Month: February 2022

18/02/2022

引言：

传道书第9章指出义人和智慧人的作为，都在神的手中,神依然掌权。我们就是把握时机，回应神行有永恒意义的事。

一、遭遇顺逆，知神作为（v1-3）

其实顺境、逆境在神看来都是一样的。分别只是我们对这些事的回应。因此，倘若神让我们遭遇困境，是为叫我们谦卑，我们要感谢神; 若给我们经历顺境，我们也不用太高兴。因为有时候顺境的考验更大，所以我们不用羡慕那些生活在安逸或处在顺境中的人。

二、短暂人生，珍惜生命（v4-6）

「活着的人知道必死；死了的人毫无所知」，「知道必死」的人比「毫无所知」的人更有指望，人若不「知道必死」，就和死人无异。「他们的爱，他们的恨，他们的嫉妒」（6a），他们在日光之下所热衷的，其实只是死人的事，结果就是「都消灭了」（6a）。

所以，人只要活着就还有指望，死了的人完全没有指望。因此，我们要成为有智慧的人，更珍惜神赐给我们的生命，存感恩的心，活在神的面前，享受神赐给人的年日。

三、善用虚空，充实享受（v7-10）

传道者想到人人都有一死，将来又不确定，就劝人当珍惜和享受神所赐的生命。他可能是在批评那些为了积聚钱财，而不肯享受今生快乐的人。这是乎也是在描述现今正陷于激烈竞争中的现代人，“你们所赚取的财富究竟有什么价值呢？”

所以，现在我们应当懂得在神得恩典下过日子，享受神的一切赏赐。

四、时机均在，神的手中（v11-12）

从这里我们也会发现，无论是祷告、圣洁、争战等都不一定能使我们得胜，因为在我们所面对的世界中，变数非常多，并没有一个绝对的关键，也显出惟有神决定胜败，所以时机非常重要。因此，我们应当抓紧时机快活度日、尽力去做，知足喜乐地做成神在我们身上所命定的旨意。

五、顺从智慧，搭救全城（v13-18）

人的悲剧不是缺乏智慧，而是不肯顺从智慧，结果成事不足、败事有余。虽然人在理论上都知道「宁可在安静之中听智慧人的言语，不听掌权者在愚昧人中的喊声」（17节），也知道「智慧胜过打仗的兵器」（18a），但实际上却是「一个罪人」（18b）就可以「败坏许多善事」（18b），摧毁智慧所经营的成果。因此，智慧在日光之下不但能力有限，而且非常的脆弱。

总结：

人的一生很短暂，但人几乎没有花过任何时间去照顾那永存不朽坏的灵魂! 圣经记载摩西的一个祈祷：神啊！求你指教我们怎样数算自己的日子，好叫我们得着智慧的心。这智慧的心，也是帮助我们把握时机，去做有永恒价值的事。

Ecclesiastes 9: God Is Still In Charge, Seize The Moment

GK611 Morning Devotion
18/2/2022
Speaker: IP Stella Ling + Rev David Tan

Introduction:

Ecclesiastes 9 states that the works of the righteous and the wise are in God’s hands and that God is still in control. We are the ones who seize the moment and respond to God to do what has eternal significance.

1. Encountering Good Times and Bad Times, Knowing God’s Action (v1-3)

In fact, good times and bad times are all the same to God. The difference is only our response to these things. Therefore, if God allows us to experience adversity in order to humble us, we should give thanks to Him; if He gives us good times, we should not be too happy. Because sometimes the good times are more testing, we do not need to envy those who live in comfort or in the good times.

2. Cherish the Short Life (v4-6)

“For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing,”, he who “know that they will die” has more hope than he who “knows nothing”; if he does not “know that they will die”, he is no different from the dead. “Also their love, their hatred, and their envy” (6a), which they are passionate about under the sun, are in fact only the things of the dead, and the result is that they “have now perished” (6a).

Therefore, there is hope for man as long as he lives, and there is no hope at all for those who are dead. Therefore, we need to become people with wisdom, cherish even more the life God has given us, live with gratitude, live before God and enjoy the years God has given to man.

3. Make the Best Use of Vanity and Enjoy It to the Fullest (v7-10)

The preacher, thinking that all people will die once, and that the future is uncertain, exhorts people to cherish and enjoy the life God has given them. He may be criticizing those who refuse to enjoy the pleasures of this life in order to accumulate money. This is almost as much a description of modern people who are caught in fierce competition nowadays as, “What is the value of the wealth you have earned?”

Therefore, now we should know how to live our lives under God’s grace and enjoy all of God’s rewards.

4. The Timing is All in God’s Hands (v11-12)

From here we also find that neither prayer, holiness, nor warfare will necessarily lead us to victory, because in the world we face, there are so many variables, and there is no absolute key, and it also shows that only God decides victory or defeat, so timing is very important. Therefore, we should seize the opportunity to live our lives, do our best, and do God’s will in us with contentment and joy.

5. Obeying Wisdom and Saving the Whole City (v13-18)

The tragedy of man is not a lack of wisdom, but a refusal to obey wisdom, and as a result, he is not good enough to do anything, but bad enough to do everything. Although people know in theory that “Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard rather than the shout of a ruler of fools.” (v17) and that “wisdom is better than weapons of war” (18a), but in fact “one sinner” (18b) can “destroy much good” (18b) and destroy the fruits of wisdom’s work. Thus, wisdom is not only limited in its power under the sun, but also very weak.

Conclusion：

Man’s life is short, but man hardly ever spends any time taking care of the spirit that lives forever and never breaks! The Bible records a prayer of Moses: So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom. This heart of wisdom is the same heart that helps us seize the time to do things of eternal value.

17/02/2022

引言：人生多变，不如人愿！世事变幻，出人意料！

一、智慧人的转化（V1-5）

人若靠神、敬畏神，有神的智慧，我们就可以不断经历转化，以致活出不一样的人生。

1.容貌气色会变好（V1）

8:1 谁如智慧人呢？谁知道事情的解释呢？人的智慧使他的脸发光，并使他脸上的暴气改变。

智慧人是指敬畏神且有神真理的人。这人最大的特点就是‘知道事情的解释’。脸能发光就是有神的真理光照，有神的法则和眼光看事情，所以最终就会容光焕发不是吗？脸上有暴怒的气色当然是因为被刺激到、被人中伤了？但是有真理的智慧人就可以有正向变化！

现实人生的每时每刻不都是在做这事吗？他人做错令自己生气；以牙还牙引发反击。一来一往两败俱伤，怎么解释自己的遭遇呢？“因为对方先错，才惹我犯错，我的犯错又惹对方更错。”再不然就是另一种解释：“我都没错，对方还无理取闹，我是忍无可忍才还以颜色。”最终又是神儿女惨败，魔鬼得胜。因为错误解释所遭遇的事！

2.遵守掌权者命令（V2-5）

8:2 我劝你遵守王的命令，既指　神起誓，理当如此。（曾经立誓表明效忠，或像婚姻立誓表明钟爱一生）
8:3 不要急躁离开王的面前，不要固执行恶，因为他凡事都随自己的心意而行。
8:4 王的话本有权力，谁敢问他说：你作什么呢？
8:5 凡遵守命令的，必不经历祸患，智慧人的心，能辨明时候和定理（原文作“审判”。下节同）。（能明白时机和判断）

王有权柄，不但是因为他是众人的王，更因为他是神的受膏者。他有主权，可以凭己意做事。人要怎么与王互动呢？既然我们是活在神所设立的权柄之下，服从权柄当然就是服从神的真理原则。按着真理的原则做事，最终必能免于祸患，得蒙保护与祝福。

遵命是一种选择，是智慧人的蒙福的生活态度。当人了解人在世上的身份与定位，且愿意按照合乎真理的原则做事时，最终必蒙神赐福。在婚姻、家庭、职场、社会等关系上都是一样的原则。

智慧人的转化，其实就是懂得怎么用神的眼光和真理去解读事情，以致用神的智慧去回应所遭遇的事。

二、是谁掌控万事（V6-10）

1.祸患重压也有定时（V6-7）
8:6 各样事务成就，都有时候和定理，因为人的苦难重压在他身上。
（新译本：各样事务成就，都有合宜的时机和定局，尽管人的灾祸重压在自己身上。）
8:7 他不知道将来的事，因为将来如何，谁能告诉他呢？

原来神允许苦难、灾祸、重担压在一个人身上都有其合宜的时机与目的。换句话说，不是偶然的受苦，无辜和无故的被欺压，遭灾难原来也有神在冥冥之中的目的。为了在人生的历练中成就神的最终目的。

【炼我愈精】这首诗歌就是苦难与熬炼的最佳注解：
祢若不压橄榄成渣，它就不能成油；
祢若不投葡萄入醡，它就不能变成酒；
祢若不炼哪哒成膏，它就不流芬芳；
主，我这人是否也要受祢许可的创伤？

每次的打击，都是真利益；如果祢收去的东西，祢以自己来代替。

2.生死有时人能怎样（V8-10）

8:8 无人有权力掌管生命，将生命留住，也无人有权力掌管死期。这场争战，无人能免，邪恶也不能救那好行邪恶的人。
8:9 这一切我都见过，也专心查考日光之下所作的一切事。有时这人管辖那人，令人受害。
8:10 我见恶人埋葬，归入坟墓；又见行正直事的离开圣地，在城中被人忘记。这也是虚空。

人常说，我的生命我自己管；这话表面上是没有错，但事实上那也只是局部的掌管。因为世事变幻无常，生命的高低起伏，朝夕万变，变幻无常，岂是人所能盘算计划的吗？正如《雅各书 4:13-14》 你们说：“今天或明天，我们要到某城去，在那里住一年，作生意赚钱。”其实明天怎样，你们并不知道。你们的生命是甚么呢？你们本来是过眼云烟，转瞬之间就消逝了。

日光之下所见结局好像大同小异，好人坏人都会死，而且死后不是剩下一瓶骨灰，也顶多就是一个棺材的空间，木材好一点、差一点又怎样呢？价值一千块或一万块，焚烧或埋葬的结果看来都是一样的。到底谁才是真正掌管灵魂生命的主宰呢？有神的人才有答案，无神之人只能面对沉沦。

到底是谁掌管明天？我知谁掌管明天！

三、终极审判在神（V11-17）

1.恶人能逍遥法外？（V11-12a）

8:11 因为断定罪名，不立刻施刑，所以世人满心作恶。
8:12a 罪人虽然作恶百次，倒享长久的年日。

为什么已经定罪的犯人却迟迟都没有给予刑罚，以致世人的心见后越发充满作恶的意图。而且现实人生常会看到恶人作恶多端，但是却长命百岁？似乎神没有看见吗？绝对不是，而是神的怜悯在等候人向他传福音，在等他悔改，否则他的痛苦将是永远沉沦。因为神是终极审判的神！

2.敬畏神终究得福！（V12b-17）

8:12b 然而我准知道，敬畏　神的，就是在他面前敬畏的人，终久必得福乐。
8:13 恶人却不得福乐，也不得长久的年日；这年日好像影儿，因他不敬畏　神。
8:14 世上有一件虚空的事，就是义人所遭遇的，反照恶人所行的；又有恶人所遭遇的，反照义人所行的。我说，这也是虚空。
8:15 我就称赞快乐，原来人在日光之下，莫强如吃喝快乐，因为他在日光之下，　神赐他一生的年日，要从劳碌中时常享受所得的。
8:16 我专心求智慧，要看世上所作的事。（有昼夜不睡觉，不合眼的。）
8:17 我就看明　神一切的作为，知道人查不出日光之下所作的事；任凭他费多少力寻查，都查不出来，就是智慧人虽想知道，也是查不出来。

敬畏神的人最终必享福乐，这正是所谓“苦尽甘来”。V14说到义人反而面对恶人的遭遇，而恶人反而得到好结果？怎么会是这样呢？其实看戏不都是这样吗？恶人想尽荣华富贵、奢华宴乐，义人却被诬告陷害，受苦连连。电影总是到了最后关头才反败为胜，含冤得血。现实人生可能这样，也可能不是。因为大结局不在地上，大结局是在人死之后；这就是昨天的经文所说的信息。（昨天晨祷我没时间补充第7章的领受，就让我以上一章的看见作为今天的总结：）

总结：后事比现实更现实！

《传 7:1 》名誉强如美好的膏油；人死的日子胜过人生的日子。
《传7:8》说：“ 事情的终局强如事情的起头…。”
《传 6:12》 “…谁能告诉人他死后在日光之下会发生甚么事呢？” （新译本）

基督徒对谈论死亡的事情无需避忌，毕竟那是人生最荣耀和期待的美事。所以传道者说“死的日子胜过生的日子。”因为人生中总有许多心酸流泪的日子、辛辣难受的日子、苦不堪言的日子、偶尔尝到一点甜头却转眼过去了。人生的酸甜苦辣不正是如此吗？对于得着永生应许的基督徒而言，最大的盼望就是得享与神同在的永生。那是永无止境的无比福乐，远非地上的快乐所能相比。因此，经历过人生一切享受的所罗门得了如此结论：人生的终局比起头更强、更好。

上星期是师母的五哥去世一周年的纪念日，从前与五哥同住的六哥把五哥的档案照片制作成一个福音短片，让家人深深反省人生。五哥留下来的手机，还有一切属于他的私人物品通通毫无隐藏的被仔细翻查过。人的后事比人生现实中的事更现实，没有任何秘密是藏得住的，都得任由他人彻底搜查。感谢主，明人不做暗事，有主的光明人生就得尊荣，否则就丑态毕露。面对现实原来不是眼前的一口气或面子问题，原来是在神面前的本相是什么才最重要。

Ecclesiastes 8: Seeing Life in the Light of God’s Wisdom
GK611 Morning Devotion
17/02/2022
Speaker: Rev David Tan

Introduction: Life is fickle and unpredictable! The world changes in unexpected ways!

1. Changes in the wise man (V1-5)

(1) The appearance will become better (V1)

A wise man is a man who fears God and has His truth. The greatest characteristic of this person is that he ‘knows the explanation of things’. A face that shines is one that has the light of God’s truth, and has God’s law and vision to see things, so eventually it will look radiant, won’t it? Surely the face has an angry look on it because it has been irritated and vilified? But a wise person with the truth can have positive changes!

Isn’t that what we do every moment of our lives? Others do wrong to make you angry; an eye for an eye triggers a counterattack. How can one explain what happens to oneself when one loses both ways? “Because the other person was wrong first, it made me wrong, and my mistake made the other person more wrong.” Or else there is another explanation: “I was right, but the other side was unreasonable, and I could not stand it any longer before I returned the favor.” Again, in the end, the child of God fails miserably and the devil wins. What happened because of the wrong interpretation!

(2) Obey the orders of those in power (V2-5)

The king has authority, not only because he is the king of all people, but also because he is the anointed one of God. He is sovereign and can do things of his own accord. How are people to interact with the king? Since we live under the authority established by God, obedience to authority is, of course, obedience to the principles of God’s truth. By working according to the principles of truth, we will ultimately be protected and blessed from evil.

2. Who is in Control of All Things (V6-10)

(1) There is a time for the weight of trouble (V6-7)

It turns out that God allows suffering, calamities, and burdens to be pressed upon a person at the right time and for the right purpose. In other words, it is not accidental suffering, innocent and unwarranted oppression, or calamity that has a purpose from God in the dark. In order to fulfill God’s ultimate purpose in the experience of life.

(2) What happens to people in life and death (V8-10)

People often say, “I am in charge of my own life. For the world is unpredictable, and the highs and lows of life are unpredictable, and there are many changes, and the vagaries of life are unpredictable, and it is not for man to plan? As you say in James 4:13-14, “Today or tomorrow we will go to a certain city and live there for a year, doing business and making money.” But you do not know what tomorrow will be. What is your life? You were just a passing cloud, fading away in a moment.

What you see in the light of day seems to be the same, good people and bad people will die, and after death is not left with a bottle of ashes, or at most a coffin space, the wood is better or worse, so what? A thousand pieces or ten thousand pieces, burned or buried seems to be the same result. Who is the real master of the soul’s life? Only those who have God have the answer; those who have no God can only face sinking.

3. The ultimate judgment is with God (V11-17)

(1) Can the wicked get away with it? (V11-12a)

Why is it that the condemned are not punished with delay, so that the hearts of the world become more and more full of evil intentions when they see it? Moreover, in reality, we often see wicked people who do a lot of evil, but live a long life? Does it seem that God does not see them? Absolutely not, but the mercy of God is waiting for man to preach the gospel to him, waiting for him to repent, otherwise his suffering would be eternal sinking. For God is the God of ultimate judgment!

(2) The fear of God is blessed in the end! (V12b-17)

V14 says that the righteous face what happens to the wicked, but the wicked get good results? How can this be so? Isn’t that how it is in a play? The wicked want to have all the glory and luxury, feasting, but the righteous are falsely accused and framed, suffering a lot. The movie always comes to the last moment to turn defeat into victory and get blood for injustice. This may or may not be the case in real life. For the great end is not on earth, but after death; and this is the message of yesterday’s scripture.

Conclusion: The afterlife is more realistic than the reality!

Eccles. 7:1 ” Reputation is as strong as good anointing; the day of a man’s death is better than the day of his life.

Eccles. 7:8 says: ” The end of things is as strong as the beginning of things…”

Eccles. 6:12 “…who can tell what will happen to a man after his death in the daylight?” (NIV)

Christians need not shy away from talking about death, for it is, after all, the most glorious and anticipated beauty of life.

That’s why the preacher said, “The day of death is better than the day of life.” For in life there are many days of sorrow and tears, days of suffering, days of pain, and days when a little sweetness is occasionally tasted but passes away. Isn’t that what the sweet and sour of life is all about? For Christians who have received the promise of eternal life, the greatest hope is to enjoy eternal life with God. It is a never-ending and incomparable bliss, far beyond the pleasures of earth.

Therefore, Solomon, who had experienced all the pleasures of life, concluded that the end of life is stronger and better than the beginning.

16/02/2022

引言：

这一章经文向我们提出一些实际生活智慧，去弥补虚空的悲哀、去面对虚空的人生!

一、对比选择有益的（V1-6）

1.丧礼胜过喜宴 (V1-4)

智慧人劝人多往‘遭丧的家去’，少往‘宴乐的家去’。因为，参加丧礼与哀哭的人同哭，能从死者的生平得着警愓；丧礼中的‘忧愁’可以使人：思考人生的结局、思想自己要有怎样的人生，为生命带来转机，所以‘面带愁容，终必使心喜乐’！

而参加宴乐不过吃吃喝喝，所得的是虚空的快乐，对灵魂一无益处！欢笑使人满足于现状，失去儆醒的心。懂得为生命‘忧伤’的人，最终必结出‘喜乐’的‘生命果子’！

2. 终局胜过起头 (V5-8)

一个愚昧人很常作事情在开始时会花很多心机，然而结尾却是草草收场。一个智慧人却会看重事情的结局。如果我们不看透人生，不重视事情的终局―就是心存永恒，那么无论喜乐或忧愁，人生都没有多大的意义，最终就是虚空！

二、知道人是有限的（V9-14）

1. 人不知什么是好（V10）

无论是过去的、现在的，甚至将来的日子，我们都不知道什么是好；

2. 人不知神的作为（V13）

无论我们怎样察看世情的弯曲，想知道神的作为，但原来曲直都出于神；

3. 人不知身后的事（V14）

死亡对我们来说是奥秘，无人能知道自己何时离世；就算知道，我们也不知身后的事。

神使人生祸福并列，为使人因对未来一无所知，无法把握而敬畏倚靠神，这是神的美意。

三、敬畏神不自逞智慧（V15-22）

在这里，智慧人提醒我们：当面对不公义，我们不要行义过分，同时也不要行恶过分；否则就是愚昧人，自取败亡。

不要行义过份的关键是‘不要过于自逞智慧’！在有关自己的义行上，不要自以为有智慧、不要自以为义。因为世上本来就没有一个义人。不要行恶过分，并非暗示人可以‘稍为’行恶；而是要我们明白智慧人也会犯罪，但不要为人愚昧。这是对犯罪之人的警告，不要行恶不知悔改！

行义的智慧是：敬畏神不要自逞智慧！主用什么尺来量我，我也要用同样的尺量人。

四、寻求智慧远离愚昧（V23-29）

在这段经文中，智慧人说：我曾用智慧试验这一切事，我说：要得智慧，智慧却离我远。（V23）
智慧人直认自已比众人有智慧，但仍然觉得智慧难懂难掌握！智慧仍是遙不可及！
跟着他又说：我转念，一心要知道，要考察，要寻求智慧和万事的理由；又要知道邪恶为愚昧，愚昧为狂妄。

智慧人告诉我们愚昧常常会令人活在危险中，正如箴言所说：亲近淫妇，就是愚昩人。

人惟独敬畏神，才会有真智慧，成为正直人；如果人亲近淫妇，身陷愚昧，那当有的正直就没有了！真智慧就是：知道远离愚昧的恶事！

总结：智慧来自敬畏神

我们单凭自己的智慧，最终都无法知道神的作为，也无法参透人里面的事情。真智慧是来自敬畏神! 属神的智慧能使我们活出永恒不虚空的人生！

Ecclesiastes 7: Wisdom In The Face Of The Void Life
GK611 Morning Devotion
16/02/2022
Speaker: IP Daniel Kew

Introduction:

This chapter of scripture suggests to us some practical life wisdom to make up for the sorrow of emptiness and to face the life of emptiness!

1. Comparison and Selection of Beneficial (V1-6)

(1) Mourning is better than feasting (V1-4)

The wise man urges people to go more to the house of mourning and less to the house of feasting. Through participation in mourning, the ‘sorrow’ in mourning can give a sense of alertness and make people think about the end of life and what kind of life they want to have, so that they can turn their lives around, therefore, ‘For by a sad countenance the heart is made better’!
But to attend a banquet is just to eat and drink, and what you get is empty pleasure, which is not good for your soul! Laughter makes a man content with the present, and he loses his watchful heart. He who knows how to ‘grieve’ for life will eventually bear ‘joy’ the ‘fruit of life’!

(2) The end is better than the beginning (V5-8)

It is common for a foolish person to start something with a lot of effort, but end it in a haphazard way. A wise man will look at the end of things. If we do not see through life and do not pay attention to the end of things – that is, if we have an heart with eternity – then whether we are happy or sad, life has little meaning and is ultimately empty!

2. Knowing that Man is Finite (V9-14)

(1) Man does not know what is good (V10)

That we do not know what is good, whether in the past, in the present, or even in the days to come.

(2) Man does not know the works of God (V13)

No matter how much we look at the crookedness of the world and want to know the works of God, it turns out that the crookedness is from God.

(3) Man does not know what is after him (V14)

Death is a mystery to us, and no one knows when he will pass away; even if he does, we do not know what will happen afterwards.

It is God’s good pleasure to make life a juxtaposition of woes and blessings, so that man may fear and rely on God because he is ignorant of the future and cannot grasp it.

3. Fear God and Does Not Pretend to be Wise (V15-22)

Here, the wise man reminds us.When faced with injustice, we should not go too far in doing righteousness, and at the same time not go too far in doing evil; otherwise we are fools and bring about our own destruction.

The key to not going too far in righteousness is ‘not to be too wise’! Do not think that you are wise or righteous in your own righteous acts. For there is no righteous person in the world.
Do not go too far in your evil deeds, not to imply that one can do evil ‘a little’, but to understand that wise men also sin, but do not be foolish for man. This is a warning to those who sin, not to do evil without repentance!

The wisdom to do righteousness is: ‘Fear God and do not try to be wise’! With what measure the Lord measures me, I will measure men by the same measure.

4. Seek Wisdom Away From Foolishness (V23-29)

In this passage, the wise man says: All this I have proved by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise”; but it was far from me. (V23)

The wise man admits that he is wiser than all men, but he still finds wisdom difficult to understand and difficult to grasp! Wisdom is still out of reach!

Then he says, “I turn my mind to know, and to examine, and to seek wisdom and reason for all things; and to know that evil is foolishness, and foolishness is arrogance.
The wise man tells us that foolishness often leads to living in danger, as Proverbs says, “If a man approaches an adulteress, he is a foolish man.

Only if a man fears God, he will have true wisdom and become a righteous man. If a man is close to an adulteress and falls into foolishness, his righteousness will be gone! True wisdom is: knowing to stay away from the evil of foolishness!

Conclusion: Wisdom comes from the fear of God

We cannot ultimately know the works of God or penetrate what is in man by our own wisdom alone.True wisdom comes from the fear of God! Godly wisdom enables us to live an eternal, life that is not in vain!

15/02/2022

引言：

传道书有大部分的篇幅都是在讲述人生的虚空，作者所罗门透过不同层面的例子来帮助读者去看明白人生到底是怎样地虚空，尤其是一些可能我们人觉得还很有追求价值的东西，但在本质上却是虚空的事物。作者所罗门盼望我们都能够一一地来看明白，好让我们能够在虚空的人生中懂得抓住不虚空、并且真实永存的神。进入传道书第6章，所罗门就是在贯穿这个主题去写作，也在这里提到一些新的人生例子，去帮助读者去认定我们都要在虚空的人生中抓住神。

一、有福难享的虚空 (V1-6)

1. 物质丰富却无法享福 (V1-2)

有财有势却因劳碌，甚至是因此而搞坏了身体，导致就无法享受神的这些祝福，这不但是人生的虚空，也是一大祸患。

2. 多子多寿却无法享福 (V3-6)

人长寿多子，但是却因某些原因，可能是家庭关系的问题，可能是健康的等等的问题而无法享福，甚至到了离世的时候后事也没有得到好好地处理。这样的人在他活着的年日，其实还不如那些流产掉的胎儿，因为这些胎儿都完全经过人生的愁苦。

这是所罗门当时还没看见耶稣赐下救恩的一份感叹，如果没有永生，人活在地上真的是无比地虚空。但如果有永恒，今天我们所经历的一切，就有不一样的意义了。当我们能够与神同行，在一切患难中经历神的荣耀，并建造起我们永恒的产业，那就有极大的价值了。

二、比别人强的虚空 (V7-9)

人忙来忙去就是为了生活的需要，满足了生活的需要就想要享受人生，但是人在不断追求的过程中，却会发现自己心灵的空虚还是无法满足。如果说智慧人比愚昧人更能够看清这点，然而他们还是要和愚昧人一起面对这样的空虚，实际上他们也没有比愚昧人强。穷人因为缺乏，也相对容易看明白人生的虚空，但因为他们的缺乏，他们也并不比别人强。无论如何，得到还是比想要要好的，但是得到了想要的东西，不久后又会感受到心灵的空虚。这其实也还是虚空和捕风！可见人多么需要神来满足心灵里面的那种空虚！

三、在虚空中抓住神 (V10-12)

人虽然比动物尊贵，不过是无法跟比自己力量更大、权柄更大的神去相争的。当我们认识到人生的虚空，我们是可以讲论出很多的大道理，但是却对人无益，也无助于人去解决人生的问题。人的一生是短暂的，就像影子一样经过了就没有了。人活着的时候的工作，财富和还有当时的各种计划，当他死了过后，他也不知道这些东西接下来会是怎样了。这里再次地让我们看到人一定要在虚空的人生中抓住神，好让我们能够跳脱今生的虚空，活出永恒的盼望。

总结：

人生有福难享，还有人可能因为自己的状况比别人优越就觉得自己比别人强，其实这些都还是在人生无法跳脱出来的虚空当中。如果我们的生命中没有神，其实我们再追求人生许多的东西，我们里面的空虚还是没有办法得着满足的。

但是当我们在虚空的人生中认定神，抓住神，在我们人生的道路上与神同行，虽然说我们的人生还是会面对各样的考验，但是我们必会经历神同在的荣耀，并且日后我们还要得着永恒的奖赏。那我们的人生就不再虚空，而是充满盼望了的。

Ecclesiastes 6: Grabbing hold of God in a life of vanity
GK611 Morning Devotion
15/2/2022
Speaker: IP Moses Ou + Rev David Tan

Introduction：

Ecclesiastes devotes most of its pages to the vanity of life, and Solomon uses examples from different dimensions to help readers understand how vain life really is, especially things that we may find valuable to pursue, but are essentially vain. Solomon wants us to see them all, so that we can grasp the God who is not in vain, but real and everlasting, in the midst of the vanity of life. This is the theme that runs through Ecclesiastes 6, where Solomon mentions some new life examples to help the reader identify that we are all to hold on to God in the midst of a life of vanity.

1. Unable to Enjoy the Blessings in Vanity (V1-6)

(1) Unable to enjoy material abundance (v1-2)

To be rich and powerful but toil, or even to impair your health as a result, so that you cannot enjoy these blessings of God, is not only a vanity in life, but also a great disaster.

(2) Unable to enjoy children and the days

A person lives long and has many children, but for some reason, perhaps because of family relationship problems, health problems, etc., he is unable to enjoy his blessings, and even when he passes away, his affairs are not properly taken care of. Such a person is not as good as the stillborn child that was aborted during the years he lived, for this stillborn child has gone through the full sorrow of life.

This was one of Solomon’s laments before he saw Jesus’ gift of salvation, that without eternal life, man’s life on earth would be truly in vain. But if there were eternity, what we experience today would have a different meaning. When we can walk with God, experience His glory in all our troubles, and build up our eternal estate, then it is of great value.

2. The Vanity of being better than others (V7-9)

People are busy going about for the needs of life, and when they have satisfied the needs of life they want to enjoy life, but in the process of their constant pursuit, they find that the vanity of their hearts is still unsatisfied. If the wise are more able to see this than the foolish, yet they still have to face such vanity together with the foolish, and in fact they are no better than the foolish. The poor, because of their lack, also see the vanity of life easily, but because of their lack, they are no better than others. In any case, it is still better to get than to want, but after getting what you want, you will soon feel the vanity of your mind again. This is actually still vanity and grasping for the wind too! You can see how much man needs God to satisfy that emptiness in his heart!

3. Grasping God in the Vanity (V10-12)

Although man is more exalted than animals, he cannot compete with God, who is more powerful and authoritative than himself. When we realize the vanity of life, we can preach a lot of doctrines, but they do not help man to solve the problems of life. The life of a person is short, like a shadow that passes by and is gone. The work, wealth, and plans of a man while he is alive, he will not know what will happen to them when he dies. Here again we see that man must hold on to God in the midst of the vanity of life, so that we may escape the vanity of this life and live in the hope of eternity.

Conclusion：

There are blessings in life that unable to enjoy, and others may think they are better than others because their situation is superior to others, but in fact, these are still in the vanity of life that we cannot escape from. If we do not have God in our lives, we will not be able to satisfy the vanity in our lives if we pursue many things in life.

But when we identify God in the vanity of our life, grasp Him, and walk with Him on the path of our life, although we will still face various trials in our life, we will experience the glory of God’s presence, and we will receive eternal rewards in the future. Then our life will no longer be in vain, but full of hope.