wealth and honor to some people and gives them
everything they could ever want, but then he doesn't give them the health
to enjoy it. They die, and others get it all! This is meaningless--a sickening
tragedy.
All people spend their lives scratching for food, but they never seem to
have enough. Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don't have.
Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless; it is like chasing the wind."
(Ecclesiastes 6: 1,2,7,9)
"Everything has already been decided. It was
known long ago what each person would be. So there's no use arguing with
God about your destiny.
The more words you speak, the less they mean. So why overdo it?
In the few days of our empty lives, who knows how our days can best be
spent? And who can tell what will happen in the future after we are gone?"
(Ecclesiastes 6: 10-12)
|
| Ecclesiastes
5 |
Sep 15, 2003
|
The author of the Book of
Ecclesiastes is a wise man, who reflects on life and the events that take
place in society. You may feel that his wisdom and intuitions are quite
common. In fact he is not a great philosopher or a famous theologian. He
expresses the wisdom of the common people. His originality, though, rests
with his staunch faith in God. He sees the futility and all the contradictions
of life, but he keeps his faith (which is again the simple faith of the
common people).
"Those who love money will never have enough. How
absurd to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the
more people come to help you spend it. So what is the advantage of wealth--except
perhaps to watch it run through your fingers!
People who live only for wealth come to the end of their lives as naked
and empty-handed as on the day they were born.
As people come into this world, so they depart. All their hard work is for
nothing. They have been working for the wind, and everything will be swept
away. Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud--frustrated, discouraged,
and angry.
Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for
people to eat well, drink a good glass of wine, and enjoy their work--whatever
they do under the sun--for however long God lets them live. And it is a
good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To
enjoy your work and accept your lot in life--that is indeed a gift from
God. People who do this rarely look with sorrow on the past, for God has
given them reasons for joy." (Ecclesiastes 5:10,11,15-20)
|
| Ecclesiastes
4 |
Sep 8, 2003
|
Why is there so much injustice
in the world? Why does God stand by and lets the wicket triumph and the
good be oppressed?
How often you get stuck in this contradiction and find hard to accept a
merciful God who allows all this to happen in this world.
"Again I observed all the oppression that takes
place in our world. I saw the tears of the oppressed, with no one to comfort
them. The oppressors have great power, and the victims are helpless. So
I concluded that the dead are better off than the living. And most fortunate
of all are those who were never born. For they have never seen all the evil
that is done in our world." (Ecclesiastes 4: 1-3)
|
| Ecclesiastes
3 |
Sep 8, 2003
|
When you feel that human freedom
has many limitations, and that all things and events are immutably predestined
and are not subject to the human will; when you feel you want to rebel against
the human fate, see how the author of the Book of Ecclesiastes saw this
problem, and tried to make the best out of it.
"There is a time for everything,
a season for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to rebuild.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to lose.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak up.
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.
God has made everything beautiful for its own time.
He has planted eternity in the human heart,
but even so, people cannot see the whole scope
of God's work from beginning to end."
(Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8,11)
|
| Ecclesiastes
2 |
Sep 2, 2003 |
When you are tempted to chase after pleasure
as a way to run away from yourself, or search wisdom to avoid some realities
that look irrational and hard to accept, read the following.
"I said to myself, 'Come now, let's give pleasure
a try. Let's look for the good things in life.' But I found that this, too,
was meaningless. 'It is silly to be laughing all the time,' I said. 'What
good does it do to seek only pleasure?' While still seeking wisdom, I clutched
at foolishness. In this way, I hoped to experience the only happiness most
people find during their brief life in this world.
I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting
beautiful vineyards. I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure
of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women,
and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire!
So I became greater than any of the kings who ruled in Jerusalem before
me. Anything I wanted, I took. I did not restrain myself from any joy. I
even found great pleasure in hard work, an additional reward for all my
labors. But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish,
it was all so meaningless. It was like chasing the wind. There was nothing
really worthwhile anywhere."
(Ecclesiastes 2: 1-4,8-11)
"So I decided to compare wisdom and folly, and
anyone else would come to the same conclusions I did. Wisdom is of more
value than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness. For the
wise person sees, while the fool is blind. Yet I saw that wise and foolish
people share the same fate. Both of them die. Just as the fool will die,
so will I. So of what value is all my wisdom? Then I said to myself, 'This
is all so meaningless!' For the wise person and the fool both die, and
in the days to come, both will be forgotten."
(Ecclesiastes 2: 12-16)
"So now I hate life because everything done here
under the sun is so irrational. Everything is meaningless, like chasing
the wind. I am disgusted that I must leave the fruits of my hard work
to others. And who can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish?
And yet they will control everything I have gained by my skill and hard
work. How meaningless!"
(Ecclesiastes 2: 17-19)
|
| Ecclesiastes
1 |
Aug 25, 2003 |
When you feel down, bored and doubtful about everything, when you feel that
life is without meaning and that all things are immutably predestined and
are not subject to the will of humans, when your faith in God starts shaking
under the persistent barrage of many "why without answers"… read
the Book of Ecclesiastes.
You won't find in it rational answers to your questions, but, amazingly
enough, you will find sympathy and support. The author of the Book is experiencing
your same problems, asking the same unanswerable questions. His faith in
God remains strong though, even if it can not give a satisfying intellectual
answer to all questions.
Is this attitude towards the world negative and pessimistic, or is it realistic
and broadminded? You can work hard for the betterment of society and at
the same time see the meaninglessness of everything. You can be a staunch
Evangelizer, and at the same time have doubts in your mind.
"These are the words of the Teacher, King David's son, who ruled in
Jerusalem.
'Everything is meaningless,' says the Teacher, 'utterly meaningless!'
What do people get for all their hard work? Generations come and go, but
nothing really changes. The sun rises and sets and hurries around to rise
again. The wind blows south and north, here and there, twisting back and
forth, getting nowhere. The rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never
full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows again to the
sea. Everything is so weary and tiresome! No matter how much we see, we
are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.
History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under
the sun is truly new. What can you point to that is new? How do you know
it didn't already exist long ago? We don't remember what happened in those
former times. And in future generations, no one will remember what we are
doing now."
(Ecclesiastes, 1:1-11)
"I soon discovered that God has dealt a tragic
existence to the human race.
Everything under the sun is meaningless, like chasing the wind. What is
wrong cannot be righted. What is missing cannot be recovered.
I said to myself, 'Look, I am wiser than any of the kings who ruled in
Jerusalem
before me. I have greater wisdom and knowledge than any of them.' So I
worked hard to distinguish wisdom from foolishness. But now I realize
that even this was like chasing the wind. For the greater my wisdom, the
greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow." (Ecclesiastes,1:
13-18)
|
