Ecclesiastes 3:1-4:8

Dear RTB’ers,

My natural self-centeredness quickly connected with So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. (v. 3:22a) And I thought that I enjoy teaching so much that Carol and I are back over here again even though we retired more than a decade ago. And I thought it sad that many people work just to make a living, to pay the bills, without much real enjoyment in what they do.

Then I turned to chapter 4 and my self-centeredness vanished: Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! (v. 4:1a) And I thought of the millions of people in Africa and Asia who are oppressed for their faith and even more millions who are oppressed because of their lack of work, of their inability to provide for their families. Oppression around the world, and no one to comfort them… As I’ve said and posted so many times, God knows each and every one of them, to a degree that we cannot comprehend. And He is God, I am not.

It all makes me want to be the absolute best that I can be for my students this semester, thinking of the ending of the first verse that I quoted above, Who can bring him to see what will be after him? (v. 3:22b) Whatever I am for them can have serious impact on the rest of their lives. And that also goes for anything that any of us does today. Be the best that you can be, to God’s glory.

Blessings!

---

See also:

• November 5 (2022) / Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
• November 6 (2022) / Ecclesiastes 3:9-22

Ecclesiastes 1-2

Dear RTB’ers,

Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite books in the Bible. In a sense, how could it not be? Proverbial. Entertaining. Spiritual. Challenging. To me, it’s the Proverbs and more! But for me, it goes further. When I returned to college after 4.5 years between my first and second year, I had an option to include an Old Testament / New Testament sequence in fulfillment of my Humanities requirement. I had no particular desire to read the great British and American literary works anyhow, especially when I could read and study the greatest book ever written. So when it came to my OT course, I did my semester paper on Ecclesiastes – all this in 1972, three years before I was born again in May 1975. So yeah, Ecclesiastes is special to me!

The Preacher. Who is he, really? The first verse tells us that “the Preacher” is Solomon, although he is not mentioned by name, but referred to as, the son of David, king in Jerusalem (Ecc. 1:1; see also Ecc. 1:12). But scholars disagree. An online source suggested that a wise, unknown author “…intended that the book should give honour to Solomon. And he wanted his readers to learn lessons from Solomon’s life.” But this book does not use Solomon’s name. (See, for example, Ecc. 8:2; 9:15, 10:20.)

Two verses capture the essence of today’s reading: And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. (vv. 2:10-11) See also additional occurrences of the word “vanity” in Ecc. 1:2, 14, and in today’s second chapter, Ecc. 2:1, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 26.

So, in vain we read on? NO! Absolutely not! We read the author’s words and ask God for His wisdom, to apply these words to our lives today. But also, let’s enjoy some lighthearted reading for this next week! Yes, ENJOY!!

Blessings!

---

See also:

• Introduction to Ecclesiastes
• November 1 (2022) / Ecclesiastes 1:1-11
• November 2 (2022) / Ecclesiastes 1:12-18
• November 3 (2022) / Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
• November 4 (2022) / Ecclesiastes 2:12-26

Esther 9-10

Dear RTB’ers,

Today we finish Esther, a short book with a lot of application for us. God is at work, often “behind the scenes”, and He is looking out for His people. When it looks bad, it can get very bad – witness the Holocaust – but He is still at work. To my mind, He knew each and every one of the six million Jews who were killed by the Hitler regime, and He knew each and every one of the 500 Persian men in Susa and the 75,000 men in the provinces who were killed by the Jews, in addition to Haman and His ten sons. To what ultimate end, all of that? I certainly do not know – He is God, I am not.

As I was walking to my office this morning (from where I am writing this note) I was asking myself which one, Esther or Mordecai is the hero/heroine of this book. The two most famous lines in the book were spoken by each of them (Esther 4:14b, 16b). It’s a trivial exercise and an indefinite answer. Both were placed in prominent positions and both were used by God as they worked with the gifts and placements God had given them. And we need to know that we are heroes in God’s eyes, through our simply following Him and telling others of His love, His goodness, His saving grace available to each and every human being. So stand up and be counted as one of God’s heroes!

Blessings!

---

See also:

• September 16 (2023) / Esther 1-5 (again)
• September 17 (2023) / Esther 6-10 (again)

Esther 7-8

Dear RTB’ers,

Haman’s plot is uncovered at Esther’s banquet and So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. (v. 7:10a) Probably seldom in history have tables turned so completely! My sidebar pointed out that Esther’s words to the king were the same words that Haman had written in his revenge edict, for the Jews …to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated…, Esther’s words, identical except in tense with …to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate… the Jews. (vv. 7:4b, 3:13b)

Having uncovered the plot and disposing of Haman and with Mordecai now in Haman’s former position, Esther and Mordecai still needed to find a way to “undo” the irrevocable edict that Haman had written and the king had signed (see v. 8:8b). So scribes were summoned and a counter-edict was written, not to revoke but to override the earlier edict. Again, my sidebar offers a superb ending to this chapter: “…we all stand under God’s irrevocable decree of death because of sin, but he chose to issue a counter-decree to redeem a people out of sin and evil and into righteousness.” Thank you, Jesus, thank you!

Blessings!

Esther 5-6

Dear RTB’ers,

The past few days we have seen King Ahasuerus being manipulated by his wife (in her refusal to come at his command), his advisors, and Haman. Now today we see his other side, him taking the initiative. A sleepless night leads to him reading the chronicles and learning of Mordecai’s part in foiling an assassination plot against him, thereby leading him to honor this Mordecai, a person otherwise unknown to him. Then, what I think is the strangest twist in this story, the king asks Haman to arrange a plan for extending this honor. Haman imagines himself to be that person being so honored and ends up in the humiliating role of honoring his hated enemy, Mordecai.

Although God is not mentioned in these happenings, it is clear that He is orchestrating these events. He put Esther on the throne, He set Mordecai by the king’s gate, He let Haman’s pride overflow to his own destruction, and He changed a sleepless night for the king into the beginning of the end of Haman’s murderous plot. For us, simple incidents in our lives can have huge impacts. I can point to dozens of those incidents in my life, where God’s re-direction of my plans put me on an entirely different course. One such of those outcomes has me posting this note some 5000 miles distant from Versailles.

Take some time today to look back at re-directions in your own lives. See God’s hand leading you where you might never have gone. Then praise Him and thank Him – and then simply ask Him, “What’s next?”

Blessings!

---

See also:

• September 16 (2023) / Esther 1-5 (again)
• September 17 (2023) / Esther 6-10

Esther 4

Dear RTB’ers,

And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (v. 14b) That’s my memory verse from Esther, although I’ve typically translated it as, “Who knows but that I (we?) have been called for such a time as this?” I’ve even seen T-shirts expressing some similar words. And I’ve thought of this verse often when I’ve found myself in a situation where the “responsibility” (or “authority”) of my position could do someone or a group of people some good. It’s important in those situations for us to realize that it’s the Lord and His workings that have put us there. When I came to Slovakia in 2004 for a year-long academic appointment, a man in my prayer group said to me, “It’ll be interesting to find out why the Lord has sent you there.” That was an eye-opener for me, to imagine that I had been sent there. And now, more than a dozen trips here since that 2004 time, it’s clear that God has had a purpose in having Carol and me here for that time. And we’re enormously grateful for having been sent!

My Bible Gateway sidebar focused on a different few words in this chapter, “…if I perish, I perish.” (v. 16b) They noted that these words have “become an anthem for selflessly and trustfully moving forward, even when outcomes are uncertain.” In my future readings of Esther, I’m sure that these words will stand out. Standing up for what is right, whatever the outcome. Yes…!

Blessings!

---

See also: September 16 (2023) / Esther 1-5.

Esther 2:19-3:15

Dear RTB’ers,

I posted yesterday of a couple of incidents where King Ahasuerus was easily manipulated (or certainly, at least swayed in one direction or another). We see that again today, on a much larger scale than yesterday. Haman carries a grudge against Mordecai, learns that he is a Jew, and proceeds to manipulate the king into signing a death decree against all Jews: If it is pleasing to the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed … And the king said to Haman, “… do with them as it seems good to you.” (vv. 3:9a, 11b)

I’m thinking back to any time that I had “carried a grudge” against someone or some group, how it might have festered in me all too long before it finally went away. I’ll continue to think about that today. But as I was thinking about it just now, it came to me that carrying a grudge is simply a lack of forgiveness. That is, if someone has been wronged and lets that wrong fester, that wound can become infected and there is no peace until the issue gets resolved or until sufficient time (and memory) passes.

Carrying a grudge = lack of forgiveness = making myself out to be the judge and jury. Not a good situation!

Your thoughts…? Any extra weight, anything heavy that you’re carrying around…?  

Blessings!

Esther 2:1-18

Dear RTB’ers,

I noticed yesterday, but failed to mention how the king was so easily manipulated – initially by Queen Vashti with her refusal to obey his demand, then by the wise men whom he consulted, Now this word pleased the king… (v. 1:21) Then today his attendants propose the beauty parade of young women and he quickly assents, And the suggestion pleased the king… (v. 2:4) And I wonder at how often I am too easily manipulated by those “attractions” the world offers.

One word kept showing up today – “favor” – with Hegai (the king’s eunuch, v. 9), with “all who saw her” (v. 15) and finally, with the king (v. 17). No doubt the Lord had endowed her with a particular personality that found favor from the very beginning and continuing to the end. He has also done that for us, with us. We are endowed with His Holy Spirit and our lives should reflect that – with every person, every encounter. Let ‘s think about how we might “find favor” with every person that we meet today.

Blessings!

Esther 1

Dear RTB’ers,

So, the king makes a demand, Vashti refuses,  and she is demoted. All that to provide a setting for which Esther rises to Vashti’s throne. My takeaway – God is at work in every activity that takes place on this huge earth and with these billions of people. How else could I have come to know each and every one of you??!! That’s a LONG story…!!

God is at work on behalf of His people in the book of Esther. Today we see only the beginnings of that!

Blessings!

II Chronicles 36

Dear RTB’ers,

Today we finish II Chronicles and in so doing we end the “formal” historical writings of the Old Testament authors (Samuel, Kings, Chronicles). We still have two historical books to read, Esther and Daniel that relate to activities taking place during the Babylonian Exile. In addition we’ve already read Ezra and Nehemiah and two prophetic books, Jeremiah and Ezekiel that relate to activities taking place in Jerusalem and Babylon. But for now, today ends the formal Old Testament historical writings.

We see four kings in this final chapter:

1. Jehoahaz, son of Josiah, did evil in the sight of the LORD (II Kings 23:32), taken captive to Egypt;
2. Jehoiakim (name changed from Eliakim), brother to Jehoahaz, reigned eleven years, did evil in the sight of the LORD, bound in chains and taken captive to Babylon;
3. Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim, reigned only three months, did evil in the sight of the LORD, carried captive to Babylon;
4. Zedekiah (name changed from Mattaniah), brother to Jehoiachin (v. 10), or possibly uncle to Jehoiachin and brother to Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim (II Kings 24:17), did evil in the sight of the LORD, rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon) who captured him, slaughtered his sons before his eyes, and bound him in bronze to Babylon (II Kings 25:7).

Their stories, in a nutshell, with one common denominator: “did what was evil in the sight of the LORD” (vv. 5, 9, 12, plus II Kings 23:32 noted above).

Any questions…?

Blessings!

---

See also:

• July 15 (2023) / II Kings 24:5-17; Jeremiah 22:18-30; 13:15-27; II Chronicles 36:5-10; Jeremiah 24:1-10
• July 27 (2023) / II Chronicles 36:13-16; Ezekiel 8-11
• August 8 (2023) / II Chronicles 36:17-21; Ezekiel 12; Psalm 89