Archive for October 2022

Jeremiah 10-11, Ecclesiastes 3:16-22, John 1:43-51, James 2:14-26   Ecclesiastes 3:16-22:   The Bible reading plan we are following in this devotional series breaks the readings at verse 15 (yesterday) and then from verse 16 (today). Really, however, this section is a continuation of the previous. Again the theme is time: “There will be a time for every activity, and…

Jeremiah 7-9, Ecclesiastes 3:1-15, John 1:35-42, James 2:1-13   Ecclesiastes 3:1-15:   There is now a break from the “experiments” (see the introduction to Ecclesiastes on the first chapter). The “teacher” is going to take a moment to explore one of the strangest parts of human existence, and also its inevitable experience; namely: time. What is time for? Why is there time?…

Jeremiah 5-6, Ecclesiastes 2:17-26, John 1:29-34, James 1:9-27   Ecclesiastes 2:17-26:   We come now then to the next “experiment.” Remember the “teacher” is seeking to find out whether it is really true that all of human experience “under the sun” (that is, without reference to eternity and God) is indeed truly meaningless. In order to discover this, he is…

Jeremiah 3-4, Ecclesiastes 2:1-16, John 1:19-28, James 1:9-20   Ecclesiastes 2:1-16:   We come now to the first of “experiments” conducted by the “teacher.” Remember that he is on a project of discovering whether it is really true that life “under the sun” is meaningless (and remember that the end of his project is in chapter 12 where he concludes…

Jeremiah 1-2, Ecclesiastes 1, John 1:1-18, James 1:1-11  Ecclesiastes 1: Ecclesiastes is a book with a strange reputation. Depressing, they say. Discouraging, they say. Nonsense, I say! The key to understanding Ecclesiastes is the basic overall structure of the book. Throughout it, the “teacher” is making a single point over and over again. Life, he says, “under the…