Daily reflections

The beginning of Ecclesiastes 6 should be read with Ecclesiastes 5 in mind. In verses 18–20 of chapter 5, the author speaks of someone who has wealth, food and work, with the ability to enjoy these things being the gift...

Ecclesiastes is one of the books of the Bible known as ‘Wisdom' books – Proverbs is another. Just as Proverbs 4.5 implores us to ‘get wisdom’, Ecclesiastes 7 talks about the value of wisdom. Wisdom is held up to be...

The book of Ecclesiastes seems to concentrate on how to get by in the world without too much trouble – though when we dig below the surface, we find there's more to it than that.

Some parts of Ecclesiastes can seem like a very bleak read. 'A live dog is better than a dead lion', says the Preacher (verse 4); at least while we're alive we can eat, drink and be cheerful, but when we're dead we're dead...

This chapter of Ecclesiastes would not be out of place in Proverbs, another example of 'Wisdom' literature. It is full of wise, rather wry advice based on a keen observation of human nature. One of its themes is the need for...

This section of chapter 11 is another set of proverbs, focused on living well while we have the chance. Verse 1 is translated 'cast your bread upon the waters' in older translations; the GNB interprets this rightly as 'invest...

These verses are advice to remember God while we're young – or at least, before we are so old and frail that we don't enjoy life and are no longer active. They also contain some of the most beautiful poetry in the Old Testament...

Hebrews was written by a Jewish Christian to other Jewish believers to encourage them in a time of persecution. It's extraordinarily rich theologically, and deeply rooted in the Old Testament. These opening verses speak of...

The writer of Hebrews is overwhelmed with a sense of the glory of Christ. He takes the words of Psalm 8 about human beings lifted up and 'crowned with glory and honour' (verse 7) and applies them directly to Jesus.