I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Ecclesiastes 1-6.

The writer of Ecclesiastes tells us that there is nothing new.  While there are some new things, people do not change.  Someone may say, “Well, the way we look at X is new,” but if you study history you soon see that it is just a return to the way X was viewed long ago.  Or to put it another way, the more things change the more they stay the same.  No matter what we do we cannot change the world.  As a result the only meaningful thing we can do is serve God.

I love the beginning of chapter 3.  Ever since I first heard The Byrds’ “Turn! Turn! Turn!” i have loved the idea that there is a time for everything.  That song emphasized that the final line of the poem was about a time for peace.  I am quite convinced that the writer intentionally chose to put peace last to emphasize it.  However, a sentence or so later the writer tells us the point of there being a time for everything: God has designed things so that there is beauty in doing the right thing at the right time.  Speaking out when it is time to be quiet is no better, or worse, than being quiet when it is time to speak.