SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/29/2013
10:50 PM
My Worship Time Focus: Life is
Unpredictable
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Eccl.
9:11-18
Message of the
verses: Just a little review so we
can understand where we came from in this chapter and where we are going in
this SD. First of all we need to be
reminded that we are talking about the very uncomfortable subject of
death. Second we need to hear what Dr.
Wiersbe wrote at the end of his opening commentary for chapter nine of
Ecclesiastes, “In this chapter, Solomon drew two conclusions: death is
unavoidable (1-10) and life is unpredictable (11-18). That being the case, the best thing we can do
is trust God, live by faith and enjoy whatever blessings God gives us.”
Live is Unpredictable (Eccl. 9:11-18): “11 I again saw under the sun that the race
is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread
to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time
and chance overtake them all. 12 Moreover, man does not know his time: like
fish caught in a treacherous net and birds trapped in a snare, so the sons of
men are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them.
“13 Also this I came to see as wisdom under the sun, and it
impressed me. 14 There was a small city with few men in it and a great king
came to it, surrounded it and constructed large siegeworks against it. 15 But
there was found in it a poor wise man and he delivered the city by his wisdom.
Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16 So I said, "Wisdom is better than
strength." But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are
not heeded. 17 The words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the
shouting of a ruler among fools. 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but
one sinner destroys much good.”
Some may think that after all of that talk about death
and the fact that it is unavoidable that we may as well focus on our strength
and do the best we can for as long as we can so we can enjoy life. Solomon changes his subject in this section
and begins to talk about the unpredictably of life, for things don’t always go
as we think that they should.
Our abilities are no guarantee of success (vs.
11-12). First we had better look at the
word chance and explain what it means for we may get the wrong idea about this
word. It means simply occurrence or
event. Here is an example of what this
word means as a person may say that he happened to be in the right place at the
right time and therefore he was able to land the job. Now as believers we do not depend upon chance
or luck, but we depend upon the Lord to lead our lives in the way that He has
planned it for us.
As we look at these verses we see that the fastest team
or person does not always win the race, they may do it on many occasions, but
just because they have all the skills does not mean that they will always
win. I am person who likes sports and
also one who likes the underdog. I was
alive when “free agency” came into play and to me, it kinds of spoils the games
that are played professionally in our country and so when a team with a smaller
payroll is playing a team that has a very large payroll, say 200% more I will
generally cheer on the underpaid team and I have found out that sometimes they
win. I think that perhaps Solomon would
route for the underdog too.
Verse 12 shows us that a man does not always know when
trouble is coming his way and gives a couple of examples to prove his
point. Fish don’t think they will get
caught, but they do and birds don’t think they will get caught but they do
too. It happens when they least expect
it. James has something to say about
people who think that they have all their life planned out: “13 Come now, you who say, "Today or
tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage
in business and make a profit." 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.
You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 15
Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do
this or that." 16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such
boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does
not do it, to him it is sin.”
Next we see our opportunities are no guarantee of success
and this is covered in verses 13-18. Dr.
Wiersbe points out that perhaps the old wise man did not save the city because “The
Hebrew allows for the translation ‘could have’; see the verse 15 in the NASB
footnote.” The word “delivered” is said
to mean fools so it would read fools the city by wisdom. What Solomon could have been saying was that there
was a wise old man, but because he was quiet no one would listen to him but
only heard the loud know it all man and so the city was lost. We see in verse 18 that “one sinner [the loud
ruler] destroys much good.” We can see
this principle throughout the whole of Scripture and it begins with Adam and
his disobedience to God. Achan and
brought defeat to the children of Israel.
David sinned by numbering the troops and many were killed by God. Absalom sinned by leading the nation into a
civil war.
We can conclude by saying that because death is
unavoidable and life is unpredictable that we should yield ourselves into the
hand of God and walk by faith trusting that He will bring good to us and glory
to Himself. We can trust the words that
Jesus spoke in Revelations 1:17b-18 “"Do not be afraid; I am the first and
the last, 18 and the living One; and I
was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and
of Hades.”
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: We can know the
promises that God has given to us in His Word, but we have to trust Him by
faith. “So faith comes from hearing, and
hearing by the word of Christ (Romans 10:17.”
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust the Lord to direct me and not to do the
directing myself.
Memory verses for the
week: 2Cor 5:17-21
17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature;
the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled
us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19
namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting
their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of
reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are
ambassadors for Christ as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg
you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might
become the righteousness of God in Him.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
Question: “Silver and gold.”
Today’s Bible
Question: “Who hindered Paul from coming
to the Thessalonians?”
Answer in tomorrow’s SD.
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