Creating a Legacy of Moral Purity
At the height of his success, King David fell in the midst of battle. But his lost battle wasn’t against the lion, the bear, the giant, or the Philistines. David lost the battle against himself.
Struggling through reading the lesser-known Old Testament passages and long prophetic oracles may seem to have little relevance to everyday 21st-century life. But there are important things we can learn from the Old Testament. First, the New Testament is based on the Old Testament. Second, the Old Testament reveals the character of God. Third, the Old Testament has transformational power. Its message transcends time, geography, and culture. It speaks to everyone, everywhere, in every situation.
At the height of his success, King David fell in the midst of battle. But his lost battle wasn’t against the lion, the bear, the giant, or the Philistines. David lost the battle against himself.
Who had more of God than the Israelites in Moses’ day? But they were ungrateful, hardened, and faithless. Their Great Deliverer, in their eyes, had become a cruel taskmaster.
From the biblical text it didn't seem like Isaiah involved himself in changing the moral or spiritual landscape of his country—at least, not until he faced a heartbreaking loss and then had a life-changing encounter with God.
Caleb remained forever young, even though he had every reason to back off, fade into oblivion, and give up with a long, heavy sigh as he snuggled down into a bed of moth balls. No way! As we shall observe, Caleb stayed in the mainstream—in fact, on the front edge of new and fresh challenges.
The book of Ecclesiastes ends with the rebel back in the pulpit, now that his heart and soul are above the sun.
Since all of us will “return to the earth” and since our spirit “will return to God who gave it,” now is the time to remember Him in all our ways.
Enjoying life is inseparably linked to the life and plan of our Creator.
Perhaps the best way to paraphrase Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 would be the five-word command, “Stop existing and start living!”
In Ecclesiastes 10:12-20 Solomon goes further into detail, supplying additional information about the characteristics of a fool.
In Ecclesiastes 9:11-18, each verse is a maxim, loosely connected to the next, comprising a whole chapter of contrasts: wisdom versus folly.