This morning’s Old Testament reading from the Daily Office is taken from the Book of Ecclesiastes:

Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to the skillful; but time and chance happen to them all. For no one can anticipate the time of disaster. Like fish taken in a cruel net, and like birds caught in a snare, so mortals are snared at a time of calamity, when it suddenly falls upon them.

I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed important to me. There was a little city with few people in it. A great king came against it and besieged it, building great siege-works against it. Now there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. So I said, ‘Wisdom is better than might; yet the poor man’swisdom is despised, and his words are not heeded.’ The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouting of a ruler among fools.  Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one bungler destroys much good.  (Ecclesiastes 9:11-18)

So many people discount what the Old Testament has to say; however, that is a mistake.  Scripture has to be taken together, Old and New Testaments. 

The Hebrew name of this book and of its author, Qoheleth, is actually a title, and it perhaps means“assembler” (of students, listeners) or “collector” (of wisdom sayings). The book’smore common name, Ecclesiastes, is an approximate translation into Greek of this Hebrew word. The book comprises an extended reflective essay employing autobiographical narrative, proverbs, parables, and allegories.  Ecclesiastes was most likely written in the third century B.C., when Judea was under the oppressive domination of Hellenistic kings from Egypt. These kings were highly efficient in their ruthless exploitation of the land and people, and the average Jewish person would have felt a sense of powerlessness and inability to change things for the better.

This morning we see the wisdom of the Old Testament, the author of Ecclesiastes expresses what many of us have learned by own our experience.  Read the passage at least twice, and see if what it says does not bring a smile to your face, a smile that says: “He’s got that right!” Don’t discount the Old Testament. It is part of your story, the story of salvation.

Let us pray: O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light riseth up in darkness for the godly:Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what thou wouldest have us to do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices, and that in thy light we may see light, and in thy straight path may not stumble;through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS 

THIS SUNDAY IS FATHER’S DAY, remember Dad!

SAFEGUARDING GOD’S CHILDREN,Saturday, 23 June at 10:00 a.m. in Sutton Hall at St. Augustine’s.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550