Bible ReadingEcclesiastes 9:1-18 “But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him. It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath. This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun. Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do. Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head. Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going. I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them. I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siege works against it. But there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heard. The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.”
[31:32] [32:48]Ecclesiastes 10:1-20 “Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left. Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense, and he says to everyone that he is a fool. If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place, for calmness will lay great offenses to rest. There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were an error proceeding from the ruler: folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place. I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking on the ground like slaves. He who digs a pit will fall into it, and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall. He who quarries stones is hurt by them, and he who splits logs is endangered by them. If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use more strength, but wisdom helps one to succeed. If the serpent bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage to the charmer. The words of a wise man's mouth win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is evil madness. A fool multiplies words, though no man knows what is to be, and who can tell him what will be after him? The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city. Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and your princes feast in the morning! Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility, and your princes feast at the proper time, for strength, and not for drunkenness! Through sloth the roof sinks in, and through indolence the house leaks. Bread is made for laughter, and wine gladdens life, and money answers everything. Even in your thought, do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter.”
[39:31] [48:05] [51:18] [53:02] [57:17] [58:22] [01:03:10]1 Peter 2:21-25 “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”
[01:19:21]Observation questions- In Ecclesiastes 9, what repeated contrasts are listed between different kinds of people, and what “same event” happens to them all?
- What ordinary gifts of life are named in Ecclesiastes 9:7-10 as things to receive with joy? [01:07:06]
- In Ecclesiastes 10, what pictures are used to show that a little folly can do serious damage? [49:36]
- According to Ecclesiastes 10:12-15, what does the fool do with his words and his work, and what results follow from that?
Interpretation questions- Ecclesiastes says the righteous and the wise are in the hand of God, yet people cannot tell by outward events whether love or hate is before them. How does that challenge the idea that life always visibly “pays back” people according to what they deserve? [43:15]
- “A living dog is better than a dead lion.” What does that line suggest about why being alive today still matters, even in a world where death comes to everyone? [45:54]
- Ecclesiastes 10 says one sinner destroys much good and that a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. Why does Scripture treat folly as something more dangerous than a private weakness or a small mistake? [47:44]
- The poor wise man delivers the city, yet his wisdom is despised and forgotten. How does that picture help explain why Christ’s wisdom is often overlooked by people who are impressed by power, noise, and outward success? [01:13:14]
Application questions- The living still have today to take stock. Where does there need to be honest reflection right now in life—work, speech, habits, relationships, spending, or private thought? What has been left unexamined for too long? [46:42]
- A little folly can spread a stench through a whole room. What “small” pattern has the most potential to harm others around you right now—sharp words, impatience, secret resentment, laziness, indulgence, or something else? [49:36]
- Folly often turns back on the fool. Where has there been a temptation to dig a pit for someone else, shift blame, cut corners, or force an outcome instead of walking in wisdom? What would repentance look like there? [58:22]
- Scripture calls believers to enjoy bread, wine, marriage, clothing, work, and daily life as gifts from God. Which of God’s good gifts is hardest to receive with gratitude rather than greed or guilt? [01:08:45]
- “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.” Where is there a need to work more wisely, not just more frantically? Is there a blunt-axe area of life that needs sharpening? [01:17:40]
- Every sphere of life belongs to King Jesus. What is one area that is easiest to keep separate from his rule—money, family life, entertainment, ambition, emotions, or the way words are used? What would it mean to submit that area to him this week? [01:16:27]
- Christ bore sins on the tree so that his people might die to sin and live to righteousness. When foolishness is exposed, is the first instinct to hide, defend, or return to the Shepherd and Overseer of the soul? What would returning to him look like in a concrete way this week? [01:19:21]
