What a great start last night by "the Gambler" Kenny Rogers. And what a fantastic, professional way Laynce Nix handled his demotion, coming back in the last week to serve as a spark plug for the Rangers. Now if the Rangers could just get on a hot streak!
Last night in my Wednesday evening Bible class, we discussed a better approach to understanding the message of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes is a cynical journey with an over-arching pessmistic tone. Solomon, by experience, seems to be saying life is absolutely miserable and death is the ultimate fate. It seems as though his approach is this: Since life is miserable and death is inevitable, here are some tips to make the most of your miserable life.
But is that the true message of Ecclesiastes?
Ecclesiastes is a rich, profound text of Scripture, especially when interpreted in light of the final two verses. In Ecclesiastes 12.13-14, Solomon concludes by saying, "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil."
In the light of the final two verses, the message of Ecclesiastes is not cynical but realistic. It is a portrait of life lived without God. When one chooses to live apart from God's will, life is ultimately miserable. Death is the ultimate enemy.
Aren't you grateful to know God? To love God? To follow His will for your life? A life lived in the glow of His glory becomes, not an exercise in futility, but an abundant journey.
