Good morning! Today we finish with the rest of the book of Ecclesiastes (chapters 6-12). We’re not actually reading this (or any of the Wisdom literature) the way it is most helpfully read. Each book, chapter and verse might be better if savored in small doses as one would a strong cup of coffee. However, in reading the Bible through the way we are, we aren’t taking as much time as we could with these wisdom texts. I hope and trust that you will come back to them and reflect further as the occasion calls for in the years to come. For today, we consider the main point of “the Teacher” in Ecclesiastes: life has no guarantees but righteousness is better than foolishness. Furthermore, enjoy life while you can because hardships and death await everyone.
Category: Daily Bible
Ecclesiastes 1-5
Good morning! Today we start the book of Ecclesiastes, chapters 1-5. This wisdom book offers a more skeptical, maybe even cynical, appraisal of human life and activities. Tradition suggests that King Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes much later in life, after he’d written Song of Songs as a lovestruck adolescent and Proverbs as a practical, wise ruler. I rather like the image of Solomon in his final years reflecting on the activities of his life, and the presence of God in them. This book gets to the heart of the matter. It concerns the “meaning of life” in a most explicit way.
Proverbs 30-31
Good morning! With today’s last two chapters (Proverbs 30-31), we finish this book of sayings. These chapters are somewhat similar and dissimilar to those which we have read in the majority of the book. They try to boil down exemplary wisdom into easily digestible aphorisms which summarize basic truths. However, these chapters finish the book with more extended advice-giving and unique praise for “a capable wife”.
Proverbs 27-29
Good morning! Here we have another day of readings from Proverbs (27-29), and another wearisome reference to a “contentious wife”. We also find some curious passages that lead one to wonder about the specific situations that led to them, including Proverbs 27:14, “Whoever blesses a neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing.” A short story about that encounter practically writes itself.
Proverbs 25-26
Good morning! Many verses in the Hebrew Scriptures have been given further life by their inclusion in more recent texts. This morning’s chapters from Proverbs (25-26) draw particular attention for the ways their wisdom has been relayed into different contexts through echoes in the New Testament.
Proverbs 23-24
Good morning! Today’s two chapters of Proverbs (23-24) expand the genre slightly to allow for proverbs that take more than one verse to complete. Now the message of a proverb might be unfurled over the course of multiple verses, allowing for thoughts to be more fully developed.
Proverbs 20-22
Good morning! Today in Proverbs 20-22, the list of one saying after another continues, barely interrupted by chapter markings. Then, midway through chapter 22, the writer switches to what’s labeled “Sayings of the Wise”, presumably because these “thirty sayings” (which continue into tomorrow) are no longer directly attributed to Solomon.
Proverbs 17-19
Good morning! There are many interesting diversions we might pursue in reflecting on today’s reading (Proverbs 17-19), but one proverb is an especially good summary of the orientation of the whole book. 19:8 reads, “To get wisdom is to love oneself; to keep understanding is to prosper.” Before all the other reasons to pursue wisdom (healthy relationships, discerning leadership, etc), it is in the end an act of self-love. The wise person has greater confidence in navigating the troubles of life, can disassociate more easily from conflicted situations, has a greater grasp of world events, and is good company with oneself. Furthermore, and particularly for the scribe of Proverbs, wisdom might lead to prosperity and abundance for oneself and for loved ones. Within that context and desire to love the self, we could spend quite a bit of time talking about slavery, grandchildren, fools, friendship, loners, marital quarrels, childhood discipline and mercy to the poor. However, I think it better to let you go and read for yourself. After all, in the words of another, non-biblical proverb: “Better to be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.” Happy reading!
Please join discussion of this passage at the Daily Bible Facebook group, or comment below. The passage for tomorrow is Proverbs 20-22. Thanks for reading!
Proverbs 15-16
Good morning! Today as we continue in the book of Proverbs (chapters 15-16), I find myself noticing the heavy reliance of this book on absolute binaries. The use of black/white binaries makes it simple to understand a complex issue, but oversimplifying a situation or presuming that human beings are less complicated than we are may lead to painful assumptions.
Proverbs 12-14
Good morning! The proverbs in chapters 12-14 concern many of the themes we read yesterday as well, including the nature of righteousness and wickedness, the importance of discipline and hard work, as well as prudence in speech and action.
Pastor Oby Ballinger 