Contemplative Bible Reading

Ecclesiastes 1:9 (New Living Translation) 9 History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Nowadays, I read of “the end of history” and “being on the right side of history.” The Old Testament old book of Ecclesiastes, however, provides a different history of history. Under the […]

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Ecclesiastes 7:29 (New Living Translation) But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path. The writer reminds us of a simple yet critical thing: God created us to be virtuous. Well, that’s nice. What does that mean? And, so what? The definitions […]

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Ecclesiastes 8:17 (New Living Translation) 17 I realized that no one can discover everything God is doing under the sun. Not even the wisest people discover everything, no matter what they claim. There is much about God that I do not understand. That is part of God being God and me not being God. Why […]

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Ecclesiastes 1:9 (New Living Translation) History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. So, what’s the use? The Bible tells us that nothing changes. Injustice, hate, sin—they just roll on and roll over us. The key phrase in this verse is “under the sun.” That doesn’t […]

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Ecclesiastes 2:18-19 (New Living Translation) 18 I came to hate all my hard work here on earth, for I must leave to others everything I have earned. 19 And who can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish? Yet they will control everything I have gained by my skill and hard work under […]

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Ecclesiastes 2:11 (New Living Translation) But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere. Several translations use the phrase “under the sun” where the above states “anywhere.” The idea can be stated “without God.” Hence, there is […]

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Ecclesiastes 12:13 (New Living Translation) That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. There is much that can be written about fearing God. For today, let’s consider it in light of the rest of the sentence: obey his commands. I should be […]

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Ecclesiastes 9:11 (New Living Translation) I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all […]

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Ecclesiastes 7:29 (New Living Translation) But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path. We were created to be virtuous. virtue: noun –  behavior showing high moral standards. Well, that is a pretty simple one. It is also an unpopular one these […]

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Ecclesiastes 10:20  (New Living Translation) Never make light of the king, even in your thoughts. And don’t make fun of the powerful, even in your own bedroom. For a little bird might deliver your message and tell them what you said. When I say something, people will hear it; especially those people whom I never […]

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