For a full description of the (Y3) reading plan, see the “About” page.
- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
Ecc. 9-10
“But there is hope for whoever is joined with all the living…For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything.” (Ecc. 9:4a, 5a). Whether intended or not, I couldn’t help see a parallel truth in that statement. Unity in God is one of the underlying messages I see throughout the Bible. So when I read, “joined with all the living”, it made me think of the body of Christ. That thought seems so appropriate, especially in the greater context of the book of Ecclesiastes. Christ is where our hope lies, and those who unite with Him are the ones who have life. The second part of that quote appropriately indicates that we live precisely because we know that we will die. Embracing that truth is what moves us to turn to Christ for life in the first place.
Ecc. 11-12
As depressing as this book seems, I see a freeing message in it. It tells me that we worry about life too much. We worry about getting it right, what we have, what we do, how good we are, and so many other things. This book tells me to simply live. Don’t be afraid to try and don’t worry if it doesn’t turn out like you hoped. Enjoy the journey, because it comes to an end. We don’t need to try to be somebody or chase after things that can’t be caught. Nor do we need to try to understand all that is. None of this is ours to do. Instead, we need only to fear God and live to please Him. Enjoy what He gives, don’t fret when He takes away, and hold to the hope of His mercy.