Bible in 90 Days - Day 47 (Proverbs 20:22-Ecclesiastes 2)

Lord God,

may your Word be a lamp to our feet

and a light to our path

through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

—based on Psalm 119:105

Proverbs 26:4-5 is a great example of how wisdom is not simply a formula that we apply:

Do not answer a fool according to his folly,

or you will be like him yourself.

Answer a fool according to his folly,

or he will be wise in his own eyes.

It looks like these contradict, but they actually give us wisdom that must be applied prudently. In some cases, we are in danger of becoming like fools when we enter into their arguments, but at other times we are called to correct them.

Today I was thinking about the Belhar Confession as I read. The Belhar is a confession that our denomination is considering adopting alongside the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, and the Canons of Dort as a church confession. One of the controversial lines in it is “We believe… that God, in a world full of injustice and enmity, is in a special way the God of the destitute, the poor and the wronged.” There are a lot of proverbs that show God’s concern for the poor. As we finish Proverbs and head toward the Prophets, let’s consider whether God’s concern for the destitute, the poor and the wronged is greater than his concern for the others, or whether the Bible shows God to be impartial. Great minds fall on both sides of the question!

The ESV Study Bible notes that Ecclesiastes is written in such a way that it inspires emotion as well as ideas. One of its goals is that we will be drawn into the experience of all of these dead-end paths. The question isn’t simply, “What is this experience?” but “What would this experience feel like?”

The NIV “meaningless” is often translated “vanity.” The Hebrew word also can mean “vapor” or something that is fleeting. We look for meaning in permanence, and Ecclesiastes pokes holes in that desire.