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- [00:00]
A
Foreign. Hey, this is Shelby and Paul. We're walking you through the book of Ecclesiastes. Just a reminder to subscribe or follow wherever you watch or listen. We love connecting with you each and every day on this podcast as we walk through God's word. Okay, today we're in Ecclesiastes 4 through 6. Paul, we set up kind of a framework yesterday for how to understand this book, but what is happening in today's chapters that we want to make sure and mention in this episode?
- [00:31]
B
Well, we're getting some more vanity, which shouldn't be a surprise, with some more kind of the teachers musings on life. And there's a lot we could talk about here, but the focus of these chapters is really kind of on evil. And so we'll talk about that a little bit. And really the author gets pretty real and honest here, pretty direct. And there's even some verses that we read them and they kind of like rub us the wrong way. It might feel a bit uncomfortable. For example, in four, two, he says, and I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun. And essentially he's saying it's better to have never been alive than to have lived and witnessed the evil of the earth. And this seems contradictory with the emphasis we see in the Bible on life. Um, but essentially what he's saying here is giving us perspective on life. So it's not so much saying that death is good, it's rather showing that satisfying life does not come from evil, but from the good that comes from God. And so at the very end of chapter five, after extended musing, you know, on vanity of work and wealth, he says in 18 through 20, for he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with the joy in his heart. And so the joyful person in life, it's not necessarily someone that doesn't reflect and consider when it says that he doesn't remember the days of his life, but rather that the man who fears God doesn't allow the dark evil of the world to overshadow God's blessings and kindness. And so similarly in chapter six, you know, it has this line about even a stillborn child is better off than someone whose soul is not satisfied with life's good things. And again, that's the emphasis there. It's the soul that is not satisfied that makes the stillborn life better. And so the emphasis is not that again, it's not that death is good. It's not that being away from life is better. It's rather that living an unsatisfying life is never God's intention and that he has a plan to satisfy us in him and not in the things of this world.
- [03:05]
A
That's a really helpful way to break that down, because I imagine people had many questions reading through those verses today. Okay, can we move into applying these verses now that we sort of understand them? How do they change the way that we think, the way that we live?
- [03:21]
B
Yeah. And thinking about, again, the satisfied life, it really makes me think of contentment. That's the word that comes to mind, contentment. And this is something the New Testament talks a lot about in the Sermon on the Mount. Regarding provision for earthly need. Jesus says in Matthew 6, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. And similarly in Second Peter one, Peter says, his divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness. And so the teacher here is showing us that being satisfied with God is the key to a joyful life and that God has given us everything we need to have that satisfaction. And it honestly makes me think of the life of Paul, because he faced a lot of persecution for his faith. He faced imprisonment and beatings, and he was shipwrecked several times. And yet in Philippians, he can say in chapter one, verse 19 through 21, he says, yes, and I will continue to rejoice because I know this will lead to my salvation through your prayers and help from the Spirit of Jesus Christ. My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now, as always, with all courage, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. And so again, it's putting death in perspective in light of the satisfying life that God gives us. But then the fact that Jesus died and resurrected means that in him we have life and gain even in death, which is a really radical perspective shift for a lot of people.
- [04:58]
A
Yeah, it sure is. And that is fantastic. I think my takeaway from today, in Ecclesiastes, we're seeing this kind of correction where maybe our aim in life is that we achieve success or that we have power or that we have wealth or that we have pleasure. But instead we see that, you know, he's really saying, like, hey, your aim in life is to find your purpose and meaning in the Lord. And so I'm like, bringing that even down to, like, a daily level. And I'm like, what is my aim in life today? You know, is it just to record podcast episodes with you, Paul, that I hope are helpful and I hope glorify the Lord, or am I thinking so much bigger than that? And so, thinking beyond just my day by day checklist and thinking to how does my aim today, day reflect the wisdom of Ecclesiastes? It's a challenging thought, to be sure. So, okay, tomorrow we're going to be in Ecclesiastes 7:9. We'll continue making our way through this book. Thanks, Paul.
- [05:55]
B
Yeah.