Bible ReadingEcclesiastes 8:16-17 “When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth (how neither day nor night do one's eyes see sleep), then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.”
[34:00]Ecclesiastes 9:1-3 “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.”
[44:19]Ecclesiastes 9:4-6 “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.”
[49:10]Matthew 6:25-34 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
[59:52]Acts 1:6-8 “So when they had come together, they asked him, 'Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.'”
[01:04:21]Observation questions- In Ecclesiastes 8:16-17, what does Solomon say people cannot finally figure out, even after serious effort and wisdom? [34:00]
- In Ecclesiastes 9:1-3, what groups of people are placed side by side, and what common destiny do they share? [44:19]
- In Ecclesiastes 9:4-6, what contrast is made between the living dog and the dead lion, and what advantage does the living person still have? [49:10]
- In Matthew 6:25-34 and Acts 1:6-8, what does Jesus tell his people not to focus on, and what does he tell them to focus on instead? [01:04:21]
Interpretation questions- If Solomon says even the wise cannot fully comprehend all that God is doing, how should that shape the way a person responds to disappointment and unanswered questions? [36:16]
- Faith is relationship, not formula. What is the difference between trusting God and trying to use religious actions as leverage to force an outcome? [41:39]
- If the righteous and the wicked can both suffer and both die, what does that reveal about the purpose of obedience? Why is obedience still valuable even when it does not prevent pain? [47:21]
- Jesus says not to worry about tomorrow, and in Acts 1 he refuses to give a timetable. How do those passages together help explain the difference between faithful responsibility and anxious control? [01:00:52]
Application questions- Waiting often stirs up fear, replayed conversations, and worst-case thinking. What kind of waiting feels heavy for you right now, and what has it been doing inside your mind and heart? [30:34]
- A spiritual checklist can quietly become, “I did my part, so I deserve a better outcome.” Where does that temptation show up most in your life right now—in prayer, serving, giving, church involvement, parenting, or something else? [31:19]
- Some disappointments make a person ask, “What did I do wrong?” When have you felt that way recently, and how might that question reveal an assumption that every outcome must be traced directly to you? [32:24]
- Obedience is not an insurance policy against suffering. Is there an area where you have been obeying God but still feeling confused, hurt, or disappointed? What would it look like to keep obeying without treating obedience like a guarantee? [47:21]
- The living still have time to repent, reconcile, believe, serve, and come home to God. Is there any conversation, sin, broken relationship, or act of obedience you know should not be delayed any longer? [53:46]
- Solomon’s answer is very ordinary: receive today’s gifts, enjoy the people God has given, and do the work in front of you. What ordinary gift from God are you most likely to miss because your mind is already living in tomorrow? [58:42]
- Jesus does not hand over the calendar; he gives the Holy Spirit and the mission. When thoughts about the future start taking over, what helps you return to today’s obedience and the kingdom work in front of you? [01:04:48]
