Understanding the Times, Part 2: Vanity Fare

Understanding the Times: Part 2
Vanity Fare
by T.M. Moore at The Fellowship of Ailbe 

The Fellowship of Ailbe is a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic tradition. At the Fellowship of Ailbe website, you can find many helpful resources to grow deeper and wider in your faith in Christ.

This post contains Part 2, in a series by T.M. Moore on Understanding the Times. Here's T.M.'s introduction to Part 2...

Christians have been sent to the world as Jesus was sent, to embody and announce the coming of God’s Kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven (Jn. 20.21; Acts 1.8).

This is a high and holy calling. It’s also a daunting challenge. To succeed in this endeavor, we’ll need to be like the sons of Issachar, who understood the times in which they lived, and thus knew what Israel should do (1 Chron. 12.32). These are secular times, times when people live “under the sun” rather than “under the heavens.” Which means that many people today are living a lie.

This helps to explain why their lives lack significance, purpose, and joy. Everything about their worldview ends in death, thus denying even their fleeting moments of happiness any real or abiding significance. If life is a banquet, then all the fare is vanity, and feeding on the wind.

Solomon knew about living under the sun. But he also understood living under the heavens, and in the book of Ecclesiastes, he imparts wisdom for those who think they can beat the odds, live it up, deny God, and somehow find lasting happiness.

His advice to the people of his day is as sound for us as it was for them. His observations can be of much help to us as the seek to understand our times and know how best to fulfill our callings.

ReVision studies are designed as brief introductions to the subject under consideration. We hope they will enlarge your worldview, help you to become more firmly rooted in Scripture, equip you to minister to others, and stimulate you to want to learn more about the Word of God and the Biblical worldview

Click here to read the whole study and/or download this resource.