PlayNtheGray

I know Job and lo and behold I think I know Solomon too. I spoke to him on the phone last night as I read and chuckled because his insights have new life.  I have always read and heard Ecclesiastes in pieces. Granted, these words were delicately “exegeted” and passionately preached but I sense that Solomon’s not-so tacitly jaded attitude has been overlooked. He is one bitter individual with no hope for the future. He practically despises his wisdom that God granted. Well at least it seems to read that way in the beginning. I feel him though. “For in much wisdom is much vexation and those who increase knowledge increase sorrow.” 1:18 (enter: Adam and Eve). For the sake of consistency I’ll consider the wise King Solomon as the author of this lackluster commentary on life. EVERYTHING IS VAIN!!! Really? That statement, which frames his every tangential discourse, seems so absolute, unbalanced, terse and hyperbolic. I have felt this way many days in my 20’s (here at Truett)…asking myself, “What’s the point?” He says, “Then I said to myself, ‘What happens to me also; why then have I been so wise?…” 2:15 Fools and Wise men have the same fate, therefore, all indulgence and toil is futile and VAIN. Solomon even estimates our fate to be no better than the family dogs…goodness! I know, we all return to dust (a funeral classic), we aren’t all that and we shouldn’t hold onto life’s treasures with a clenched fist. To be colloquial I’ll sum it up this way, we ain’t all that anyway. However, Solomon chops it all up to inevitability. I’ll give him credit he does say to take a risk and try God but life has more to offer than the benefit of lucky coin toss. Our congregations must know that righteousness and wisdom render eternal blessings, the affects of which lance our souls and bleed out pure joy, utter bliss, meaning and worth. We are not just creatures, we get to commune with God, toil for Him, live for Him and die to be with Him. There may be nothing new under the sun but praises are owed to God who makes all things new and exciting each time we encounter Him. Without God all is meaningless but with Him there is no room for a modicum of mundane speech. What happened to draw this out of Solomon? Where is the passionate love-possessed man of Song of Songs? Good news is I think he eventually caught on. So many young men (and women, though rarely culpable *wink*) don’t ever understand. Living, truly living, is not the antithesis of serving God. Boredom in God is a slanderous statement. The Maker of ALL THINGS waves an ecstatically welcoming hand calling us to remember Him and go play.

FAQ’s (my apologies if they aren’t good or wrong)
1. What language is the title? “Ecclesiates”? (A: Greek)
2. What is the original Hebrew name (A: Qoheleth)…which means? (Preacher)
3. “Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, passion as fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame.” (A: S of S 8:6)
4. What is the name of Ruth’s husband and 2 sons? (A: Elimelech, Chilion and Mahlon)
5. Where were they from? (A: Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah)

Christians are so kind. We don’t always have answers to feed the hungry and defend the oppressed but let tragedy come and we can spout off scriptures and prayers of providence, hope, trust and repentance like none other. I usually think “there’s helping and there’s hurting and right now you’re not helping”…I am a chaplain.  It’s my job. I am a chaplain. It’s my identity and my call. I know the Word (or at least parts 1 and 4) I love the Lord and trust Him completely but sometimes life truly does suck. Verbosity is irrelevant in dire situations. Life can feel crappy and unrelentless. Case in point: I well know a 50 something year old couple with a beautiful son, paid off mortage and 3 cars. Lest you are quick to judge them for living the “American dream”. They serve the Lord and labor in prayer with their community as they seek to serve more and be used by God. They know the fear of the Lord. Here is what the past 2 years vomitted up. Her son decides to depart from the way in which he was raised up. Her sister dies of aggresive breast cancer. The husband looses his job of 20+ years. Shortly after this she is diagnosed with the same breast cancer that plagues the women in her family. Oh yeah, and her son who recently gave his life to God is murdered senselessly leaving behind a young grandson. I know Job. She needs silence. She needs moments of laughter. She needs the freedom to question and doubt and be angry. She deserves that much. Often times in my “pastoral moments” when I am wearing my chaplain hat I struggle with this freedom. When do you mourn with others? How far do you let them go? Especially when you know that they know the Lord. When you mourn….Heck, when you just have a bad day the mention of God’s good will is enough to truly irrate you. We just want to be validated in our frustration. Job said it best after his friends issued their remedy. He spit out the teaspoon of their elixir and exclaimed, “Have pity on me, have pity on me, O you my friends for the hand of God has touched me! Why do you like God pursue me, never satisfied with my flesh?” 19:21 & 22. It’s difficult to even type this as I am still frustrated and yes even angry with God for allowing their son to die. Oddly enough my anger stems from the love, knowledge and trust that I have in my Savior. It’s a conumdrum wrapping in an enigma served with a puzzle on the side. This is a new side of the Lord that I have to adjust to. I will say this; I was comforted at the funeral not by songs of praise that were sung (as they should be, I guess) and not seeing the throngs of people that share in this loss (which was great to see) and not even by the words of hope read from scripture (which I’m sure will minister to me in due time). Rather, calm came in the words of my pastor who simply said, “This is not right that a father a mother should have to bury an only son. It is unnatural. So if you are weak, hurt, confused and angry know that God can handle it for He is still a loving God.” Maybe that’s we should say to Job from the jump so that he doesn’t feel so insane and alone.

                The Book of Proverbs doesn’t make for a awe-inspiring bedtime story but I like it…a lot. Its clever and “quipy”; like listening to the “not so random” random nuggets of truth from the wrinkled lips of your possibly senile granpa. Some of the things he says don’t make complete sense at first. He can see this quizzical look in your eyes but he just winks and says, “you’ll get it when you get home”. You want to ask him to elaborate but you probably would be better off  ignorant of the seedy tale that lies behind his wisdom. It may reveal that Grandpa is not as sweet and feeble as his old body shows him to be. He has lived and lived to tell it. 
               Truth be told “If you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got” (Proverb brought to you by Mom’s Mabley) I love this piece of advice found in Prov. 4:7 that says, “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get Wisdom and whatever else you get, get insight. The idea of “getting wisdom” is curious to me. Wisdom seems come with life’s experience. It’s like going on a blind date with twin sisters, Wisdom and Folly. Which one will you pick? What man wouldn’t want the seductress who’s gonna give it up at the end of the night? I’m betting that grandpa has dated her more than a few times. Solomon (and friends) say to choose Wisdom, she is good to you and faithfully tried and true. That vixen Folly is just no good. I wonder if Solomon compares wisdom and folly to woman because of his involvement with women or because of his dad or both. I guess you wax poetically on what you know best. The whole Book sounds like an assortment of journal excerpts full of non-sequitors.. I like that…Unfortunately, I journal and write like that and it is the death of me when Dr. Jacober has her red-inked axe in hand.
                                                                                                    PReGuNTaS
1. Is there more behind the idea of “the fear of the Lord” other than a reverent awe and respect?
2. Who are King Lemuel (and his mother) and Agur?
                                                                                                       SoMe fAvs
“Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman without good sense “11:22~good one

“Those who till their land will have plenty of food, but those who follow worthless pursuits have no sense.” 12:11

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” 13:12

“The field of the poor may yield much food but it is swept away through injustice.” 13:23

“By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. “24:3&4 (Be nice if this was read before building the new Temple, or if our church planters and missionaries read this)

“Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great for it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.” 25:6-7

“Doing wrong is like a sport to a fool.” 10:23…never heard that before.