50...FUTILITY : THE NAME OF THE GAME
Based on the book of Ecclesiastes (Eccl) [1]...Read more there

Like its predecessor, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes is part of what we call 'Wisdom literature'. Ecclesiastes introduces us to Qoheleth, which means the 'President', or 'Preacher'. We're meant to recognize him as Solomon, but this is just a literary device to give credibility to the text by linking it to Solomon's (earlier) reputation for wisdom. In the form we know it the book dates from after the Babylonian exile (post 538 BC.) & maybe as late as the 3rd C. BC. 'Qoheleth' is not a person's name. It simply means the person who calls together the assembly, or presides over it, preaches to it [2]. The material would probably have been meant for & delivered at a coming together such as a synagogue. Later, whatever else it has since become, 'church' means essentially a coming together of those called to do so.

The main thrust of this rambling book is more or less the futility of anything & everything. Some translations still use the word 'vanity', spelled out as  'chasing the wind' (2:17) Whereas Job wrestles with the personal cost of bad things happening to people, good or bad, Eccl paints a pessimistic broader picture, asking, 'Is it all worthwhile? Is anything worthwhile?' A more positive note does also come through, though it's mainly limited to a kind of 'eat, drink for tomorrow we die' attitude (8:15). Passages such as 3:9+ & 7:13 are typical, & 9:10's warning (more or less, 'when you're dead you're dead!) is hardly encouraging. One important value of Eccl for us is to alert us to the undeveloped nature of Hebrew reflection on any after-life at this stage. Think of it as a stage in the development of Hebrew thought on an issue still unresolved in Jesus' day. The many thoughts expressed here are not always consistent, as they're seen through the eyes of 'Qoheleth' who has apparently incorporated many others' thoughts into his own along the way. Bear in mind, too, that though the book is unclear about God's role in things, whatever happens, God is, & God is there.

Ch.1 gives us a foretaste of what's to come, a kind of over-view. Ch.2 introduces the theme of 'seeing things are so unpredictable, why not enjoy yourself while you're alive to do so!' Ch.3 begins with a stand-out poem much quoted still in various settings [4]. You can't escape this cycle so why not enjoy it while you can! Ch.4 with its concern for the oppressed & down-trodden reflects a glimmer of what great Prophets have already said by now, but doesn't urge any steps to improve their lot. Ch.5 also touches on injustice, but simply sees this, too, as the way things are! So get on with your eating & drinking while you can! Ch.6 is a morbid reflection on the state of things, again without any recipe  for change - that would be futile, too, wouldn't it?! Ch.7 almost turns a corner into a more positive take on things, but rather spoils it with its typically patriarchal put-down of women. Ch.8 praises Wisdom but even that ends us as 'eating & drinking'! Ch.9 goes as far as saying love & hate are both futile, recommends Wisdom again, & laments that Wisdom coming from a 'poor' person will not be valued - again without any pointers to changing this state of affairs. Just get on with your eating & drinking! The latter has by now become a kind of response like that in a litany! Ch.10-12 are basically a collection of proverbs like those in the book that precedes this one. They are interesting but make no discernible challenge to those who read them. As if we didn't know it by now, 12:8 brings this section to an end exactly as the book has started with it's 'Sheer futility', Qoheleth says, 'everything is futile'. NJB says of Ch.12:13 that it sums up the apparent aim of the book quite positively: that we should stand in awe of God & keep his commandments. That's not unlike Jesus' 'two great commandments', is it?

The stories continue with, of all things, a collection of love poems...51:Song of Songs

Notes: [1] Not to be confused with Ecclesiasticus from the Apocrypha. [2] Our name for the book, Ecclesiastes comes from its Greek name that also gives us our 'ecclesiastic' & similar. [3] cf. IS 22:13, & 1COR:15:32, though both have a more positive context. [4] In the sixties Australian folk group The Seekers released a very successful version of this as 'Turn, Turn, Turn..'

 Q...As we go through 'seasons of life' do we have strategies in place for ourselves in our seasons & to share with others in theirs?

49...A BOOK BY ITS COVER
Based on the book of Proverbs (Prov)...Read more there

With Proverbs, what we see is pretty much what we get. Part of what we know as 'Wisdom literature', Ch.1-9 serve as an introduction to proverb after proverb, before another introductory section (Ch. 22-24) leads to more. We hear the voice of Wisdom herself urging wisdom through instruction & giving that in proverb after proverb. Hearing the voice of Wisdom counsel: 'my child.. my son.. my children..' underlines a responsibility for in-house instruction by heads of families & for children to be open to that instruction. We might call what we have an early verbal textbook preceding a final written form. Its simplicity makes it accessible by all. Might our own culture benefit from the application of such simple guidelines today? One modern comparison might be seen in Islamic communities teaching verbally & often by rote, in 'madrasas', schools where such instruction is given. Here in its Hebrew context proverbs can be understood as an attempt at dotting the i's & crossing the t's of the Commandments by expanding them into a kind of curriculum for religion & life, without drawing a line between the two as is common today.

In his old but still interesting 'Commentary on the Whole Bible', Matthew Henry (1662-1714) calls Prov 'an ancient way of teaching ... a plain & easy way of teaching... a very profitable way of teaching'. Prov comes from days when few have access to written texts & few able to read them in the unlikely event they have such access. Prov would be relatively easy to 'take on board' verbally by rote in such a society. We might compare this with church teaching once commonly enshrined in catechisms with their questions & answers. Though we may benefit from reading Prov verse by verse or chapter by chapter, the best value from the book is to be found in taking it as a whole. In looking through its contents we are then looking through a 'window' into the development & understanding of Hebrew thought in those days.

It was once believed that Solomon, son of David was the author of the work as a whole, as stated in Ch.1. He was certainly noted for his wisdom (at least in his younger days) & we are in fact told he authored 'three thousand proverbs' [1K5:12]. We know that much of the material does date back at least to Solomon's day (10th C. BC.) & he may have been a contributor, even a main one. However scholars now believe the book is a compilation of collections of proverbs from various sources, named & unnamed, including some from neighbouring countries & cultures. As the Introduction to Prov in the always valuable NJB sums up neatly (p.965): '...the book represents several centuries of thought on the part of the sages...'

Though great Prophets & Jesus Himself will later develop & go beyond the wisdom contained in Prov the contents form a valuable & insightful contribution to the development of the Hebrew Bible, the wisdom of which Jesus springs from & builds on. Today the whole concept of Wisdom so prominent here has become the subject of much theological reflection in its (or should we say, 'her'?) own right, seeing Wisdom has become traditionally seen as 'feminine'. Of particular interest is the fact Ch.8:22-31 talk in terms of Wisdom as the creative Word God speaks at the beginning of time. This is the Wisdom who will later be personified in JN Ch.1 as 'the 'Word made flesh' in Jesus. So, whatever else we read or don't read in Prov, this particular section will repay our attention.  
  
On a personal note, re-reading the splendid poem (Ch. 31:10-21) that ends the book (another not-to-miss section) brings back memories of preaching from this same passage at my much-loved mother-in-law's funeral many years ago!

As always there are other stories to come...Next...50: Futility: The Name of the Game!

Q. What conclusions might someone looking back from some future time draw about the state of Christian thought today?

48...SINGERS & THEIR SONGS...PART 3: PSALMS 76-150
Based on the book of Psalms (Ps)...Read more there

We'll continue looking at more or less representative or stand-out psalms in this 3rd section of our explorations into Psalms. 76 is a long rehearsal of history, maybe for use at a ceremonial observance of some sort. Maybe a bit like some religious Anzac Day? It ends on a note emphasising YHWH's choice of the Hebrew people & chosen ones within their ranks to achieve his purposes. 79 is a lament over the destruction of Jerusalem, most likely that by the Babylonians in 586BC. It is followed in 80 by a similar note of lament appealing to God to re-instate his people to their former state. 82 has overtones of a transition from a collection of gods to the One True God & reminds us not to assume the Hebrews were always & entirely monotheistic. 84 is a delightful hymn of longing for, praise of, confidence in, & commitment to YHWH God, & one that particularly repays singing. 89 centres on God's favour & faithfulness to the royal house of David. Mind you, neither David nor his descendants always returned that favour & faithfulness! Christians see that faith & favour restored in David's descendant Jesus, 'the king of the Jews' & those who place themselves under his trustworthy rule. 90 celebrates Moses' single-minded devotion to God & God's Law. 91 is almost a 'creed' in the confidence it expresses in God, then 92 & 93 can be enjoyed as responses in worship to that same confidence. 95 (known as the 'Venite' in some Christian circles) has long been used as a celebration of God's rule. Robert Alter (N1) quotes another un-named scholar calling 96 a 'mosaic' drawn from other familiar writings. This very familiarity might  have increased its usefulness & popularity in worship. 97-100 are great songs of confidence in & praise for God. 104 is a celebration of God's creativity & rule over the creation, & 105-107 (the last has a chorus) recapitulate God's people's role in all this & God's care for them. The next several pss. recall God's greatness & faithfulness as well as personal confessions of both faith & need. 119 is an elaborate acrostic (N2). Each of the 22 sections begins with one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. It is very much a manual of instruction & the use of the acrostic method is clearly a strategy to aid learning the teachings by rote. We could say it sums up a good deal of the biblical teaching of which it is an important part, & would repay use as a kind of 'primer' of many core religious values.

119 is then followed by 15 pss., 120-134, known as 'Songs of Ascents'. These are generally considered to be songs intended for use by pilgrims going up to Jerusalem for pilgrimages & festivals, & coming in sight of the city & its Temple (N3). 121 may be a reference to Hebrews on pilgrimage looking up to the hill tops, seeing altars to idols, & being moved to re-state their own commitment to YHWH God. 125 may reflect this same state of affairs. 130 with its beginning, 'Out of the depths....' is an example of 'depths' being used to refer to the threatening depths of  the sea as against the life-givingness of  God in his 'heights'. This is very much a penitential psalm, used by both Hebrews & Christians in this context. 136 then recites the praises of God for the mighty acts He has performed for Israel & against others. When we reach 137 we are faced with the contrasting emotions psalms can convey. The first 6 verses are a delightful if poignant lament for how the Hebrews feel about their exile in Babylon in the 6th C. BC.. But in v.7 this turns to a vicious tirade against their neighbours the Edomites, descendants of Esau, Jacob's brother. Did they come to the Hebrews' aid when they were attacked by Babylon? No, they egged the Babylonians on & aided & abetted them (N4). The first part of 139 is a kind of spiritual review of life, sometime used appropriately at funerals. However, at v.19 it turns (as 137 turns) into a rant against 'the wicked'. 145 then begins a set of songs of praise directed to God. vv. 15-16] have often been used as an appropriate 'table grace'. Bringing the Book of Psalms to an appropriate end on a great burst of praise is 150. And then the story goes on...49: Out of the mouths of...    

(N1) Robert Alter, Psalms, Norton, N.Y. 2007 ad loc. (N2)  There are other acrostic pss., but 119 is the longest (as well as the longest psalm). (N3) This would of course depend on when they were written &/or being sung. There were times when there was no Temple. (N4) [Obadiah 1:10-15] gives us the context for Hebrew bitterness towards the Edomites. The 'nice' part of 137 was made very popular by the group 'Boney M' in 1978.
Q: Do we ourselves prefer any particular genre of song?                 

                               47...SINGERS & THEIR SONGS...PART 2: PSALMS 1-75
                                      Based on the book of Psalms (Ps)...Read more there

(If you haven't done so already, you may find it worthwhile to read the Introduction to Psalms in Ep.46 before continuing.) Because of the number of pss. we'll have to be selective, but we can find all the others in the Scriptures & Prayer Books (N1). Ps.1 gets us off to a good start. Appropriately it's in praise of Wisdom. Not 'head-knowledge' nor any such thing, but knowing God & keeping God's Law. For Jewish folk this means the Torah revealed in Gn to Dt of the Hebrew Bible. Christians add Jesus' 'two great commandments' [MT 22: 34-40] too. Those who delight in keeping God's Law delight God & are blessed in return. In contrast, those who break that Law will get their comeuppance. Psalmists are not backward in heaping scorn on 'evil-doers'; on enemies -who are by definition God's enemies too - & any who don't keep the Torah. Ps.2 is a coronation psalm, contrasting the role & blessedness of Davidic monarchs with the fate of rulers of other nations who don't serve YHWH God in fear & trembling. (Not all Davidic monarchs do this either!) The bad guys have the book thrown at them! Over time an identification develops between God's anointed kings, & religious leaders too, being responsible for the shepherding of the Great Shepherd's people. Alas, so many fail! Hence Jesus, a descendant of the Davidic line, calls himself  the 'Good Shepherd' in contrast with others before him & in his own day who don't act as faithful shepherds to God's people.
                      Ps.3  has an introduction relating to David fleeing from his revolting son Absalom. Reflecting on David's woes, it lends itself to morning use when facing a hard & testing day! By contrast, Ps.4 is clearly an evening song. As we go along perhaps we can find others that lend themselves to our personal use mornings & evenings. Ps.8 is one of the greatest hymns of praise for & confidence in God, worthy of anyone's 'collection'. Pss.15 & 19 are a help in 'soul-searching', & useful in preparing ourselves for confession - formal, informal, personal or congregational. When we reach Ps.22 with its 'My God, my God, why have You forsaken me..?" we find it foreshadows Jesus on his cross, drawing as it does on the experience of someone expressing their deepest trouble. There is no explaining it away on Jesus' lips. As He repeats it, even dying, does He try to intone it? Whatever we do, remember Ps.22 ends on a great note of praise & triumph. Whether or not Jesus is able to get that far, He knows exactly what He means to say!

The best known of all Pss., in Christian circles Ps.23 is almost a 'cert' to turn up at funerals. Simply a case of 'keeping the best till last'? A great, confident, & deeply personal declaration of faith in God, it encapsulates the Essence of Jesus himself. More, it portrays God's care for us that earthly rulers & leaders are meant to have for us too, but all too often don't! By extension, we too are to be shepherds rather than 'hirelings' (Jesus' word). Ps.23 is about life & death being open-ended. No shepherd worth their salt would ever lead their flock into a dead end! Life is for living, not just about dying to put God to the test! Ps.24 captures the heart of how public worship works, & encourages personal worship & praise too. Ps.42 begins on a note of wistful yearning for God, moves to lamenting a less than perfect situation the author finds himself in, then ends, as pss. often do on a note of still hopeful confidence in God. Ps.43 is a plea for justice seemingly intended for singing (maybe by the author?) in the Temple. Ps.45 is a great outburst of praise moving on to become a royal wedding song. Ps.46 is another hymn of confidence in God. Ps. 53 is essentially a duplicate of Ps.14, maybe reflecting some ancient slip in editorial compiling. Ps. 63 may reflect David's flight from Saul. Ps.66 is a thanksgiving for deliverance from national downturns, with v.6 clearly relating to the Exodus. Ps.67, a prayerful celebration of God's provision & faithfulness, lends itself to use in worship back then or now. Ps.68 has a militaristic air & was possibly used in procession to celebrate victory after battle. In Ps.69 someone is in deep trouble, & fluctuates between faith in God as rescuer & heaping reproaches on those giving them grief! Ps.72 is a 'royal' psalm; the flattering language speaks for itself. But it can also be understood as 'royal' in a Messianic sense in praise of God's Anointed One. And so the story of the Psalms continues & concludes...48...Singers & Their Songs, Part 3.           

(N1) It might be a 'spiritual investment' to find & maybe group a few pss. according to their thrust, for personal use.     Q: Could we learn a few 'stand-out' lines & use them as resource in our personal ups & downs?

                                  46...SINGERS & THEIR SONGS...Part 1: Introduction
                                 Based on the book of Psalms (Ps) (N1)...Read more there

With Psalms we're entering a world of 150 songs intended for singing rather than reading, not even aloud! If you are just 'breaking into' Ps Unless you're very familiar with Psalms An over-all introduction may be in order before we look at a selection of  psalms. We couldn't possibly 'do the lot'! As well as those we know formally as the book of Psalms, there are other examples of psalms in the Hebrew Bible. We've met some of these in earlier books, e.g. in [EX 15]. Some Psalms show influence from earlier times, including Canaanite & other neighbouring sources, as writings from any culture inevitably bear marks of earlier or outside influence.

In the tradition of ancient Hebrew poetry verses are structured not as in English poetry - in rhyme, blank verse, etc. - but using lines as building blocks. Psalms are written mainly in two-part verses, sometimes more. The first introduces the subject matter. This idea is then re-stated differently, developed further, elaborated, contrasted, 'tweaked', etc., in the part-verse that follows. We can usually see these patterns fairly clearly, & may find them helpful in appreciating each psalm as we read it. If I refer to translations that differ from the text you're using, the thrust should still be clear enough. We need to accept though that not even the best English translations can capture all the nuances & subtleties of the original Hebrew. Above all, psalms are intended for devotional use, in a liturgical gathering of one kind or another, or personally. They are essentially different from books concerned with histories of one kind or another we've visited so far, though history is of necessity reflected in what is sung about it!

Despite a once common practice of referring to them as 'Psalms of David' there's no hard evidence David actually wrote any of them, let alone the well-beloved Ps.23! That's not to say he isn't somehow connected with it /them. Truth is, very little is known about who wrote any of them. Some psalms do have introductions, but these can be teasers. Mostly they seem to concern who a psalm was written for, who was to play it, on what instrument, to what tune, or how the music was to be performed! To illustrate this, one word we'll come across from time to time is 'Selah'. The 'best guess' is that it's a musical term meaning 'sing or play more loudly', even, 'let your hair down a bit at this point' or words to that effect! When we move on to the exploration stage, because of the number of psalms we'll only be able to explore one here & one there as we go. Hopefully the choice will reflect the variety of psalm content. Not for information so much as to help us appreciate them better as 'God-songs' (N2). In most cases we'll be able to surmise, if not actually empathise with the singer in their setting, challenge, dilemma, or predicament that gives rise to the psalm. It's no accident that for countless centuries Psalms have featured prominently in the corporate worship of Judaism & most Christian denominations too, & a rota for singing the psalms has long been a foundation of worship in monastic communities of all kinds (N3). Most Pss are very personal in origin. They reflect devotion, praise, thanksgiving, longing, complaining, groaning & griping [cf. EX 17: 1-7], lamenting, anger, bitterness, being vengeful, & a host of other feelings & experiences. They can start at one level & then gravitate - up or down! to others! Some can be so nasty valid questions are raised about their suitability for use 'as-is' either personally or in gatherings for worship in the light of Christian understandings of God revealed in Jesus. If we have a problem with a Ps. like this, most lend themselves to bracketing & omitting the offending parts. (Jumping ahead, Ps.137 begins quite delightfully with a captive in Babylon looking wistfully back to Jerusalem, but then ends quite horribly with vv. 7-9!) It is foolish religion indeed that binds itself to earlier misunderstandings of God that wiser souls have by grace transcended! Next time: 47: Singers & Their Songs...Part 2: Pss 1-

N1) Most versions of Psalms (abbreviated 'Pss' if we're referring to more than one psalm) will suffice, but the better the poetry the better for appreciating! (N2) If you're 'game' to try singing psalms, try fitting them to a popular tune - tweak them to fit if you need to! (Scots Presbyterians long ago produced an effective & lasting version sung to hymn tunes.) Or, type 'simple Anglican chant' into your search engine. (N3) Church lectionaries provide Pss for use each morning & evening of the year for the use of congregations & individuals.  Q: Do we have any sense of poetry & or music 'in our bones'?