Peter Misselbrook's Blog

Jun 17 2019 - Ecclesiastes 2 – Pleasures and work

The writer of this fascinating book puts himself into the shoes of Solomon, the richest of Israel's kings and noted for his wisdom, to try to understand what human life is all about.

As part of this experiment he devotes himself to seeking out pleasurable experiences to see if they will satisfy his longing for meaning. He tries out laughter and alcohol, as many do today, but he came to the conclusion that laughter is madness (v. 2). Like alcohol, it may provide a temporary escape from the hard realities of life but it does so only for a moment and leaves the pain undiminished – the laughter of the clown frequently masks their tears.

Next he contemplates great building projects, seeking to leave his mark upon the world (vv. 4-6). He imagines himself as rich as king Solomon with gold and silver, male and female servants and everything else the heart could desire, including a reputation for greatness (vv. 7-10). Yet, when he considered it all, "everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun" (v. 11).

He gained no satisfaction and sense of lasting purpose from what he accomplished because, in the end, death will rob him of everything he has. What's the point in cultivating wisdom and seeking understanding if the wise man and the fool share the same fate? He admits that, "wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness" (v. 13), in that it enables the wise person to live well, but death comes alike to all and empties the best of lives of significance. As the generations roll on, the wise man and his achievements will soon be forgotten along with the folly of the fool (vv. 15-16).

And what of all the things one has worked so hard to possess – the fancy car, the fine house with all its attractive furnishings, works of art, accumulated investments …? You can't take it with you; it all has to be left to others who may not value them at all (vv. 17-19). That seems to make all the effort that has gone into accumulating them meaningless; a chasing after the wind. Such thoughts lead our author to despair (v. 20): "What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labour under the sun? All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless" (vv. 22-23). All you get from days of anxious toil is sleepless nights!

So the Teacher concludes that the best thing is to enjoy all that God gives, even the work God has given you to do with all the wisdom, knowledge and happiness that may be enjoyed while life lasts (vv. 24-26) – even though in the end it is meaningless.

The Teacher's verdict on life is echoed by many writers down the centuries, including contemporary writers, who consider that human life ends at death. For Instance, Richard Dawkins has written,

In a universe of blind physical forces … some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky and you won't find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice. The universe we observe has precisely the properties we would expect if there is, at the bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil and no good. Nothing but blind, pitiless indifference.

Praise God that we have a better hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. His resurrection from the dead gives meaning to human life and to everything we do. We take to heart the words of the apostle Paul at the end of his wonderful chapter on the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ when he concludes, "Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:58). Note his words "not in vain"!

Father God, we thank you for the Lord Jesus who has "destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." May your Holy Spirit fill us with joy and peace in believing. And may he bless the work of our hands so that generations to come will also rejoice in your saving goodness. 

Jun 17 2020 - Romans 12:1-21 – Conforming or transforming?

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

These, surely, are some of the most challenging words in Scripture. It’s hard to overestimate the extent to which our lives are shaped by the pattern of the world around us: our behaviour; our assumptions, aspirations and hopes; our priorities and the things to which we devote our time and energy. We were made to be social creatures and sociability and acceptability require conformity – conscious and unconscious, deliberate and accidental.

But God is in the business of transformation. This present age is marked up for demolition. God has grand plans for a new creation and a new world order, and he has begun the work of transformation in us whom he has brought out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of his Son. We are to live the life of the age to come in the context of this present age; no easy calling. Our lives are to stand out as radically different from the lives of those around us; no comfortable calling. This can only be achieved by a process of continual transformation – it is a life that can be lived only by the power of the Spirit. It is those who are filled with the Spirit and who walk in the step with the Spirit who live transformed and transforming lives.

What does this demand of me? What does it mean to be so transformed in mind that my life is shaped by the call and will of God rather than by the pattern of this present age? Here’s a good place to start:

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practise hospitality. (12:9-13)

The Christian life can seem very demanding, but we need to remember that we are not called to live it on our own. And here I do not mean that we have the help of the Spirit – though that is as true as it is essential. What I mean is that we are called to live out this life in community. This is the point that Paul is making in verses 3-8. We are members of one body where we each belong to one another.

As I said, we are social creatures who find it all too easy to conform to the behaviour of those around us. Let’s use this as a strength rather than seeing it as a weakness; let’s encourage one another in Christian fellowship as we seek to be conformed to Christ together. Let’s set up a counter-culture which will display the kingdom of God and the presence and power of Christ and will make the world sit up and take notice.

What is going to shape your life today?

Heavenly Father, I praise you that in your goodness you have made me a member of your family through the Lord Jesus Christ. Teach me what it means to live as your child, devoted to the other members of your family, learning from them and encouraging them in the life of the kingdom. Help me by your Spirit to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer. May I maintain my spiritual fervour, never be lacking in zeal but serve you faithfully and cheerfully.

Peter Misselbrook