"The Problem of Injustice" (Ecclesiastes 3:16–22)
A Bible Study of Ecclesiastes
Pastor Cameron Jungels
Eastside Baptist Church
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
A Problem Observed (Ecclesiastes 3:16)
Ecclesiastes 3:16 NIV16 And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment—wickedness was there, in the place of justice—wickedness was there.
What is the problem?
The presence of injustice in the world.
Living righteously is supposed to lead to blessing, and living wickedly is supposed to lead to judgment.
Two Potential Solutions (Ecclesiastes 3:17–21)
Potential Solution # 1: Justice Delayed (Ecclesiastes 3:17)
Ecclesiastes 3:17 NIV17 I said to myself, “God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed.”
If Justice is Delayed…
The wicked will eventually be held accountable by God and will be punished.
It could be delayed until later in this life.
It could be delayed until a judgment after death.
Potential Solution # 2: Justice Denied (Ecclesiastes 3:18–21)
Ecclesiastes 3:18–21 NIV18 I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. 19 Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”
If There Is No Justice…
The wicked will get away with it and never be held accountable.
If this is the case, then what advantage is there in being a human being over an animal?
Because death is our common fate.
Ecclesiastes 3:20–21 NIV20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”
Provisional Advice (Ecclesiastes 3:22)
Ecclesiastes 3:22 NIV22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?
Death is coming, whether you are righteous or wicked, whether you are a person or an animal.
Enjoy the life God has given you and make the most of the time and opportunities you have.
Live in light of future judgment.

Wednesday Apr 14, 2021

"The Mystery of Time and Providence" (Ecclesiastes 3:1-15)

Wednesday Apr 14, 2021

"The Mystery of Time and Providence" (Ecclesiastes 3:1-15)
A Bible Study of Ecclesiastes
Eastside Baptist Church
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
Seeing the Bigger Picture
*Life in this world (“under the sun”) may be characterized as “Hebel” – mysterious, enigmatic, frustrating, and at times elusive. (1:2)
*Where (or how) can we find ultimate “gain” or “significance” in this world? (1:3)
*Opening Poem: Life is enigmatic and frustrating (1:4–11).
*“Gain” cannot ultimately be found in the pursuit of wisdom (1:12–18).
*“Gain” cannot ultimately be found in the pursuit of pleasure or projects (2:1–12).
*Wisdom is so much better than foolishness, but again, pursuing wisdom for its own sake will not bring “gain” (2:12–23).
*Preliminary Advice: Enjoy God’s good gifts in this world but realize that if they are pursued as “gain” they will disappoint (2:24–26).
Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
*An obstacle to the pursuit of “gain” in this world:
-We are bound by the limits of time.
-Many events in this world are outside of our control and are ultimately under God’s providence.
3 There is a time for everything,    and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2     a time to be born and a time to die,    a time to plant and a time to uproot,3     a time to kill and a time to heal,    a time to tear down and a time to build,4     a time to weep and a time to laugh,    a time to mourn and a time to dance,5     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,6     a time to search and a time to give up,    a time to keep and a time to throw away,7     a time to tear and a time to mend,    a time to be silent and a time to speak,8     a time to love and a time to hate,    a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.
15 Whatever is has already been,    and what will be has been before;    and God will call the past to account.

Wednesday Apr 07, 2021

"Wisdom, Work, and What Is Worthwhile" (Ecclesiastes 2:12-26)

Wednesday Apr 07, 2021

"Wisdom, Work, and What Is Worthwhile" (Ecclesiastes 2:12-26)
A Bible Study of Ecclesiastes
Eastside Baptist Church
Wednesday, April 7, 2021
Guiding Question
*In a world that is marked by enigmas, frustration, and futility, where can a person find “profit”?
*Where can human beings find meaning in this finite life “under the sun”?
Finding “Profit” or “Gain”
*Ecclesiastes 1:12-18
-In the pursuit of wisdom?
*Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
-In the pursuit of pleasure?
*Ecclesiastes 2:12-26
-In the Comparison of Wisdom and Folly?
-In the Reward for Our Labor?
Wisdom is Better than folly, but… (Ecclesiastes 2:12-16)
Ecclesiastes 2:12–16 NIV
12 Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly.What more can the king’s successor do than what has already been done?13 I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness.14 The wise have eyes in their heads, while the fool walks in the darkness;but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both.
15 Then I said to myself,
“The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?”I said to myself, “This too is meaningless.”16 For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered; the days have already come when both have been forgotten.Like the fool, the wise too must die!
There is Reward for our Labor, But… (Ecclesiastes 2:17-23)
Ecclesiastes 2:17–23 NIV
17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? 23 All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.
Putting Things in Perspective (Ecclesiastes 2:24-26)
Ecclesiastes 2:24–26 NIV
24 A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26 To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Concluding Thoughts
*We should pursue wisdom, because it is so much better than foolishness. But we must realize that death comes to the wise and the fool, and wisdom in and of itself is not ultimately what we are seeking for.
*We can find satisfaction and reward in our work and efforts. But we must realize that those benefits are fleeting, and someone else will one day take over the fruit of our labors.
*It is worthwhile to pursue wisdom and live a wise life.
*It is worthwhile to give our time and efforts to quality work.
*But these will not bring us eternal “profit.” These also cannot hold off death, which overtakes us all.

Wednesday Mar 24, 2021

"The Pursuit of Pleasure" (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11)

Wednesday Mar 24, 2021

"The Pursuit of Pleasure" (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11)A Study of the Book of EcclesiastesPastor Cameron JungelsWednesday, March 24, 2021
Ecclesiastes 2:1-11, NIV
2 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. 2 “Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” 3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.
4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well—the delights of a man’s heart. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.
10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure.My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil.11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve,everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.

Wednesday Mar 10, 2021

"The Pursuit of Wisdom" (Ecclesiastes 1:12-18)

Wednesday Mar 10, 2021

"The Pursuit of Wisdom" (Ecclesiastes 1:12-18)
A Bible Study of Ecclesiastes
Pastor Cameron Jungels
Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Where Are We?
Title (1:1)
Theme Word: “Hebel” (1:2)
Programmatic Question: “Where is ‘yitron’ or ‘profit’?” (1:3)
Poem about the Enigma of Life (1:4-11)
Life keeps moving. Round and round it goes. Where can we find ultimate meaning and significance if there is nothing really new and we are so quickly forgotten? This ultimate meaning and significance cannot be found ‘under the sun.’ It must be found in eternity with our Creator (1:4-11).

Where Are We Going?
First Discourse: Observations on Various Areas of Life in Order to Demonstrate Finite Man’s Lack of Ultimate Gain (1:12-6:9)
Personal Observations on Various Life Situations (1:12-3:22)
Observations on Human Achievement and Wisdom (1:12-2:26)
The Pursuit of Wisdom (1:12-18)
Ecclesiastes 1:12–18 (NIV)
12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
15 What is crooked cannot be straightened;
what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.
18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;
the more knowledge, the more grief.

Ecclesiastes 1:12 NIV12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

Teacher
Qoheleth - קֹהֶ֫לֶת
Solomon?
Ecclesiastes 1:13 NIV13 I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind!

Mind
Lit. “heart”
To Study and to Explore
Pursuit
Wisdom
Goal of the Pursuit
Under the Heavens
Another way of saying “under the sun” - finite humanity
Heavy Burden
“evil task” or “unhappy business”
Ecclesiastes 1:14 NIV14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Seen
Observational nature of wisdom literature
Under the Sun
Limited, finite perspective
Meaningless
Hebel - הֶ֫בֶל
“enigmatic” and “frustrating”
Chasing after the Wind
Elusive, uncontrollable by finite man
Ecclesiastes 1:15 NIV15 What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.

What is Crooked Cannot Be Straightened
Finite power or control
What is Lacking Cannot Be Counted
Finite knowledge or understanding
Ecclesiastes 1:16 NIV16 I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.”

Ecclesiastes 1:13 NIV13 I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind!

Wisdom and Knowledge
The goal of the current pursuit to find ‘yitron’ or ‘profit’
More Than/Much
Superlative pursuit
Ecclesiastes 1:17 NIV17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.

Understanding of Wisdom
Beyond gaining wisdom to seeking to understand it and how it works
Madness and Folly
The other side of wisdom - to look at “both sides of the coin”
Exhaustive Pursuit
This Too - Chasing after the Wind
The superlative and exhaustive pursuit of wisdom is an unsatisfactory answer to the question of 1:3.
Ecclesiastes 1:3 NIV3 What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?

Gain
“Profit” or “Advantage” - יִתְרוֹן
Ecclesiastes 1:18 NIV18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.

Sorrow/Grief
Frequent attendant circumstances of the pursuit of wisdom and knowledge
The pursuit of wisdom and knowledge is not simple.
It is complex.
What Is the Main Point?
It is not that the pursuit of wisdom is completely pointless or useless. Wisdom has many advantages and can result in many positive outcomes. But… If your pursuit of wisdom is in order to find life’s ultimate “profit” or “advantage” or “value,” then your pursuit is misguided and will ultimately leave you disappointed.
“Human accomplishments are as insubstantial and fleeting as a puff of air; trying to find ultimate meaning in them is as futile as trying to catch the wind.” - Edward Curtis

Wednesday Mar 03, 2021

"Running in Circles" (Ecclesiastes 1:4-11)

Wednesday Mar 03, 2021

"Running in Circles" (Ecclesiastes 1:4-11)
A Bible Study of Ecclesiastes
Pastor Cameron Jungels
Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Ecclesiastes 1:2 NIV
2“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”
Life is enigmatic and puzzling. This enigmatic nature of life (without a heavenly perspective) can lead to frustration, discouragement, and desperation (verse 2).
Ecclesiastes 1:3 NIV
3What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?
Life is full of work and labor. But what are we really achieving with all of our labor? Is there any enduring profit or advantage as a result of all this work (verse 3)?
Verses 4-11 are a poem that addresses the programmatic question of verse 3 and sets the stage for the discussion that follows.
Are we really getting anywhere? Things come and go. Everything is cyclical. The more things change, the more they seem to stay the same (v. 4-7). Is there any “profit” in pursuing our desires or in achieving new things (vv. 8-10)? What does our labor get us if we are soon forgotten (v. 11)?
The Cyclical Pattern of Nature and Life (vv. 4-8).
The cyclical vs. the enduring (v. 4).
Ecclesiastes 1:4 NIV
4Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
The Hebrew term “dor” could refer to a generation of people, which replaces the one that came before it. However, the root idea of “dor” is a “circle” or “circular motion.”
“Verse 4 contrasts a circular movement within nature with the steadfast and immovable earth.” - Graham Ogden
The cyclical pattern of the days (the rising and setting of the sun) (v. 5).
Ecclesiastes 1:5 NIV
5The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.
The emphasis is on the constancy of movement. It is a never-ceasing activity which constantly repeats itself.
The cyclical pattern of the wind (v. 6).
Ecclesiastes 1:6 NIV
6The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course.
The sun moves east to west, and the wind is said to move north to south and back again. So, verses 5-6 cover all directions on earth.
The cyclical pattern of water (v. 7).
Ecclesiastes 1:7 NIV
7All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again.
“The never-ending motion within nature ... does not move toward completion; it knows only constant and cyclic motion.” - Graham Ogden.
The cyclical pattern of human activity (v. 8).
Ecclesiastes 1:8 NIV
8All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.

Ecclesiastes 1:8 KJV
8All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
Human labor goes on and on.
The mouth never runs out of things to say.
The eye never runs out of things to see.
The ear never runs out of things to hear.
Like the sea is never filled up though water keeps flowing into it, so the words that people can speak are limitless, the things that people can see are limitless, and the things that people can hear are limitless.
“The ceaseless activity which has already been exemplified in the natural world of sun, wind, and stream in vv. 5-7, is true also of the human world.” - Graham Ogden
Something New, Something Old (vv. 9-10).
The repetitive nature of human achievement (v. 9).
Ecclesiastes 1:9 NIV
9What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
The deceptive appearance of the “new” (v. 10).
Ecclesiastes 1:10 NIV
10Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new”? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.
“The world remains, yet within it there is a flow, a cycle of regular and unceasing activity. Such cyclic motion may give the impression that certain occurrences are actually new and novel. Qoheleth suggests that what appears new is but the recurrence of some aspect of the past; it is new only to the one who newly experiences it.” - Graham Ogden
“‘Newness is not a category for describing this-worldly matters… Qoheleth has asked whether yitrôn [“profit” or “advantage”] is attainable ‘under the sun.’ He now suggests (v. 10) that ‘under the sun’ is not the appropriate place to look for yitrôn. For that which is completely new we must step outside this world and think in other-worldly terms.” - Graham Ogden
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow (v. 11).

Ecclesiastes 1:11 NIV
11No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them.
“One cannot expect to live on in the collective memory, and thus have an ‘after life’. Such hope is illusory.” - Graham Ogden
What is the purpose of this poem?
It justifies and sets the stage for the study of life and human existence “under the sun.”
Life is a permanent feature of the world, though it is marked by ebb and flow and repetitive cylces.
In this world that is permanent but has repetitive cycles of actions and events, humanity struggles for comprehension of life.
That which is seen as ‘new’ is actually the ‘recurrent past’.
Neither ‘newness’ nor yitrôn [‘profit’] can ultimately be found “under the sun.” We need a meaning for our existence that comes from ‘beyond the sun.’
“The poem alerts us to two key issues that Qohelet will struggle with as he explores the benefit of labor and thus the meaning of life: the repetitiveness of history and the fact that people are not remembered...if on the basis of observation one concludes that history is endlessly repetitive, then it is indeed hard to see the value of labor and of life. One might find meaning in the fact that one’s hard work and achievements will be remembered, but as the poem notes, no matter what one’s achievements, people are quickly forgotten, so that meaning cannot be grounded in remembrance. Theologically, the poem therefore raises the issue of how we view history and of where we locate our identity or meaning in life. Scripture and the Christian tradition rightly recognize, with this poem, that a cyclical view of history is hope-less, and also alert us to the fact that we cannot root our identity in others and their remembrance of us.” - Craig Bartholomew
Life keeps moving. Round and round it goes. Where can we find ultimate meaning and significance if there is nothing really new and we are so quickly forgotten? This ultimate meaning and signficance cannot be found ‘under the sun.’ it must be found in eternity with our Creator.

Wednesday Feb 10, 2021

"Puzzles and Profits" (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3)

Wednesday Feb 10, 2021

"Puzzles and Profits" (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3)Pastor Cameron JungelsEastside Baptist Church
February 10, 2021, Wednesday PM

Ecclesiastes 1:2 NIV
“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”

Ecclesiastes 1:2 NASB
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”

Ecclesiastes 1:2 CSB
“Absolute futility,” says the Teacher. “Absolute futility. Everything is futile.”

Ecclesiastes 1:2 CEB
“Perfectly pointless,” says the Teacher, “perfectly pointless. Everything is pointless.”

What is the meaning of “Hebel”?
(hebel) הֶבֶל
Theme word of Ecclesiastes
Does it mean “vanity” or “meaningless” or “futility”?
Unique and purposeful meaning in Ecclesiastes
“Hebel” in Ecclesiastes
Consider scenarios that are described as “hebel” in Ecclesiastes.
Note that “hebel” is accompanied by other key expressions in Ecclesiastes.
“Hebel” is often balanced by calls to enjoy God’s good gifts.
How is “Hebel” used in Ecclesiastes?
The scenarios examined by Qoheleth and described as “hebel” do not fit the meaning of “meaningless” or “futile” or “vanity.”
The accompanying phrases “chasing the wind” (“shepherding the wind”), “a sore affliction,” and “an unhappy business” do not support the meaning of “meaningless,” “futility,” or “vanity.”
The repeated calls to enjoy God’s good gifts provide key structural clues and rule out the meanings of “meaningless,” “futility,” and “vanity.”
So, what does “Hebel” mean in Ecclesiastes?
“Hebel in Qoheleth has a distinctive function and meaning: it conveys the notion that life is enigmatic, and mysterious; that there are many unanswered and unanswerable questions. The person of faith recognizes this fact but moves forward positively to claim and enjoy the life and the work which God apportions.” - Graham Ogden
Ecclesiastes 1:3 NIV
What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?

Key Question
If “hebel” is the key theme word in Ecclesiastes, verse 3 and the idea of “profit or gain” is the programmatic question.
What is the meaning of “Yitron”?
(yitron) יִתְרוֹן
Comes from a root word that normally conveys the idea of a “profit” or “gain.”
Used in contexts relating to commercial enterprise.
The term “yitron” is coined by Qoheleth.
It clearly does not have a material or financial meaning in Ecclesiastes.
It cannot be found “under the sun.”
“If it is not equated with some worldly, measurable benefit, then it probably belongs to a somewhat different order… Qoheleth is at least pointing in the direction of a yitrôn which transcends the present earthly experience.” - Graham Ogden
“Yitron” in Ecclesiastes
The term “yitron” (gain, profit, or advantage) has “a metaphorical sense to speak of that which is non-material. It might refer, in part, to an inner contentment which abides throughout an enigmatic life, but it seems also to incorporate the possibility of some experience beyond death.” - Graham Ogden
Puzzles and Profits
So, the true “profit” that the wise may receive and that will one day make sense of all of life’s “puzzles” is not to be found in this life “under the sun.” It is to be found in “eternity” (3:11).

Wednesday Feb 03, 2021

"Introducing Ecclesiastes" (Ecclesiastes 1:1-3)

Wednesday Feb 03, 2021

"Introducing Ecclesiastes" (Ecclesiastes 1:1-3)
Wednesday Bible Study
February 3, 2021
Ecclesiastes has long been regarded as the most enigmatic book in the Bible. Its refrain that “all is vanity under the sun” sounds more like twentieth-century existentialism than biblical faith. On the other hand, several times the book counsels its readers to grasp the joys of life as gifts from God. How these seemingly opposite themes are viewed leads to dramatically different understandings of the text. By composing the book’s message in autobiographical terms, the author takes the readers along as he seeks to discover lasting significance in life. - Daniel J. Estes
Ecclesiastes 1:1 NIV
The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:

"Teacher" - קֹהֶלֶת (qohelet)
Derived from a verb meaning "to assemble" or "to gather."
"Teacher or Leader of the Assembly"
"One who gathers material for education of the public."
"Ecclesiastes" - derives from the Greek term ἐκκλησία (ekklesia), "assembly."
"Ecclesiastes" is the title of the book in the Greek Bible and the Latin Bible.
The book is referred to as "Qoheleth" in the Hebrew Bible.
"Son of David, King in Jerusalem"
Who wrote Ecclesiastes?
Solomon?
A later author around the time of the exile or after the exile?
Ecclesiastes 1:2 NIV
“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”

Ecclesiastes 1:2 NASB95
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”

Ecclesiastes 1:2 Tanakh
Utter futility!—said Koheleth— Utter futility! All is futile!

Ecclesiastes 1:2 (Bartholomew)
“Utterly enigmatic,” says Qohelet, “utterly enigmatic, everything is enigmatic.”

“Meaningless”? ( הֶבֶל "hevel")
"breath"
"wind"
"vanity"
"empty"
"idol"
Ecclesiastes 1:3 NIV
What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?

Wednesday Jan 27, 2021

"Out of the Depths" (Psalm 130)

Wednesday Jan 27, 2021

"Out of the Depths" (Psalm 130)Pastor Cameron JungelsEastside Baptist ChurchWednesday PM, January 27, 2021
Psalm 130
A song of ascents.
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;2     Lord, hear my voice.Let your ears be attentive    to my cry for mercy.
3 If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,    Lord, who could stand?4 But with you there is forgiveness,    so that we can, with reverence, serve you.
5 I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,    and in his word I put my hope.6 I wait for the Lord    more than watchmen wait for the morning,    more than watchmen wait for the morning.
7 Israel, put your hope in the Lord,    for with the Lord is unfailing love    and with him is full redemption.8 He himself will redeem Israel    from all their sins.
May your time in the depths lead you to God not away from him (vv. 1–2).
May your time in the depths lead you to repentance, forgiveness, and cleansing (vv. 3–4).
May your time in the depths lead you to wait with great anticipation for God and his deliverance (vv. 5–6).
May your time in the depths lead you to put your hope and trust in God alone (vv. 7–8).
Main Idea: In the darkest and most difficult times of life, we must patiently trust in God, who hears, forgives, rescues, and redeems.

Wednesday Jan 20, 2021

“The High Priest Prays for You” (Ch. 38); "Epilogue"

Wednesday Jan 20, 2021

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests
by Edward Welch

“The High Priest Prays for You” (Chapter 38)
“Jesus Christ continues in his priestly ways. Your high priest prays to the Father for you, and he is joined by the Spirit, who also intercedes for you right now (Rom. 8:26–27).” - Edward Welch
Hebrews 7:24–25 NIVbut because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
“Jesus prayed for his disciples; then he prays for you. He prays that you would be united with both God and each other in love.” - Edward Welch
John 17:20–21 NIV“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
“God’s love gathers you into himself. God is one, you are called to live in him and participate in his love, and then you are sent out to express this in daily life through your unity with others.” - Edward Welch
“You believe in Jesus, which means you have life. Now remain in him by imitating and obeying his love, which takes a lower place and serves. In this way, love is reproduced and expands even more.” - Edward Welch
John 17:22–23 NIVI have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
“Glory is holiness on full display. It is big, stunning. You cannot look away from it… One with the Father, Son, and Spirit, and, as a result, one with each other—this is glory.” - Edward Welch
“Your purpose is to be near to God, to live with him in his house and to experience his divine hospitality.” - Edward Welch
John 17:24 NIV“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

If we actually ask people to pray for us, and we stay alert to what God does:
A meeting with a contentious person went better than we had hoped.
We listened rather than reacted.
We were able to get what we needed [though not always what we wanted].
“Yet there are times when no friend knows or prays, and hardships are kept private. We can know, then, that the Spirit and the Son know our spirit and speak on our behalf to the Father.” - Edward Welch
“Epilogue”
“The Christian church has not always known what to do with the priesthood of all believers.” - Edward Welch
Slow growth and development of:
Church structure
Authority in a centralized group
Division between clergy and laity
And eventually the concept of a priesthood of the clergy separate from the laity.
The priesthood of all believers was a scriptural doctrine recovered by Martin Luther and other Reformers.
“He wrote that those in church office should come from the church community and serve by community consent and election. Furthermore, those who serve are not unique mediators between God and believers. Rather, they equip the congregation for every-member ministry (Eph. 4:1–12).” - Edward Welch
“The resulting landscape generated everything from Catholics to Quakers, with every denomination and local church reckoning with how to describe the work of church officers and individual members.” - Edward Welch
“But we can be confident of this: the Spirit has been given to all followers of Jesus, and God is pleased to use ordinary, unassuming men and women to advance his kingdom into our hearts and the world. Scripture is unfamiliar with a passive laity that leaves the work of ministry to ordained professionals. As saints, together we enjoy God’s fellowship, we want to know him even better and love him more, and we want those who are further away to come near.” - Edward Welch
“The distance between heaven and earth has always been shorter than we expected. There were always ladders from which the Lord descended, mountains that we ascended, and temples where the throne room was separated by only a curtain. There was always the personal God who spoke to his people and listened to them. He came close and, with certain stipulations, invited us to come close to him.” - Edward Welch
“Then Jesus came to earth, and God was here to stay. Jesus was both of heaven and earth, which meant that the plan had always been to unite heaven and earth in him. In Jesus Christ, God executed his plan “to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth” (Eph. 1:10).” - Edward Welch
“Now we wait for the fullness of the Most Holy Place to appear—heaven itself, a perfect square, immense (Rev. 21:15–17). God’s earthly house was a miniature version of heaven. The heavenly house will come down and infuse earth in a way that the earth itself will shine, full of God’s light and overflowing with his life.” - Edward Welch
“What we now know in part, we shall know fully, even as we have been fully known (1 Cor. 13:12). We will see him face-to-face. The Spirit will bring us fully into the Father and the Son, and we will hear, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Rev. 21:3).” - Edward Welch
1 Peter 2:9 NIVBut you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Wednesday Jan 13, 2021

“Be Sent Out” (Ch. 36); "Walking Uphill" (Ch. 37)

Wednesday Jan 13, 2021

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests
by Edward Welch

“Be Sent Out” (Chapter 36)
“The plan had always been that priests would meet in the staging area of God’s house in order to be sent out into the world. His house is a place of rest, yet it is also very busy. It is life with a purpose. Following are elements of that mission.” - Edward Welch
Do Battle
Priests were an integral part of Israel’s warfare.
We are in spiritual warfare every day. Our enemy can be found in the world or what is earthly:
1 John 2:16 NIVFor everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.
A primary battlefield is in our own hearts:
Anger
Selfish ambition
Jealousy
Pride
The battle strategy is clear and detailed: We turn from Satan and turn to the Lord.
James 4:7–10 NIVSubmit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
Another favorite battlefield of the devil is the community of believers.
“Priests discern the body of Christ, which means that we know that the body of Christ is set apart for unity through humility and love, and we work for peace and reconciliation when we see interpersonal fractures.” - Edward Welch
The spiritual battle is also in the world.
“We hope to fit in by being good neighbors who contribute to the good of the community, and we hope to stand out in the way we love. When we encounter the inevitable relationship hassles, this is our opportunity to shine.” - Edward Welch
Pray and Bless
How do we do spiritual battle in our own hearts, preserve the unity of the body of Christ, and love even our enemies?
The life of God’s saints is one of prayer.
“This is an extension of the normal back and forth that characterizes growing relationships: God speaks to us, especially through his word, and we speak from our hearts to him.” - Edward Welch
Prayer is one of our greatest opportunities to bring Christ to the world.
“During trouble, most people welcome prayer. They might think prayer is silly during easier times, but real humanity emerges especially in difficulties, when they are grateful that we pray for them and have them on our hearts.” - Edward Welch
The partner of prayer is blessing.
God blesses us and uses us to bless others.
To speak blessing to others, we must know God’s blessings:
Grace and peace to you (2 Pet. 1:2).
May the Lord deal kindly (Ruth 1:8).
May the Lord give you peace (2 Thess. 3:16).
May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ (2 Thess. 3:5).
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered (Ps. 32:1).
Our words of blessing to others mature and deepen as we understand more deeply the goodness of God to us.
We move from physical blessings to spiritual and heavenly blessings, which are eternal and more significant.
Psalm 65:4 NIVBlessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.
“After going out into the world, sent by the Lord yet also with his presence, we invite others to come near to him and return to his house where together we bless him.” - Edward Welch
Psalm 134:1–2 NIVPraise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord.

“Walking Uphill” (Chapter 37)

On a Journey
Priests are on a journey, and God is near.
Psalm 23:1–3 NKJVThe Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
Jesus is our Good Shepherd.
“Jesus the shepherd is with us, always close. With sins forgiven, there is nothing that can separate us from his love... We have everything we need, and the waters are quiet rather than turbulent. We are refreshed by him and in him.” - Edward Welch
The Holy Spirit is the presence of God with us.
“The Spirit assures us of the presence of Jesus, and he gives us power to follow him during trouble—and there will be trouble. Those reminders strengthen us.” - Edward Welch
Psalm 23:4 NKJVYea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Jesus is with us in the wilderness, in the troubles of life.
Jesus walks with us with his rod and staff - one protects us from attacks, and the other keeps us from wandering or picks us up when we fall.
Psalm 23:5–6 NKJVYou prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
“The image of the shepherd and sheep gives way to the image of the Lord as host, and he has prepared a lavish banquet. His hospitality begins with the anointing of the head with oil, which was customary with honored guests, but this anointing doubles as anointing to the royal priesthood.” - Edward Welch
“Our destination is always God’s house, which he has actually prepared for us, so it is our house. It has always been that way. For now, you can pray for endurance and eyes to see these spiritual realities. One day, we will stay put.” - Edward Welch