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Ecclesiastes 5-7

ECCLESIASTES
5:1-6:12 –  ‘The man who loves money can never have enough’ (5:10). Some people are never satisfied, They’re always wanting more. This is the world’s way. The more you have, the more you want. The Lord’s way is very different: ‘Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth… Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven… Do not be anxious, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?”… Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well’.  ‘Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which He has promised to those who love Him?’ (Matthew 6:21-23,31-33; James 2:5). There’s more to life than ‘getting on in the world’. ‘Treasures on earth, treasures in heaven’ – Which world is most important to you?
7:1-29 –  ‘Do not be over-righteous and do not be over-wise’ (16). Christ is ‘our righteousness and our wisdom’ (1 Corinthians 1:30). We must not take pride in our own righteousness or our own wisdom. We must not be like the arrogant ‘Pharisee’: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men…’. If we get ‘too big for our boots’, we may be ‘brought down to earth with a bump’! This is what God says to those who think they’re wise: ‘Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?’ (Luke 18:11-12; 1 Corinthians 1:20). We do not make ourselves righteous. We do not make ourselves wise. ‘Through faith in Jesus Christ’, we receive ‘God’s righteousness’. We become ‘wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus’ (Romans 3:21-26; 2 Timothy 3:14-17).
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