Click here to access MP3 audio teaching

VIRTUAL SUKKOT
POSTED 27 SEPTEMBER, 2007

Sukkot Reflections on Ecclesiastes: Day One

by Mark Huey
mhuey@outreachisrael.net

Ecclesiastes 1

The Feast of Tabernacles is upon us and many in the Messianic community of faith sincerely desire to participate, in a meaningful way, in the Fall feasts of the Lord. For many this means taking the time to dwell in a temporary tabernacle in one’s backyard, or at the very least, to build some kind of sukkah. As a family, we have had the privilege of doing many things, and have been blessed over the years with different levels of engagement in celebrating this special season. Let us read Leviticus 23:33-44 in order to understand the instructions for celebrating this feast:

“Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, “On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the Lord. On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work of any kind. For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the Lord; it is an assembly. You shall do no laborious work. These are the appointed times of the Lord which you shall proclaim as holy convocations, to present offerings by fire to the Lord—burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each day's matter on its own day—besides those of the sabbaths of the Lord, and besides your gifts and besides all your votive and freewill offerings, which you give to the Lord. On exactly the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the Lord for seven days, with a rest on the first day and a rest on the eighth day. Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. You shall thus celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall live in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”’ So Moses declared to the sons of Israel the appointed times of the Lord” (Leviticus 23:33-44).

As you can read above, from 15-23 Tishri, God’s people are to celebrate a festival unto Him. For seven days, they were instructed to dwell in temporary booths or sukkahs that will remind the descendants of the Exodus generation that the Holy One brought their forefathers out of the slavery of Egypt.

The timing of the Feast of Tabernacles comes at the end of the Fall feasts in what could also be characterized as a “harvest festival.” The celebration of Yom Teruah on the 1st of Tishri, and Yom Kippur on the 10th of Tishri, have been completed. These are times of great personal reflection and meditation as shofars are being blown calling all to return, or make teshuvah, toward God. The forty-day season of repentance, that actually started back on the first of Elul, has come to a close. The Ten Days of Awe or Yamim Nora’im have culminated with the observance of Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement.

Now, as the Feast of Tabernacles arrives, with the season of repentance completed, and the crops harvested, the stage is set for a joyous celebration. In fact, another term often used for Sukkot is simply “Season of Joy” (Heb. zeman simchatenu). After completing the reflective times of teshuvah, many of the faithful are ready to start anew in their relationship with the Holy One of Israel. The expression, “new lease on life,” certainly comes to my mind.

Considering Ecclesiastes

In many Jewish circles down through the centuries, there has been a tendency for some to celebrate this feast with some over zealousness. Whether it is the joy of making it through the season of repentance or simply the fact that the work of the harvest is complete and barns are full, the “party atmosphere” is definitely initiated by Sukkot. This has prompted the Rabbis to recommend the study of the Book of Ecclesiastes during the Sukkot festivities.

By considering the wisdom of Ecclesiastes at this occasion, it allows one to be balanced in his or her approach to life. The concept of living out one’s life in a temporary tabernacle (our bodies), for whatever period of time we are allotted, makes an appropriate backdrop for contemplating the words of wisdom seen in Ecclesiastes. For the next week, we will be considering the Book of Ecclesiastes as we celebrate the Feast of Booths. Before examining the text, there is some background information concerning Ecclesiastes that needs to be mentioned.

The Hebrew title for Ecclesiastes is Qohelet (tlhq). The title is taken from the very first sentence of the book: “The words of Koheleth son of David, king in Jerusalem” (Ecclesiastes 1:1, NJPS). It is derived from the word qahal (lhq), meaning assembly or congregation. Qohelet is the one who addresses that assembly.

When the Septuagint translators produced the Greek version of the Tanakh about three centuries before Yeshua, they used the Greek word ekklēsia (ekklhsia) or “assembly,” as the root word for Ekklēsiastēs (Grk. EKKLHSIASTHS). The book title Ecclesiastes essentially means “assembly-speaker, preacher,” in Greek.

It must be noted that contemporary Biblical scholars are not in total agreement about the authorship of the Book of Ecclesiastes. Many follow tradition and believe that Solomon was the author, whereas others believe that Qohelet was someone in Solomon’s court, making the material Solomonic in origin, but not explicitly from his hand. Others believe that Qohelet comes from a later period in Israel’s history. However, rather than get into all of the arguments about this, for the purposes of my review, I will be recognizing King Solomon as the primary author, understanding that it is quite possible that Solomon’s words were written by scribes, or added to, after the time of his death until the time when the text finally became a part of the Tanakh.

Here are some of the reasons why I have decided to adhere to the traditional authorship of Solomon. In the opening verse, the author states that he is the “son of David, king of Jerusalem”:

“The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem” (Ecclesiastes 1:1).

Later in Ecclesiastes 1:12, the author indicates that he was the king of Israel in Jerusalem:

“I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem” (Ecclesiastes 1:12).

Furthermore, the author describes the wisdom with which he was blessed:

“I said to myself, ‘Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge’” (Ecclesiastes 1:16).

This statement is reminiscent of a young Solomon, who after becoming the king of Israel, was asked by God what he wanted in 2 Chronicles 1:7-12. God supernaturally endowed Solomon with great wisdom, and eventually great riches, wealth, and honor:

“In that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, ‘Ask what I shall give you.’ Solomon said to God, ‘You have dealt with my father David with great lovingkindness, and have made me king in his place. Now, O Lord God, Your promise to my father David is fulfilled, for You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this great people of Yours?’ God said to Solomon, ‘Because you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may rule My people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed nor those who will come after you’” (2 Chronicles 1:7-12).

As a result of simply asking for wisdom and knowledge in order to best serve and rule the people of Israel, God responded by giving him riches, wealth, honor, and long life, plus the wisdom and knowledge to handle his responsibilities as king. Apparently, as we read further in 2 Chronicles 9:22-28, Solomon’s wealth was greater than all the surrounding kingdoms:

“So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. And all the kings of the earth were seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. They brought every man his gift, articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses and mules, so much year by year. Now Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. He was the ruler over all the kings from the Euphrates River even to the land of the Philistines, and as far as the border of Egypt. The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the lowland. And they were bringing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all countries” (2 Chronicles 9:22-28).

Additionally, there is recorded evidence that Solomon’s great wisdom was known throughout the ancient world, as chronicled in the Book of 1 Kings:

“Now God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore. Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men, than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was known in all the surrounding nations” (1 Kings 4:29-31).

Later in Ecclesiastes 2:4-6, the author describes some of his building accomplishments and great wealth:

“I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself; I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees” (Ecclesiastes 2:4-6).

I believe that this aligns with statements found in 1 Kings 7:1-2, attesting that Solomon built a large house for himself:

“Now Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.  He built the house of the forest of Lebanon; its length was 100 cubits and its width 50 cubits and its height 30 cubits, on four rows of cedar pillars with cedar beams on the pillars” (1 Kings 7:1-2).

In Ecclesiastes 2:7-9, we see that the author not only owned considerable slaves and large herds of animals, but also considerable wealth:

“I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men—many concubines. Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me” (Ecclesiastes 2:7-9).

This lines up with 2 Chronicles 9:22-28, which deals with Solomon’s large number of concubines:

“So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. And all the kings of the earth were seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. They brought every man his gift, articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses and mules, so much year by year. Now Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. He was the ruler over all the kings from the Euphrates River even to the land of the Philistines, and as far as the border of Egypt. The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the lowland. And they were bringing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all countries” (2 Chronicles 9:22-28; cf. 1 Kings 11:1-4).

Hopefully, these are enough references to see why most of the ancient Jewish and Christian writers have attributed the Book of Ecclesiastes to Solomon. However, it is also important to note—and I would be remiss if I did not mention it—that many post-Reformation scholars have concluded that someone other than Solomon wrote it. This is not just limited to liberals (who often deny any kind of traditional authorship for Biblical books), but also many conservatives (in both Judaism and Christianity). So that you will be aware of some of the disputes, allow me to describe a few of the points of contention that have been made in more recent times.

Unlike the Book of Proverbs and the Song of Songs, the Book of Ecclesiastes does not mention the name of Solomon. The author calls himself “king in Jerusalem,” a phrase which is never used of any king of Israel.

When the writer describes himself as having been “magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me” (1:16), it seems that he is implying more than merely himself and King David. Remember that it was David who first took Jerusalem and made it his capital city. There had been no previous Israelite kings in Jerusalem prior to David. On the other hand, there were many kings over Jerusalem prior to David, some of who are even mentioned as such in the pages of the Scripture (Melchizedek, Adoni-zedek, et. al.).

There are several places where the writer makes observations that would be unlikely coming from a king such as Solomon. But it is obvious from these statements that they do not detect that Solomon is speaking philosophically in order to make some astute points to his readers.

Furthermore, grounds for denying Solomonic authorship are often made on the basis of the advanced Hebrew syntax of Ecclesiastes, which would have been foreign to the Ninth Century B.C.E., leading many scholars to conclude a later dating for the text.

With all this being said, when the assumption is made that Solomon is the author, most conclude that Ecclesiastes was written in the later part of Solomon’s life. One of the most common dates concluded for the book by conservative theologians who adhere to Solomonic authorship is 945 B.C.E.[1]

The Life of Solomon

Solomon had been one of the greatest of the Hebrew kings. His reign was one of peace and prosperity. It has been said that what David won through war, Solomon preserved through peace. And yet, there was a dark side to Solomon's reign. With all of his reputed wisdom, he found himself turning away from the Lord. It began very gradually. He entered into marital alliances with the surrounding countries. He took wives from the daughters of the surrounding pagan nations. As those wives came to Israel, they brought their pagan gods with them. This was quoted earlier from 1 Kings 11:1-4:

“Now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the sons of Israel, ‘You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods.’ Solomon held fast to these in love. He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away. For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been” (1 Kings 11:1-4).

Suffice it to say, for the purposes of my review of Ecclesiastes, I am going to attribute the wisdom it imparts to Solomon toward the end of his life. But regardless of whether this is totally accurate, or whether someone simply took the words of Solomon and his life experiences and put them down for our benefit, the fact remains that these words have been preserved down through the centuries for us to consider. Ultimately, Ecclesiastes is a journal of a man's search for meaning in life. Much of that search takes place apart from God. And the conclusion will be that life apart from God is empty.

So with this as an introduction to verify that Solomon was endowed with wisdom beyond the norm, perhaps it would be prudent to spend some time reflecting on the summation of life that he shares in Ecclesiastes. This is why the Rabbis have recommended a review of this book during the season of joy associated with Sukkot. In some regards, as stated earlier, this can be a counterbalance to some of the riotous living that has the propensity to erupt during this season. For those who are taking the time away from some of the routine of the work week during the Feast of Tabernacles, I would encourage you to read Ecclesiastes several times in its entirety in order to glean wisdom from its author.

Let us turn to the first chapter and take a look at the opening verses. Just reading the opening verses of the book are enough to snap one back to reality:

“The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem” (Ecclesiastes 1:1).

The opening verse essentially declares who the author is without using the name Solomon. As stated earlier, Qohelet or “the Preacher” (NASU, ESV), “the Teacher” (NIV, NRSV), “Koheleth” (NJPS), or “Koheles” (ATS, Ashkenazic), gives himself a title, rather than a name. Here he declares that he is the son of David and king in Jerusalem. In v. 12, the author echoes this introductory statement by amplifying his opening statement:

“I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem” (Ecclesiastes 1:12, NIV).

In between these similar statements, the author summarizes the book and introduces some of the themes that persist throughout the balance of the text:

“‘Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher, ‘Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.’ What advantage does man have in all his work which he does under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3).

Here we are introduced to one of the principal themes of the book found in the Hebrew word hevel (lbh), which is translated “vanity” or “Utter futility” (NJPS). We find this word, or derivations of it, over thirty times in the text.[2] Therefore, it is easy to conclude that it is a vital part of the message the author is communicating. Reading to the end of the book we also find the following verse, that in essence, almost acts like a bookend to bracket the balance of what the author says:

“‘Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher, ‘all is vanity!’” (Ecclesiastes 12:8).

From the very opening verses to the concluding verses, the reader is on notice that the vanity or futility of life is going to be one of the primary subjects of this book. Additionally, in Ecclesiastes 1:3, we are also introduced to a second major theme that is stated some twenty-nine times in the text.[3] This is the concept of “under the sun,” or tachat ha’shemesh (vmVh txT) in Hebrew:

“What advantage does man have in all his work which he does under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:3).

Right from the beginning statements through the conclusion of the book, the reader is confronted with the vanity of life and the reality of all things being done “under the sun,” or the fact that all things that occur on Earth are included. The author concludes that nothing escapes the natural laws of the environment we inhabit.

In the following verses, the four elements of creation: earth, fire (sun), wind, and water—bring to mind the created order and its cyclical qualities:

“A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; and hastening to its place it rises there again. Blowing toward the south, then turning toward the north, the wind continues swirling along; and on its circular courses the wind returns. All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again” (Ecclesiastes 1:4-7).

Before we consider the basic elements, the inevitable reality of “generational amnesia” must be considered. The statement “a generation goes and a generation comes” is such a profound statement, even given today’s glut of information. Most people do not know that much about their grandparents, let alone their great-grandparents. Many would be hard-pressed to name the eight people who were the parents of their grandparents. One of the realities of life is that when you have passed on, your grandchildren might remember you, but for the most part their children or your great-grandchildren will have a vague recollection, if any, of your existence. An epitaph on a grave marker in a remote cemetery that is rarely visited might sum up your time on Earth.

The Preacher understood this reality because most human beings have such a time-sensitive and self-centered viewpoint, so that spending anytime dwelling on the previous generations, unless they were people of great accomplishment, is rarely done. Human nature is such that people are generally only concerned about their own existence with limited concern on generations twice removed. Can you better understand the concept of a generation gap as you contemplate these words?

After you consider the generational issues, the elemental aspects of Creation are mentioned. First, the author mentions the timelessness of the Earth: “[T]he earth remains forever” (v. 4) is a statement that reminds us that we are animate and temporal as compared to the inanimate and relative longevity of the Earth. By our nature as living beings, we are subject to life and death, whereas the Earth does not require breath to exist in its current state.

Next, the Preacher turns us to the consistency of the sun, or the fireball of gas in the Solar System. In the statement, “the sun rises and the sun sets; and hastening to its place it rises there again” (v. 5), the reader is reminded of the daily routine of the sun as it appears to move across the sky with ascending and descending precision. Today, we understand from modern-day astronomy that the Earth is actually revolving on an axis as it circumnavigates the sun on an annual basis. But one thing is as consistent today as it was in the time of Solomon: the pattern of the sun’s “rising and setting” can be calculated to absolute accuracy given the consistency of the rotations. This is a marvel to consider, especially when you compare it to the capricious nature of humanity.

Third, the Preacher turns to the element of the wind and its patterns: “Blowing toward the south, then turning toward the north, the wind continues swirling along; and on its circular courses the wind returns” (v. 6). Even without the marvels of modern technology, the ancients were able to monitor the annual cycle of wind patterns as they were consistent year in and year out. While they might not have been exactly the same every year, the fact remains that in God’s Creation, the air currents follow in readily discernible patterns.

Finally, the author comments on the weather patterns of water going from the depths of the oceans, to up in the air, to over the land in clouds, only to be returned to the land via the eruption of rain, sleet, or snow: “Áll the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again” (v. 7). Then, the inevitable occurs as water gathers by gravity and moves from streams, to creeks, to rivers, and returns to the seas, where the process repeats itself over and over again.

While each of these elements has a degree of consistency, the Preacher reminds his audience that man is not like this. Man will eventually die and the Earth will still be standing strong, the sun will continue to rise and set, the winds will come and go, and the hydrological cycles of water will carry on.

In almost an aside of resignation, the Preacher makes the statement, “All things are wearisome; man is not able to tell it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear filled with hearing” (v. 8). Here, the reality that man cannot speak enough, see enough, or hear enough, is somewhat wearisome to the soul. Yet it is the nature of man to want to speak about all things, or look at everything the eye can absorb, or listen to all that the ear can bear to hear.

Finally, these statements summarize the end of the opening chapter of Ecclesiastes:

“And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with. I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted. I said to myself, ‘Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.’ And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind. Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain” (Ecclesiastes 1:13-18).

As the Preacher concludes his opening statements in ch. 1, one can almost sense a state of despair or depression. Comments like, “all is vanity and striving after wind” (v. 14), almost lead one to wonder why he should participate in life if the results are going to result in vanity. The final acknowledgement that in much wisdom there is much grief, while increasing knowledge results in increasing pain, does not give one much of an incentive to strive for many things in life.

However, for Believers in Yeshua the Messiah, we have a different perspective that takes into account the reality of what the Book of Ecclesiastes is declaring, but with one great advantage found in the revelation of Yeshua and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. Paul describes, in concert with the conclusions of Ecclesiastes, that the Creation is subjected to futility. Here, we will find an answer to how Believers should be handling the vagaries of life:

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it” (Romans 8:18-25).

Surely, Paul and all Believers can identify with the statement that the sufferings of this present time cannot be compared to the glory that will be revealed to us. While the Creation was subjected to futility as a result of the Fall of Adam, eventually, it will all be set free from its corruption, as will the children of God who have been born again and indwelt with the Holy Spirit.

We have a hope that overcomes the rather depressing statements of the Preacher who is trapped by the futility of life as he sees it. This is the faith that we have in our Messiah Yeshua and His accomplished work at Golgotha (Calvary). While we can understand the vanity of life apart from Him, we can also appreciate the life that is totally devoted to serving Him and loving Him with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength.

At this season of joy, those who believe upon the efficacious grace of God can look to Him to answer the perplexing questions of life. We have something that is beyond the conclusions of the Preacher, because we have some knowledge about the Messiah that sets us free from the bondage of sin. We even have some answers to the complexity of life when we follow some of the logic in seen in the Apostle Paul’s instruction:

“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified” (Romans 8:26-30).

With the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, Believers have the presence of God to actually intercede for them in prayer. But even beyond this, when problems of the generations erupt, or when the Earth, wind, or precipitation changes to the point of disrupting life as we know it—we have the comfort to know that everything happens according to God’s will for our lives. Beyond that, we have the knowledge that “in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose” (v. 28, RSV).

In reality, this actually gives us some meaning or purpose in life that clarifies the concept stated by the Preacher of all being vanity. In fact, Paul’s words “to those who are called according to His purpose” should stick in the hearts and minds of all those who are truly born again. Even though the word “his” is implied, the fact remains that there is a purpose for our existence that is well beyond the futility of life that the Preacher expresses.

Many years ago, I was reading a book that was written in 1956 by Arthur Wallis, entitled In the Day of Thy Power. The book was about revival from Scripture and history, and was very thought provoking when I read it. But what stuck out more than the contents of the book was an anonymous statement that was sandwiched between the table of contents and the second forward to the edition I was reading. In that book was a simple statement that defined the concept of success for a Believer:

“If you would make the greatest success of your life, try to discover what God is doing in your time, and fling yourself into the accomplishment of His purpose and will.”

This simple statement had a profound impact on my life, and I believe it is having a profound impact on the lives of many who are currently embracing a Messianic lifestyle and Torah obedient walk of faith. I believe with all of my heart that at this point in time one of the most critical things that the Holy One is doing with His people is restoring them to the roots of their faith. Many people all over the world are celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles. This is an incredible reality when you consider that a mere decade ago (1995), most did not even know what Sukkot was or had even heard of it. But today, perhaps many thousands of people are flinging themselves wholeheartedly into the accomplishment of the purpose and will of our Heavenly Father.

Now in congregations and fellowships sprinkled around the world, people are looking at Scriptures like the Book of Ecclesiastes, and learning through the promptings of the Holy Spirit, exactly what the Father wants them to know about these passages of Scripture.

I pray that your time in this season of joy will be enhanced as you follow the patterns established by our forefathers in the faith. The wisdom that we have coming forth from Ecclesiastes is available to all, as we know that James tells us to ask for wisdom and our Heavenly Father will faithfully dispense it at His good pleasure:

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5).

Mark Huey (B.A., Vanderbilt University in History and Graduate Studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University) is the Director of Outreach Israel Ministries (www.outreachisrael.net). He is the author of several books, including: TorahScope, Volumes I & II, and Counting the Omer: A Daily Devotional Toward Shavuot. He is also co-author of Hebraic Roots: An Introductory Study.

NOTES