The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Ecclesiastes 7:1,
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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"A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth."
I have to admit, I'm not sure what Solomon intended to point to here, but here are the thoughts this verse generated in my mind:
This is a fascinating verse. The first half of the verse points to something easy to see and accept: to recognize someone as good certainly has the effect of enhancing their winsome stature among others. It is the second half of the verse that is an eyebrow raiser. "the day of death" is "better than the day of birth."
We celebrate the arrival of our new-borns and mourn the loss when a loved one dies. We all have built within us the will to live, to exist and to maintain our lives as long as we can. We believe that life is a precious gift that finds its sanctity in the reality that it is God himself who has provided it.
Paul spoke to this issue about his own life. He said, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far... " Philippians 1:21-23. Paul was in agreement with Solomon.
The perspective for this has to transcend Solomon's scope for his experiments. To have a fuller perspective we need to view life as we have been taught in the Scriptures. Life extends beyond the grave. As we read of the resurrection, we recognize that death is merely a doorway that ushers believers right into the very presence of the Lord himself. There we enter into the eternal phase of life that is not marked by an estrangement from God. There we will not be living under God's curse and the collective sinful nature of humanity. There we will experience eternal pleasures at the right hand of God, Psalm 16:11. There we will not face death any longer, no more sickness, no more sorrow, no more pain. Fullness of life, purposefulness of existence, a richness that will only be available where our lives conform to all God designed us for.
The day of death for believers is better than the day of birth. It signals the end of this life - terminating in the birth of the next.
For the unbeliever, no day is good.
I have to admit, I'm not sure what Solomon intended to point to here, but here are the thoughts this verse generated in my mind:
This is a fascinating verse. The first half of the verse points to something easy to see and accept: to recognize someone as good certainly has the effect of enhancing their winsome stature among others. It is the second half of the verse that is an eyebrow raiser. "the day of death" is "better than the day of birth."
We celebrate the arrival of our new-borns and mourn the loss when a loved one dies. We all have built within us the will to live, to exist and to maintain our lives as long as we can. We believe that life is a precious gift that finds its sanctity in the reality that it is God himself who has provided it.
Paul spoke to this issue about his own life. He said, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far... " Philippians 1:21-23. Paul was in agreement with Solomon.
The perspective for this has to transcend Solomon's scope for his experiments. To have a fuller perspective we need to view life as we have been taught in the Scriptures. Life extends beyond the grave. As we read of the resurrection, we recognize that death is merely a doorway that ushers believers right into the very presence of the Lord himself. There we enter into the eternal phase of life that is not marked by an estrangement from God. There we will not be living under God's curse and the collective sinful nature of humanity. There we will experience eternal pleasures at the right hand of God, Psalm 16:11. There we will not face death any longer, no more sickness, no more sorrow, no more pain. Fullness of life, purposefulness of existence, a richness that will only be available where our lives conform to all God designed us for.
The day of death for believers is better than the day of birth. It signals the end of this life - terminating in the birth of the next.
For the unbeliever, no day is good.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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