Tuesday, May 04, 2010

The Division Bell Is Ringing

24There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God. 25For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him? 26For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind. Ecclesiastes 2: 24-26

What a book. Whereas Proverbs is full of Wisdom, Psalms is Worship...Ecclesiastes is full of head-hurting conundrums. Ah well.

""24There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God. 25For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?"
Call this the common Grace which we all benefit from. He makes the rains to fall on the just and the unjust. Everybody works, eats, drinks, and lives the life which we have. We mostly take pride in our work, whether we are working to glorify God or ourselves.
This we all receive from the hand of God. Who can have enjoyment without Him? In this present world, within this common Grace, while we live, no-one has enjoyment without Him. Everything which brings us joy has its origin in our Creator.

Now the division comes in verse 26-those whom God loves, who are good in His sight, receive a greater Grace: wisdom (of God), knowledge (of God), and joy (in God). I think those are the wisdom, knowledge and joy which the sinner does not, can not and will not receive. The sinner is only fit to work and strive, gather and collect his lifelong pittance which he will leave behind him when he dies. Whether he passes it down to sons and daughters, making them 'rich' makes no difference-eventually it is all left on this side of the grave. You could be 'Bill Trump or Donald Gates rich cubed and squared'-if you are not good in God's sight, all of your accumulation of treasure is vanity and striving after wind.
Ah, but...those who are good in God's sight will be with Him on the other side, and through all Eternity. Whether or not we are rich in this present world, we are rich beyond measure in the next because we are loved by God. Mighty cool!

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