Friday, October 8, 2021

ECCLESIASTES 6 1-8 13

    Chapters 6 and 7 present another under the sun versus over the sun contrast. Under the sun, there's no point to life, everything you do in life is worth nothing and the endless cycle of repetition continues. However, in chapter 7, the correct view is expounded, that if you seek to know and live by the wisdom that comes from God, that will ensure you have eternal life. If you go after worldly wisdom, as James compares in the New Testament, it'll become a trap, but if you seek out God's wisdom, you will gain the greatest reward.


Living by God's wisdom also begins and has to continually include genuine sorrow for sin. See Paul's explanation of the difference between worldly sorrow and odly sorrow in 2 Corinthians. The idea here in Ecclesiastes 7 is that of repentance, which is a change of mind from an under the sun, worldly view of things, to an over the sun, godly view of things. A genuine change of mind of this type will invariably include sorrow for sins and a genuine desire to change, as well as regular prayers to God to that affect and actions of change that will flow out of your repentant relationship with Christ.


7 9: James 1 19


7 10: Don't go on and on about the good old days. There has been no time  in history since Genesis 3 when everything was genuinely great and perfect.


Chapter 8


v1 and 2: 1 Corinthians 8 1 Worldly wisdom makes a man proud and arrogant, but God's wisdom which is inherently accompanied by love makes one a genuinely better person.


v9-13: Again, this passage contrasts a previous view expressed in Ecclesiastes. Though the world is full of wicked and corrupt people who prosper while the righteous poor struggle and suffer, the former group of men will be condemned one day for their evil deeds. It may look now like it's not going to happen because the unrighteous appear to be getting away with it, but judgment truly will happen in the end. The former will go to eternal destruction and the latter will go to eternal reward.

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