And indeed life is, as the Hebrew word translated “vanity” means, short, a breath, a mist, and then it’s gone. James reminds us of the same, “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14). Does this truth rob life of its meaning, or does it deepen it? The answer is found not in life itself but for what or for whom you are living it.
Category Archives: Ecclesiastes
This Mortal Life Also
In simple verse, Luther reminds us of the eternality of God’s Word, the abiding presence of his Spirit evidenced in his gifts, all of which transcend this mortal life and prepare us for eternal life. It’s a sanctifying reminder in this mortal life that screams for our attention and devotion, encouraging us to fear and fight not to lose it: this life is not eternal, but God’s Word is. God’s truth abides; this life does not. So, what do we gain by fearing death and obsessing over this mortal life, when all that we have and all that we will be is secured for us in Christ? As Jim Eliot said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” So, let us live this life for Christ. Unlike this life, “his kingdom is forever!”
Live for God’s Glory
Such a thought can be daunting, but for those in Christ it should be liberating! Consider that by God’s grace through faith in Christ, you stand not in your own but the righteousness of Christ. Consider that all who are in Christ have been given the guarantee of his Spirit; we are in the presence of God, indeed. Consider that “those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Rom. 8:29-30). Therefore, remove the weight of your worry and cast off the cares of sin: give generously, work diligently, walk wisely, and trust willingly. Embrace the life God has given you, with its sunrises and dark nights, for the light of our life is the light of the world, and “in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
God Only Knows
The bulk of the tenth chapter of Ecclesiastes consists of individual proverbs, poetically-structured truisms, varying by subject, interconnected by theme. What can seem repetitive to modern ears is intentionally reinforcing these themes, repetitively engaging the reader’s imagination, and leading to greater insight. But all of these varying proverbs flow into one general theme: Wisdom is better than folly. And who would disagree? But when we look at real life, in everything that is happening in this life under the sun, we often see folly in abundance.
We Do Not Know Our Time
In our daily Bible reading schedule, we recently finished the book of Job, and though I have gained much from Job, it can at times be a feat of endurance to finish. Our English translations don’t help much, rendering the Hebrew poetry wordy. And after the beginning of the story from the supernatural realm to the devastating tragedy that is Job’s life, we can get lost in Job’s dialogue with his so-called friends. On and on, back and forth, one is struck by their lack of mercy but also Job’s candor. But what Job and his friends are both guilty of is what I call “karma Christianity,” or theologians call the “retribution principle,” “the idea that God blesses those who are righteous and punishes those who are wicked in this life. If a person is blessed, that is proof that he is righteous. If a person suffers hardship, that is proof of sin in his life.”[2] Such teaching was popularized in the last century in a movement called the “prosperity gospel,” but it was nothing new. What charismatics were selling on television is the same thing Job and his friends believed.
Life Is Beautiful
Search as we may, work as we might, we will never find heaven on this earth. But through the enjoyment of God’s simple gifts, the “splendors of this world,” we’ll get a sense of what’s to come for all who are in Christ Jesus. And in this sense, life is truly beautiful.
The Humbling Wisdom of Life’s Limits
Enjoy the good things that God gives, knowing that this world obsessed with busyness, with its always-on, sleep-deprived, 24/7 compulsion to be God, will do what it can, when it can, to rob you of his joy. And when it tries, remember this: we trust in the only one who neither slumbers nor sleeps (Ps. 121:4). We trust in the one who created this world and upholds it by the word of his power (Heb. 1:3). We trust in the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Rev. 22:13).
When Everything Sad Comes Untrue
In his mercy and by his grace, God has dealt with our sin problem: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). Positionally, by God’s grace through faith in Christ we are perfectly righteous. Practically, through his Spirit we are enabled to live in obedience to him. And while in this life under the sun, we battle our sinful flesh, Christ is preparing a place for us where the inequities of this life are not true, where the righteous don’t die, where there is no folly nor sadness because sin no longer is. This is the Christian hope, that in the final consummation, we will hear from heaven “Behold, I am making all things new” (Rev. 21:5), and on that day everything sad comes untrue.
Trust Him for His Grace
The crook in our lot is often not plain to our sight, because we live here, under the sun: “For now we see in a mirror dimly,” Paul explains, “but then face to face.” Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Cor. 13:12). This side of glory, we do not, we will not, we cannot see God’s sovereign purpose in what he has ordained. And if we interpret this through the folly of unbelief, we will wallow in vanity and dive deeper in despair. But if we trust the Lord, for our good and his glory, we will rest contented in his loving provision, even in adversity.
God knows what is to come because he has ordained it. God knows what is good for us because he ordained that too. Let us trust him for his grace.
Riches I Heed Not
If you think that people are basically good, then Solomon says to come look at this province where the poor are oppressed. If you think that people are basically good, come see what they can do in the absence of justice and righteousness. If you think that people are basically good, then Solomon says let me show you how corrupt government can be. Even in a country where the king cultivates the land to help feed the hungry, there will still be people who manipulate power for their own gain and the oppression of the vulnerable. If you think that people are basically good, then you are not only naïve but uninformed, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).
Planter, Pastor, Preacher 