Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Year 8, Day 339: Ecclesiastes 9


Theological Commentary: Click Here



Progressing through Ecclesiastes is like listening to a good debater.  A good debater can debate either side of an issue, and they know that the truth is actually somewhere in the compromise in the middle.  So it is with Ecclesiastes.  Often we read the latter chapters and discover that truth lies in the middle ground, not with the extreme.



For example, take the story near the end of this chapter about the small city saved by a poor wise man under the siege of a great king with much resource.  It isn’t the resources of the king that won.  It isn’t the power of might of the king.  It isn’t the size of the city.  In that war of attrition, it was wisdom that triumphed over strength and status.



Lest we think that wisdom is the answer, though, the author reminds us that death happens to us all and wisdom cannot escape its grasp.  Even the wisest fall victim to random chance.  If someone intends to do us evil, wisdom cannot always prevent us from becoming the victim of the person who desires to harm us.  Wisdom may be great, but it isn’t the be-all or end-all.



One paragraph that I really love in this chapter is the paragraph about spending life with the person you love.  Life is fun; life is hard.  Why go through it without having people you care about to share it with?  God has given us our portion to live in life, find people who can share your joy and encourage you in it.



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