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Let’s do a comparison/contrast with Solomon’s powerful lament/longing, Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it. (Ecc. 12:7) to the creation of Adam: And the Lord God formed man Of the dust of the ground, and Breathed into his nostrils...

After Satan and everything associated with him is removed from the divine drama, we will enjoy a new heaven and a new earth where “…God will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed...

The root cause of vanity can be traced back to the fall of man in the Garden. “Ashes to ashes and dust to dust” is our fate as mortals, and we chose death over life. When Adam and Eve were busted, Adam blamed God and his wife (“The woman whom You gave to be with me” 3:12), Eve blamed the devil...

Solomon wraps up this beautiful poem by reinforcing his central message that is laid out in the beginning of this thoughtful masterpiece, Ecclesiastes, the "teacher" and "preacher": Ecclesiastes 12:7-8 King James Version 7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall...

Verses 3-6 of chapter 12 continue with imagery of nature and community activities tied to what happens in the “golden years.” One gentlemen I know in his 80s who has had one health issue after another describes the golden years as “fool’s gold!” Pain runs to the core of the bones, and memory...

Amen. There is no doubt that my perspective has changed, and I'm learning what really matters - serving God and others. That's what brings the peace. Everything else just fades into the background. The question I will be addressing soon is did Solomon learn that lesson? Did God lead him to...

Verse 2 begins the striking metaphors of aging and all the challenges that come with a deteriorating body and mind. Our eyesight changes and weakens, and the world literally becomes darker. The vividness of youth devolves into blurriness and shadows. I didn’t need glasses until I was in my 30s...

The KJV translators likely took a more literal approach to verse 6 because the entire poem ties back to the main thrust established right in the beginning to "Remember now thy Creator...." I still like the inclusion of that phrase in verse 6 because it reinforces the need to remember. I really...

I agree 100% the "Remember your Creator" is much more fitting for the context. I was surprised about the KJV leaving that out, which I didn't notice until this morning. I read the poem in my NKJV study bible first, and then when I copied over the KJV into the thread, it stood out like a sore...

As I’m looking at chapter 12 as a whole, Solomon employs that great style once again of blending poetry and prose together. Verses 1-8 could be made into a beautiful song mourning the ravages of age yet also grasping for hope. Verses 9-12 prosaically proclaim the everlasting value of wisdom. The...

Unlike the book of James that has an unusual and sudden ending, Ecclesiastes has a remarkable conclusion. Solomon was a great writer, and he follows time-honored conventions established early on as written language began developing three thousand years before Christ. The basics we learn early...

From a literary perspective, the ending of James is puzzling to me. The apostle Paul’s letters end with a strong conclusion driving home critical concepts, mentioning specific saints, and closing with grace. For example, Ephesians has one of the strongest conclusions in all of literature...

I’ve experienced both ends of the spectrum in my reaction to suffering, Sipsey. I am a tough person in certain areas and have been in the martial arts for over 40 years. Yet, I am still a wimp when it comes to trials and difficulties. It’s a bad attitude. I have had those “meltdown” moments and...

God is our Healer (Exodus 15:26). He not only heals us physically, God also heals us mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. For those of us who have become Christians, we are given a new heart and a new spirit that is cleansing the filth of our corrupt nature and slowly but surely replacing it...

Suffering is a part of our lives as Christians as much as I don’t enjoy it. Long ago, a battle-hardened deacon told our singles’ Bible Study group that he wanted to build character, so he prayed to God for trials. He said he would never do that again because God had no problem swiftly answering...

9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. 10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye...

Patience is imperative as we await the return of Jesus Christ. James uses the analogy of farmers who toil with hope that their hard efforts of tilling the soil, planting the seed, and praying for good weather with the life-giving rain nourishing the barley, wheat, and other crops to enjoy...

The last two verses of James warn against boasting and arrogance along with telling us to follow through with action on the “good” we know we should be doing in every aspect of our lives: “But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and...

James 4:13-15 New King James Version 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little...

I am disappointed with the Democratic leadership's response to our joint action with Israel to take out this monster and several of his top creeps and criminals who have terrorized the region and world for too long. We need to unite during a time of war! That's political science 101 in our...