Reading for December 27th

Read Ecclesiastes  6.1-12. In 6.1-12: Frustration. In light of his previous advice, the Teacher considers the greatest evil the inability to enjoy what one has. In verse 3: In the ancient world, many children (Deut 11.21) and long life (Ps 91.16) were greatly valued. No burial: While the importance of proper burial is clear in the Older Testament (2 Kings 9.30-37), its inclusion here is a bit surprising. Stillborn child: The one who has never experienced life's pain (see the sun) is the most fortunate (4.1-3; Job 3.16). In verse 6: If one does not enjoy life, it is futile. In verse 9: Better is sight ... than the wandering desire: It is better to be content with what one has than constantly to desire more. In verse 10: See ch 1. In verse 12: A summary. Comments or Questions..

Reading for December 26th

 Read Ecclesiastes 5.10-20. In 5.10-20: Insatiability of greed. One who seeks wealth for its own sake, rather than for what it can provide, cannot be satisfied. In verse 11: What can one do with possessions other than admire them? In verse 12: A romantic view of the honest laborer who sleeps after great exertion compared to the rich person who lies awake worried about acquisitions. In verse 14: While the Teacher has decried riches, he now considers the unfairness of losing wealth as a parent. In verse 15: Humans are born naked and take nothing with them when they die (Job 1.21). In verse 17: Eat in darkness: Either one is too miserly to use oil or (metaphorically) one eats without enjoyment. In verses 18-20: In light of the foregoing investigation, the Teacher advises: Accept the realities of life and find joy wherever possible. Comments or Questions..

Reading for December 25th

 Read Ecclesiastes 5.1-9. In In 5.1-9: Guard yourself. These sayings parallel traditional biblical wisdom: Attentiveness is better that sacrifice (1 Sam 15.22); speech is dangerous and should be minimal (Prov 13.3); and vows require fulfillment (Deut 23.21). While the teacher advises caution in all things, he does not reject the Temple (house of God). In verse 6: Messenger: Likely a servant of the Temple, collecting the payment of a vow. In verse 7: Fear of God: A common motif in wisdom literature, affirming God's control over all matters. In verses 8-9: Injustice should surprise no one, since it is part of the structure of society. King for a plowed field: Meaning unclear, perhaps "a king is worth his upkeep" or "the benefits of an ordered society are worth the cost of social oppression," a point of view more likely at the upper end of the social hierarchy. Comments or Questions..

Reading for December 24th

 Read Ecclesiastes 4.1-16. In verses 1-12: Observations on oppression, work, and riches. Three observations and three conclusions. In verses 1-3: Based on his observation of oppression, the Teacher concludes that those who have never experienced the tragedy of life are best. Better than: A common phrase in the book (4.6; 4.9; 4.13; 5.1; 5.5) and in traditional wisdom (Prov 15.16-17). In verses 4-6: Based on his observation of competitive envy and the fate of the lazy, he concludes that more possessions are not worth more strife. In verses 7-9: Based on his observation of a single person working hard for riches and no one with whom to share, he concludes that companionship is preferable to wealth. In verse 12: Threefold cord: Since the topic has been two, the mention of three is curious; it perhaps refers generically to "strength in numbers." In verses 13-16: Reversals. Better than: See comment on 4.3. the King and youth may allude to specific people (Saul and David; Pharaoh and Joseph), or the Teacher maybe telling a story to make a point (see 8.10-11; 9.14-15). The tale demonstrates the power of wisdom, even to overcome social expectations; yet the hero of one age is not remembered in the next. Comments or Questions..

Reading for December 23rd

 Read Ecclesiastes 3.9- 22.  verses 9-15: And yet. The punch line robs the reader of whatever comfort the poem has offered: While indeed all things may have their appointed times, human beings are unable to discern those times, much less use the information to their advantage. In verse 11: Sense less use the information to their advantage. In verse 11: Sense of past and future: other possible translations are "sense of eternity," "sense of the world." While humans have intimations of the cosmic dimensions of existence, their knowledge is limited. In verses 12-15: While this list of what the Teacher knows does not answer his problem, it counter balances his sense of life's injustice. In verses 16-22: Injustice. If God determines the times for all things, then God must set a time for judgment. Clearly however, the righteous and the wicked have not yet received what they deserve (v. 17). In verse 19: Animals and humans are equal in that they die, they share the breath breathed into the human at creation (Gen 2). In verse 20: One place: Sheol, the realm of the dead (1 Sam 2.6; Jon 2.2). Early Israel had no concept of the afterlife (either immortality or resurrection), though these such ideas grew in popularity during the Persian and Hellenistic periods, so that by the turn of the era the resurrection of the body was an article of belief for the Pharisees. In verse 21: Who knows? The question implies a negative answer: "No one knows." The possibility that the human spirit might survive cannot be verified empirically, so the Teacher returns to his conclusion: Enjoy your work while you are alive (v. 22). Comments or Questions..

Reading for December 22nd

 Read Ecclesiastes 3.1-8. In 3.1-8: Poem on times. Contrasting extremes demonstrate that there is proper time for all dimensions of human endeavor. In verse 5: Throw away stones ... gather stones. Interpreted by some early Jewish commentators as a time for sexual relations and a time for abstinence. Comments or Questions.

Reading for December 21st

 Read Ecclesiastes 2.18- 26. In 2.18-26: Experiment three: work. If humans are destined to die and have no control over who will enjoy the fruits of their labor, why work? The prospect is not only vanity, but indeed a great evil (v. 21). In verse 23: A grim account of the exhaustion of daily work. In verse 24: The Teacher's resulting advice: Enjoy the work itself, and don't make contentment dependent on the outcome of your labor. This ability to enjoy the task itself is seen by the Teacher as a gift from the hand of God. In verses 25-26: Though in previous verses the Teacher has attributed a common fate to all humans, here he distinguishes the work of the sinner as futile. Sinner is synonymous with fool; it does not refer to the person's moral standards. Comments or Questions..