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September 20, 2005
The Somber Truth
The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
"Meaningless! Meaningless!"
says the Teacher.
"Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless."
What does man gain from all his labor
at which he toils under the sun?
Generations come and generations go,
but the earth remains forever.
The sun rises and the sun sets
and hurries back to where it rises.
The wind blows to the south
and turns to the north;
round and round it goes,
ever returning on its course.
All streams flow into the sea,
yet the sea is never full.
To the place the streams come from,
there they return again.
All things are wearisome,
more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing,
nor the ear its fill of hearing.
What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there anything of which one can say,
"Look! This is something new"?
It was here already, long ago;
it was here before our time.
There is no remembrance of men of old,
and even those who are yet to come
will not be remembered
by those who follow.
Ecclesiastes 1:1-11
Posted by Megan at September 20, 2005 09:40 PM
Comments
Q: What does man gain from all his labor
at which he toils under the sun?
A:Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. (Psalm 37:5-6)
Q: Is there anything of which one can say,
"Look! This is something new"?
A: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)
On the one hand, "There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come
will not be remembered by those who follow."
But on the other, "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! (Isaiah 49:15)
And, of course, "I'll be with you. I won't give up on you; I won't leave you... Be strong! Be courageous! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged. GOD, your God, is with you every step you take." (Joshua 1)
And finally, "Consider him who endured such hostility from sinful men so that you might not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:3)
Posted by: Dan Benson at September 21, 2005 06:56 AM