The Vanity of Life

Reading this morning in Ecclesiastes 1-3 in the New King James Version. Reference is made to its annotation. Reference is also made to the Nelson’s Student Bible Dictionary.

The Preacher says “vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” What is vanity or vanities? Here in the Book of Ecclesiastes it might express “the ultimate obsurdity” or “utter emptiness.” The book clearly says that life itself is “vanity of vanities.” The word vanity means “breath” or “vapor,” and thus speaks of life as “quickly passing.” Wherever we read the word vanity in Ecclesiastes, we should think not what is “meaningless,” but what is “quickly passing.” The teaching of the Preacher is to realize that life is a fleeting thing that needs to be savored and enjoyed as a gift from God.

In 2:24, “Nothing is better for a man than he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor.” This means that eating, drinking, and even earning a paycheck are gifts from God.

2:26-“For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.”

When vanity is applied to persons, it means emptiness or futility of natural human life. When applied to things, vanity is especially used to describe idols, because there is no spiritual reality to them. believers are urged to stay way from vain things and to live their lives in the reality of their relationship to Christ. Anything short of God Himself that people trust to meet their deepest needs is vanity.

Everything has its time, and “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.” (3:11)

3:21-“Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of an animal, which goes down to the earth? 22So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage. For what can bring him to see what will happen after him?”

Both humans and beasts die and go to their graves. But humans and animals differ: Their bodies go back to dust, but the human spirit is immortal. For what is his heritage? The allotment God has designated may include material possessions or the pleasures that come from them.

With the help of Holy Spirit I have realized that life is not vain. It is neither empty nor useless. To live a life praising God and working for the advancement of his kingdom for his glory brings us a joyful and abundant life here on earth, and hereafter eternal life in heaven.

The Virtuous Wife

Proverbs’ virtuous wife is an ideal woman. She is the finest of her kind, has strong morals, has aptitude for running the house for her husband, and has a fine character. She also is a wise business woman. She knows the quality of land and the value of land. That’s how she can consider a field, buy it, and from her profits plant a vineyard. There were many restrictions placed on women in the ancient world, so for a wife to build her own resources was quite remarkable. She knows wool and flax, and is willing to work with her hands.

She rises early and prepares breakfast for her household because she cares for every one in the house. She gives of herself to care for her family and servants.

She helps the poor and needy. She can be concerned for others because she has provided for her own family, and they are well clothed. She makes tapestry for herself. Her husband is known at the gates and sits among the elders of the land partly because of her reputation.

She makes linen garments, probably for women, and sells them, and supplies sashes for the merchants. Her clothing is far richer than linen or silk for she is dressed in strength and honor. She speaks with wisdom and is kindspoken to all. She is industrious and watches over the ways of her household. Her children call her blessed. Her husband praises her: “Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all.”

The virtuous wife is described in Proverbs 31. This morning I’ve penned my idea of her. I ask that you compare yourself with the virtuous wife in Proverbs. I did and it was eye opening. I ask you to leave your husband out of the comparison. Don’t say, for example, I couldn’t do for the needy because my husband wouldn’t let me. I wrote out my comparison because I like to see things in black and white–it’s easier for me to understand. But you might do this silently, like when your pastor asks a question that requires no hand raising, but does require you to search your soul. I hope this exercise will help you to know yourself better and to better understand what constitutes a virtuous wife.

Proverbs 25-29

This morning’s reading is Proverbs 25-29. I will share a few of my thoughts about the need to help the poor.

28:27-He who gives to the poor will not lack,
But he who hides his eyes will have many
curses.
The word says in Luke 6:38, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” That sounds like blessings to me. If we do not help the poor and turn our eyes away from the sight of them, we do not love them. And if we do not love the poor we do not love one another. If we do not love one another, then we do not love God because God is love.

In Proverbs 19:17, Scripture tells us, “He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, and He will pay back what he has given.” Sounds like good measure to me.

Proverbs 29:7
The righteous considers the cause of the
poor,
But the wicked does not understand such knowledge.
Righteous people are concerned for the poor, but the wicked don’t even consider them.

Proverbs 23 and 24

This morning I am reading in Proverbs again. When I asked the LORD what he would have me understand about this Scripture this morning, I understood Him to say He corrects us because He loves us. He chastens us. Nelson’s Student Bible Dictionary tells us that chasten is to correct with the intention of teaching. It seems I learn something more about God each day. Recently the LORD told me I need discipline. Then I was thinking more of a constructive routine. Now I understand discipline to mean much more. He is correcting me with the intent of teaching me. He is guiding me down the path He has laid out for me, and He is correcting me to keep me on that path with the intention of helping me grow into the child of God He sees me as. Would I see myself as God sees me. God is chastening me because He loves me. May I return His love by learning His ways.

Some of my thoughts on Proverbs 23 this morning are as follows.

4. Do not overwork to be rich;
Because of your own understanding, cease!
5. Will you set your eyes on that which is not?
For riches certainly make themselves wings;
They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.
Do not work overtime just to make more money. You know it’s not worth it, so stop it! Without being lazy, one should work with moderation. Those riches you make for yourself on earth can fly out the window. So store up treasures for yourself in heaven.

17. Do not let your heart envy sinners,
But be zealous for the fear of the LORD all
the day;
18. For surely there is a hereafter,
And your hope will not be cut off.
Do not be jealous of sinners, for death faces them. But love the LORD with all your heart, soul, mind and strength all day long. Surely you as a Christian have a glorious future, and your hope which is in God will not be cut off.

Proverbs 21 and 22

Reading this morning is from the New King James Version.

The LORD this morning tells me that Proverbs is all about love; that a father disciplines his children because he loves them. He disciplines so they may grow into mature, responsible people.

Following are some of my thoughts on Proverbs this morning.

21:31 The horse is prepared for the day of battle,
But deliverance is of the LORD.
Soldiers can prepare for a battle by training, but it is God Who determines the winner. No preparation can override God’s power. His power is awesome.

22:9 He who has a generous eye will be blessed;
For he gives of his bread to the poor.
A person who has a generous eye sees the needs of others first. A person with a stingy eye sees only his own self-interest. One who has a generous eye not ony sees the need, but gives to those in need.

Proverbs 20

25. It is a snare for a man to devote rashly
something as holy,
And afterward to reconsider his vows.

In the not-too-distant past I made a vow to serve God 24/7, without pay. Though I have not changed my mind, I have had a tendency to go off the clock. My love for the LORD is growing daily and my desire to serve Him is even greater than the day I made the pledge. It is better to never vow than it is to make a vow and then change one’s mind. My tendency has been to start a project and not finish it. I’ve had this tendency in all areas of my life all my life…diet, exercise…you name it. I am being shown the wrongness of that and I have a new attitude growing within me. I pledge to not hastily make a pledge of any kind in the future. A pledge made with god’s approval will be a pledge much easier for me to keep. Though it may not be a spiritual thing to stop an exercise program or drop out of a club, et cetera, it does signify a pattern in my life which I have “not hastily” pledged to turn around.

Once the LORD tells us what He wants us to do, we should do that until and unless He tells us to do differently. Sometimes I wonder why God hangs in with me. But He does because He is faithful. and I want to be faithful to Him.

My prayer this morning is Habakkuk 3:19 Amplied.
“The LORD God is my Strength, my personal bravery,
and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet
and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk]
and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places
[of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!

Proverbs 16

This morning I’m reading in Proverbs 16, and will share some of my thoughts with you.

5. Everyone proud in his heart is an abomination
to the LORD;
Though they join forces, none will go
unpunished.
God detests those who are arrogant. The annotation says that pride has everything backwards. It takes away from the Giver (God) who gives graciously and awards it to the receiver who takes without thanking. That is why God sees it as an abomination, a word that throughout Proverbs refers to God’s revulsion.
Job 22:29 tells us, “When they cast you down, And you say, Exaltation will come! Then He will save the humble person.

8. Better is a little with righteousness,
Than vast revenues without justice.
No matter how much wealth we might have, righteousness is our real treasure.

9. A man’s heart plans his way,
But the LORD directs his steps.
A man may make his own plans out of the desires of his heart, but unless the LORD directs his steps, his plans are in vain.

20. He who heeds the word wisely, will find
good,
And whoever trusts the LORD, happy is
he.
He who loves the LORD will obey His commandments and will trust Him for all things–will not be worried or anxious about anything. Hence, he will be happy since he has eternal life to look forward to.

25. There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death.
The wicked plot their own way thinking it right; however, this way leads to death. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

31. The silver-haired head is a crown of glory,
If it is found in the way of righteousness.
The silver-haired-head, representing age and wisdom–is a crown of glory to those who walk the way of righteousness–one of the rewards of pursuing wisdom.

33. The lot is cast into the lap,
But its every decision is from the LORD.
In ancient Israel lots were cast, and could seem like luck. But it was not, for when a lot was cast as a means of determining God’s will, the people knew it did not fall indiscriminately. God exercises sovereignty over human affairs.

Reading is from the Nelson Study Bible, New King James Version. Reference is made to its Annotation.

Proverbs 13 and 14

This morning I am sharing my thoughts on a couple of the proverbs in these two chapters.

14:3–In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride,
But the lips of the wise will preserve them.
This proverb addresses the dangers of foolish speech and the rewards of sensible speech. The words of a fool shape themselves into a rod that is ready for his enemies to use on him. This proverb calls to mind that many people are their own worst enemy, they prepare a noose for their own hanging.

Our words not only reveal what is in our heart, they form a vivid picture for others to see us as we really are. That can be a good picture or a bad picture. Our foolishly spoken words can come back at us and hurt us or someone else at a later time in our life. So we should always use caution when we speak, rather than to speak hastily. Let us take the time to weigh our thoughts before expressing them.

14:10–The heart knows its own bitterness,
And a stranger does not share its joy.
We know in our heart why we are bitter and resentful. We need the help of a friend to get over it. A stranger will not do. The friend who wants to help us is Jesus Christ. This proverb reminds me of the song, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”

I am reading in the Nelson Study Bible New King James Version. Reference is made to its annotation.

Proverbs 11

We are in Proverbs 11 this morning. I will share with you my understanding of some of them. This is to make us think how they compare with our lives–not to condemn but to convict where necessary–to making us a better person.

Proverbs 11 is all about love–God’s abundant love for us and his desires for us. He wants us to have a life of abundance, and we cannot have such a life if we are evil.

In the first verse, “Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD,
But a just weight is His delight.”
The LORD despises dishonesty but delights in just weights. This has to do with loving our neighbor and dealing fairly with him. It’s an outgrowth of the command to love our neighbor as we love ourself, which in turn is an outgrowth of the central command to love God alone. That is why false scales are an abomination to God, a term that causes extreme disgust, hatred or loathing.

2. When pride comes, then comes shame;
But with the humble is wisdom.
The Hebrew word for pride comes from a root word meaning “to boil up.” The image paints a picture of someone who is arrogant, with an inordinate or unjustified amount of self-esteem. He has filled his balloon too full of air, and it will surely pop and lead him to shame.

12. He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor,
But a man of understanding holds his peace.
Loving our neighbor and being understanding of him leads us to being patient and in control of our emotions. These two things are part of wisdom. The person who is devoid of wisdom “lacks heart” or does not love his neighbor but despises him. The understanding person knows enough to control his temper and to keep his silence.

13. A talebearer reveals secrets,
But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.
I mention this one because we so often divulge a friend’s secret that has been shared with us in order to get our advice. A true friend does not reveal but conceals these secret matters. An unfaithful friend will reveal the secret. The annotation says that “love covers a multitude of sins.”

14. Where there is no counsel, the people fall,
But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
Our government leaders as well as all individuals need adequate counsel. We need to seek advice from wise and trustworthy people.

Scripture has been taken from the New King James Verson. Some reference is made to its annotation, and to Nelson’s Student Bible Dictionary.