Old Testament reading: Ecclesiastes 1-3
“Vanity of vanities! All is vanity!” Hardly sounds like a man with all the world has to offer. Yet, that is exactly who it is – Solomon, the son of David, king in Jerusalem (1:1). However, it sounds exactly like a man who has nothing the Lord has to offer. “Vanity” means “futility.” In chapter 2, Solomon laments the futility of human wisdom by detailing the means by which he sought joy. Among these: 1) Mirth = the pursuit of pleasure. Solomon sought to do only those things that made him happy. This left him empty. 2) Alcohol – Some years ago a beer company had as its catch phrase, “It just doesn’t get any better than this.” Solomon disproved that foolishness 3000 years ago. 3) Construction & Agriculture – There is a great deal of satisfaction in constructing buildings or other projects. As one who tends a large garden each year, I know the pride of reaping the labor of one’s hands and having produce to help others. But my sense of self worth cannot be founded in my own labors, else what shall I do in time of drought? 4) Wealth – Solomon gathered gold in such abundance that silver was considered as no better than a stone on the ground, not worth picking up (1 Kgs 10:21). Solomon also had unique treasures, but none of these can satisfy a man’s heart. Only God can fill that void.
New Testament reading: Galatians 4-6
Who would trade Isaac for Ishmael or Sarah for Hagar? This is the question Paul asks in Galatians 4 as he speaks of the symbolism of the birth of Abraham’s first two children. The foundation for the argument was laid in chapter 3 as Paul spoke to the superiority of the Christian system of faith over the Mosaic: first by noting that the Spirit did not come through the Law of Moses but rather through the Law of Christ (the hearing of faith), then by labeling the Mosaic Law a shadow (an image of but lacking lasting substance) of the Law of Christ. Paul further emphasizes the superiority of Christianity over Judaism by equating the Law of Moses with the natural son of Hagar while identifying Christianity with Isaac, the miraculous child of promise. These pictures should be remembered every time someone attempts to integrate some aspect of the Mosaic Law into the Christian system or appeals to the Mosaic Law in defense of some practice that has found its way into what is claimed as Christian worship.
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