Every Day Light with Selwyn Hughes

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 4:1-6

As we said yesterday, Solomon seems fine when his gaze is focused "above the sun," but he becomes filled with cynicism when he looks around at what is "under the sun." Today we see his gaze focused once again in the horizontal direction. He "looks around," as he puts it, sees people caught in the grip of oppression,...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 4:7-12

Some people are lonely because of the oppression of others; some because their own competitiveness separates them from friends. In today's passage, however, we come face to face with a man who was lonely because he had no family connections. How does he handle it? He throws himself into an endless round of activity...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 4:13-16

Strange though it may sound, it is possible to have many friends and still be lonely. That's the point Solomon is making in the verses before us today. Look again at the picture he presents in verse 13. It is a picture of two people: one a poor but wise youth, the other an old but rich king. Who would you think...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 5:1-3

In this chapter, we catch Solomon in one of those rare moments when he breaks free of his cynical frame of mind - so let's make the most of it! He begins with a strong and positive declaration: "Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen ..." The Living Bible paraphrases it thus: "As you...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 5:4-7

Did you know the more talkative you are, the more likely you are to fall into sin? If you have any doubt about that, read Proverbs 10:19. In the verses before us today, Solomon identifies another danger - making promises to God which we fail to deliver. How many of us in...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 5:13-17

Solomon is still harping on about money. Pretty boring you might think. But isn't he putting his finger on the pulse of our problems? We try to find in gold what we ought to be finding in God. Consider this, says Solomon: "Savings are put into risky investments that turn sour, and soon there is nothing left to...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 5:8-12

Solomon is being cynical again. The rich tend to be the leaders, he says, and the poor the followers. Those with wealth are usually the most influential, and they are expert at appointing officials to watch over officials. In time, the "red tape" becomes so thick the poor have no hope of cutting through it. Solomon...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 5:18-20

Solomon does not allow us to stay too long in the darkness of his cynicism without seeking to throw some light across the road. He sets out in the verses before us today to give us a three-point sermon. First, he says, set your face against the idea that happiness lies in the possession of material things, and...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 6:1-2

In this chapter Solomon continues to focus on those whom we generally refer to as "well heeled." But he also draws our attention to the plight of those who have everything life can offer, yet are prevented from enjoying it, not by circumstances, but by God Himself. Why would God do this? Is the Almighty an ogre who...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 6:3-6

Obviously there are some advantages in having plenty of money. A wealthy man (a very wealthy man!) could afford to have a hundred children, says Solomon. With his money he could hire help to see to such everyday events as changing diapers and giving feedings. Those who love lots of children and could afford to look...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 6:7-9

If having a large family or living a thousand years does not meet the needs of the soul - then what does? Hard work perhaps? No, says cynical Solomon, not even that. Moffatt translates our text for today thus: "A man toils on to satisfy his hunger but his wants are never met." Nothing brings satisfaction to a life...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 6:10-11

Solomon is "above the sun" now, putting the focus once again on God. "At life's core," says Dr. Larry Crabb, "the real issues are theological issues." When life is brought down to its irreducible minimum, the issue always is - God. What do we make of Him? How does He fit into our lives? Have you not found that...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 6:12

It doesn't do us any harm to see ourselves set over against the might and omnipotence of God, Solomon has been telling us. We are just a heartbeat away from eternity, and if God were to cause our hearts to stop at this very moment - we would die. We are very vulnerable people, and to try to go against the all-powerful...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 7:1

We are now at the halfway mark of the Book of Ecclesiastes, and one notices immediately a change of perspective. Solomon's cynicism does not altogether disappear, but a new note is being struck which rings out most clearly in this chapter and then continues to the end of the book. That new note is - wisdom. Solomon...