December 15 / James 1-5

Key Verse: “So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless” (James 2:17).

The Book of James makes a strong argument that the faith which saves us is a faith that produces good works in us. Good works are not the root of our salvation, but they are the fruit. We are saved by grace through faith for good works. A faith that produces no good works is really no faith at all.

James opens his letter by addressing a church under pressure from economic persecution and oppression because of their faith in Jesus. Suffering can break up community or it can fortify our faith together. James urges the readers to not fear suffering but consider it an opportunity for great joy. Why? Because when faith is tested, endurance grows, wisdom is gained and maturity follows.

Mature Christians are energized by joy and hope in the face of persecution because they experience the power of God in them, bringing about the Kingdom. God doesn’t tempt anyone to do wrong but He blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.

James now bluntly addresses the specific angry tension that has developed within the congregation. He says, “You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.” (James 1:19-21).

In addition to anger, favoritism is an issue among the people. James challenges the discrimination that dishonors the poor and weak. Faith in Jesus means that we keep the commandments of God which show us how to love our neighbor as ourselves. God will judge believers on how we live.

The issue is not ignorance of God’s will, but acting on what we know: “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise you are fooling yourselves” (James 1:22). It does no good to say we have faith if we don’t show it by our actions. Such faith isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. One may make a right confession of faith—such as affirming that there is one God—but that in itself is no virtue. Even the demons believe that there is one God!

Abraham is our example. He was shown to be right with God by his actions. He left his family and country and moved toward the land God had promised him. He passed the supreme challenge of faith by being willing to sacrifice his own son in response to God’s command. God, of course, staid Abraham’s hand, providing the lamb for the sacrifice Himself, a foreshadowing of the time when He would give us Son as a sacrifice for the sins of world.

In chapters 3 through 5, James speaks to the issues of controlling our tongues, which can be instruments of blessing or destruction. Loose tongues always bring disorder and evil of every kind. Those who are peacemakers, however, will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

Looking deeper, James notes that the disorder that arises from anger comes from our evil desires. He says to the congregation, “You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it” (James 4:2-3).

The solution is to humble ourselves before God, and then resist the temptations of the devil. When we do, God will lift us up.

James concludes his letter by pointing to one of the greatest temptations we face—the love of wealth, especially ill-gotten gain. In the congregation some of the wealthy are treating their workers unjustly. He warns them: “Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies” (James 5:4).

Instead of living for today and for themselves, believers are urged to take God seriously and wait patiently for the His return because He is coming as Judge! With that day in mind, they should pray for each other, not prey upon each other. “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (James 5:16).

 

TAKE-AWAY: The attitude that we can freely sin because God freely forgives is a grave misunderstanding of grace. We receive God’s grace by faith so that we can give ourselves to obeying God without feeling condemned by our sin. 

 

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for the grace that gives us what we don’t deserve so that by faith we might find forgiveness and new life. Help us by your Spirit to demonstrate our faith through acts of love, so that we make you visible in the world. Amen.

December 12 / Hebrews 8-10

Key Verse: “Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” (Hebrews 10:36)

Hebrews 8 through 10 continues with the writer’s concern that the Jewish believers are growing weary or apathetic because of ridicule and persecution.  He encourages them to continue to place their trust in Christ alone for their salvation. There is no need for Jewish believers to return to the Old Covenant when it has been fulfilled by the New Covenant in Jesus’ blood. Indeed, to do so risks falling from grace when there is no other way to salvation outside of grace.

These three chapters finish up the lengthy theological and historical explanation of the superiority of Christ as our High Priest, and also the superiority of the New Covenant that Christ initiated with his death on the cross.

His explanation is shaped by the needs of the Jewish believers, and therefore may seem complex and repetitive to us, but the conclusion he draws is important. Christ has accomplished what God began with Abraham and continued with Moses. We cannot fully appreciate the grace and mercy we have received from Christ without placing it in the context of the Old Testament story.

Once again—there is no need for an Old Covenant priesthood and Temple with sacrifices any more. Christ has fulfilled all these roles, institutions, ceremonies and laws.  They were provisionally given to explain to God’s people their need of forgiveness and a means by which they could receive it. “For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established” (Hebrews 9:10).

The writer concludes in chapter 9 with a nice summary: “But now, once for all time, he (Christ) has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice. And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:26-28).

After making his argument sufficiently clear, the writer turns, in chapter 10, to a couple of specific applications regarding persevering faith in Jesus. First, “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” Right doctrine is important for right living, especially when it involves the person and work of Jesus. Almost all unorthodox sects and heretical groups begin with a faulty view of Christ.

Next, the writer says: “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.” Correct doctrine doesn’t automatically produce right living. We need to encourage one another to do so, especially to overcoming selfishness and indifference so that we may love others by doing good works.

Finally, he says: “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

Staying connected to Christ is not just a warm sentiment; it is a spiritual life preserver. As we said earlier, if we deliberately reject God’s grace through Christ, there is no other way to salvation: “There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies” (Hebrews 10: 27).

We must be careful to take our faith seriously: “It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________

TAKE-AWAY: In all its diversity and complexity, the main subject of the Bible is Christ—who he is and what he has done for us. Everything else either leads up to his coming or moves forward with him towards the conclusion of our salvation—resurrection life in a New Heavens and Earth.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Prayer: Lord, we rejoice every day because of your grace and mercy through Christ. We simply cannot live in peace and hope without knowing that we are loved and forgiven, and that our best days always lie ahead. Thank you again for being our High Priest! Amen.

December 10 / Hebrews 3-4

Key Verse: For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest” (Hebrews 4:11).
___________________________________________________________________

The writer of Hebrews continues with the challenge to his readers to remain faithful to Christ, our great High Priest. Just as Christ was greater than the angels who accompanied the giving of God’s law to Moses, he is also greater than Moses. Therefore, as followers of Christ, they must keep their courage and remain confident in their hope of Christ, not the law. There is no other way to forgiveness of sins.

But we have a tendency to drift from faith in Christ, like a sailboat pushed by wind or pulled by tides. Israel’s history serves as a warning. The Israelites continually hardened their hearts and rebelled against God in the wilderness, and consequently received God’s judgement. We also must be careful that our hearts “are not evil and unbelieving, turning us away from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12).

Those who are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when they first believed, will share in all that belongs to Christ, including the glory of eternal life. But we can’t take this for granted. Israel experienced God’s judgment and was not permitted to enter the Promised Land when she repudiated his grace. It is possible for us also to drift so far away from grace that we may fail to enter.

For Israel, the Promised Land represented something greater than having property; it meant to be home with God. The writer of Hebrews describes it, not as entering the Promised Land, but as entering God’s rest. Consequently, when Israel failed to trust God, “they were not able to enter his rest.” (Hebrews 3:19).

The idea of “rest,” is explored more deeply in chapter 4. The writer says that this “rest” is something God has prepared for us as he did for Israel. In fact, it has been ready since God first made the world. You’ll remember from Genesis chapter two that on the seventh day God finished his work of creation and then “rested” from all his work. “And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation” (Genesis 2:2-3).

God’s rest is not a reference to divine fatigue; it indicates the divine purpose of creation, which is for God to live among us and enjoy life together.

In the ancient world, divine rest was associated with temple building, so the writer of Genesis is saying that God’s desire is to “dwell” with his people in the “temple” of the whole earth so that we may enjoy all the blessings of his presence. Earth is not meant to be a container unit to warehouse humans, but a paradise for divine-human fellowship.

However, the earth was damaged by human sin, and needs to be redeemed along with us. With this in mind, the Promised Land that God gave Israel to occupy was a foreshadowing of the future, when God would make a new heavens and earth where we will live with Him forever in divine rest.

So there is a lot at stake in our faith in Jesus. We must be very careful not to drift from that faith: “Let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall” (Hebrews 4:11).

His warning is an encouragement to read the Scriptures and learn from the success and failure of those before us. When we read the Bible this way, it analyzes us: “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable” (Hebrews 4:12-13).

The writer of Hebrews urges us hold firmly to what we believe, and trust Jesus with our prayers because, as our High Priest, he understands our weaknesses and advocates for us before the Father. Before the Father’s throne, “we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:16).
__________________________________________________________________

TAKE-AWAY: God’s singular purpose in creating the physical universe, and then we human beings in his image, is to dwell with us and share his life. This vibrant, joyful understanding of life gives dignity and hope to humanity, as compared to the meaningless and ultimately futile existence envisioned by atheism.
____________________________________________________________________
Prayer: Lord, how privileged we are to come before your very presence and ask for what we need. Thank you for giving us what we need just when we need it. How gracious and compassionate you are! Amen.

December 8 / Philemon

Key Verse: “I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ” (Philemon v. 6).
_________________________________________________________________________

While Paul is in prison in Rome, he meets a runaway slave named Onesimus, whose name means “useful.” We don’t know how they met, but Paul shares the Gospel with Onesimus and he becomes a believer. Out of gratefulness to Paul, he begins to care for him in prison.

It turns out that Onesimus has run away from his master, Philemon—a crime that is punishable by death. Paul urges Onesimus to stop running and return to Philemon with a note he has written appealing for leniency. That note is the letter to Philemon.

It made seem odd that a personal letter of only twenty-five verses would be included in the canon of scripture, but its contents are a powerful expression of the meaning of the Gospel and its implications for transforming society.

Paul begins his brief letter by praising Philemon because he has heard of his faith in Jesus and love for all of God’s people. He then boldly asks Philemon to love a new member of “God’s people,” Onesimus his runaway slave. Would he be generous to Onesimus, just as God in Christ has been generous to him?

This is more than a sentimental request; it is a subversive suggestion! Slavery was taken for granted as an integral part of the economic system of the ancient world. Though it’s true that many slaves were well-treated by their masters and became like family members, they were still considered inferior as human beings, without freedom and rights. Therefore, to run away was a capital offense against the whole system.

Paul is not given enough credit for his courage here in asking Philemon to defy law and convention in order to live out the Gospel. He could have demanded it as an apostle, but instead he appeals to Philemon’s character and conscience: “I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus. I became his father in the faith. Onesimus has been of much use to you in the past but now he is very useful to both of us” (Philemon vs. 10-11). This is a play on Onesimus’ name, of course. He has lived up to his name of “useful.”

Paul is very careful in how he asks this extraordinary favor of Philemon. After praising him as a man of faith, he chooses not to play the “apostle” card, but instead gives Philemon the opportunity to do the right thing on his own, without pressure.

Then Paul frames his request within the meaning of the Gospel itself: “It seems you lost Onesimus for a little while so that you could have him back forever. He is no longer like a slave to you. He is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord” (Philemon, vs. 15-16).

By these words, Paul plants a seed in the cultural soil of every generation to come, about the possibility of a society united by Christ. As Paul wrote to the Galatians: “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

Paul’s vision is not utopian, based on a faulty premise of human goodness, rationality and progress. It is a vision based on the death and resurrection of Jesus, who came to create a new humanity. One of the ways this new humanity “in Christ” manifests itself is by confronting and breaking down the sinful patterns of individuals and institutions that enforced racism, sexism, and religious bigotry.

Of course, monumental societal change doesn’t occur overnight, but as we noted, the seed is planted by this brief but powerful little letter to Philemon. Notably, it would be a text cited by William Wilberforce in finally persuading the British Parliament to outlaw slave trafficking, and by Dr. Martin Luther King in bringing about racial equality in America, and by Nelson Mandela in South Africa to end racial apartheid.

In the end, the apostle Paul does more than persuade Philemon to do what is right. He offers to help him to do what is right: “So if you consider me your partner, welcome Onesimus as you would welcome me. If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it” (Philemon, vs. 17-19).
__________________________________________________________________

TAKE-AWAY: The Gospel is the only power that can begin to heal and unite a diverse and conflicted world.
_________________________________________________________________

Prayer: Lord, thank you for Paul’s example in persuading Philemon to live out the implications of the gospel in a revolutionary way. Give us a vision for our own time of a just society, united by the grace and love that comes from the Gospel. And most importantly, help us practice what we preach! Amen.

1 Timothy 4-6

Key Verse: “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith and your purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).

_________________________________________________________________________________

Paul continues his mentoring of the young pastor Timothy in chapters 4 through 6. He urges him to be an example to all the believers in what he says and how he lives. This is followed by a strong reminder to preach and teach the true faith, focusing on “reading the scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers and teaching them.”

He must confront those in the congregation who want to be teachers and leaders for the wrong reasons. Some want to make people dependent on them, or to enrich themselves. These, Paul warns, have dead consciences. Some will even prove to be false teachers whose imaginations and motives have been influenced by the demonic.

One crisis Timothy is already facing in the congregation is false teaching about the Christian’s relationship to the material world and to human desire. Some are saying, for example, that marriage is wrong, as is eating certain foods, etc. The first thing Timothy must understand is this: “Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks” (1 Timothy 1:4).

And so, for example, a believer may gratefully drink wine as part of God’s good creation. It is false to insist that wine is inherently evil. It is also false, on the other hand, to insist that drunkenness is no big deal. Neither extreme honors God’s creation. Christianity believes in the goodness of the creation. Paul warns Timothy that misusing the good things God has given us (by either rejecting them or by worshiping them) is a barrier to spiritual growth.

Next, in chapter 5, Paul goes over Timothy’s pastoral responsibility to the various age groups of both genders in the congregation. He elaborates on the special situation of caring for widows. In short, family members of widows have first responsibility financially, and then the congregation. Widows who receive assistance must be at least 60 and of good reputation. They must not abuse the help they receive. Younger widows are encouraged to remarry. We see that there must be compassion, common sense and accountability in the congregation.

Paul then explains to Timothy that elders like him who work hard at preaching and teaching, should be respected and get paid well. Though Paul himself always refused financial assistance as an evangelist, he insists that local pastor/elders who shepherd a congregation should be supported so that they can devote all their time and attention to their calling.

Also, since leaders are always subject to criticism, the congregation must be careful to not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses.

Paul concludes, in chapter 6, by again urging Timothy to preach what Paul has taught him with confidence. Though his teaching may be contradicted by some, they are “wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life.” Some contradict good teaching in order to get a following, hoping to become wealthy off of people’s support, but “true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.”

Longing to be rich is trap that ruins lives. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, causing people to wander away from the faith to their eventual sorrow. Paul knows that Timothy is not this kind of man, and so he encourages him to continue pursuing righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance and gentleness—all qualities needed in a pastor.

Those who are rich in this world, must be warned not to be proud or trust in their money. “Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6:17). They must generously use their money to do good works on behalf of those in need. By doing this, they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.
__________________________________________________________________________________

TAKE-AWAY: Effective congregations have pastors and leaders who are guided by sound teaching and who live disciplined lives. Such congregations are strong in good works, and generous to the needy among them and out in the community.
__________________________________________________________________________________

Prayer: Lord, may we all—and especially our leaders—be devoted to studying the scriptures so that by them we may order our lives and beliefs, for the sake of our own salvation and the salvation of those who hear us.” Amen.

November 18 / 1 Corinthians 1-6

Key Verse: “For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power” (1 Corinthians 4:20)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
The city of Corinth was known for its immorality and paganism, but Paul managed to plant a church there during his second missionary journey (see Acts 18). But the church is seriously dysfunctional so Paul writes to urge them to live in harmony and in holiness.

There are divisions in the church over personalities. The people of Corinth are drawn to celebrities with charisma. This means that the great oratory of Apollos has made him a favorite over the deep teaching of the apostles. Style over substance, perhaps.

Paul warns the people against the clever and entertaining rhetoric which was common among the Greeks. The power of the gospel is not human charisma but the work of the Holy Spirit. Those who resist the Spirit judge the gospel’s message to be foolishness. Paul explains, “So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say that it is all nonsense” (1 Corinthians 1:23).

But those who listen with an open mind and heart discover that the “foolish” plan of God is wiser than the wisdom of the world, and God’s “weakness” is stronger than the world’s strength.

Incredibly, ordinary people can know God’s thoughts even as the great and the gifted completely miss out. His thoughts are given to us through the Holy Spirit who lives in us. Great faith with humility always trumps great intellect with pride.

In chapter 3, Paul remembers from his visit with the Corinthian believers, that he couldn’t talk with them as mature believers. They thought and acted more like unbelievers than followers of Jesus! He urges them now to move beyond their immaturity and competitiveness to become mature in their faith. Otherwise their lives will not survive the judgment of Christ when he returns. They may escape hell, but their contribution to the Kingdom of God will be nil.

In chapter 4, Paul points to himself as an example of a once proud man, humbled by the gospel. Where once he feverously sought the approval of others, now he is concerned only to be faithful to Jesus. He urges the congregation not to pit one leader against the other, as if one has to be “for” Paul or Apollos. Apollos may be attractive because his rhetorical skills and physical presence resonate with the Corinthian’s love of power celebrities and worldly success, but what does this have to do with the gospel?

Paul then gets very personal about the way he conducts his life as an apostle. He admits that he and the other apostles look like fools next to the gifted and overly confident Corinthians, but this is the way of humility. “I sometimes think God has put us apostles on display, like prisoners of war at the end of a victor’s parade, condemned to die. We have become a spectacle to the entire world–to people and angels alike” (1 Corinthians 4:9).

This is certainly not just “feel good, look good” Christianity. Even now, Paul says, “We go hungry and thirsty, and we don’t have enough clothes to keep warm. We are often beaten and have no home. We work wearily with our own hands to earn our living. We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us. We appeal gently when evil things are said about us. Yet we are treated like the world’s garbage, like everybody’s trash…” (1 Corinthians 4:11-13).

The bottom line is this: The Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.

In chapter 5, Paul turns to a shocking case of unrepentant immorality within the congregation. A man is living in sin with his stepmother, a perverse act that even pagans don’t do. The matter has been tolerated by the leaders, perhaps because they assume that their success in ministry has placed them beyond good and evil–that the rules don’t apply to them as to others.

Paul insists that they call a meeting of the church and force him out. They should, shockingly, hand him over to Satan for whatever consequences may follow. Perhaps the grip of his sinful nature will be broken and he can return to fellowship. But for now, his presence is a scandal and a misrepresentation of Christ’s Church.

In chapter 6, Paul addresses other matters of sin, such as believers taking one another to court because they cannot resolve their differences, and also the visiting of temple prostitutes as they did as pagans. These and other willful sins are inconsistent with the Kingdom of God and must be stopped. Our freedom in Christ is not freedom to sin but freedom to obey God. Our bodies are not our own, but are now the temple of Holy Spirit who lives in us and should not be used for sin. We must honor God with our bodies.
______________________________________________________________________________________

TAKE-AWAY: The Christian life is a life of holiness, meaning that we belong to God. Our total selves–body and soul–are now set apart for his service. Therefore, we must live a different life, resisting the impulses of our sinful nature and obeying the Holy Spirit.
______________________________________________________________________________________

Prayer: Lord, we confess our sins and commit ourselves as your Church to faithfully representing your will and purpose in our individual and corporate lives. We offer our bodies as living sacrifices. Amen.

July 11 / Ecclesiastes 7-12

The “Teacher” (aka King Solomon) continues his arduous analysis of human experience “under the sun.” He holds up life and death to the light of the sun, like a precious stone, turning it in his hand to investigate every angle and note every reflection of light. His analysis is both profound, and wearisome! Is it possible to over-analyze life?

Chapters 7-12 drive us to his final conclusion about the whole matter, but there are plenty of exit ramps and on ramps before we get there. Chapter 7 begins with odd ruminations about death: “The day you die is better than the day you are born.” “Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties.” “A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time.”

By that analysis, the world is full of fools! But why the preoccupation with death? It’s obvious when you think about it. Death is the elephant in the room for each of the living. It’s inevitable (like death and taxes). The grim reaper stalks us. So we put off thinking about our death until the last possible moment. Better to party! The Teacher observes, “It seems so tragic that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate. 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.”

But the Teacher sees value in sober reflection about inevitabilities: “Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us.” We simply have to take the fact of death into account in any reckoning of life. This is the way to wisdom, even though “wisdom is always distant and difficult to find.”

Honesty and humility is a good starting place for the journey–especially acknowledging that “God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path.” Furthermore, “The wicked will not prosper, for they do not fear God.”

If one’s life is tempered by the awareness of God, and the inevitability of judgment, one is then, ironically, free to enjoy life. “So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people 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 under the sun.”

So enjoy life, but don’t be foolish. The Teacher acknowledges that “the words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful.

He encourages the young: “Young people, it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do.”

So the Teacher has seen it all and done it all. He is neither an idealist nor utopian thinker, but neither is he a nihilist. Although there is a lot of sadness in the world, we should not deny it or avoid it but allow ourselves to feel it—to let it temper us. As he has already warned us: “The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow.”

The Teacher has now given us all the wisdom he has: “That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.”

Prayer: Lord, the Teacher certainly describes life as we experience it, with all its joys and sorrows, as well as its mysteries and irony. But we know from the vantage point of the cross that you are with us. In Jesus, you have joined us in our sorrow and suffering and in the limitations of our humanity. Through him, we have seen your glory and your grace. Amen!

July 10 / Ecclesiastes 1-6

The book of Ecclesiastes, like Job and Proverbs is part of the wisdom literature of Israel. Like Proverbs, it is an exposition of how life works, but like Job it probes deeply into the complexity, mystery and frustration of human existence. Reading Ecclesiastes is a challenge because, on the surface, it is at times almost nihilistic—its recurring mantra is that “life is meaningless.”

The writer, who identifies himself as the “Teacher,” forces us to look at the truth about “life under the sun.” He relentlessly explores every pretentious attempt to find meaning in life apart from God. Before he comes to his final conclusion about life, he takes us with him to the playgrounds of the rich and famous, as well as to every dark alley, cul-de-sac and dead end of miserable humanity. If it sounds depressing, it is. But it’s also real. Once we stop pretending that the material world is enough, we are forced to admit that life without God means that nothing matters. And having come to this precipice, we are ready to hear the good news that everything matters because God is with us

Ecclesiastes begins, in chapter 1, with the “Teacher” introducing his thesis: “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless.” It is like chasing the wind. Generations come and go but nothing ever changes. History repeats itself with the same outcome—dissatisfaction. The Teacher (who boasts that he is wiser than any of the kings who ruled in Jerusalem before him) will make his case by setting out to “learn everything, from wisdom to madness and folly.” He’s taking nothing for granted. He’s going to try everything. But we are given a heads-up: “The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow.”

In chapter 2, the Teacher reports on his pursuit of pleasure without limits. He spent money on wine, women and song—“Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure.” But he concludes that it was all meaningless. Trying the opposite—to live with self-discipline and self-denial—he got no better results, so he cynically concludes that if both hedonism and asceticism are meaningless, he might as well be a hedonist. But then, a glimmer of insight: “Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God. For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him?”

In chapter 3, the Teacher reflects on the fact that “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” Does this imply that life is a meaningless repetition, or does it suggest an order designed by God? He follows this thought: “I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet 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.” So then, perhaps we should eat, drink and be merry, and consider that all the pleasures of life are gifts of God. But keep in mind “In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad for all their deeds.”

Chapter 4 explores the varieties of human tragedy: There are the “tears of the oppressed with no one to comfort them.” There is the case of those “who are all alone.” There is also the emptiness of success.

Chapter 5 surveys thoughtless religion, restless activity, rash promises, abuse of power, and the perils of wealth. There is also the sobering reality that “People leave this world no better off than when they came.”

Chapter 6 revisits the perils of wealth. A man works hard to earn it and then dies young before he can enjoy it. But even if he lives to an old age, he may finish his life an unhappy man. Again we see that we have no control over these things. There’s no use arguing with God about our destiny: “Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind.”

Prayer: Lord, we are reminded that we have far less control over our lives than we think. Help us to accept what you give, and find pleasure in the life you have ordained for each of us. There is so much we don’t understand, but we trust in you. Amen.

July 9 / Proverbs 30-31

The final two chapters of the book of Proverbs are written by men named Agur and Lemuel, respectively.

Agur writes the 30th chapter with the same themes we have encountered before in this book, but with a distinctive personality and style. Here are some examples to chew on:

“I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God. I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense. I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One.”

“O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die. First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ And if I am too two poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.”

“There are three things that amaze me—no, four things that I don’t understand: how an eagle glides through the sky, how a snake slithers on a rock, how a ship navigates the ocean, how a man loves a woman.”

King Lemuel is the source for chapter 31. The wisdom here is said to have been learned from his mother. The whole chapter is a narrative about one thing, a suitable wife. His mother warns Lemuel, as a king, to avoid alcohol and wild women—“those who ruin kings.” Instead, search for a “virtuous and capable wife.” “She is more precious than rubies.”

A virtuous woman is a blessing to her husband, “bringing him good, not harm, all the days of his life.” She is industrious, smart and capable. She is able to manage the operation of her household and family, and at the same time able to invest in property, run a business, and still have energy to “open her arms to the needy.”

“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness. Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her.”

Her character, dignity and hard work make her husband look smart for marrying her!

He praises her in public: “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!”

The very last “wisdom bite” of the book of Proverbs, therefore, is noteworthy:

“Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.”

Prayer: Lord, perhaps the most important decision we make on earth is the person whom we marry. May we, and our children, choose well so that, together, we all may bless our families, our friends and the nation, with the greatest gift of all—a happy, loving home. Amen.

July 8 / Proverbs 25-29

Today’s chapters are a collection of Solomon’s proverbs by the advisors of King Hezekiah of Judah, perhaps 250 years after they were written. This collection is for the benefit of Hezekiah’s people and illustrates the continuing value of wisdom and knowledge for the flourishing of society. So here again are selected “wisdom bites,” this time from chapters 25-29

From Proverbs 25: “It is God’s privilege to conceal things and the king’s privilege to discover them” “Do you like honey? Don’t eat too much, or it will make you sick.” “Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart is like taking someone’s coat in cold weather or pouring vinegar in a wound.” “If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink. You will heap burning coals of shame upon their heads, and the Lord will reward you.”

From Proverbs 26: “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness.” “Fire goes out without wood, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops.” “If you set a trap for others, you will get caught in it yourself. If you roll a boulder down on others, it will crush you instead.”

From Proverbs 27: “Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.” “A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. A simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.” “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”

From Proverbs 28: “When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability.” “Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and rich.” “People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.” “In the end, people appreciate honest criticism far more than flattery.”

From Proverbs 29: “The godly care about the rights of the poor; the wicked don’t care at all. “Discipline your children and they will give you peace of mind and will make your heart glad.” “Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety.”

Prayer: Lord, your wisdom leads us to a happy and productive life, so why do we so often ignore it? Show us our blind spots and areas of stubbornness so that we may stop our self-defeating behavior and be free to live with joy and peace. Amen.