For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
Heb. 1
What does the author say about Jesus in the prologue (v. 1-4)? How does this affect the way you live and worship? Jesus is God’s ultimate word. He is actually the one God’s word through the prophets points to and is fulfilled in. Therefore, even in His human form, Jesus is more than a mere messenger of God. Jesus IS God. This is one of the foundational points from which all of our perspectives must come, and the entire Bible supports it.
Ecc. 1-2
Why does the author believe everything is meaningless? Have you ever felt this way? How does this compare with the rest of the Biblical message? Can we learn from other people’s experiences? Here we have a record of a man who tried and had it all. He pursued learning and folly, pleasure and discipline, and he had unequaled possession and power. Yet he found no substance in any of it. This was not just any man – he was the wisest man that ever lived. If anybody was qualified to make such a judgment, it would be him. So what can I learn from this?
For one, I can learn the value of humility. To know that even the accomplishments of one as great as Solomon really don’t matter certainly puts my feeble efforts into perspective. The sad truth is that even the most memorable people are forgotten over time. And, like Solomon’s Temple, their great accomplishments get torn down or undone. I am small and insignificant. To think or desire otherwise is folly. Another thing I can learn is the value of contentment. I know from Solomon’s experience that there is no satisfaction in anything I can have or do in this life. To try to find it there is likewise a fool’s venture. So what, then? Do I wallow in a pool of despair, waiting for my worthless life to end?
Thank God I don’t need to do that! Instead, I can apply this knowledge to the experience of another man who seemed to understand both points. The apostle Paul said that he had learned to be content in every situation. How? By relying on Christ and finding Him to be enough. Paul also said, “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ…” (Phil. 3:8). So what I learn from Solomon and Paul is that there is no substance, meaning, worth, or contentment apart from Jesus Christ. If I want any of those things, I must give my life of no substance to Him so that He can fill it full.