Saturday 4 October 2025

Psalm 70

Background
We complete our two weeks with some of the wisdom writings of the Hebrew scriptures by dipping briefly into the Book of Ecclesiastes. If you have time, you might like to read through the whole book because it is a book of light and hope as well as the frustration, amounting almost to despair, that we sense in today’s passage.

There are many puzzles in the Book of Ecclesiastes. We don’t really know who the author was.  It’s ascribed to 'the son of David, king in Jerusalem', thus implying King Solomon, the archetypal wise king. But the Hebrew in which the book is written comes from a much later time than Solomon’s reign.  The writer is described as ‘Qoheleth’, a Hebrew term which appears seven times in this book but nowhere else in the Bible. The Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures gives us the term ‘Ecclesiastes’, the title which is now generally used. English translations will usually offer 'the Preacher' or 'the Teacher'. We shouldn’t, however, think of these words being presented either in worship or in a classroom. They seem better fitted to a farmer leaning on a gate or a group of people in the corner of a pub.

The Christian view of time and history can be summed up as affirming that both are given by God and are moving forward in God’s new creation through Christ to fulfilment in God’s kingdom. In contrast to this, our sage in Ecclesiastes begins by suggesting that there is no meaning to be found and that life simply continues in a series of repetitive circles. As noted above, this is not the whole message of the book but it certainly sets the scene.

Is there any wisdom to be gleaned from this passage? Perhaps the question in verse 3 about what we gain from our toil is worth considering. The poet William Wordsworth offers a critique of rampant materialism in “The world is too much with us, late and soon, getting and spending we lay waste our powers.” Jesus built on this concept both in his parable of the sower where the seed (God’s word) falling among thorns is smothered and in his parable of the rich fool who thought his material gain would save him but was not “rich towards God".

To Ponder:

• How best can we challenge and encourage those who sense that life is an empty and meaningless journey going nowhere?
• Our teacher suggests that there is nothing new under the sun. When is that insight useful?

Prayer
“Hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay!”  (Psalm 70:5)

Bible notes author: The Revd Dr Donald Ker
Donald Ker is a supernumerary minister, originally from Ireland where he served in a number of different appointments, but now living in Solihull on the Birmingham Circuit.