Ecclesiastes 4 (résumé): Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness

Initially in Ecclesiastes 4 Solomon spoke of the oppression he saw "under the sun". He said "I saw the tears of the oppressed without a comforter" and he felt that the dead were happier than the living, but better still would be to never have existed! He then goes on to discuss man's toil which "springs from envy of his neighbour" and which is "meaningless and chasing the wind". He proceeds to focus on those without friends. All the lonely people - where do they all come from? Thus he defines friendlessness as "a miserable business". He say that "two are better than one so that if one falls the other can help him up". He then concludes the chapter saying that a poor wise youth is better than an old foolish king. But, he ends saying, all is meaningless just chasing after the wind!

Ex-President

94-year-old ex Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso has advanced Alzheimer's and his children are now administering his finances. He was president from 1995 to 2003 and was a good president.

This morning we have had Great Kiskadees and Sayaca Tanagers flying around the garden at home. 

Last night I led the mid-week prayer meeting and Bible study and Rayla gave the study on 1 Samuel 2. It was a good service.

New Hospital

A big new hospital is being built in Patos on the eastern side of town with a capacity for 245 to 300 beds. I would imagine that it will be completed within about a year.

I went for a spin to Green Pastures and saw lots of birds: Southern Lapwing, Crested Caracara, Red-cowled Cardinal, Dark-billed Cuckoo, Blue-Black Grassquit, Campo Troupial and Caatinga Cacholote. The reproduction of the Red-cowled Cardinals is full steam ahead with them making their second round of nests! 3 further young deer have also been observed near the lake.

Liz went to the Patos Women's Fellowship weekly meeting last night and enjoyed it. 

Twentieth

I have completed writing the résumés of the 20th book of the Bible which is the book of Proverbs. This means I have finished 55% of the chapters of the Bible. I now press on with Ecclesiastes which is not a very inspiring book! It reminds me of Bob Dylan singing "Blowing in the Wind"!

It was great to receive news from Marian Rashleigh yesterday of a new EAB Action School sponsor and of a new EAB Action Child sponsor. This is very encouraging as we desperately need more sponsors for our 16 little schools and 850 children. Thank you to all who support this so important aspect of EAB's work, and thanks to Marian for coordinating this work so well. 

Last night I took part in the Patos Men's Fellowship meeting where we enjoyed a nice time of fellowship which was very good.

Yesterday it rained another 15 mm at Green Pastures taking the year's total rainfall to 597.6 mm.

Ecclesiastes 3 (résumé): A time for everything

Proverbs 3 presents the natural phases of life showing that God "has made everything beautiful in its time". There is a time for birth and death, a time to plant and harvest, a time to cry and laugh, a time to mourn and dance, a time to love and a time to hate etc. Solomon goes on to say that there is nothing better for men to do than be happy and do good. For God, he says, will bring to judgement the righteous and the wicked. For God tests everyone. Man has no advantage over the animals and ends up in death in the same way. So Solomon's conclusion is that the best you can do is enjoy work as beyond this is unknown.

Driving Test

Yesterday our 18-year-old granddaughter Alice passed her driving test at the first attempt. Alice is a university student in psychology and is doing very well and enjoying her course. She has already done two extra courses linked to autism. Well done Alice!

We brought more people into the Care Centre yesterday to be attended by our dentist. These are people who are poor and can't get in for lack of public transport. 

Ecclesiastes 2 (résumé): Pleasures & work are meaningless

 Solomon embarked on an experiment to test what makes life worthwhile and first of all he said "I will test pleasure to find out what is good" but it turned out to be meaningless. Then he tried great projects to see if this gave meaning to life and he planted vineyards, made reservoirs etc. but it all ended up leaving him with an empty feeling "chasing after the wind". Then the author turned to comparing following wisdom and folly to see which worked out best and neither gave meaning to life because both the wise man and the fool will both die and get forgotten. Hence despair took over as nothing gave meaning to living - and the chapter closes defining everything as meaningless "chasing after the wind".