Ecclesiastes; or, the Preacher

It's interesting to think about how the Book of Ecclesiastes effects you from the first time you read it to the present. It's a strange book among all the books of the Bible, and it definitely has a unique effect.

I just read through it this evening complete. I found it speaking to me where I currently am. It is like a great influence to make you see current identifying, and how you are currently caught in the various nets of the world.

Three notes:

1. The Centaur awhile back stated the fact that you can't get blood from a turnip (regarding looking for too much experience of higher world things while you're still in a flesh body and all that). And this is what the Preacher in Ecclesiastes states as well. Work, but don't work for the reward. Do what you have to do, but don't fall into the vanity of expecting and chasing more and more. You will develop as you can and are supposed to if you do real work. You will even change essentially, and reconnect with higher functions and so on, but you can't expect those things, they just occur in time, and ultimately glorification requires the death of the flesh body...

2. Leave off the world. The Preacher is good at illustrating the vanity of being caught up in all the goings-on in the world. Like when he says all your anger and hatred will mean exactly nothing when you go to be with the dead. He gives perspective in those kinds of ways. But I was thinking of this subject as I was watching Islamic snuff videos (beheading videos) which I did the other day, because I found five or six of them with a simple search. I was pondering how such an event could occur to an individual (the person being beheaded) and how God allows such an extreme of brutality (He controls the degree of evil via His common grace, and beheading is pretty extreme evil). But then I was thinking all that really has nothing to do with me. All that violence and nonsense and stupidity (I speak of the bad guys of whom I am able to discern, unlike many people). I mean, I support and feel for and root for the good guys and all that, but ultimately I'm a stranger in this world - in the world but not of the world - and it all really is something I can cast off as having nothing to do with me. I.e. it's OK to do that. Violence doesn't have to effect me psychologically and emotionally and even physically. That's not to say Christians never get harmed by the world and the devil, but nevertheless I sense that a true Christian does have a degree of protection, and, in the least can 'leave off the world' and not be in a state of identification with it all, which is like allowing a vampire access to your major arteries 24/7. (I think Paul of England was putting forth this theme awhile back. Saying, I'm just not going to have anything to do with all that anymore. I don't have to. It's vanity. Emptiness.)

3. In Ecclesiastes 3:15 there is a description of recurrence, pure and simple. And, regarding note #2 above, Eccl. 5:3 is relevant. God sees these things. They don't just 'happen.' Marvel not at the matter.

What is the conclusion? Fear God and do His commandments. That's all of the Work right there too. But you need to not allow the world and the devil (not to mention your inner 'old man', corrupt nature, false personality) to tie you up in their nets...to be in constant states of identification with it all. You need to free yourself from that. The Book of Ecclesiastes is a unique shock to help in that; which is probably why it is in the Bible...