Burunche’s Blog

9:1-3 “Well, I took all this in and thought it through, inside and out. Here’s what I understood: The good, the wise, and all that they do are in God’s hands—but, day by day, whether it’s love or hate they’re dealing with, they don’t know.

Anything’s possible. It’s one fate for everybody—righteous and wicked, good people, bad people, the nice and the nasty, worshipers and non-worshipers, committed and uncommitted. I find this outrageous—the worst thing about living on this earth—that everyone’s lumped together in one fate. Is it any wonder that so many people are obsessed with evil? Is it any wonder that people go crazy right and left? Life leads to death. That’s it.”

These statements reveal a lot more about Solomon than they do about life. Solomon is trying to justify not living a righteous life by claiming that “everyone’s lumped together in one fate.”

How tragic! This is the same guy who had a personal interview with the One True Living God, who promised him knowledge and riches. But Solomon is already being spiritually seduced by the demons his wives and concubines are worshiping. The result is that Solomon needs spiritual glasses!

Solomon’s father David was a man of great faith who wrote at least half the psalms that have encouraged believers for centuries. Sadly, David failed to pass on his faith to his son, as we see from the rest of this chapter. Did David try and Solomon refused to listen or to remember, feeling that he was so intelligent he didn’t need to remember his father’s teachings? While Solomon’s case of ennui might frustrate us, we must ask ourselves what we are teaching our children and those around us.

We need to learn as much as possible from Solomon’s mistakes. Here is a man so renowned for his wisdom that rulers are coming from the ends of the earth to consult him, bringing rare gifts; yet, he refuses to commune with God.

Seize Life!

4-6 “Still, anyone selected out for life has hope, for, as they say, “A living dog is better than a dead lion.” The living at least know something, even if it’s only that they’re going to die. But the dead know nothing and get nothing. They’re a minus that no one remembers. Their loves, their hates, yes, even their dreams, are long gone. There’s not a trace of them left in the affairs of this earth.”

7-10 “Seize life! Eat bread with gusto, drink wine with a robust heart. Oh yes—God takes pleasure in your pleasure! Dress festively every morning. Don’t skimp on colors and scarves.
Relish life with the spouse you love each and every day of your precarious life. Each day is God’s gift. It’s all you get in exchange for the hard work of staying alive. Make the most of each one! Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily! This is your last and only chance at it, for there’s neither work to do nor thoughts to think in the company of the dead, where you’re most certainly headed.”

Well, if you want an excuse for hedonism “if it feels good, do it!” then Solomon is handing you one. The problem is that actions today have eternal consequences, no matter how much Solomon would like to object.

11-12 “I took another walk around the neighborhood and realized that on this earth as it is—The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor satisfaction to the wise, nor riches to the smart, nor grace to the learned. Sooner or later bad luck hits us all. No one can predict misfortune. Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds in a trap, so men and women are caught by accidents evil and sudden.”

Wisdom Is Better than Muscle

13-15 “One day as I was observing how wisdom fares on this earth, I saw something that made me sit up and take notice. There was a small town with only a few people in it. A strong king came and mounted an attack, building trenches and attack posts around it. There was a poor but wise man in that town whose wisdom saved the town, but he was promptly forgotten. (He was only a poor man, after all.)”

16-18 “All the same, I still say that wisdom is better than muscle, even though the wise poor man was treated with contempt and soon forgotten. The quiet words of the wise are more effective than the ranting of a king of fools. Wisdom is better than warheads, but one hothead can ruin the good earth.”

Compare these grim statements with those of David, Solomon’s father, in Psalm 27: “27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell.
Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident.

One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle he shall hide me; he shall set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”

Do not hide Your face from me; do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.

Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence.
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!

Life is all about choices: We can copy Solomon or David. Choose wisely! And remember that as long as we hope in the Lord, we will have eternal life.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to remember to worship You while we are enjoying Your bounty. Help us to trust You when things become difficult and not to lose faith. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Ecclesiastes 8 Wisdom is great…if you don’t get stuck on yourself!

“There’s nothing better than being wise, knowing how to interpret the meaning of life. Wisdom puts light in the eyes and gives gentleness to words and manners.” Is Solomon referring to himself here? Possibly. Here in Ghana, there are many lorry drivers who turn their rear-view mirrors so that they can admire themselves, rather than watching traffic. Solomon is busy admiring himself…and it gets worse, just wait.

No One Can Control the Wind

2-7 “Do what your king commands; you gave a sacred oath of obedience. Don’t worryingly second-guess your orders or try to back out when the task is unpleasant. You’re serving his pleasure, not yours. The king has the last word. Who dares say to him, “What are you doing?” Carrying out orders won’t hurt you a bit; the wise person obeys promptly and accurately. Yes, there’s a right time and way for everything, even though, unfortunately, we miss it for the most part. It’s true that no one knows what’s going to happen, or when. Who’s around to tell us?”

Okay. No doubt about the reference here. Solomon wants to make sure that everybody KNOWS that he is king and that HE HAS THE LAST WORD AND YOU HAD BEST GET WITH IT AND OBEY NOW!!! But even powerful King Solomon has his limits.

8-9 “No one can control the wind or lock it in a box. No one has any say-so regarding the day of death. No one can stop a battle in its tracks. No one who does evil can be saved by evil. All this I observed as I tried my best to understand all that’s going on in this world. As long as men and women have the power to hurt each other, this is the way it is.”

Well, this is fascinating. Immediately after declaring that he is sovereign and everybody must follow orders, now Solomon is backing off, talking about the wind and death and battle and how uncontrollable those things are. And then Solomon follows up those statements by figuratively shrugging his shoulders and saying, “As long as men and women have the power to hurt each other, this is the way it is.” Does this mean that Solomon realizes that some things are not under his control? And then Solomon proceeds to register more complaints.

One Fate for Everybody

10-11 “One time I saw wicked men given a solemn burial in holy ground. When the people returned to the city, they delivered flowery eulogies—and in the very place where wicked acts were done by those very men! More smoke. Indeed. Because the sentence against evil deeds is so long in coming, people in general think they can get by with murder.”

Obviously, there were plenty of sycophants (boot lickers) in Solomon’s day, prepared to publicly praise the wicked at elaborate funerals in hopes of gaining something from the dead person’s family or supporters. Why doesn’t God punish wicked people immediately for their evil deeds? God gives the wicked many opportunities to repent; in fact, God is far more merciful than most of us.

12-13 Even though a person sins and gets by with it hundreds of times throughout a long life, I’m still convinced that the good life is reserved for the person who fears God, who lives reverently in his presence, and that the evil person will not experience a “good” life. No matter how many days he lives, they’ll all be as flat and colorless as a shadow—because he doesn’t fear God.

* * *

14 Here’s something that happens all the time and makes no sense at all: Good people get what’s coming to the wicked, and bad people get what’s coming to the good. I tell you, this makes no sense. It’s smoke.

15 So, I’m all for just going ahead and having a good time—the best possible. The only earthly good men and women can look forward to is to eat and drink well and have a good time—compensation for the struggle for survival these few years God gives us on earth.

16-17 When I determined to load up on wisdom and examine everything taking place on earth, I realized that if you keep your eyes open day and night without even blinking, you’ll still never figure out the meaning of what God is doing on this earth. Search as hard as you like, you’re not going to make sense of it. No matter how smart you are, you won’t get to the bottom of it.”

Solomon is completely frustrated with God! Why can’t God simply deal with people the way Solomon would? Punish the wicked! Reward the virtuous! Settle everybody’s problems at once, instead of allowing evil to continue to triumph! Many of us might share Solomon’s feelings, but the Bible has a different answer.

Isaiah 55:8 tells us, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are My ways your ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

One of our pastor friends was fond of saying that we are only in Advertising while God is in Management. God is the One who knows the end from the beginning, and only God can judge the human heart. There’s a saying in the American South that “Everybody’s trying to swallow something he just can’t get down.” No matter how wise we might be, we still have no idea of the challenges others are facing and therefore we are not qualified to judge. Besides that, let’s remember Jesus’ admonition to his disciples “Judge not so you won’t be judged.” Many of us are ready to make snap decisions about others’ behavior; however, the last thing we want is to be on the receiving end of somebody else’s verdicts.

May God help us to be gentle and merciful with those around us, just as we hope they will be gentle and merciful to us!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to remember that You are the Ruler of the universe and You are the only One qualified to judge. Help us to be gentle and merciful to those around us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Ecclesiastes 7:15-29 Stay in Touch with Both Sides

15-17 “I’ve seen it all in my brief and pointless life—here a good person cut down in the middle of doing good, there a bad person living a long life of sheer evil.”

 “Why do many good people die young while many evil people live long miserable lives?” That question has existed since the human race began. The problem is that our knowledge is faulty. Obviously, we want our beloved friends and family members to stay around as long as possible. Sometimes good people live long lives so that they may continue to bless others. One philanthropist died at age 92, having given away 8 billion dollars. He left a small apartment, a modest amount of clothing, and money that didn’t even amount to $50. On the other hand, some wicked people live long lives because God is giving them every opportunity to repent.

How does God view things? Psalm 116:15 tells us, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” While we view death as a disaster and irreparable loss, God welcomes dying believers into heaven. God’s ways are higher than ours. The recent death of Charlie Kirk at age 31 shocked millions of people. But God is using Charlie’s death to galvanize believers who were merely lukewarm before.

“So don’t knock yourself out being good, and don’t go overboard being wise. Believe me, you won’t get anything out of it. But don’t press your luck by being bad, either. And don’t be reckless. Why die needlessly?”

Wait, Solomon! What do you mean? All of us are sinners in need of a savior; there is no such thing as being “too good.” Sadly, these statements sound like Solomon is making excuses for himself, trying to wriggle away from truly following God. When it comes to Solomon’s advice, not all of it is valid. To quote a saying from the American South, “you have to chew up the meat and spit out the bones.” When you study Solomon’s life, you realize that the only time he humbles himself to God is at the beginning of his reign. Once the wealth and the wives start coming, Solomon loses touch with God.

“It’s best to stay in touch with both sides of an issue. A person who fears God deals responsibly with all of reality, not just a piece of it. Wisdom puts more strength in one wise person than ten strong men give to a city. There’s not one totally good person on earth, not one who is truly pure and sinless.” Hmm. Now Solomon is directly contradicting his earlier statement. Go figure!

21-22 “Don’t eavesdrop on the conversation of others. What if the gossip’s about you and you’d rather not hear it? You’ve done that a few times, haven’t you—said things behind someone’s back you wouldn’t say to his face?” Do these statements need comment? MYOB-Mind Your Own Business!

How to Interpret the Meaning of Life

23-25 I tested everything in my search for wisdom. I set out to be wise, but it was beyond me, far beyond me, and deep—oh so deep! Does anyone ever find it? I concentrated with all my might, studying and exploring and seeking wisdom—the meaning of life. I also wanted to identify evil and stupidity, foolishness and craziness.” Sounds as if Solomon has been looking for wisdom in all the wrong places. In the modern age, Solomon would be trying all kinds of drugs to expand his consciousness. All we can say is “Don’t copy Solomon!”

26-29 “One discovery: A woman can be a bitter pill to swallow, full of seductive scheming and grasping. The lucky escape her; the undiscerning get caught. At least this is my experience—what I, the Quester, have pieced together as I’ve tried to make sense of life. But the wisdom I’ve looked for I haven’t found. I didn’t find one man or woman in a thousand worth my while. Yet I did spot one ray of light in this murk: God made men and women true and upright; we’re the ones who’ve made a mess of things.”

Remember that these sentiments have been written by a man with 700 wives and 300 concubines. Certainly, this guy has experience, much of it bad. But consider the politics of surviving in an enormous harem. To survive such a situation, a lady would have to be a schemer of some kind. While Solomon is certain that he is assessing his ladies, the ladies are tasking their brains to find new means of manipulating Solomon. The best summary of this situation is the last statement: “we’re the ones who’ve made a mess of things.”

This part of Ecclesiastes 7 illustrates Solomon’s shilly-shallying attitudes as he makes one statement and then contradicts himself shortly thereafter. These differences demonstrate that we must be careful which parts of Scripture we take to heart. May God help us so that we learn His lessons from His Word and remain true-hearted, not copying Solomon.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to gain the lessons from Your Word that You have for us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Ecclesiastes 7:1-14 Don’t Take Anything for Granted

“A good reputation is better than a fat bank account. Your death date tells more than your birth date. You learn more at a funeral than at a feast—After all, that’s where we’ll end up. We might discover something from it.”

Psalm 90 tells us “So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.” By the time Moses wrote these words, he had likely herded sheep for 40 years and had then led the Israelites for nearly 40 years as well. There must have been many times when Moses longed to be back with the sheep where the only thing they could say was “BAAAA!” The Israelites were a quarrelsome and whiny bunch, and anytime we feel we are special to God, we should remember that the Israelites were God’s chosen people and yet they behaved abominably!

Some people have pointed out that our lives occur between parentheses, for example, (….-….) What are we doing with the lives we live from birth to death? Are we living them for God of for something less? What can we learn from funerals? There are no bank trucks following hearses. Someone was watching a funeral procession for a rich man pass by and asked another onlooker “What did that fellow leave?” The second man replied, “He left all of it.” There’s a song called “Oh may those who come behind us find us faithful.” Faithfulness to God brings peace to everyone-peace to you while you live and peace to your friends and loved ones when you die.

“3-5: Crying is better than laughing. It blotches the face but it scours the heart. Sages invest themselves in hurt and grieving. Fools waste their lives in fun and games. You’ll get more from the rebuke of a sage than from the song and dance of fools.”  We might laugh for all kinds of reasons, but when we cry, we divest ourselves of pretense-that is, unless you are an extremely skilled actor or actress. We are far more likely to face our shortcomings when we are grieving than when we are rejoicing. God uses our grief to bring us to repentance.

There’s also another aspect of these verses. How can we “invest ourselves in hurt and grieving” without being morbid? We can pray for others! My Facebook feeds give me lots of reasons for prayer. There are missing children, cancer patients and those recovering from tragic accidents, those grieving the loss of friends, relatives, or beloved pets. I don’t have to know those people to pray for them, for God knows all the details. I pray for these people to be healed, comforted, and strengthened, to enjoy the fruits of the Holy Spirit. (Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control-Galatians 5:22-23.)

When traveling, I pray for the towns through which I pass, that God will sovereignly move, sending revival throughout those communities. I pray for street venders pushing carts with their wares, that God will protect them from harm and danger and that they will sell everything so they can support themselves. Prayer is an amazing thing; the more you pray, the more subjects you find for prayer.

6-7 “The giggles of fools are like the crackling of twigs under the cooking pot. And like smoke. Brutality stupefies even the wise and destroys the strongest heart.”  Proverbs 4:23 tells us, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” When computers first became popular in the 1980’s, the phrase GIGO also came in. GIGO stands for “Garbage in, garbage out.” Computers are only as good as the people who program them and they can mislead if fed wrong information. Foolishness and brutality can warp our minds and our hearts if we feed on violent video games, movies, and violent podcasts. Truly, “brutality stupefies even the wise and destroys the strongest heart.”

8-9 “Endings are better than beginnings. Sticking to it is better than standing out. Don’t be quick to fly off the handle. Anger boomerangs. You can spot a fool by the lumps on his head.”

I grew up near a town that was so small that everybody knew everyone else’s business. The guys down at the feed mill could tell you which men were reliable workers and which men would go to the end of the field and loaf where nobody could see them. As for anger, we had one local farmer who was so angry and impatient that he couldn’t take the time to disengage the power takeoff on the tractor before trying to clean corn husks out of the snapping rolls. (This was in the days of corn pickers mounted on tractors. With the power takeoff engaged, you could lose a hand or even an arm!) Sadly, this man paid for his anger and his impatience by being so severely injured that he had to retire from farming.

10 “Don’t always be asking, “Where are the good old days?” Wise folks don’t ask questions like that.” Fixating your attentions on some mythical time past when things were allegedly perfect wastes energy and depresses you. We envelop our childhood memories in a rosy glow, little realizing that our parents were shielding us from harsh realities. Looking back, I realize that my mother baked bread, made butter, and sewed my school clothes to save money, not because she was simply rising trying to be Susie Homemaker.

11-12 “Wisdom is better when it’s paired with money, especially if you get both while you’re still living. Double protection: wisdom and wealth! Plus this bonus: Wisdom energizes its owner.” Wisdom that does not energize is merely wishful thinking, no matter how wise it might seem. Wisdom is more important than money, for if you are wise, you can manage small amounts of money correctly, while if you are foolish, money will slip through your fingers.

13 “Take a good look at God’s work. Who could simplify and reduce Creation’s curves and angles to a plain straight line?”  Psalm 8:3-4 tells us, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” God is the Supreme Creator and is constantly doing new things. We can only examine and copy what God is already doing. Many times, architects and inventors have looked to nature for design inspiration. Simple example: Velcro was inspired by seeds from weeds that had hooks allowing the seeds to cling to clothing or to the fur of animals.

14 “On a good day, enjoy yourself; On a bad day, examine your conscience. God arranges for both kinds of days so that we won’t take anything for granted.” Who wants bad days? When faced with difficult times, most of us are far more ready to whine than to learn or to examine ourselves. We blindly assume that God’s will and ours are identical; meanwhile, the reverse might be the case. Suffering is the last thing any of us would choose; yet, God uses suffering to perfect us.

Tomorrow we will continue with this chapter, but for today, the question remains: How are you investing the time represented by your parentheses, the time between birth and death? Once more, we must pray with Moses, “So teach us to number our days, that we might gain hearts of wisdom.”  Guard your hearts!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to be faithful stewards of the lives You have given us. Help us to gain hearts of wisdom. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Ecclesiastes 6 Things Are Bad

6: 1-2 I looked long and hard at what goes on around here, and let me tell you, things are bad. And people feel it. There are people, for instance, on whom God showers everything—money, property, reputation—all they ever wanted or dreamed of. And then God doesn’t let them enjoy it. Some stranger comes along and has all the fun. It’s more of what I’m calling smoke. A bad business.

3-5 Say a couple have scores of children and live a long, long life but never enjoy themselves—even though they end up with a big funeral! I’d say that a stillborn baby gets the better deal. It gets its start in a mist and ends up in the dark—unnamed. It sees nothing and knows nothing, but is better off by far than anyone living.

6 Even if someone lived a thousand years—make it two thousand!—but didn’t enjoy anything, what’s the point? Doesn’t everyone end up in the same place?

7 We work to feed our appetites; Meanwhile our souls go hungry.

8-9 So what advantage has a sage over a fool, or over some poor wretch who barely gets by? Just grab whatever you can while you can; don’t assume something better might turn up by and by. All it amounts to anyway is smoke. And spitting into the wind.

10 Whatever happens, happens. Its destiny is fixed. You can’t argue with fate.

11-12 The more words that are spoken, the more smoke there is in the air. And who is any better off? And who knows what’s best for us as we live out our meager smoke-and-shadow lives? And who can tell any of us the next chapter of our lives?

Well, if you thought some of Solomon’s previous sentiments were depressing, this chapter is even worse. The wealthiest king in the world feels dejected. After all the complaints are finished, the most telling phrase is verse 7: “We work to feed our appetites; Meanwhile our souls go hungry.” Solomon has already confessed that he’s sought every kind of pleasure available. Now he’s complaining that everything is up to fate and that destiny is fixed and that nobody can tell anyone the next chapter of their lives. But is Solomon correct?

The Bible answers, “Absolutely not!” 1 Peter 1:3-5 tells us, “What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole.” The good news of the Gospel is that God has loved us so much that He sent his son Jesus to die for our sins. No matter how difficult life is, believers can count on eternal life because of that sacrifice.

In many respects, Solomon is a tragic figure. Despite incredible wealth and knowledge, Solomon refuses to acknowledge God or to truly worship Him. Solomon’s father King David began worshiping God as a child and continued to do so throughout his life, eventually authoring at least 73 of the 150 psalms. (Some authorities say 75.) But Solomon rapidly wandered away from the One True Living God, spiritually seduced by idolatrous wives and concubines.  

Solomon’s mistakes can easily become ours if we do not guard our hearts. May God help us, so we will continue to be true to Him. Otherwise, we will become as soured on life as Solomon.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to remember that we always have an eternal hope in You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

In 1977 the musical group Kansas popularized a song that expresses Solomon’s sentiments in this chapter:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbEf0MbkSv8&t=30s

[Verse 1]
I close my eyes
Only for a moment and the moment’s gone
All my dreams
Pass before my eyes, a curiosity

[Refrain]
Dust in the wind
All they are is dust in the wind

[Verse 2]
Same old song
Just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do
Crumbles to the ground though we refuse to see

[Refrain]
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind

[Bridge]
Ohh-oh-ah

[Instrumental Break]

[Verse 3]
Now, don’t hang on
Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away
And all your money won’t another minute buy

Ecclesiastes 5: Fulfill Your Vow to God

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.

“A dream comes when there are many cares, and many words mark the speech of a fool. When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.”

Make no mistake-God takes our vows very seriously, much more seriously than many of us do. It’s easy to make promises to God when we are in a pinch, only to conveniently forget about those vows later. Meanwhile, God continues to wait for us to fulfill our promises. Make rash vows and you might find yourself struggling with nightmares. Far better not to make ridiculous vows in the first place. In Solomon’s day, vows made to the temple would be enforced by temple messengers, who would come to collect, hence the statement “And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.”

God takes vows so seriously that He has given strict laws concerning them. Numbers 30:1-16 outlines several different kinds of vows and the divine regulations governing them. V. 2 says, “When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.” The remainder of that passage outlines regulations for women who make vows, depending on their marital status and whether their fathers or husbands agree or choose to invalidate the vow. Even in Moses’ day, ladies couldn’t beg off if a father or husband allowed their vow to stand.

Deuteronomy 23:21-23 tells us, “If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty.Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the Lord your God with your own mouth.”

Riches Are Meaningless

“If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.”

If you think corrupt politics is a recent phenomenon, you’re wrong! Even in Solomon’s day, the corruption might extend all the way up to the king. But such practices exactly contravene God’s Word, for God orders us to care for the poor.

“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them? The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep.”

One of the challenges of wealth is caring for it without becoming greedy, obsessed, or selfish. And it’s true that the more wealth, the more people appear to demand part of that wealth. Are rich people happier than poor people? Here are the results of an internet search:

Research indicates that happiness does not strictly correlate with wealth. Various studies suggest that:

Key Findings:

• Basic Needs Matter: People with sufficient resources to meet their basic needs tend to report higher levels of happiness.
• Social Connections: Strong relationships and community ties often contribute more to happiness than financial status.
• Life Satisfaction: Some studies show that individuals in lower-income brackets can experience high life satisfaction, particularly if they have supportive social networks.

Cultural Factors:

• Happiness can vary significantly across cultures. In some societies, communal values and relationships may outweigh material wealth in contributing to overall happiness.

“I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners, or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when they have children there is nothing left for them to inherit. Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands. This too is a grievous evil: As everyone comes, so they depart, and what do they gain, since they toil for the wind? All their days they eat in darkness, with great frustration, affliction, and anger.”

What if your family was previously wealthy but lost their wealth? Shortly before the Great Depression, my mother’s family was considered one of the wealthiest families in their small town. The family owned a car agency, the local movie theater, and the local bank. But a series of business reverses forced the family to liquidate their assets, paying off bank customers, and moving to a large farm inherited by my great-grandmother. That farm was half tillable ground and half forest, with a stream running through the property. As a place to sit out the Depression, it was actually an excellent location. Although the family suffered a loss of status, they actually lived comfortably. My grandfather hunted and fished in addition to farming, the family maintained a large garden, and my mother even ran a trap line, selling the pelts of the animals she caught.

What about “eating in darkness, with great frustration, affliction, and anger?” Someone once said that people are just about as happy as they want to be. Part of the family felt the loss of status keenly while the rest of the family coped with the challenges and enjoyed life as much as possible.

“This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.”

Wealth can be a gift from God to be enjoyed; however, it will be more enjoyable if shared. It begs the question to blame God for keeping the wealthy “occupied with gladness of heart.” Why does God give us wealth? Each of us lives in a different situation; however, the poor area always there, although not always visible. If we will only look around us, we will realize that there are plenty of opportunities to help others-students who lack proper clothes or who go hungry for lack of money to pay for school lunches, workers depending on public transportation who need bus passes. The possibilities are endless.

May God help us so that we will use the resources He gives us to help rather than spending them on ourselves!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to fulfill our vows and to be generous with the resources You have given us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Ecclesiastes 4 The Evil of Oppression

“Again I looked, and I considered all the oppression taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; the power lay in the hands of their oppressors, and there was no comforter. So I admired the dead, who had already died, above the living, who are still alive. But better than both is he who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.”

Wait just an all-fired minute, Solomon! You are the richest and wisest king-and one of the most powerful-in the entire earth. How dare you merely sit there in your palace and whine when you have the power to change things?

If you know Solomon’s story, you remember that Solomon had 700 hundred wives and 300 concubines. Most of these women were idolaters and demanded Solomon build places of worship for the demons they followed. There’s an old saying: “You lie down with dogs; you get up with fleas.” In Solomon’s case, it can be modified to “You have sex with idolaters and you wind up with demons.”

Yes, demons can transfer from one person to another through sex. Witches’ covens have been using that strategy to seduce new members for centuries. Sadly, Solomon has been influenced by these demons rather than by the One True Living God, even though he has dedicated a magnificent temple in Jerusalem. The tragedy of Solomon’s life illustrates the fact that faith is not a one-time affair, but a continual walk with the Lord. Only an idolater can refuse to correct problems and then whine that unborn souls are better off than anybody else.

“I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.” Speak for yourself, Solomon! Many people work for the joy of doing a job well and to support themselves and their families. Yes, there are those who envy others, but the vast majority of us are too busy to waste time in envy.

“The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.” This is true. When we fold our hands and refuse to work, we are inviting disaster.  

“Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind.” Tranquility is vastly under-rated. Proverbs 16:7 tells us, “When a person’s ways please the Lord, He makes even their enemies to be at peace with them.” The mark of the Holy Spirit is peace, a peace that passes all understanding. There’s also the question of the nature of the toil. Are we pursuing God’s will for our lives or are we speeding off in some other direction and begging God to bless our misguided efforts?  

“Again, I saw futility under the sun. There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a miserable task.”

I once read an interview with a Chinese billionaire who had no family. The man spoke of the wonderful philanthropic things he wanted to do….just as soon as he had enough. But he couldn’t tell the interviewer how much more he needed before he would reach that point. Sadly, this man would fit Solomon’s description.  

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. For if one falls down, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to help him up! Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? And though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

For centuries, people have braided all kinds of fibers into ropes with at least three strands. The more strands a rope has, the stronger it will be and the more it will resist breaking. The same thing is true for fellow workers and for friends. In a country where a poor man might be forced to shiver in the cold, two or three huddling together could mean the difference between life and death. The story is told of two prisoners in an open box car on their way to a concentration camp during World War II. The one man was a bit stronger and feared for his companion, so all night long, he kept chafing the other man’s hands and feet. In the morning, only those two men were still alive; all the others in the box car had frozen to death in the night. When we help others, we are also helping ourselves.

The Futility of Power

“Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take a warning. For the youth has come from the prison to the kingship, though he was born poor in his own kingdom. I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed this second one, the youth who succeeded the king. There is no limit to all the people who were before them. Yet the successor will not be celebrated by those who come even later. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.”

This is a fascinating observation. Is Solomon referring to the story of Joseph, who came from the prison to become the second most powerful man in Egypt? Has Solomon caught wind of some kind of palace intrigue and is now giving a veiled threat to an ambitious young man? Or has Solomon been studying Rehoboam who will succeed him? Does Solomon already realize that Rehoboam is a foolish young man who will make disastrous decisions?

There is no leader who will live forever; at the same time, successors to famous leaders are frequently swiftly forgotten. All any leader can aspire to do is to seek God’s help and do the best he/she can with the time given. May God help us, so that we will trust in Him and do our best, refusing to lose hope, no matter how difficult things might be.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to remember that You call us to do Your Will, not to be successful or to compete with others. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Ecclesiastes 3: A Time for Everything

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.”

These verses are some of the most encouraging and comforting in all of Scripture. But many of us aren’t interested in God’s time table; we try to demand God work by our time tables instead. The problem is that as long as we fight God’s timing, we accomplish nothing but exhaustion and frustration. Relax and allow God to work; the results are much better.

“What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him. Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.”

Many times, we demand results far too early. It’s very difficult to remember that God will make everything beautiful in its time. Only we relinquish control can God begin to work. Many times, our attempts at fixing things interfere with God’s perfect will.

What does it mean that God has put eternity in the human heart? Centuries ago, Blaise Pascal pointed out the fact that people have a God-sized hole in their hearts that can only be filled by God and nothing less. But many of us try to fill that hole with all kinds of things-possessions, food, success, entertainments-the list is endless but futile. St. Augustine of Hippo said in his Confessions “Thou movest us to delight in praising Thee; for Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.” Augustine was a wild young man who tried to fill that God-sized hole with pleasure until committing his life to Christ.

“And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment—wickedness was there, in the place of justice—wickedness was there. I said to myself, “God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed.”

There have always been unjust judges. The Law of Moses warned against unjust judgments centuries earlier while later Jesus told a story about such a man in Luke 18:1-5. Obviously, there were still corrupt judges in Solomon’s day, even though Solomon might have appointed the best men he could. How frustrating to be a king striving for righteousness, only to find the men you have put in positions of trust have failed. Solomon can only hope that God will bring the final judgment. Sometimes, that’s all any of us can do, no matter how much we might want things to be different.

“I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”

“So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?”

OUCH!! Really, Solomon? Is that all there is to life? At this point, we need to return to St. Augustine for a reply: “Lord, teach me to know and understand which of these should be first, to call on Thee, or to praise Thee; and likewise to know Thee, or to call upon Thee… Behold, Lord, the ears of my heart are before Thee; open Thou them, and “say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.” When I hear, may I run and lay hold on Thee. Hide not Thy face from me. Let me die, lest I die, if only I may see Thy face.”

The Westminster Shorter Catechism Shorter Catechism tells us that the chief end of man is “to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” May we strive to glorify God in everything we do so that we might enjoy Him forever!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to truly glorify You and to enjoy You forever. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

In an earlier generation, the Byrds popularized a song taken from Ecclesiastes 3. Here is the YouTube connection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKP4cfU28vM&list=RDpKP4cfU28vM&start_radio=1