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Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jul 15, 1913

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 40, No. 27.

Schedule for the Week Ending July 19, 1913

| Sunday | July 13 | Ecclesiastes | 1, 2, 3 | | Monday | " 14 | " | 4, 5, 6 | | Tuesday | " 15 | " | 7, 8, 9 | | Wednesday | " 16 | " | 10, 11, 12 | | Thursday | " 17 | Jeremiah | 1, 2 | | Friday | " 18 | " | 3, 4 | | Sabbath | " 19 | " | 5, 6 |

Our readings for this week include the whole of the Ecclesiastes and the first six chapters of Jeremiah. As we read Isaiah in our last year's reading, we omit that in this schedule. Ecclesiastes was evidently written by Solomon himself in his last days, after his sad experience in endeavoring to find pleasure in the world of luxury and power and feasting and wine and women. We have already learned how his many wives turned away his heart; but Ecclesiastes seems to indicate that there was a hearty repentance of this, that he learned by actual experience that all the wisdom that he had, and all the glory and wealth and popularity that he possessed, would not bring rest of soul. He had to confess at last that all was vanity and vexation of spirit. He comes, however, to one blessed conclusion, “Fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.” Jeremiah means according to one rendering, “Jehovah rejecteth;” other meanings, “whom Jehovah appoints,” and “whom Jehovah exalts.” The first would be Judah's fate; the last Jeremiah's appointment. He began his prophesying in the thirteenth year of Josiah, B.C. 626, and covered the time following till the exile to Babylon. He was of priestly descent, and the first chapter shows that he began his prophetic career at an early age. He never became popular; his message was not a popular message. He was constantly pleading with Judah to repent, and constantly warning them that the result of rejecting his message would be the captivity in Babylon. He was accused of being unpatriotic and treacherous, but in all his trials he was true to his God. We have set forth in this book very vividly the true Christian principle of God first and humanity second, in contrast to the false patriotism that was imbibed by the Jews.