Ecclesiastes 7:1-9:18; 2 Corinthians 7:8-16; Psalm 48:1-14; Proverbs 22:17-19
There are so many beautiful words in our reading today:
"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no
regret" (2 Cor. 7:10); "for this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide even to the end" (Ps. 48:14); "so that your
trust may be in the Lord, I teach you today" (Pr. 22:19).
I find these most beautiful of all, though: "It is now that God favors what you do" (Ecc. 9:7). It is now. God favors what you do. Could there be anything more encouraging and sustaining than to know that God favors us? And that his favor is now, always now? How un-grasp-ably amazing!
The verses surrounding this profound statement of God's bias toward us are almost as wonderful. The Teacher urges us to go, to eat and drink with gladness and joy, to dress in white (even today, white is a party color - think of Easter and weddings and summer picnics), to anoint our heads with oil (the "oil of gladness" [see Ps. 45:7]), to enjoy life with those nearest and dearest to us, to work with vigor (see Ecc. 9:7-10).
This is a call to live fully. We're encouraged to be present to the goodness of our world, to enjoy all the many gifts given by an extravagant God. These words push against the asceticism of our Puritan forebearers, but keep us from the excess and indulgence more common in our modern era. We're reminded that our life comes from God (see Ecc. 9:9) and, therefore, is meant to be experienced. Irenaeus, a second-century church father, once declared that the glory of God is man fully alive, and these verses show us how to be fully alive.
If we were to put these verses into a modern framework, would we eat the best chocolates and the ripest peaches? Would we juice lemons to make lemonade and pour it into jam jars and drink it through colored paper straws? Would we wear the white jeans, even to a backyard BBQ, even with tiny toddler hands reaching for us? Would we buy a new flavored body wash from Bath and Body Works, and relish rubbing sunscreen into the back of a loved one? Would we spend meaningful time with our spouses and children and friends, playing Charades or reading aloud or going on a drive in a beautiful place? Would we work with deliberation, seeing our work as our lot in life, assigned by God, whether it is teaching children or healing bodies?
Ecclesiastes is a book of tension, where the writer explores the dissonance between our daily, ultimately insignificant, existence and the aspirational full experience of human life. We're forced to look at our perspective, to see which of these two ends we will pursue. Will we see only the meaninglessness, or will we embrace the fullness?
Lord, thank you for giving us this book in your Scriptures. Teach us, as Moses once prayed, to number our days rightly that we might gain a heart of wisdom (Ps. 90:12). Remind us of your very present favor toward us, and cause us to remember your great goodness. Give us a true perspective on our lives, and bring us joy in our work. Amen.
I find these most beautiful of all, though: "It is now that God favors what you do" (Ecc. 9:7). It is now. God favors what you do. Could there be anything more encouraging and sustaining than to know that God favors us? And that his favor is now, always now? How un-grasp-ably amazing!
The verses surrounding this profound statement of God's bias toward us are almost as wonderful. The Teacher urges us to go, to eat and drink with gladness and joy, to dress in white (even today, white is a party color - think of Easter and weddings and summer picnics), to anoint our heads with oil (the "oil of gladness" [see Ps. 45:7]), to enjoy life with those nearest and dearest to us, to work with vigor (see Ecc. 9:7-10).
This is a call to live fully. We're encouraged to be present to the goodness of our world, to enjoy all the many gifts given by an extravagant God. These words push against the asceticism of our Puritan forebearers, but keep us from the excess and indulgence more common in our modern era. We're reminded that our life comes from God (see Ecc. 9:9) and, therefore, is meant to be experienced. Irenaeus, a second-century church father, once declared that the glory of God is man fully alive, and these verses show us how to be fully alive.
If we were to put these verses into a modern framework, would we eat the best chocolates and the ripest peaches? Would we juice lemons to make lemonade and pour it into jam jars and drink it through colored paper straws? Would we wear the white jeans, even to a backyard BBQ, even with tiny toddler hands reaching for us? Would we buy a new flavored body wash from Bath and Body Works, and relish rubbing sunscreen into the back of a loved one? Would we spend meaningful time with our spouses and children and friends, playing Charades or reading aloud or going on a drive in a beautiful place? Would we work with deliberation, seeing our work as our lot in life, assigned by God, whether it is teaching children or healing bodies?
Ecclesiastes is a book of tension, where the writer explores the dissonance between our daily, ultimately insignificant, existence and the aspirational full experience of human life. We're forced to look at our perspective, to see which of these two ends we will pursue. Will we see only the meaninglessness, or will we embrace the fullness?
Lord, thank you for giving us this book in your Scriptures. Teach us, as Moses once prayed, to number our days rightly that we might gain a heart of wisdom (Ps. 90:12). Remind us of your very present favor toward us, and cause us to remember your great goodness. Give us a true perspective on our lives, and bring us joy in our work. Amen.
- Sarah Marsh
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