Habakkuk asks why

Key verse
Job 37:23 - The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.

Habakkuk
Reading Habakkuk reminded me of Ecclesiastes.  There's nothing new under the sun.  Habakkuk was asking God why?  Why all this suffering and injustice?  Ever since the fall of Adam and Eve there has been suffering and injustice.  We still ask why?  We still don't understand.  All we can do is trust in his strength and request that God would renew his mercy to us every morning.

Ecclesiastes and eternity in our hearts

Back to Ecclesiastes!  I'm reading "Living on the Ragged Edge" by Chuck Swindoll, and I came across an idea that I need to share with you, since we just finished reading Ecclesiastes a little while ago.

Solomon writes about how meaningless life is, but that God has set eternity in the hearts of men.  Swindoll talks about how life really is boring and pointless if you don't live with God in mind.  Then he goes on to say that God likely made life to be that way, to be boring to us.  That's what Solomon meant by saying that God set eternity in our hearts.  He made us so that we would find life here on earth boring.  We have an innate curiosity about life beyond this earth, and here's the quote from Swindoll that drove it home for me: "... God made us that way [curious].  And if it gets boring enough on this earth, chances are great that we will search for God."

Patience is a virtue

Key verse
Ecclesiastes 8:12 - Although a wicked man commits a hundred crimes and still lives a long time, I know that it will go better with God-fearing men, who are reverent before God.


James
Patience - that is one thing that I find is hard to come by.  Once I decide on something, I want to go and do it right away, perhaps even if I'm not ready yet.  Fortunately, I've got people around me who keep me down to earth, most of the time!  It's a good reminder to know that "the Judge is standing at the door".  I realize that statement was directed to those who grumble, which I do on occasion as well, but I think it can apply to any situation.  After all, God is omnipresent, everywhere all the time.  Life application? Be more patient today!

John
Historical lesson:
Apparently, the Samaritans had built a temple on Mount Gerizim, which (this is getting a bit ahead of the reading) the Samaritan woman said was the mountain on which they must worship, although the Jews say they have to worship in Jerusalem at the temple there.  The Samaritans accepted only the Pentateuch as the scriptures, and their version commanded worship on Mount Gerizim.  Here is part of the contention between Jews and Samaritans.

Jeremiah
Poor Uriah... He prophesied the truth just like Jeremiah, and yet he died and Jeremiah lived because of his connections at the temple.
There certainly isn't much lasting satisfaction in being a false prophet.  Hananiah died within a year of his false claims.

The fiftieth post!

50th Post!!!  Congrats for tracking with me so far!  Let's hope it can only get better from here.

Key verses

Jeremiah 23:23-24 - “Am I only a God nearby,” declares the Lord, “and not a God far away?  Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?” declares the Lord.  “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord.

Jeremiah

Beware the false prophets!

Ecclesiastes

7:28 really stuck out to me because apparently Solomon couldn't find one upright women among any.  I think this may stem from the fact that he married all foreign women who would not have followed his religion or believed in the one true God.  This makes sense because he had 300 wives and 700 concubines, thereby equaling 1000.

I read this from the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary and thought it was an interesting take, although a little bit of a stretch:  one man-that is, worthy of the name, "man," "upright"; not more than one in a thousand of my courtiers (Job 33:23; Ps 12:1). Jesus Christ alone of men fully realizes the perfect ideal of "man." "Chiefest among ten thousand" (So 5:10). No perfect "woman" has ever existed, not even the Virgin Mary. Solomon, in the word "thousand," alludes to his three hundred wives and seven hundred concubines. Among these it was not likely that he should find the fidelity which one true wife pays to one husband.

James

If you were thinking of hoarding wealth, James 5:1-6 should make you think again!  Don't store up your treasures where moth and rust can destroy, or thieves can break in and steal.

Today will be a good day

Ecclesiastes
7:10 - Don't dwell in the past!  Instead of thinking how great it was and how terrible it is now, take a few minutes and think of how today can be great.  Ask God to bless what you do, and to be in every interaction with others.  It's wise not to ask why the past was so great, or we'll just end up not living fully today.  Let's make today a good day!

The Potter's House

Key verse
John 3:8 - The wind blows wherever it please.  You hear its sound but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.  So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.

Jeremiah
Thoughts on chapter 18, about God as a potter.
God's unchanging nature does not mean that he cannot change his plans.  His love for all mankind means that he will change his plans for us if we act in accordance to his will.  If we go outside his will, then he will guide us back or we will suffer the consequences.  Now those who believe in such doctrines as predestination and fate may see this as God's plan never changes, but what he says he will do and what he ends up doing were all a part of the final scheme anyway.  Regardless, we know that if we ask forgiveness, God will grant it to us.

James
According to a footnote in my Bible, the priests had to wash their hands and feet before approaching God in the tabernacle.  James exclamation "wash your hands, you sinners" therefore makes sense, as we should cleanse ourselves, and make our hearts right with God as we come to him.

Ecclesiastes
If you are struggling to make sense of Ecclesiastes, consider reading "Living on the Ragged Edge" by Charles Swindoll.   I have just started reading this book and it is very useful.  It explains how Solomon, having the money and freedom to do as he pleased (as he was the king), was able to experience everything under the sun, just as we would like to do sometime.  Wouldn't you appreciate the opportunity to break free from societal pressures and just do what you want, without a care in the world?  That's what Solomon did, and he provided us with his journal.  But what he found out was that a relationship lived "horizontally", without a focus on God, was worthless.  We have to be right with God, and do our best to live "vertically", for life to make any sense and to get any sort of lasting satisfaction.

Prayer

Key verses
Ecclesiastes 5:2 - God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.

John 2:19 - Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."

Ecclesiastes
Solomon's statement in 5:2 remind me of Jesus' own words when he was teaching others how to pray.  We should not babble on 'like the pagans', taking pride in our eloquence, but rather come humbly before God, knowing that he already knows and understands what you haven't completely thought out for yourself yet.  Yet another likeness to the New Testament are the phrases on vows, which are like oaths.  If we vow by God that we will do something, and then don't do it, we don't give God the honour he deserves.

Jeremiah
Jeremiah sure was a persevering individual!  He even prayed for the people of Judah even though God told him not to bother, because destruction was going to come (see 14:11).

A Linen Belt

Key verses
Ecclesiastes 4:9, 12 - Two are better than one, because they have good return for their work: Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.  A cord of three strands is not easily broken.

James 3:9-10 - With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.

Jeremiah
Chapter 13 opens with a symbolic story about how useless Israel has become to God because of their unfaithfulness.  When a belt is buried and not used for the purpose of holding clothes around the waist, it is useless!  Even so, when Israel doesn't obey God and participate in a relationship with Him, they are rather useless in that relationship.  Can you imagine what Jeremiah must have been thinking when he had to bury his belt to make a point?  Perhaps by this time he knew that such actions would eventually have meaning, but on first glance, I would wonder, what in the world does this have to do with anything?

John
Jesus' mother's persistence is interesting.  Here is the Messiah, saying, please, don't ask anything of me just yet, but his mother tells the servants to do whatever he tells them anyway.  Don't mothers know best?

Am I your Favourite?

Key verses
Jeremiah 7:18-19 - They pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke me to anger. But am I the one they are provoking? declares the Lord. Are they not rather harming themselves, to their own shame?

Ecclesiastes
God has set eternity in the hearts of men.  This phrase reminds me of Blaise Pascal's statement that we all have a God-shaped hole in our hearts.  We're longing for something more, something that lasts.

Jeremiah
Gilead was actually known for its medicinal herbs, renowned for the healing power of the plants that grew in that location.

James
Is it favouritism to pay more attention to your friends than any others at a party or gathering?  I think the favouritism James is speaking about here is when you pre-judge someone by their appearance and then end up treating someone poorly.  If you genuinely like someone better, is it wrong to treat them better than others, so long as you are also treating the other people well?

Logos

Key verse
James 1:17 - Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

John
The gospel of John was written in the late first centuray AD and addressed the popular gnostic/Greek idea that Jesus was fully God but not fully human.  John's theme, therefore, is proving that Jesus is both God and man.
The term logos really speaks to yesterday's reading, but I will post about it here.  Logos had both a Greek and biblical heritage as being the "divine creativity" of God or the "divine ordering principle".  Identifying Jesus as Logos indicated that Jesus existed at the beginning of time with God, and that Jesus also embodied the divine order or truth of the world.  -Archaeological Study Bible

James
It's interesting that for one so popular and revered in the early church, James would have such a short book.  Compared to Paul, James takes up very little space in the New Testament.  And yet, his letter does not lack anything in terms of theological lessons.
I appreciate James 1:12 because it helps debunk the myth of the prosperity gospel.  James says that the man who perseveres under trial will receive the crown of life.  I understand this to mean that anyone can suffer, regardless of the level of sinfulness (though we are all sinners on the same level in the eyes of God).  We won't avoid troubles if we give money or time.  We should give ourselves to God simply because he first gave himself to us, and even when we run into trouble, as it says we will in John 14, we can persevere and win the prize at the end of time.

Ecclesiastes
This verse, 1:18, is from yesterday, but I found myself thinking a little more about it today.  I related it to the old maxim "Ignorance is bliss."  Sometimes, ignorance is bliss and knowledge is pain, when knowledge forces us to act in a way we might not want to, or when we learn unpleasant truths about the world or about ourselves.
I think pleasure and laughter are quite useful, and can tie right in with the joy of the Lord.  Solomon seems a little on the negative side here....

a little history

Key verse
Jeremiah 1:8 - "Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the Lord.

Ecclesiastes
In terms of human nature, the truth about the world, and basically all abstract ideas, I suppose there is nothing new since the beginning of time.  However, I think we see things in a different and new way all the time, and for each person, life is new.  Life is not meaningless either, unless we decide to not give it meaning.  All we do here on earth has a lot of meaning, provided we do it with a view to eternity.  So long as we are investing in others and growing in God, we can have a lot of meaning in life, even if what we are doing is mundane and seemingly pointless.


Jeremiah
There is more than one version of the book of Jeremiah.  Our English translations are based on the Masoretic (Hebrew) text, but there is a different version in the Septuagint (ancient Greek) text.  This difference is likely due to the turmoil of Jeremiah's time.  Jeremiah prophesied about the impending doom of Jerusalem, and lived to see the city captured by foreigners, while he himself was one of the captives.
I have to admire Jeremiah's tenacity in bringing God's message to the people of Jerusalem.  At this time, circa 626-580 BC, the people of Judah were intent on straying from God's commands, even though Jeremiah, and Josiah, the king at the beginning of Jeremiah's career, kept trying to bring them back to God.
*Here's a neat fact: the term 'Jew' is actually a short form for Judahite, or an inhabitant of Judah, and therefore only came into existence when Judah split from the rest of Israel.  This term was then later applied to all "Israelites" when northern Israel was completely assimilated into foreign countries (approx. 720 BC)     -all of this information on Jeremiah is compliments of the Archaeological Study Bible

Interesting comparison - God touch Jeremiah's mouth with his hand when he called him to be a prophet, and an angel touched Isaiah's lips with a hot coal when he received his calling.  In both cases, the mouths were sanctified and cleansed, so as to be worthy of the words which they would later speak.

**More on today's reading later.  As we are starting four new books today, I will give some thoughts on the New Testament ones tomorrow.