Page 236 - Part One

more clearly, based on what he had heard from others. He, therefore, sought to provoke a
response through a question. Yeshua knew how to prompt the question because He knew the
question that Nicodemus should ask. Nicodemus needed to understand how the concept of
being born again was applied to the Kingdom of Heaven. The general idea of being born
again was widely understood in Israel. It was not a new concept. To be born again was to
enter a new stage of life or responsibility. Nicodemus was “born again” when he entered
various new stages of his life. When he first became a member of the Sanhedrin, he was a
beginner, just like a child coming into the world. Yeshua knew this and so He helped
Nicodemus by using familiar terminology to prompt a question from him. When Nicodemus
responded with the question in John 3:4, how can a man be born again when he is old? Can
he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?, it would seem that he had no idea of
what he was asking. The question was asked to provoke a response from Yeshua, not because
Nicodemus did not understand the concept of being born again. This allowed Yeshua to take
the concept to a higher level in a way that was helpful. This was a dialogue in a Jewish
context and not meant to be dissected with a Greek philosophical mindset. Elsewhere in the
Gospels Yeshua teaches His disciples the same thing - they must come to the Father with
child-like faith.

Just as in the dialogue involving Nicodemus, Solomon raises questions in Ecclesiastes, to
lead us to the answer he has in mind. He draws us towards his conclusion through presenting
perplexities from life that cannot be answered outside of faith in God. He reserves his
conclusion to the end. All of us have one journey through life where, day by day, we
encounter experiences that God uses to draw us to Him in faith. Solomon’s journey was very
special because of his God-given wisdom. Whatever stage of the journey each of us is on, we
will find relevance in what Solomon wrote. We will not find answers to our perplexing
questions relating to faith through the philosophies of the world. Let our reading of
Ecclesiastes be an opportunity to reflect on our life, whatever circumstance we are in, and to
grow in faith, leaving unanswered questions with God, also cultivating a biblically-hebraic
mindset.

Day 1

Ecclesiastes Chapter 1. Solomon begins with the cry, vanity of vanities. From human
understanding we might look back on a life that was totally in vain – purposeless. We might
assess all our experiences and come to the conclusion that there was no purpose in all our
strivings: we tried to “catch the wind in our hands”. God’s Spirit is likened to a wind. The
Hebrew for both wind and spirit is ruach. We cannot fully understand the experiences of life,
nor can we catch hold of them and fully examine them. Just like wind blows on us, the Holy
Spirit works in our life in ways that God does not fully explain to us. Indeed, nor can we fully
understand life’s experiences. Judged through human eyes, we go through life and nothing
changes – our life seems worthless. Judged through God’s eyes we are being changed through
life’s experiences. Solomon presents the case, at this stage of the Book, as if it is an
unanswered riddle. We will come to his answer after he has established the background.