Memory Verse: “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;” I Timothy 6:17.
Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 2:1-26
Introduction:
Ecclesiastes considers the question of what the response of wisdom to a fallen world is, given the futility of life. The book shows us the bare truth about life: It is vanity—fleeting, profitless, puzzling and futile. This holds for believer and unbeliever, wise man and fool, Jew and Gentile alike. Yet, even though the world is fallen, it is not meaningless, there is a God, and because of Him, we can respond to life with wisdom. The message of Ecclesiastes may be sobering, but it remains relevant for Christians today.
A philosopher said: “I was walking in a garden when I saw a tree whose branches were so loaded with fruit that they bowed down to the earth. Some of them broke under the heavy weight. “Poor tree!” I thought. Here’s one who was destroyed by the overabundance of his success.”
He continued his walk and saw a shepherd at whose feet lay a dead sheep. A wild dog had killed it. All the other sheep had run into the fold and were safe. They had managed to get through a hole in the fence. But the sheep that was killed couldn’t get through because it was too fat, and the dog jumped on it. And the philosopher thought, “another life destroyed by an overabundance of blessings.”
The philosopher went on until he met a man hobbling along on two wooden legs with the aid of two canes. “Tell me sir, “How did you lose your legs?” asked the philosopher. “I’ll tell you. In my youth I served in the army. Some of my fellow soldiers and I attacked the enemy and put them to flight. Then we began helping ourselves to the loot. My comrades just grabbed a few things and left quickly. But I wanted to take as much as I could carry. Meanwhile, the enemy overtook us. My friends escaped, but I was so heavily loaded down I couldn’t run fast, and I was wounded. I escaped with my life but I lost my legs.” Indeed,” said the philosopher, “success, riches and greed, can all equally destroy.”
Study Questions:
- What was the Preacher’s analysis of searching for happiness in worldly pleasures? Ecclesiastes 2:1-3.
- To what lengths did the King go to find pleasure in buildings and gardens? Ecclesiastes 2:4-10.
- Was there lasting satisfaction in great wealth and possessions? Ecclesiastes 2:11; James 5:1-3; Deuteronomy 8:11-14; Psalm 62:10-11; I Timothy 6:9; Job 31:24-28; Revelation 3:16-19.
- How much better is wisdom than folly? Ecclesiastes 2:12-15; Job 28:12-23; Proverbs 3:13-14; Proverbs 8:11.
- What observation does the Preacher make about how the wise and the fool experience life in the same way? Ecclesiastes 2:16-17.
- Why did the Preacher end up hating his life and all his labor? Ecclesiastes 2:18-23.
- What does the preacher state is the best life for men to live? Ecclesiastes 2:24-26.
- What are the devastating effects of looking for satisfaction in worldly things? Proverbs 21:16-17; Isaiah 47:8-11; Luke 8:14; Luke 12:16-21; II Peter 2:9-15.