One Year Bible, September 2

ECCLESIASTES 1:1 - 3:22                                                                                                
A WISE OLD MAN: He asks the question: What is life's purpose and meaning?  His observations of the world under the curse of God as based on Genesis 1-11.  God is the CREATOR and the SUSTAINER of all life.  Yet, Rom 8:19-25 tell us that God put a curse of "vanity" on all of earth and on man's work because of Adam's rebellion.  

VANITY:   This word is used 37 times in the book!  Vanity expresses the reality of the curse God put on the work of man after the fall.  Transient, passing away, insubstantial, empty, worthless, lacking the ability to satisfy or fulfill, UNSUFFICIENT, DECEITFUL.  1 John 2:16-17 says  "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."  The greatest emptiness is to live for this life alone.  The search for ultimate satisfaction is found only in the "water of life"(John 4:13-14) that Jesus offers.  NO TRUE HAPPINESS CAN BE FOUND IN WHAT THIS WORLD HAS TO OFFER. Any world view that does not include God (is restricted to "under the sun") is doomed to meaninglessness and frustration.   We derive importance only from our relationship to our Almighty Creator (3:14).  The natural man, at his best, is VANITY (Psa 39:5).  It is a poor bargain to "gain the whole world but lose your own soul". (Mark 8:36)

"UNDER THE SUN":  That sphere where God's reign is opposed.  The place where man dwells IF heaven were shut off.  (apart from God)  "Faith" and "sight " are not OPPOSITES.  Our sight is based on faith in God and "all that God has done under the sun". 

1:4-11 POETRY THAT SUMMARIZES THE REST OF THE BOOK:  The inflexible cyclical nature of the world provides stability, but results in boring routine and predictability.  It becomes wearisome to man - like when it rains every day for weeks at a time!  Regularity has an eroding effect.  Life is disappointing.  THE OVERWHELMING EMPTINESS IS MEANT TO COMPEL YOU TO SEEK GOD.

RESPONSE:    Man's need is deep and bottomless.  There isn't a human being alive who is good enough to ever fill that need.  That is what "co-dependency" is all about.   3:18 says "men are beasts" because we all die.  But Jesus redeemed us from being beasts - and He took our dying on Himself!

2 CORINTHIANS 6:1-13                                                                                               
To reject the Gospel is to condemn Paul's life (or even our lives) as wasted or misspent: trials and tests; Divine empowerment IN him by the Holy Spirit, in spite of the suffering ;  the conditions under which he has ministered - all testify to victorious living.

RESPONSE:   We know from history that nearly all of the original 12 apostles were martyred, and that Paul was eventually martyred. The Gospel is worth dying for. It is also worth LIVING for. What Paul described here is victory in Jesus. "Beaten, but not killed". Yeah!  "Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing."  I can relate to that one. This is the "new" order of things: hardships, restraints, labors, fasting,  "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Phil 4:11-13) Nothing can stop us.  Nothing is too difficult with God.  Victorious living. 

PSALM 46:1-11                                                                                                                  
THE SECRET OF OUR CONFIDENCE: God is with us. The "river of God" is the fullness of God.  Our God is abundantly available.  "Be still, and know that I am God" is spoken to His enemies - they have to stop their raging against the righteous because God is God and when He speaks, they are melted.  It is also spoken to the righteous, because we are reassured by His Presence.

PROVERBS 22:15                                                                                                            
Foolishness is not just FOUND in a child's heart, but it is BOUND there.   They brought it with them when they were born and it wraps itself around their little souls.  But we know how to take care of that - God told us.   As parents, we have to believe that the rod will reach to their very souls and do what no man can do - drive foolishness out of them.

RESPONSE: Psalm 46 was Martin Luther's favorite Psalm.  He used it as the basis for the hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God."

"And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim, We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, For lo, his doom is sure;
One little word shall fell him."