Ecclesiastes 6 Pastor Mark Hudson One of the vexing problems Qoheleth covers multiple times is the fact that so many people do not enjoy life. In chapter 6, the inability to enjoy the things of this life is attributed to God. See verse 2, "yet God does not give him power to enjoy them” (wealth, possessions, and honor). This repeated refrain is ratcheted up in v. 3. Qoheleth says that a still born child is…

Ecclesiastes 5 Devotional By Pastor Lawrence Because evil stems from the heart, even worship in the house of God is not immune to emptiness and vanity. Thus, in one’s pursuit of God, he or she may be still be chasing after the wind. Solomon was not the only person to recognize this truth, for many of the prophets pointed it out throughout Israel’s history. Isaiah spoke God’s word to his people saying, “Bring no more…

Ecclesiastes 4 Pastor Mark Hudson One could easily look at this chapter and divide it up with numbers. Jeffrey Meyers suggests this outline 0 is better than 1 4:1-3; 1 is better than 2 4:4-6 2 is better than 1 4:7-12 Another way to examine the structure of the book is provided by Craig G. Bartholomew. 1-3 oppression 4-6 motivation for work 7-12 isolation in work and life 13-16 the problem of government As you…

Ecclesiastes 3 By Pastor David Groendyk “He has made everything beautiful in its time” (v. 11). That might be Solomon’s way of saying what the hymn-writer wrote a couple thousand years later: “Whate’er my God ordains is right.” What, when, where, how, and why things happen to us are all under his care. Not everything that happens in the world is in itself good, but God’s plan, which includes all things, is always good. “The…

Ecclesiastes 2 Devotional By Pastor Lawrence In his desire to seek out all that is done under heaven, King Solomon recounts his pursuit of pleasure, accomplishments and wisdom in order to find some sort of meaning to dispel the vanity of life. Starting with the pursuit of pleasure, Solomon indulges in laughter, women and wine but finds that his enjoyment of pleasure is continually fleeting and unsatisfying. Afterwards, he oversees vast building projects and grand…

Ecclesiastes 1 Pastor Mark Hudson  Ecclesiastes can certainly be a challenge to understand. Wisdom literature is a distinct genre that differs from the law and the prophets. In order to understand the book there are several Hebrew phrases or words that everyone focuses on as they try to interpret and teach this canonical book. Remember, this book is in our canon so Ecclesiastes is the very Word of God. So, I will provide thoughts on…

Ruth 4 Devotional By Pastor Lawrence In Proverbs 10:7 Solomon says, “The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.” The book of Ruth as a whole evolves around the memory of Boaz and Ruth, who both become a blessing and make a name for themselves for years to come through their many acts of sacrificial love. Boaz, a man characterized by his integrity and kindness, exhibits his…

  Ruth 3 Pastor Mark Hudson Scene three of the book of Ruth is at the threshing floor of Boaz.  This is a fascinating turn of events.  Naomi has been rather passive up to this point.  Her husband dies, then her two sons die.  She does initiate the conversation with her 2 daughters-in-law in Moab convincing Orpah to stay in Moab.  She travels back to the land of Israel but there Ruth shows most of…

Ruth 2 Pastor David Groendyk Ruth is a book about a lot of different things. You could say the main theme is the Lord’s providence through the good and bad; or you could say the point is to show the lineage of the future King David being worked out despite living in such a wicked period such as the judges; or some will focus on the fact that Ruth is the model of a Proverbs…

Ruth 1 Devotional By Pastor Lawrence At times we all undergo the frowning providence of God, for we all will eventually lose loved ones and we all will experience the bitter pain of loss of many ways. But as Christians, our identity and our joy should not come from our circumstances but from our covenant with the Lord. When Naomi returned to Bethlehem after losing her husband and her two sons in the land of…

Genesis 50 Pastor Mark Hudson Jacob dies at the end of the previous chapter so chapter 50 begins with Joseph weeping over Jacob dead body. Joseph will fulfill his commitment to bury Jacob in the land of Canaan. The narrator slows down to detail how the patriarchs needed to be buried in the promised land. The author is also prefiguring the return of God’s people after they are in bondage in Egypt. All these events…

Genesis 49 Devotional By Pastor Lawrence The Holy Scriptures are full of God’s blessings. The Bible literally begins and ends with a blessing, for as soon as Moses describes what God had created on the first six days in Genesis, he tells us that the Lord blessed His creation. And the very last words we have in the book of Revelation are also words of blessing: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be…

Genesis 48 Pastor Mark Hudson We are nearing the end of Genesis.  Jacob dominates the book of Genesis covering 25 chapters – just for one patriarch!  Joseph is told that his father is dying.  Were the other brothers told this news?  I’m afraid the favoritism lasts until the end.  No other grand-children were included.   We really don’t know if anything happened later with the other children and grandchildren.  But Joseph brings his two sons: Manasseh…

Genesis 47 Pastor David Groendyk As in the rest of Joseph’s life, the book of Genesis, the whole of Scripture, and all of history, Genesis 47 is filled with the testimony of God’s powerful providence. At the risk of forcing too poetic of an outline on this chapter, I think we see God’s powerful providence on display in three ways: the past, the present, and the future. First, verses 1–12 show God’s providence in the…

Genesis 46 Devotional By Pastor Lawrence With a sudden turn of events, Jacob comes to understand that his son Joseph is alive, that he holds a position of power and influence in Egypt, and that he is offering Jacob’s entire clan necessary provisions and a place to stay in the midst of the famine. One would expect that Jacob would jump at the opportunity, but there is some reluctance on his part. If you remember,…

Genesis 45 by Pastor Mark Hudson We are reading one of the most emotionally charged, poignant, and profound chapters of the Bible.  Yet also one of the most profound expressions of God’s providence and sovereignty.  He shows again how all things work according to His plan.  I would think many of you have heard sermons on this passage.  We will not go through all the steps leading up to this point.  The last event was…

Genesis 43 Pastor Mark Hudson In Genesis 43, the tension is rising until we hear the impassioned speech from Judah and Joseph’s self-disclosure in the next few chapters.  This chapter begins with Jacob’s family realizing they need to back to Egypt to buy more food.  Jacob is acting in a selfish way not looking out for his family.  He is putting their lives in jeopardy because he cannot bear to send Benjamin to Egypt.  Jacob…

Genesis 42 Pastor David Groendyk God has been faithfully present with Joseph for many years now, and all that he has said has come true. The seven years of plenty have come and gone, and now the seven years of famine have begun. The famine hits Canaan, where Jacob and the other eleven sons are still living, which drives them to seek food from the great storehouse of Egypt. This leads to part 1 of…

Genesis 41 Pastor Lawrence Bowlin Theologians often distinguish between what is known as general revelation and special revelation. Normally, general revelation refers to the knowledge of God that is given to all men throughout the world through nature. By this revelation everyone is without excuse in understanding that there is a wise and powerful God who has made and maintains his creation. But then there is also what is referred to as special revelation, which…

Genesis 40 Pastor Mark Hudson      Genesis 40 narrates experiences most people can relate to; injustice, innocence, and no change in one’s circumstances even while you are doing good.  How many people in the world can relate to Joseph’s feelings of hopelessness.  In chapter 39, Joseph refuses to lie with Pharoah’s seductive wife.  As Joseph is fleeing from her unwanted and demanding schemes, she grabs a piece of his garments and blames Joseph.  Joseph…

Genesis 39 Devotional By Pastor Lawrence I think it’s safe to say to say that we as Americans have a skewed understanding of what it means to be successful, for often, we think of success merely in a material manner. A person is considered to be successful because they have arrived somehow financially and live a cushy life. In the Hebrew, the Scriptures sometimes use a word for this American view of success, and it…