ECCLESIASTES
WHAT IS LIFE ALL ABOUT?
IS THERE A REASON WHY WE LIVE?
FROM THE NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
Death Comes to All
CHAPTER 9
This, too, I carefully explored: Even though the actions of godly and wise people are in God's hands, no one knows whether or not God will show them favor in this life.
[IT IS AS THE AUTHOR SAYS—— TIME AND CHANCE CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE; EVEN THE GREAT JOHN THE BAPTIST, PAUL AND PETER, AND OTHERS, DEATH FOR THE FAITH— SEE HEBREWS 11 - Keith Hunt]
2 The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether they are righteous or wicked, good or bad, ceremonially clean or unclean, religious or irreligious. Good people receive the same treatment as sinners, and people who take oaths are treated like people who don't.
3 It seems so tragic that one fate comes to all. That is why people are not more careful to be good. Instead, they choose their own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway. 4 There is hope only for the living. For as they say, "It is better to be a live dog than a dead lion!"
5 The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered. 6 Whatever they did in their lifetime—loving, hating, envying—is all long gone. They no longer have a part in anything here on earth.
[THERE IS THE SIMPLE SECTION OF SCRIPTURE, A CHILD CAN UNDERSTAND—- DEATH IS SLEEP, THERE IS NO CONTINUING TO LIVE, SEE, TALK, REASON, OR LOOKING DOWN ON EARTH, AND HAVING ANY CONNECTION TO EARTH. WHEN YOU SLEEP THERE IS BLANKNESS, AND NO THOUGHT OF TIME; YOU AWAKE AND HAVE NO THOUGHT OF THE HOURS IN SLEEP. JUST AS YOU WERE BEFORE BEING BORN YOU KNEW NOTHING OF PAST TIME, SO IT IS IN DEATH; YOU WILL HAVE NO RECOLLECTION OF TIME FROM FALLING ASLEEP IN DEATH TO THE RESURRECTION. THIS IS ALL COVERED IN FULL STUDIES ON THIS BLOG - Keith Hunt]
7 So go ahead. Eat your food and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this! 8 Wear fine clothes, with a dash of cologne!
9 Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you in this world. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil. 10 Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.
[FOR THOSE WHO LIVE WITHOUT GOD, IT IS A CASE OF ENJOY THIS LIFE, FOR YOU WILL NOT BE ALIVE WHEN IN THE GRAVE - Keith Hunt]
11 1 have observed something else in this world of ours. The fastest runner doesn't always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn't always win the battle. The wise are often poor, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don't always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being at the right place at the right time.
[TIME AND CHANCE CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE; THERE IS NO SET FOR ANYTHING; RICHES YOU THINK WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY. BUT IT IS NOT ALWAYS TRUE. THOSE WITH GREAT TALENTS DO NOT ALWAYS GET FAME AND WEALTH. EDUCATION DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY GIVE SUCCESS - Keith Hunt]
12 People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a snare, people are often caught by sudden tragedy.
[TIME AND CHANCE CAN COME TO ANYONE; THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES IN LIFE - Keith Hunt]
Thoughts on Wisdom and Folly
13 Here is another bit of wisdom that has impressed me as I have watched the way our world works. 14 There was a small town with only a few people living in it, and a great king came with his army and besieged it. 15 There was a poor, wise man living there who knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued. But afterward no one thought any more about him. 16 Then I realized that though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long. 17 But even so, the quiet words of a wise person are better than the shouts of a foolish king. 18 A wise person can overcome weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good.
CHAPTER 10
1 Dead flies will cause even a bottle of perfume to stink! Yes, an ounce of foolishness can outweigh a pound of wisdom and honor.
2 The hearts of the wise lead them to do right, and the hearts of the foolish lead them to do evil. 3 You can identify fools just by the way they walk down the street!
4 If your boss is angry with you, don't quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes.
5 There is another evil I have seen as I have watched the world go by. Kings and rulers make a grave mistake 6 if they give foolish people great authority, and if they fail to give people of proven worth their rightful place of dignity. 7 I have even seen servants riding like princes—and princes walking like servants.
8 When you dig a well, you may fall in. When you demolish an old wall, you could be bitten by a snake. 9 When you work in a quarry, stones might fall and crush you! When you chop wood, there is danger with each stroke of your ax! Such are the risks of life.
[TIME AND CHANCE CAN COME TO ANYONE - Keith Hunt]
10 Since a dull ax requires great strength, sharpen the blade. That's the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed.
11 It does no good to charm a snake after it has bitten you.
12 It is pleasant to listen to wise words, but the speech of fools brings them to ruin.
13 Since fools base their thoughts on foolish premises, their conclusions will be wicked madness.
14 Foolish people claim to know all about the future and tell everyone the details! But who can really know what is going to happen?
[ONLY GOD GIVES THE FUTURE IN HIS PROPHETIC WORD; IT IS FOR GOD’S CALLED TO UNDERSTAND IT, AND TO PROCLAIM THE FUTURE - Keith Hunt]
15 Fools are so exhausted by a little work that they have no strength for even the simplest tasks.
16 Destruction is certain for the land whose king is a child and whose leaders feast in the morning.17 Happy is the land
whose king is a nobleman and whose leaders feast only to gain strength for their work, not to get drunk.
[IT TAKES THE RIGHT CORRECT CHARACTER OF MIND TO BE A KING AND LEADER OF OTHERS - Keith Hunt]
18Laziness lets the roof leak, and soon the rafters begin to rot.
19 A party gives laughter, and wine gives happiness, and money gives everything!
[SO IT MAY BE BUT BE CAREFUL IN ENJOYING PHYSICAL LIFE - Keith Hunt]
20 Never make light of the king, even in your thoughts. And don't make fun of a rich man, either. A little bird may tell them what you have said.
[THE RIGHT SITUATION MUST BE USED WHEN DEALING WITH PEOPLE - Keith Hunt
CHAPTER 11
Generosity and Diligence
Give generously, for your gifts will return to you later. 2 Divide your gifts among many, for you do not know what risks might lie ahead.
[SOW WISELY—- FOR A HARVEST IS TO COME - Keith Hunt]
3 When the clouds are heavy, the rains come down.
When a tree falls, whether south or north, there it lies.
4 If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.
5 God's ways are as hard to discern as the pathways of the wind, and as mysterious as a tiny baby being formed in a mother's womb.
[THE MORE WE EXPORE IN SCIENCE THE MORE WONDER AND COMPLEXITY WE USUALLY FIND - Keith Hunt]
6 Be sure to stay busy and plant a variety of crops, for you never know which will grow—perhaps they all will.
Advice for Old and Young
7 Light is sweet; it's wonderful to see the sun!
8 When people live to be very old, let them rejoice in every day of life. But let them also remember that the dark days will be many. Everything still to come is meaningless.
[IT’S MEANINGLESS IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE ETERNAL GOD IN THE PICTURE OF LIFE; FOR SOME THEY MAY HAVE DAYS OF DARKNESS— TIME AND CHANCE AGAIN. FEW HAVE IT EASY AND SMOOTH. I DO KNOW ONE MAN, MY FATHER; HE OFTEN SAID HE HAD A CHARMED LIFE - Keith Hunt]
9 Young man, it's wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do. 10 So banish grief and pain, but remember that youth, with a whole life before it, still faces the threat of meaninglessness.
[I HAD GOD IN MY LIFE FROM AGE 7, WHEN MY DAD SENT ME TO A CHURCH OF ENGLAND SCHOOL. I WAS GIVEN A BIBLE, AND THE FIRST HALF HOUR OF EACH SCHOOL DAY WAS IN THE BIBLE, RIGHT UP TO AGE 11. WHAT A BLESSING IT WAS FORE ME AS I BECAME A TEENAGER - Keith Hunt]
CHAPTER 12
1 Don't let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and no longer enjoy living. 2 It will be too late then to remember him, when the light of the sun and moon and stars is dim to your old eyes, and there is no silver lining left among the clouds. 3 Your limbs will tremble with age, and your strong legs will grow weak. Your teeth will be too few to do their work, and you will be blind, too. 4 And when your teeth are gone, keep your lips tightly closed when you eat! Even the chirping of birds will wake you up. But you yourself will be deaf and tuneless, with a quavering voice. 5 You will be afraid of heights and of falling, white-haired and withered, dragging along without any sexual desire. You will be standing at death's door. And as you near your everlasting home, the mourners will walk along the streets.
[O INDEED IT IS GOOD TO HAVE GOD IN YOUR LIFE WHEN YOUNG. IT WAS A BLESSING FOR ME ABOVE ANYTHING I COULD IMAGINE. WALKING WITH THE LORD KEPT ME FROM SEXUAL FORNICATION AND DRUNKENNESS; MY YOUTH WAS FILLED WITH GOOD THINGS. AND MY OLDER AGE HAS BEEN BLESSED WITH HEALTH AND STRENGTH, AND STILL A CLEAR MIND TO STUDY AND DO GOD’S WORK - Keith Hunt
6 Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don't wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. 7 For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
[I WAS BLESSED INDEED TO HAVE GOD THE FATHER AND JESUS THE CHRIST IN MY LIFE FROM AGE 7. MOST OF MY PEERS IN THAT CHURCH OF ENGLAND SCHOOL DID NOT TAKE THE WORD OF GOD SERIOUSLY. I WAS BLESSED TO BE CALLED WHEN YOUNG, AND TO CONTINUE TO BE INSTRUCTED BY THE LORD, EVER TEACHING ME, EVER CORRECTING ME.
YES DO HAVE A “SPIRIT” THAT RETURNS TO THE FATHER UPON OUR DEATH. IT IS GIVEN TO US PROBABLY AT CONCEPTION, TO WORK WITH OUR MIND, SO IT MAKES US MUCH HIGHER THAN THE ANIMALS. IT IS NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT, BUT SOME OTHER SPIRIT GOD GIVES, TO WORK WITH OUR PHYSICAL BRAIN. AND IT ALSO RECORDS OUR CHARACTER. IT GOES BACK TO GOD LIKE A RECORDED CD. UPON OUR RESURRECTION IT WILL BE BACK WITH US, MAKING US A UNIQUE PERSONAL INDIVIDUAL IN THE GOD FAMILY - Keith Hunt]
8 "All is meaningless," says the Teacher, "utterly meaningless."
[ALL IS MEANINGLESS IF THE ETERNAL GOD IS NOT IN OUR LIFE; THIS EARTHLY LIFE THEN HAS NO REASON TO BE, NO REASON OF ANY LASTING MEASURE TO BE LIVING. IF THERE IS NO MORE BEYOND DEATH, WHY BOTH, MAY AS WELL DRINK, PARTY, PLAY, DO WHAT GIVES YOU PHYSICAL PLEASURE; MANY HAVE AND STILL DO JUST THAT. “LET’S LIVE IT UP” AS THEY SAY “FOR TOMORROW WE DIE.” - Keith Hunt]
Concluding Thoughts
'Because the Teacher was wise, he taught the people everything he knew. He collected proverbs and classified them.
9 "Indeed, the Teacher taught the plain truth, and he did so in an interesting way.
10 A wise teacher's words spur students to action and emphasize important truths. The collected sayings of the wise are like guidance from a shepherd.
12 But, my child, be warned: There is no end of opinions ready to be expressed. Studying them can go on forever and become very exhausting!
[O SO IT IS WITH PHILOSOPHERS OF THIS WORLD, THEY RAMBLE ON AND ON, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE WAY TO GO - Keith Hunt]
13 Here is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is the duty of every person. 14 God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.
…………………….
Peter said judgment is now on the Church of God— 1 Peter 4: 17.
WE ARE HERE TO OBEY AND SERVE THE GREAT ETERNAL GOD.
WE WERE CREATED TO BECOME HIS VERY SONS, TO BE BORN INTO HIS FAMILY.
BUT WE MUST COME TO ACKNOWLEDGE SINS, TO REPENT OF THEM, TO HAVE A MIND-CHANGE, TO DOING AND SERVING THE WAYS OF THE LORD. WE MUST ACCEPT JESUS AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR. WE MUST RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT INTO OUR MIND. WE MUST WALK IN THE WAYS OF GOD’S COMMANDMENTS.
THAT IS THE CONCLUSION FOR WHY THERE IS HUMAN LIFE ON THIS BEAUTIFUL BLUE PLANET.
WE SHOULD HAVE THE HOLY BIBLE AS PART OF OUR LIFE; WE SHOULD BE NOT ONLY READING IT BUT STUDYING IT; LETTING IT GUIDE AND TEACH AND INSPIRE US.
MY WORK IN THE LORD IS TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND ALL THE IMPORTANT TOPICS THAT THE BIBLE CONTAINS.
I PRAY YOU WILL LOVE THE WORD OF GOD AS MUCH AS I DID, WHEN AT AGE 7 I WAS HANDED A HOLY BIBLE, IN THAT CHURCH SCHOOL TO WHICH MY DAD SENT ME. IT HAS BEEN A HUGE PART OF MY LIFE EVER SINCE.
Keith Hunt
No comments:
Post a Comment