The Wisdom of Ecclesiastes: Wrestling with it

A good name is better than precious ointment,
    and the day of death, than the day of birth.
It is better to go to the house of mourning
    than to go to the house of feasting;
for this is the end of everyone,
    and the living will lay it to heart.
Sorrow is better than laughter,
    for by sadness of countenance the heart is made glad.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning;
    but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise
    than to hear the song of fools.
For like the crackling of thorns under a pot,
    so is the laughter of fools;
    this also is vanity.
Surely oppression makes the wise foolish,
    and a bribe corrupts the heart.
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning;
    the patient in spirit are better than the proud in spirit.
Do not be quick to anger,
    for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.
Do not say, “Why were the former days better than these?”
    For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.
Wisdom is as good as an inheritance,
    an advantage to those who see the sun.
For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money,
    and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to the one who possesses it.
Consider the work of God;
    who can make straight what he has made crooked?
In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; God has made the one as well as the other, so that mortals may not find out anything that will come after them. ~ Ecclesiastes 7:1-14


Read through this a couple of times. What are the lines that jump out for you?
What are the ones you come back to or maybe you go "hmmm..." 
Or cause you to grimace?
Or cause you to smile?
That make you ponder?
For me, the line is "better the end of a thing than its beginning."
Ponder, ponder, ponder...
I think of the excitement I had  a few years ago when my husband and I were going to Italy. The anticipation of finally visiting a place I'd longed to see for years and years was almost too much! 
And also knowing I'd experience sadness when I had to leave.
And yet...
I also think of the project that haunts me as I struggle to get started.
And the satisfaction when it is completed.
I wonder here if the teacher is again reminding us to be mindful of the present moment. I'm not sure about you, but when I am at the beginning of something I tend to let my mind race to the future and get ahead of myself sometimes. 
But when something is completed, I can savor that moment.
And I can remember it over and over.
Those are only the lines that make me think. There are many more here that can be wrestled with. What are yours?
Dialogue with the teacher in this passage. Ponder and mull. Read it aloud and then ponder some more.
And see what wisdom comes from it.

Prayer: Lord help me to see your wisdom. Amen.

Popular posts from this blog

But we had hoped

Now on that same day two (disciples) were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles  from Jerusalem,  and talking with each other about all these things that had happened.  While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them,  but their eyes were kept from recognizing him.  And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad.   Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?”  He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth,  who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,  and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him.  But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.  Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place.  Mo
Read more

Resurrection Run

For the week after Easter, some deeper dives into the Resurrection . When (the women) looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back.  As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.  But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him.  But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.”  So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. ~ Mark 16:4-8 No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. I am not afraid but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach; the same restlessness; the yawning. ~ CS Lewis The cave you fear to enter holds the  treasure
Read more

The Gospel of Mark: Friday Follow-Up

- Re-read Mark 15:6-15:39 from this week's devotions. - Read the passage again and identify a word or phrases that jump out at you. - Read the passage again, and if possible read from a different translation ( biblegateway.com  has many translations you can choose from). Identify where this passage might be touching your life today. How is this relevant to your life? - Read the passage a third time, again in a different translation if possible. Ask yourself what God is calling you to do or to be from this passage. What change might God be moving your toward? - Close with a silent prayer, listening to God rather than speaking to God. What actions will you take today based on this prayer? - Recite the Lord's Prayer.
Read more