Every Day Light with Selwyn Hughes

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 7:25-29

Wisdom was something very important to Solomon. It was this that he prayed for when God said to him: 'Ask for whatever you want me to give you' (1 Kings 3:5). In addition, Solomon had set out to discover all he could about earthly wisdom. When he put all his findings...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 8:1

A centuries-old saying goes: "Wise men are rarely academics, and academics are rarely wise men." Whether that is true I do not know, but I do know from reading Solomon's writings that wisdom is not something academic; it is designed to have a practical outworking in our lives. Many commentators believe that Solomon is...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 8:2-8

We look at another three of Solomon's thoughts on the qualities of a wise leader. Third - a high regard for authority. "Obey the king's command," (v. 2) says Solomon, or in other words, respect whoever is over you in authority. Those who have no respect for those higher than they will never get the respect of those...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 8:9-15

This section begins with a warning for those who are in positions of authority. Those who lord it over others in an unfair way will hurt themselves more than they hurt others. It might feel good to ride roughshod over people's thoughts and feelings, but in the end the one who acts in this way is demeaned as a...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 8:16-17

The sooner we come to terms with the fact that there are things which happen in life for which there is no adequate explanation, the better we shall be. I have seen people almost drive themselves insane by insisting that God was honor-bound to give them a clear answer or explanation for some dark or difficult...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 9:7-10

"Go, eat your food with gladness," Solomon says, "and drink your wine with a joyful heart" (v. 7). Hedonists reading these words might think: "Just what I want ... freedom to go out and indulge myself." But hold on, read the next line: "Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil" (v. 8). That...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 9:1-6

In this chapter Solomon focuses our gaze more clearly on the issues that are "above the sun." Four facts that every believer should know and understand are laid out. The first is everything is in God's hands (v. 1). When I think of myself as being in "God's hands" I feel tremendously reassured. Matters may seem out...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 9:11-12

An explanation is necessary for Solomon's reference to death in the verses we read yesterday: "In the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom" (v. 10). Death, to Old Testament saints, was a mystery. They believed in life after death, but they were not sure of the...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 9:13-18

Solomon addresses avoiding getting caught in the rat race by putting it in a story. Imagine, he says, a small city with only a few people in it. Suddenly an invading army surrounds the city and besieges it. Inside it is a wise but poor man who comes up with an idea that saves the city. When the city was saved,...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 10:1-3

This chapter offers us the anatomy of a fool. But when you see how a fool behaves, you might begin to think you are surrounded by fools. Remember, however, the old saying that when you point one finger at another person you are pointing three back at yourself. Didn't our Lord warn us in

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 10:4-7

A further characteristic of a fool, says Solomon, is that he cannot control his anger. If a boss is hot-headed then don't react in the same way, he instructs us (v. 4). A fool quits his job in a fit of temper, but a wise man remains calm. How many people reading these lines, I wonder, look back to difficulties that...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 10:12-15

Question: What has stirred up more strife than any other thing in the history of the world? Answer: The tongue! Sometimes when you go for a medical examination the doctor says: "Put out your tongue." Our tongue, Solomon suggests, the little thing we use to frame words, needs examination. Whereas the words of a...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 10:8-11

We begin a section now that most commentators regard as baffling and bewildering. Several dangerous activities are identified. In all of these, says Solomon, watch out because you can get hurt. Solomon uses graphic language to drive home the point that fools can't see further than their noses. They go blindly on...

For Reading and Meditation:     Ecclesiastes 10:16-20

Solomon draws attention to the picture of a land governed by an immature king. The NIV says "servant" (v. 16), but the real thought here is of immaturity. Moffatt translates verse 16: "Woe betide you, O land, when your king is a mere boy." In other words, woe betide you, O land, when you have a fool on the...