Well, I know Ecclesiastes doesn't make for uplifting reading, but I find myself drawn into the passages this year as opposed to last year where I kind of read through them quickly to avoid the doom and gloom and "meaningless, meaningless, meaningless" and "chasing after the wind". On bible.org, I found a sermon by Keith Krell called When Bad is Better that has a lot of very interesting things to say. If you have the time, I would recommend you read the whole thing. If not, these excerpts capture what I was trying to formulate in my mind as I was reading the first chapter of today's passage. Mr. Krell expresses it much better than my attempts.
In this passage, we will discover that some of the medicine that tastes the worst has the best cure. Solomon answers the question he raised in 6:12, “For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few years of his futile life?”236 In doing so, he gives seven “better than” proverbs (i.e., proverbs of comparative value) to answer his own question.237 In fact, the word “good/better” appears eleven times in this chapter.238 In the first four verses, Solomon suggests that there is much to be gained by sober reflection on sorrow and death. In 7:1a he writes, “A good239 name is better than a good ointment.” This section starts by establishing that a good name (i.e., reputation) is better than a good ointment (i.e., perfume or cologne).240 To make it more relevant, a good name is better than Euphoria or Giorgio. The point of this proverb is: The character of one’s reputation is more valuable and enduring than the scent of perfume. A good name can live beyond the grave,241 but the scent of perfume ceases to linger. We could say, “Who we are is more important than what we have or do not have!”
I grew up watching Kyle Rote, Jr. play soccer. Kyle’s father is Kyle Rote, Sr., who was an all-pro NFL player in the 1950s. He was the captain of the New York Giants for ten years. What is so fascinating is after Rote’s death, Kyle Jr., said of all the compliments and awards his dad had received, one stood above the rest: fourteen of the elder Rote’s former teammates named their sons Kyle.242(emphasis mine) The reputation of Kyle Rote, Sr. was so impressive that his teammates wanted to name their boys after him. The Rotes are a Christian family that has a legacy that outlives their earthly lives.
What legacy are we leaving behind when our earthly lives are over?
“Consider the work of God, for who is able to straighten what He has bent? In the day of prosperity be happy, But in the day of adversity consider—God has made the one as well as the other so that man will not discover anything that will be after him.”
Solomon explains that we cannot understand why God uses adversity and prosperity as He does.275 God “bends” certain things and there is nothing we can do about it. Affliction is the appointment of God.276 It is generally futile to try to figure such things out; we can’t straighten what God has made crooked. There are “crooked” things we cannot straighten, and we must learn to believe and say, “God, you are God. You are good and powerful. I trust you. I believe in you. And even though I don’t like some of the things that come from your hand, I think I accept them with joy.” God does not waste sorrow or adversity. He knows the purpose for which we go through tragedy and sorrow. It is for our good, and the good of His kingdom.
A man or woman of faith trusts God. Therefore, when times are good, be happy. Enjoy what you have. Don’t waste the opportunity by trying to accumulate more. Don’t wait for retirement. Enjoy now. One of the saddest things in life is the fact that when our children are young and most enjoyable we fathers tend to be busier than ever, establishing ourselves in business and preparing for the children’s future. Unfortunately, too often, by the time we have their college education secured they are gone and there’s little opportunity to enjoy them. When times are good, be happy. But when times are bad, be patient. Be patient because the same God who made the good times has allowed the bad. Neither situation is outside of His sovereignty and there is no sure way of knowing what’s coming next. Try as we might, we cannot prepare for all contingencies, and while God expects us to be prudent, He does not want us to play God. There are times when you just have to play the cards which you have been dealt. Remember that it is God who is the dealer. What you have has been given by Him. Adversity is better than prosperity. (emphasis mine)
Sometimes when we are going through something hard, we are so busy working, attempting to manage, or worrying about the situation, that we don't realize that others are taking note of how we are handling things. I've been told a few times recently that people see me as being calm. I don't take any credit for this... part of it is that I'm simply by nature not a high-stress person or a worrier, but the other part I attribute to faith. My hope and prayer is that people will understand that calm comes not from being in control of the situation (I am completely aware that most things are not within my control) but from faith in God that everything will come out for the best, somehow. Not MY best, HIS best. I will do the best I can in a given situation and trust that God will take my efforts and all other factors in play and use them for his purposes. Not necessarily the way I wanted them, but the way that will be of the most benefit (perhaps to someone other than me), even if I never get to find out why. I'm not very good at sharing my faith with others, but maybe opportunities will arise at some point because of a seed I didn't know I planted. What could be better than that?
Have a wonderful Thursday and a fantastic Canada Day or Independence Day weekend!
Tomorrow's passage: Ecclesiastes 10-12; Acts 10:24-48.
2 comments:
Great post Miriam. And an excellent quote from that sermon.
What an impression Kyle must've left on his team - amazing!
Great post. Thanks for posting some of the thoughts of Keith Krell. I appreciated the elaboration of a good name lasting longer than fragrance of perfume which fades quickly.
A verse that stood out for me was:
Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?”
For it is not wise to ask such questions.
I think we do tend to look at "the good old days" or the way things once were and we often forget that those days were a blessing from God just like the days we have now are also a blessing. Just because relationships change, financial situations change, jobs change, our location may change and yet God is in control of all of it.
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