Ecclesiastes 7-12

 Full transparency, after studying this book of the bible more, I'm starting to wonder why I wanted to start with it. Don't get me wrong, I still love this book. But as I follow along with commentary on it and really think about it, I can see how if you don't keep the entire point in the back of your head (life is only good with God), then this book can be quite depressing.

But, we push on.

Reading my thoughts might not be helping you (as in, the 3 people reading this) but it is helping me. Some people hand write the Bible so that they can digest it better. Well, I hate my handwriting and I would never stick to this, but I can type pretty quickly and typing out my thoughts really makes me think over each section more. Love that I can have this to look back on.

Chapter 7- WISDOM. ok, we can all use a bit of that, amiright?

verses 1-12 are talking about a better life. verse one says "a good name is better than fine perfume..." a good name is referring to a good reputation. and yes, I agree to that. Your reputation is important. 

verse 8 says that ".....patience is better than pride" and that is hard. because patience is not quite as easy to have. trust me, I'm a mom. I know. 

verse 10 tells us to not long for the "good ole days" but enjoy where we are now.

verses 13-24 are talking about the balanced life.

verse 14 says "when times are good, be happy: but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other...." I like to think this means God is still oh so good when bad times come. If you can remember this, it will be much easier to face those bad times. 

verse 15 sounds like an old country song. only the good die young.

Chapter 8- Obey the King. Have wisdom when you are dealing with a king. 

verse 6 says "for there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a person may be weighed down by misery". We can translate king to politician now, you would think, right? And I can definitely say that when it comes to politics, wise people have discernment and know the right time to speak and to act. Be wise. 

Verse 12 tells us that there is no formula for a long and happy life. Living righteously does not guarantee you more years, just as living a terrible, no-good life doesn't mean that your life will be short. 

Chapter 9: A common Destiny for all. and Wisdom is better than Folly. 

whether you are righteous or you are wicked, we all share a common Destiny. At this point in time, before Jesus came, they didn't know much about the after-life. Isn't it great knowing now that we go to heaven to be with Jesus?! 

Chapter 10 continues the talk about wisdom being greater than Folly.

oh wait, look at chapters 9, verse 16. "wisdom is better than strength". Yep, yep, yep. because strength diminishes over time...trust me, I know. stop working out and you get weak. But if you are wise, you stay wise. 

verse 10 says "if the ax is dull, and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success"....work smarter, not harder!!

chapter 11 is Invest in Many Ventures (so don't put all your eggs in one basket) and Remember your Creator While Young. This chapter tells us to step out in faith and trust God. Don't worry, don't overthink. Plant the seeds and just let the Holy Spirit work. Sounds so easy to do, right???

Chapter 12 The Conclusion of the Matter. 

You will see pain and joy in your life but your job is to obey God regardless. FEAR GOD.

verse 13 says "....fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind."

WHEW. we finished. Again, I think many people might not see the beauty in this book of the Bible. But I encourage you to read it if you started it. If I had read this book long ago, my jaw would have dropped. But today, I see it for what it is. A reminder that NOTHING is worth ANYTHING if you don't have Jesus in your life. 

Don't be lukewarm. Don't live your life like what comes next doesn't matter at all. I aim to live my life so that when I step in front of Jesus after I die, I hear "well done good and faithful servant, well done". I fail often but I keep trying. And you should too. :)

Now, go read your Bible. That's like the entire point. Let's eat.




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