Explore the Bible Lesson Preview August 11, 2013 Can I Keep on Going? Background: Ecclesiastes 7:1 8:17 Lesson: Ecclesiastes 7:11-14, 15-18; 8:10-12, 16-17 Motivation: To his long list of futilities, Solomon now adds the search for wisdom and righteousness. It s impossible to appropriate God s wisdom and righteousness without first turning away from the world s shallow substitute. I. When Exposed to Wisdom (7:1-14) The preacher introduces several comparisons that often seem to be paradoxes: A. A Name is Better than Perfume A good name is better than fine perfume. (1) B. Death is Better than Birth And the day of one s death than the day of one s birth. (1b) This verse is rightly used at Christians funerals because of the victorious entry into heaven. This links to the first part of the verse concerning a good name; the day of one s death seals the final chapter of a life well lived. C. Sorrow is Better than Laughter It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting. (2, 3-5) D. Wise Rebuke is Better Than a Fool s Song It is better to listen to rebuke from a wise person than to listen to the song of fools, for like the crackling of burning thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile. (7:5-6) HCSB, p. 1 / 6
1095: 7:5-6 Fools can neither give nor take good advice. The song of fools stands for a life of carefree merrymaking. The pain of a rebuke is better than the encouragement to party that fools offer. Also, fools receive wisdom with smirking laughter. The image of thorns under the pot indicates that fools are prickly to those who try to deal with them but ultimately are useless, just as thorns are good for nothing but burning. E. Wisdom is Better than Manipulation Surely, the practice of extortion turns a wise person into a fool, and a bribe destroys the mind. (7:7) Though intended to achieve, such tactics may instead thwart. F. An End is Better than the Beginning The end of a matter is better than its beginning; a patient spirit is better than a proud spirit. Don t let your spirit rush to be angry, for anger abides in the heart of fools. Don t say, Why were the former days better than these? since it is not wise of you to ask this. (7:8-10) HCSB, p. 1095: 7 :7-9 In these three maxims, the main focus is on how the wise person confronts political reality. First, corruption is pervasive and can bring anyone down; one should beware of it. Second, one should not judge by first appearances; those who are winning now may someday come to ruin. One should be patient and understand that virtue is proved right in the end, and so flee temptations to bribery. Third, abiding anger over a current situation in life shows you are a fool. 7:10 People see the evil in their own times and wrongly presume that earlier times were better. G. Wisdom is Better than Money Wisdom is as good as an inheritance and an advantage to those who see the sun, because wisdom is protection as money is protection, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its 2 / 6
owner. (7:11-12) Although both money and wisdom give protection, wisdom is better. H. Prosperity and Adversity Both Have Their Place Consider the work of God, for who can straighten out what He has made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man cannot discover anything that will come after him. (7:13-14) Accept what comes from God: be joyful in times of prosperity but learn to grow in times of adversity. II. When Trapped in Extremes (7:15-29) A. Watch Your Walk Don t be excessively righteous, and don t be overly wise (7:16 ) HCSB, p. 1095: 7:15-18 These verses seem to say that a little sinning is acceptable. That is not the point; the passage is about an extreme zeal for religious duties that makes life unbearably harsh (an example would be constant fasting). In this context, excessively righteous refers to being unreasonably demanding on yourself about moral or religious duties. B. Watch Your Works There is certainly no righteous man on the earth who does good and never sins. (7:20) Sin is universal. (cf. Romans 3:23) C. Watch Your Words Don t pay attention to everything people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you, for you know that many times you yourself have cursed others. (7:21-22) Jesus instructed us in the model prayer to forgive others as we have been forgiven. D. Watch Your Relationships Among a thousand people I have found one true man, but among all these I have not found a true woman. Only see this: I have discovered that God made people upright, but they pursued many schemes. (7:28b-29) Deep and 3 / 6
intimate relationships are difficult to develop. Solomon s difficulties with women are well documented in 1 Kings 11:1-9. III. When Facing Inequities (8:1-17) A. The Challenge of Authority (1-9) 1. Ultimate Authority Comes from God Keep the King s Command because of your oath made to God (2) cf. Rom. 13:1-7. Therefore all submission is based on submission to God. 2. Give Respect to the Position Do not be in a hurry; leave his presence, and don t persist in a bad cause, since he will do whatever he wants. (3) 3. Be Wise in Questioning Authority Who can say to him, What are you doing? (4b) 4. Timing is Everything Because for every activity there is a right time and procedure. (6a) Verses 5-9 speak to timing, patience and God s Sovereignty. When someone has clear authority over you, they own the schedule. Demonstrable impatience with them may result in your harm (9). B. The Challenges of Injustice there are righteous people who get what the actions of the wicked deserve. (14b) HCSB, p. 1097: 8:9-9:1 This passage focuses on God s governance of the world; it struggles with the question of why evil sometimes seems to triumph. Examples of this include: cruel people rising to power (8:9), wicked people being honored in public (8:10), wicked people avoiding punishment (8:11), and good people suffering while the wicked do well (8:14). Against this, Ecclesiastes affirms that God does set things right (8:12-13) and asserts that a person should enjoy life and not always brood over evil (8:15). More than that, we must acknowledge that God alone knows what He is doing and why He does 4 / 6
it, and we must be content to let Him rule the world (8:16-9:1). C. The Challenge of Finding Purpose When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the activity that is done on the earth (even though one s eyes do not close in sleep day or night), I observed all the work of God and concluded that man is unable to discover the work that is done under the sun. Even though a man labors hard to explore it, he cannot find it; even if the wise man claims to know it, he is unable to discover it. (8:16-17) The Epicureans believed that life s purpose was summarized in the phrase eat, drink and be merry (15). True merriment is only valid when it comes from a heart of gratitude to God (Col. 2:6-7, 3:15-17; Eph. 5:19-20; Phil. 4:6; Heb. 13:15). Application: 1. Don t judge circumstances from worldly perspective but from God s perspective. 2. Live life in the present tense. 3. Obey authority as coming from God. Leader Pack Item 18: Poster: Wisdom Biblical Illustrator: (no article) **You may access David s Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: www.hfbcbiblestudy.org Dates: 8/10 Children s Ministry Summit; 8/16 Hunt Retreat Grand Opening; 8/18 BIG Sunday Students; 5 / 6
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