Milo – Page 14

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

Lamentations

INTRODUCTION
Five somber “dirge” or “funeral” poems express grief over the loss of the Jewish homeland and the destruction of Jerusalem. These poems, meditating on the tragedy and its causes, reflect a long literary tradition in the Middle East. They were clearly written by an eyewitness to Jerusalem’s fall. Tradition identifies Jeremiah as the author.
The number of verses in each poem is divisible by 22 because these are acrostic poems; each verse or set of verses begins with a different letter of the 22-consonant Hebrew alphabet.

CRIES OF DESPAIR
Lamentations 1–5

“See, O LORD, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed, for I have been most rebellious” (Lam. 1:20).

A sense of despair over some great loss is no stranger to any human being. Yet reflection on our tragedies can offer us important insights, and do much to restore hope.

Overview
The author lamented the lost splendor of Jerusalem (1:1–22) and the pitiless destruction of its inhabitants (2:1–22). Understanding this to be a consequence of sin, the author dared hope in God (3:1–66). The punishment, though great, will end (4:1–22), and a humbled Judah may be restored (5:1–22).

Understanding the Text
“Like a widow is she” Lam. 1:1–11. This first poem personifies Jerusalem. The city is compared to a widow who has lost touch with all her children. She is not only alone but is ignored by old friends, and ridiculed by heartless neighbors. All she has is memories of better days. But for her, remembering is bitter. The memories only drive home her loneliness and cause her to weep bitter tears.
What a penetrating insight! Like Jerusalem, many human beings live selfish, sinful lives. Wealth or beauty or power makes them popular for a time. But, when these are lost, such people find themselves deserted and alone. How much better the humble, loving individual, who quietly serves God and others, and when widowed is surrounded by a loving family and caring friends.

“My sins have been bound into a yoke” Lam. 1:12–22. Have you ever noticed how so many people think of “freedom” as release from moral restraint, or the right to do whatever wrong thing they want? Jeremiah pointed out that Judah’s insistence on following pagan gods and sinful passions was not freedom, but captivity! Each sin was like another branch, being tightly woven and bound together in the shape of a yoke that would rest on Judah’s neck and become an unbearable weight.
Seeing Jerusalem’s and Judah’s suffering, the observer was to trace its cause to rebellion against the commands of her righteous God. If we take this message to heart, we will never make Judah’s mistake and suppose that sin, which binds us for judgment, offers a way to be free.
Knowing that sin is the cause of our suffering may cause a “torment within” that matches all outward afflictions (v. 20). Yet acknowledging sin is a first, and necessary, step toward restoration.

“The Lord is like an enemy” Lam. 2:1–22. The author is right in adding “like” to his description. God had done to Jerusalem and Judah what an enemy might do.
God destroyed Judah’s strongholds, and multiplied her mourning (v. 5). He destroyed her temple (vv. 6–7). He exiled her king and people (v. 9). And these acts caused utter anguish. Speaking as an eyewitness, the author said, “My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within, my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city” (v. 11). In all of this the Lord had “done what He planned” and “fulfilled His word” (v. 17). He “summoned against me terrors on every side. In the day of the LORD’s anger no one escaped or survived” (v. 22).
What a challenge for faith when God acts “like an enemy.” It is then we must remember that despite whatever tragedy strikes us, God is not our enemy.
In the case of Judah, the cause of God’s action can be traced back to persistent sin. In our times of suffering, we may not find such a clear-cut reason. Yet, even—and especially—if we are uncertain about the cause of our suffering, we can hold tight to the truth this phrase in Lamentations affirms. God may act like an enemy, but our enemy He is not!

“Why should any living man complain when punished for his sins?” Lam. 3:34–66 The author of Lamentations was a realist. He didn’t try to explain away suffering, muttering that of course God wouldn’t do anything as terrible as bring on the destruction that shattered Judah and Jerusalem. Too many today try to “protect” God by denying Him the power. “God was just as sad and surprised about what happened as you are,” they say, in a futile attempt to comfort. Not the author of Lamentations. He simply, and with firm conviction, said, “The Lord has decreed it.”
He said something else too. If tragedy is indeed punishment for known sins, then on what basis can a person complain? God is a moral judge: He ought then to punish sins!
If tragedy should strike, it’s wise for us to acknowledge God’s sovereign control of events, and then look first to ourselves. If we are aware of serious sin in our lives, then we can follow the prescription found in verses 40–42:

  Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.
  Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven, and say:
  “We have sinned and rebelled and You have not forgiven.”

If unconfessed and unrepented sin was the cause of our suffering, we can expect God to hear this prayer. But even if sin was not the cause, we can remain confident that God will respond to us as He did to the author of Lamentations in verses 55–57:

  I called on Your name, O LORD,
    from the depths of the pit.
  You heard my plea: “Do not close Your
    ears to my cry for relief.”
  You came near when I called You,
    and You said, “Do not fear.”

“Your punishment will end” Lam. 4:1–22. We cannot really imagine the horrors of the siege of Jerusalem, graphically described here in verses such as 9–11. Yet the portrait is not intended to solicit sympathy. Instead the picture of suffering drives home the immensity of the sin which caused God to crush His own, dearly loved people. Any horror we feel should be horror of sin, and the source of our relief is the conviction that, for God’s people, even sin—caused sufferings will end.

DEVOTIONAL
The Man Who Has Seen Affliction
(Lam. 3)
It’s not very impressive when a person who has known nothing but blessing tries to comfort a sufferer. How can the rich understand poverty? How can the child whose parents loved him understand the abused? How can the woman with a husband and children understand the widow’s loss, or the divorcee’s pain? It’s far more meaningful when we hear words of comfort from a person we can identify with: from a fellow sufferer.
This is why the author’s words in Lamentations 3 are so powerful. He immediately identified himself as “the man who has seen affliction.” Here was someone who spoke about suffering from firsthand experience. To make sure we know he understood, he even went on to show how extreme his suffering had been. Then, when we realize that here is an authority, a person who can fully identify with us, he said, “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed” (vv. 21–22).
The author of Lamentations would understand whatever suffering you or I are called to experience. And after listening to our complaint, he would speak bluntly to us, and say that God’s “compassions never fail.” He would remind us, “They are new every morning,” and would invite us to praise the Lord, telling God, “great is Your faithfulness.”
The author, as a “man who has seen affliction,” would give us one more piece of advice. He would tell us to say to ourselves, as he did when the pain was greatest, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.”
As we wait in faith, we will be sustained by the conviction that sustained Jeremiah. We too know, despite everything, that “the Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD” (vv. 25–26).

Personal Application
Suffering saints through the ages counsel us to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Quotable
“When trouble, restless fears, anxious fretfulness, strive to overpower the soul, our safety is in saying, ‘My God, I believe in Thy perfect goodness and wisdom and mercy. What Thou doest I cannot now understand; but I shall one day see it all plainly. Meanwhile I accept Thy will, whatever it may be, unquestioning, without reserve.’ There would be no restless disturbance, no sense of utter discomfort and discomposure in our souls, if we were quite free from any—it may be almost unconscious—opposition to God’s will. But we do struggle against it, we do resist; and so long as that resistance endures we cannot be at peace. Peace, and even joy, are quite compatible with a great deal of pain—even mental pain—but never with a condition of antagonism or resistance.”—H.L. Sidney Lear

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

THE CONCLUSION
Ecclesiastes 9–12

“Fear God and kepp His commanments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecc 12:13–14).

Life truly is short. Unless we learn to live with eternity in view, our lives will also be meaningless.

Overview
The Teacher continued to explore the choices a secular man can make in view of life’s essential meaninglessness. His advice: Enjoy life while you can (9:1–12), choose wisdom’s ways (v. 13–10:20), prepare for the future (11:1–6), and enjoy your youth (v. 7–12:8). Finally, stepping out of his secular role, the Teacher advised: “Fear God and keep His commandments” (vv. 9–14).

Understanding the Text
“All share a common destiny” Ecc. 9:1–10. Death is the destiny that awaits all men. This, when life is viewed from a secular viewpoint, is all one can say. The dead have no “part in anything that happens under the sun.” As far as one can tell apart from divine revelation “the dead know nothing; they have no furthur reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten.”
If this life is all there is, then all one can do is enjoy and live this life to the full (chaps. 9–10).
It’s important to remember that the writer was not serving as God’s spokesman, but as spokesman for secular man. The text represents what man can discover about the most basic issues of life using only reason and data available to the senses. such phrases as “the dead know nothing” are not revelations from God, but reasoned human conclusions.

Perfume jars like these were used in Old Testaments times to hold sweet-smelling ointments. The image in Ecclesiates 10:1 of dead fliews spoiling the odor of perfume has given us the saying, “there’s a fly in the ointment.” We use it to mean that something has gone seriously wrong.

“Wisdom is better” Ecc. 9:11–10:20. In this extended passage the Teacher expressed his preference for wisdom over folly. But there’s a fly in the ointment! While wisdom is preferable, wisdom cannot quarantee anyone a better life!
What is seriously wrong with wisdom? First, Solomon asked us to realize that nothing in this life can guarantee success (9:11–12). The swift do not always win the race. The largest army is not always victorious. Wisdom is no guarantee of wealth. In this world men are vulnerable, likely to be “trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.”
Chance is not the only factor that makes wisdom of uncertain benefit. Here is the writer’s list:
9:13–16. Wisdom is often unrecognized. People pay more attention to rich fools than to poor wise men.
9:17–10:1. Wisdom can be thwarted, by those in authority (9:17), by moral deficiency (v. 18), and by mistaking spoiled advice for the real thing (10:1).
10:2–3. Folly, which is the opposite of wisdom and is associated with wickedness, competes with wisdom, and we are vulnerable.
10:4–7. When offended we are likely to react foolishly—and since so many fools hold high positions, we’re likely to be offended.
Here the author drifted slightly and examined the consequences of folly:
10:8–11. Any foolish action has bad consequences for the actor, as illustrated by several sayings and proverbs.
10:12–14. Wise words are “gracious.” The word means kind, appropriate, helpful. But foolish words degenerate into even wilder thoughts and actions, including pronouncements about a future no one can know.
10:15. Fools are incompetent guides to life: A fool can’t even find his way into town!
10:16–20. Folly in national life, as in the individual, leads to disaster.

“Sow your seed in the morning” Ecc. 11:1–6. While no one can control the futre (v. 3), it is best to prepare for it as carefully as possible.

“Let him enjoy them all” Ecc. 11:7–12:6. It is best to enjoy each day as it comes, and especially while you are young.
The exhortation to “remember your Creator in the days of your youth” is not a call to monastic life, but an invitation to enjoy all the good things God has provided in this creation. All too soon old age—the “days of trouble”—will come, when we lose the capacity to enjoy things. Then the world becomes dark (v. 2), for the body stoops (v. 3), teath wear out (v. 3), eyes dim (v. 3) and hearing fades (v. 4). Weakness brings fear (v. 5) and drains desire (v. 5). Then man, like a cut cord, a broken bowl, or a shattered pitcher, is useful no more, and the “the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
Man is born.
Man lives a brief and empty life.
Man dies, and returns to dust.
If this is all there is, then life truly is meaningless.

“Now all has been heard” Ecc. 12:9–14. It’s comforting to suppose that the Teacher, who the text here and in other places suggests is solomon, stepped out of his role as representative of secular man at the end of Ecclesiastes. Although even here he did not use the name Yahweh, he did speak of God’s commandments, which are least implies some self-revelation.
If solomon is in fact the Teacher, and he did step out of his secular role, his words are especially powerful. In the end we must all turn to find hope and meaning.
When we not only look back to see God as Creator, but also look up to see Him as our Lord and ahead to see Him as mankind’s Judge, then we discover not only who God is, but whi we are as well. Then we realize that any life lived for the Lord will find its meaning in Him.

DEVOTIONAL
Wise Too Late
(Ecc. 11:7–12:14)
Solomon, who most believe is the Teacher of Ecclesiastes, was a godly young man. But in middle age, like the Teacher, he turned aside from wholly following the Lord. First Kings 11 tells us that passion for his foreign wives led him astray, even to the extent of worshipping their gods.
During this extended perios of his life Solomon lived as a secular man. He accrued vast wealth, undertook massive building projects, and denied himself no pleasures. But then having “had it all,” Solomon saw how empty his life was. “Meaningless! Meaningless!” is a cry of anguish that surely fits the tragic experience of Israel’s most spolndid king.
How sad that Solomon, so wise in many ways, lost his spiritual moorings. If indeed Solomon is the one who urges us “to remember the days of our youth,” uttering these words must have been tragic for him indeed. there is no greater tragedy than to become wise and old at the same time, and to look back and realize one has lived a wasted life.
I know unsolicted advice is about as welcome as unexpected visitors who appear on the doorstep with luggage in hand. But at least Solomon’s advice is cheap. Not to him, of course. He pais for everything he learned in becoming wise too late.
For us the advice is free.
Only if we fail to follow it will we pay the truly terrible cost.

Personal Application
Put God first today. Tomorrow will be too little, too late.

Quotable
“He belongs to you, but more than that, He longs to be in you, living and ruling in you, as the head lives and rules in the body. He wants His breath to be in your breath, His heart in your heart, and His soul in your soul, so that you may indeed, ‘Glorify God and bear Him in your body, that the life of Jesus may be manifest in you.’ ”—Jean Eudes

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

A MEANINGLESS LIFE
Ecclesiastes 5–8

“For who knows what is good for a man in life, during the few and meaningless days he passes through like a shadow?” (Ecc. 6:12)

As we sense the despair that grips the Teacher’s heart in his role as secular man, we realize afresh how great God’s salvation is. Making the best of a meaningless life is secular man’s fate. Our challenge is to make a meaningful life better!

Overview
In his role as secular man the Teacher showed life’s meaninglessness by a further critique of religion (5:1–7), riches (vv. 8–20), and the brevity of life (6:1–12). His theme proven, the Teacher then suggested how to make the best of an essentially meaningless life (7:1–8:17).

Understanding the Text
“Let your words be few” Ecc. 5:1–7. In natural religion human beings seek to reach up to God from earth, and find Him distant and unreachable. This is the implication of the saying, “God is in heaven, you are on earth.” God may know man, but man does not know God. Thus the religious person should let his words be few, stand in awe, and if he makes a vow to God, should fulfill it quickly lest the unknown God be angry.
In revealed religion, God is initiator. He reaches down from heaven to reveal Himself to man. This God is known on earth, and His will is known too.
How terrible it is to be driven by reason to acknowledge God’s existence, but to know nothing about Him! How wonderful that in His Word and in Christ, our God has spoken to us of His love, compassion, and salvation.

“As he comes, so he departs” Ecc. 5:8–20. Several reasons are offered to show why wealth is incapable of providing life with meaning. A person may work hard—but his profits are eaten up in taxes (vv. 8–9). Even a rich man isn’t satisfied with his wealth. He just wants more (v. 10). The more one earns the more he spends (v. 11). People with money lie awake worrying about keeping it (v. 12). Hoarded wealth is more likely to do harm than good—and when a man dies he can’t take it with him (vv. 13–17). In short, the only value of wealth is as a narcotic, to keep a man so occupied with earthly pleasures that he doesn’t realize how empty his life really is (vv. 18–20).
When a Christian adopts materialistic values, he or she has chosen the empty, meaningless way of life of secular man. Christ died in part to free us from an unhealthy love of money.

“Even if he lives a thousand years” Ecc. 6:1–12. One of the most grievous evils identified by the Teacher is that, however long a man lives, it is not long enough. Even a person with wealth, possessions, and honor soon dies, with his appetites still unsatisfied.
In saying that “all man’s efforts are for his mouth,” the writer suggested that secular man is on a treadmill. He works to satisfy his physical needs and desires, yet however well-fed, he becomes hungry again, and however supplied with drink his thirst returns. In it all, his deepest need, the nameless desire for meaning, persists as an aching desire that no food or drink can quench. “Whatever exists has already been named.” Life on earth is an endless repetition, a treadmill on which each new generation walks or runs until their “few and meaningless days” are over.
There is no meaning to be found in the life lived by secular man.

“Is better than” Ecc. 7:1–8:17. With the close of chapter 6, the author had finished presenting proof that life under the sun, without a personal relationship with God, is meaningless. But he continued his quest. Given the meaninglessness of life, what should a person do?
Solomon, unlike the authors of other ancient pessimistic wisdom literature, did not suggest suicide. Instead he suggested that a man examine his options, and choose the lesser of evils. We can trace the options he suggested in 7:1–12:8. In today’s reading, here is the advice of the Teacher concerning choices open to secular man.
7:1–12. Even if life is meaningless, some things in life are better than others. For instance, sorrow is better than laughter—if only because it is more realistic! For the same reason, it’s foolish to say that “the old days” were better than today!
Although these conclusions may not be obvious, it is obvious that some things are better than others. For instance, the end of a matter is better than the beginning. Patience is better than pride. The wise are better off than fools. Given this, the Teacher offers his advice.
7:13–14. Adopt a fatalistic attitude. What God has determined cannot be changed, and no one can know ahead of time whether God’s future holds good times or bad for him.
7:15–22. Avoid extremes. Don’t set out to be too righteous or too wicked, and ignore what other people may say about you.
7:23–8:1. Wisdom is better than stupidity. But wisdom has its limits. It will not enable a person to discover “the scheme of things,” and it will not make a person righteous. In fact, wisdom forces one to the conclusion that while God may have made man upright, “men have gone in search of many schemes.”
8:2–10. Adjust to the rules of your society. It is far better to fit in than to be a rebel. This thought underlies the Teacher’s call to obey the king, and not rock the boat by challenging his authority.
8:11–14. Fear God as Judge. This is a difficult call, for one must take it on faith that in the end God will punish the wicked—despite the present prosperity of so many wicked men. In essence the Teacher suggested, don’t take chances where God is concerned. Wisdom tells us He is there, even if we do not know anything else about Him.
8:15. Enjoy while you can. Take what pleasure is possible from this life, even though it is meaningless.
8:16–17. Finally the writer made a significant confession. Even the conclusions he had drawn rested on insufficient evidence! No one can really “comprehend what goes on under the sun.” Human reason is incapable of drawing all the evidence together and reaching correct conclusions. Human reason cannot truly describe, or even comprehend, all of reality.
We conclude with this thought. The conclusions of secular man about the meaninglessness of life are faulty, simply because secular man does not have all the evidence, nor is he able to fit it together accurately. The best that secular man can do is guess about the true nature of the universe in which he lives. And his best guesses lead, inevitably, to the conclusion that life for the individual is empty and meaningless.
How wonderful that you and I do not have to guess! How wonderful that we know. We know the origin of our universe and its destiny. We know that we human beings have been created in the image of God, are loved by Him, and are destined to live forever! We know the saving power God has unleashed in this world through Jesus. And, because we know, we are freed from secular man’s bondage to despair.

DEVOTIONAL
“Better Than” Choices
(Ecc. 7–8)
Any set of beliefs that a person adopts is to be used as criteria to evaluate choices.
This may sound a little stuffy. But it expresses a vital truth. The Teacher of Ecclesiastes concluded that life was meaningless, and from that starting point went on to distinguish options in life which were better than others.
We Christians start with a different set of conclusions. We believe that life is meaningful. God loves us, and has chosen us, in Jesus’ words, “to go and bear fruit” (John 15:16). Other New Testament passages put it a little differently, but the thought is the same. We have been chosen that we might “be for the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:12). We are God’s workmanship, “created in Christ Jesus to do good works” (2:10).
This is not a secular universe, formed by chance. It is a universe created by a personal God, who has chosen to love us—and chosen us to love and serve Him.
What options then are “better” if our set of beliefs about the world is formed by a belief in God and by experience of His love? Well, some of life’s better things for the Christian include: Caring more about people than about things. Giving ourselves to serve rather than be served. Storing up treasure in heaven rather than on earth. Spending time with God’s Word rather than TV sitcoms. Making time for our families rather than spending all our time and energy on our jobs. Depending on God rather than on ourselves, and expressing that dependence in prayer. And so on.
You can add to this list just as easily as I can.
You see, our problem isn’t in knowing what “better than” choices are open to us as Christians. Our problem is in making those choices daily.
No, this isn’t one of those “let’s add on some more guilt” devotionals. It’s just a reminder. The life of secular man really is meaningless. God’s call to you and me to make “better than” choices is His invitation to discover something that secular man can never know.
A truly meaningful, and thus blessed, life.

Personal Application
The “better than” choices we make for Jesus’ sake end up as blessings for us.

Quotable
“Wisdom is knowing what to do next, skill is knowing how to do it, and virtue is doing it.”—David Starr Jordan

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

Ecclesiastes

INTRODUCTION
This book reports the efforts of “the Teacher,” long believed to be Solomon, to find meaning in life apart from a personal relationship with God. His pessimistic conclusion: such a life is “meaningless,” and will lead to despair. Only those who “fear God and keep His commandments” can live in hope.

MEANINGLESS LIFE
Ecclesiastes 1–4

“ ‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless’ ” (Ecc. 1:2).

Many thoughtful non-Christians will find that this book reflects an all-too-familiar sense of despair. Life in this world has not changed fundamentally from the author’s day. Apart from a personal relationship with God any life truly is meaningless.

Background
Ecclesiastes fits into a strain of ancient wisdom literature marked for its pessimism. Its sense of the futility of life is found in Egyptian works from about 2300–2100B.C, as well as in Mesopotamian writings ranging from that date to the 7th centuryB.C One work, the Dialogue of Pessimism, written about 1300B.C, concludes that for man trapped in a meaningless universe only one “good” exists: “To have my neck broken and your neck broken and to be thrown into the river is good.”
The writer of Ecclesiastes set the limits of his search for meaning. He would use his reason (to “explore by wisdom,” 1:13) and he would use data he could gather by observation in this world (“under the sun”). While nature does provide evidence that God exists, He can be known as Redeemer only by special revelation. Thus the personal name of God, Yahweh, is not found in Ecclesiastes. Moreover, while the Teacher’s conclusions are accurately recorded, and do follow what man can observe in society and the material universe, his conclusions do not correspond with revealed truth (cf. 3:20–21; 9:5).
What then is the value of the Book of Ecclesiastes? It serves an important pre-evangelism function, evoking images intended to make the reader sensitive to the futility of life apart from God. While the nonbeliever can enjoy the natural blessings which God graciously provides, he or she must always be troubled by an underlying sense of the ultimate meaninglessness of life.

Overview
The Teacher stated that life in this world is meaningless (1:1–11). To prove his point he examined wisdom (vv. 12–18), pleasures (2:1–16), hard work (vv. 17–26), religion (3:1–22), and life’s unfairness (4:1–16).

Understanding the Text
“Meaningless! Meaningless!” Ecc. 1:1–11 The Hebrew word translated “meaningless” in the NIV and “vanity” in the King James is hebel. It’s underlying meanings include futility, deceptiveness, unreliability, and brevity. Human life, if our 70 or so years on earth is all there is, is rendered empty. Short and insubstantial, life in this world can provide no permanent satisfaction.
It’s hard for a young person, setting out with dreams of conquering the business or professional world, visions of pleasure, or even of marriage and family, to grasp how empty life will be even if he or she achieves those goals. This is perhaps one of the great values of this powerful Old Testament book: its dark outlook forces even the most optimistic individual to reexamine assumptions about the meaning of life.
What a blessing that this book is found in a library of 66, with the others testifying to the fact that God did not create any individual life to flare up for a brief moment, and then to flicker out. Any time we are envious of this world’s wealthy or famous, we can read Ecclesiastes and remember that the true meaning of our life is tied, not to time, but to eternity.

“The more knowledge, the more grief” Ecc. 1:12–18. In general, “wisdom” in Scripture is the ability to apply God’s guidelines for moral living to practical issues, and thus to choose what is right. In this book, which rules out revelation a priori, wisdom remains practical. But here it is the ability to understand the practical implications of secular study and observation. The tragedy is that the pursuit of secular knowledge is a “chasing after the wind.” Whatever we may achieve through science or philosophy offers no answer to the question of what makes individual life meaningful. In fact, the more one explores, the greater his or her sense of grief.
There is a vast difference between secular and spiritual knowledge. While the one can make our life on earth more comfortable, the other alone can give our life meaning and purpose.
It follows, as one of our pastors suggested at Sunday vespers, that we ought to concentrate on studying the Word of God. Only here will we find not only meaning but also lasting comfort and joy.

“I refused my heart no pleasure” Ecc. 2:1–11. Philosophers have categorized pleasures. Some are “pleasures of the flesh.” The person who seeks pleasure in drugs, drink, or sex looks for it in bodily sensations. There are also “higher” pleasures. Among such pleasures tradition names the pleasure a person takes in his achievements, in accumulating wealth, or the pure intellectual pleasure of learning and displaying knowledge.
As pagan philosophers have taught, the problem with pleasures of the flesh is that a price must be paid. The drunk suffers hangovers and cirrhosis of the liver. The drug addict loses his grip on reality. But the Teacher makes a distinctive contribution. All pleasures are meaningless. As far as adding meaning to life, each is “chasing after wind.”

“I hated all the things I had toiled for” Ecc. 2:17–26. The drive to achieve great things is incapable of providing life with meaning. In the end all that a person poured his effort and skill into, all that has taken such a toll in personal pain and grief, will be left to another who has not worked for it.
It’s a lucky man (the sense here of references to God) who is satisfied with his work and his pleasures. In the last analysis, the “great man” who was driven to achieve is the miserable one.

“Yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end” Ecc. 3:1–22. While some have taken this chapter as an appeal to seek meaning through relationship with God, it seems best to understand it as a critique of natural religion. Nature does provide evidence that God exists. We see Him revealed in the regularity of His creation (vv. 1–8), and in man’s universal assumption that there is more to life than food and drink (vv. 9–17). Yet God remains a mystery (v. 11), and there is no evidence from nature to support the conviction that human beings are different from animals (vv. 18–21). As man’s religions can offer no certain knowledge about life after death, their practitioners must be satisfied with enjoying life in this world.
What a difference between man’s religions and revealed religion. We alone can look beyond time, and know what eternity holds.

“I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun” Ecc. 4:1–16. The existence of injustice contributes to the conclusion that, if this is all there is, life must be meaningless. Men so mistreat their fellows that death is preferable (vv. 1–3). The envy and competitiveness that motivate man’s achievements destroy inner tranquility (vv. 4–6), while necessity alone bonds men together (vv. 7–12). Even possession of authority over others is fleeting and meaningless.
It’s been popular in the past three decades to assume that somehow meaning is found in interpersonal relationships. But the one relationship that counts is ignored by secular man. Only a relationship with God, resting on His love for and commitment to us, can truly meet our needs.

DEVOTIONAL
Gotta Try It to Know
(Ecc. 2)
In his search for meaning the Teacher used two basic methods. Observe others. And, try it and see. When it came to pleasures—whether the pleasure of accomplishing some great building project, amassing great wealth, or a pleasure of the flesh—his approach was, “Try it and see.”
We’re often tempted to take this approach to life. “How can I tell unless I try it for myself?” The answer, of course, is that we know about lots of things that aren’t beneficial without having to try them for ourselves. We wouldn’t try jumping off a 10-story building to see if it’s fun to fly. It might very well be. But the landing would be pretty hard.
How fortunate we are to have in Scripture a reliable guide to what is truly good for us, and what will hurt.
Rather than say with Qoheleth, “How can I tell unless I try,” we say, “I know this isn’t worth trying, for God’s Word warns me away.”

Personal Application
God is a better guide than experience.

Quotable
“Experience is the best of schoolmasters, only the school fees are heavy.”—Thomas Carlyle

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

THE GOOD FIGHT
2 Timothy 3–4

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7).

How good to look back at the end of life and be satisfied with the way you lived.

Overview
Paul warned of growing godlessness (3:1–9) and of persecution awaiting those who live godly lives (vv. 10–13). Timothy was to trust the Scriptures (vv. 14–17) and fulfill his calling (4:1–5). Paul had lived this life, and was ready for his reward (vv. 6–8). Paul closed with personal remarks (vv. 9–22).

Understanding the Text
“A form of godliness but denying its power” 2 Tim. 3:1–5. The phrase “the last days” need not, but may, focus on the years just preceding Christ’s return. Here it seems better to see Paul’s remarks as directed to our own age, which has now extended over 1,900 years.
Our times are perilous because of the distortion of true religion by those who have the outward form of religion, but who deny its power. What is the power of godliness that they deny? Why, it is the power to take sinful people and purge their character of the sins that Paul lists here!
The power of true religion is seen in its transformation of the character of those who truly believe.

“Have nothing to do with them” 2 Tim. 3:1–5. Paul listed 18 traits that mark individuals off as strangers to true religion. Look at the list, not to see how others measure up, but to see what God has done to transform you—and what He is committed to do for you in the future. Here is the list:

Selfish—a “lover of yourself.”
Materialistic—a lover of money.
Boastful.
Arrogant—contemptuous of others.
Abusive—slandering others.
Disobedient to parents.
Ungrateful.
Unholy—without relationship to God and living a purely secular life.
Unloving—lacking even normal affection for family.
Unforgiving—resisting reconciliation with others.
Slanderous—prone to falsely accusing others.
Without self-control—living in the grip of physical passions.
Brutal—savage and fierce.
Indifferent to good and drawn to evil.
Treacherous—without loyalty.
Rash, reckless.
Conceited.
Lovers of pleasure—putting themselves in the place of God as the center of their affections.

“Their folly will be clear to everyone” 2 Tim. 3:6–9. It’s easy to appear religious. But when folks get to know us, they quickly realize whether our faith is a facade or real.
Think how hard it is for an arrogant, ungrateful, unloving, treacherous, selfish individual to disguise those traits for long. And think how long before others learn whether we are responsive, grateful, loving, trustworthy, and caring persons. Only the complete fool can be long deceived.
There’s a comforting thought here for us. As we experience God’s inner transformation, our character becomes more and more clear to those who know us. The very persons we are brings glory to God, and demonstrates the power of the Gospel.

“Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” 2 Tim. 3:10–17. It’s strange, perhaps, but the world isn’t really eager to welcome godly persons. We make it too uncomfortable for others.
A young Christian friend, convinced that as a Christian he should work hard on his job, was persecuted unmercifully by his coworkers, who insisted he slack off as they did. His commitment to do an honest day’s work for his pay showed up their own laziness and indifference!
When “evil men and impostors” become worse, the believer whose life exposes their character, becomes less and less popular. So what are we to do? Just what Paul told Timothy. “Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of.”

“You know those from whom you learned” 2 Tim. 3:13. We can picture the church as a long line of men and women holding hands, reaching from our own time back to the day of the Apostles. That “hand in hand” is important.
I have often asked members of Christian groups to think of a person who had a strong, positive influence on their life. Then I’ve described opposing aspects of relationships. Was the relationship you had with the influential other more close, or distant? Was it more warm, or cool? Was communication one-way, or two-way? Did you feel that person knew you, or not? Did you know him or her, or not?
Invariably over 90 percent of the group say they had a warm, close, relationship with the influential others, in which each talked and listened, and in which enough sharing took place that the two seemed to know each other. No wonder Paul said, “You know those from whom you learned.”
Don’t be surprised at persecution from strangers. Just concentrate on building the intimate kind of relationship with others through which faith is most effectively shared.

“All Scripture is God-breathed” 2 Tim. 3:16–17. I’m one of those old-fashioned types who is convinced that the Bible is God’s inspired Word: accurate, trustworthy, reliable in every sense. Perhaps you are too. But Paul merely introduced his theme by affirming Scripture’s inspiration. His point was that Scripture is useful!
The more firmly you and I believe the Bible is the Word of God, the more faithfully we ought to apply it, relate its teachings to our lives, hear its rebukes, heed its correction, and thus let the Scripture equip us “for every good work.”

“Keep your head in all situations” 2 Tim. 4:1–5. It’s not easy to be rejected and ignored. Right now one of my closest friends, who has pastored one church for over 25 years, is feeling the frustration Paul alluded to. Somehow his leadership now seems unwelcome. It’s not that the people have turned “their ears away from the truth.” Its just that, somehow, he seems much less effective than before.
The work of ministry, whether engaged in as a profession, or as an expression of every believer’s faith, is both rewarding and discouraging. When discouragement comes it’s so easy to lose heart—and to fail to keep our heads.
How do we respond? We do the work God has called us to do. For Timothy this was preaching the Word, in and out of season, correcting and rebuking and encouraging—and all with great patience and care. For us, ministry is exactly the same. We have the same Word to share, the same concern for others, that any professional pastor has.
It isn’t necessary that everyone respond favorably to us as we serve them for Jesus’ sake. It is only necessary to “discharge all the duties of your ministry.”

“To all who have longed for His appearing” 2 Tim. 4:6–8. Paul had known plenty of discouragement, and abundant persecution. But he looked back over his life with a sense of satisfaction. Through it all, Paul kept on serving. He fought a good fight. He ran a good race. He kept the faith. And now he looked forward to his reward.
Paul wanted you and me to know that God has the same reward for you and me. We haven’t been turned aside by any rewards this world might offer, or by any threats men of the world might make. We have lived our life here aware that this earth is temporary, and all its pleasures are passing. We have yearned not for the things of earth, but for Jesus to return. And this longing has kept us, as it kept Paul, faithfully committed to whatever ministry God has given us.
Don’t be downhearted, whatever discouragement may come. Even now the bands are gathering in heaven, and the parade is forming. Soon you’ll take your place in the open limo that leads the parade down heaven’s streets to the grandstand where rewards will be distributed. And then you’ll know, with Paul, that it was worth it all.

“The Lord stood at my side and gave me strength” 2 Tim. 4:9–18. We do need the support and encouragement of others. But sometimes we simply do not receive it.
When others fail us, we have been given a great opportunity to experience the faithfulness of our God. He will stand by our side. He will give us strength. And He will rescue us “from every evil attack and will bring us safely to His heavenly kingdom.”

DEVOTIONAL
From Infancy
(2 Tim. 4:10–17)
Our acceptance and nurture in the Scripture usually takes place in the context of some close, intimate relationship. That was definitely the case with Timothy, who came to know and love God’s Word early in life. We have no indication of just how Lois and Eunice shaped young Timothy’s faith. But we do have a list of rules followed by Susannah Wesley, mother of 19 children, including hymn writer Charles Wesley and the founder of Methodism, John Wesley. Here are her “bylaws.”
(1) Cowardness and fear of punishment often lead children into lying. To prevent this, a law was made, that whoever was charged with a fault, of which they were guilty, if they would ingenuously confess it, and promise to amend, should not be beaten.
(2) That no sinful action, as lying, pilfering, playing at church, or on the Lord’s Day, disobedience, quarreling, etc., should ever pass unpunished.
(3) That no child should ever be chided, or beat twice, for the same fault; and that if they amended, they should never be unbraided with it afterward.
(4) That every . . . act of obedience should always be commended, and frequently rewarded, according to the merits of the cause.
(5) That if any child performed an act of obedience, or did anything with an intention to please, though the performance was not well, yet the intention should be kindly accepted; and the child with sweetness directed how to do better in the future.
(6) That propriety be inviolably preserved, and none suffered to invade the property of another in the smallest matter.
(7) That promises be strictly observed; and a gift once bestowed, and so the right passed away from the donor not to be restored, but left to the disposal of him to whom it was given.

Personal Application
The best way to teach the Word to our children is to live it—and to see that it is lived.

Quotable
“The religion of a child depends upon what its mother and its father are, and not on what they say.”—Henri Frederic Amiel