Well after the heaviness of Job, the sheer inevitability of pain in this life that it paints, then we get to the Preacher in Ecclesiastes, for whom life is but the “vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”<\/p>\n
First he derides living a life of wisdom, then he derides a life of seeking pleasure: “So I said in my heart, ‘As it happens to the fool, it happens to me, and why was I then more wise?'” A most valid question and one which up to chapter four has not been answered except that, as quoted in the headline above:<\/p>\n
“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven….” which begins one of the more famous quotes from the bible: “A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck what is planted…..<\/p>\n
“I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.”<\/p>\n
The chapters of Proverbs I read are about men resisting the seductress: “Can a man take fire to his bosom and his clothes not be burned?<\/p>\n
“Drink water from your own cistern and running water from your own well.<\/p>\n
“Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of your youth.<\/p>\n
“As a loving deer and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times; and always be enraptured with her love.”<\/p>\n
What lovely words to counteract the difficult message of the Prophet!<\/p>\n
Dear God, Thank You for my lovely morning meeting all the women at the new playgroup. Please help me to do my own work at the St Marks playgroup well, to Your glory. Thank You for C and M. Please bless them. Please help me teach my children Your ways, and please help me seek Your ways at all times. Please let Your word flower and bear fruit in my heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Well after the heaviness of Job, the sheer inevitability of pain in this life that it paints, then we get to the Preacher in Ecclesiastes, for whom life is but the “vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” First he derides living a life of wisdom, then he derides a life of seeking pleasure: “So I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-around-the-bible-in-365-days"],"yoast_head":"\n