Day 152: Being Forgotten

 Today's readings: 1 Kings 10, Ecclesiastes 8-9, and Psalm 8.

I. 1 Kings 10 parallels 2 Chronicles 9 in recounting the visit of the Queen of Sheba as well as Solomon's wealth and splendor.

II. Ecclesiastes 8 speaks of wisdom and obedience to authority, the apparent prosperity of the wicked, the mystery of earthly justice, and the observation that human reason cannot comprehend everything God does.

In the next chapter, Qoheleth observes that death comes for us all, to the righteous and the wicked, and from our earthly perspective we cannot see how everything will turn out. The dead no longer participate in the activities of this earthly life that we toil with. We should be grateful for God's temporal gifts despite life's brevity. He also observes that though we can have great intelligence and ability, these still don't guarantee earthly success. Finally, he notes that while wisdom is genuinely valuable, the wise aren't necessarily honored for it.

The BIY Companion, Vol II, has some good commentary on this:

A main takeaway from Ecclesiastes is this: if this life is all there is, then all is vanity, all is meaningless because nothing endures... Being at peace with the recognition that we will eventually be forgotten is a gift. Our lives matter because this life is not all there is. Even if I am the smartest or strongest person in the room, this is only by chance. Eventually this moment will end - and someone smarter or stronger will come along. In such moments, we are invited to surrender to the Lord rather than to give in to our desire to be in control. (p. 66)

III. Psalm 8 is, as the Ignatius Bible notes (verse numbers removed):

A psalm of praise. It begins and ends proclaiming the majesty of God, whose glory shines forth in the wonders of creation. The Psalmist stands in awe of the heavens and marvels that the Lord shows such loving concern for man. Even more, he is amazed that man, despite his lowliness, has been crowned and made king over all lesser creatures. (p. 837)

That's all for today!