Ecclesiastes is a reflective study on the “good life” described in Proverbs. It is a book of perspective. Two guides with distinct voices lead us through this reflection. The first is depicted as a critical and skeptical Teacher. The Teacher posits that life in general is not always rosy and can be difficult; sometimes filled with up and downs, tension, and disappointments. In other words, the Teacher believes that life is hevel; not necessarily meaningless; but like smoke or vapor. The Teacher begs the question, “How do we live a good life in the midst of hevel?” The other guide is the Author. The Author is pensive, wise and gives hope. He allows the Teacher to deconstruct a life without God. He introduces the Teacher in chapter 1 and has the final powerful word on the matter in chapter 12. This month we will be Working Our Way Through four frames of wisdom discovery.
Ecclesiastes Bible Study Toolbox
A. Watch the video above or watch the video “Wisdom Series – Ecclesiastes” at bibleproject.com
B. Listen to 3 BibleProject™ podcast episodes on Ecclesiastes Studies. The session transcripts in pdf are available also.
Discourse of Wisdom
Observations in Ecclesiastes
Core Beliefs
Working Your Way Through
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Theme: Working Your Way Through
Focus: Working Your Way Through Your Soul Salvation
Wisdom Insight: Everything Is Hevel
Hevel is the Hebrew word for smoke, vapor or breath and is used 38 times in Ecclesiastes. Modern translations relate this word to meaningless. In Ecclesiastes 1:1, it says metaphorically that everything is meaningless; life is meaningless. Is this true? Certainly not. It’s just that we can’t always grasp (just like smoke, vapor, or breath) everything related to our lives. In other words, life is an enigma or paradox. Yet, there is hope. It comes in the form of Jesus Christ Who entered into our hevel once and for all & marched it to the cross. Ecclesiastes offers the believer an opportunity to understand the emptiness and despair that those who do not know God struggle with. Those who do not have a saving faith in Christ are
faced with a life that is hevel. If there is no salvation, and no God, then not only is there no point to life, but no purpose or direction to it either. Salvation of the soul is a gift and the first step in the process of finding our way to The Way (the Source of wisdom).
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Theme: Working Your Way Through
Focus: Working Your Way Through Your Own Mortality
Wisdom Insight: The Mystery of Time
Ecclesiastes makes it clear that time has a given direction→ always forward. Yet, time is a mystery. Chapter 3:1 states, “There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven.” As we course through this life we have been blessed with, one truth stands tall. Per Pastor, “Every day is a day to accomplish what God wants us to do.” Life will move on & will move on without us one day. This leads to the question of our mortality because death is inevitable; it is our destiny.faced with a life that is hevel. If there is no salvation, and no God, then not only is there no point to life, but no purpose or direction to it either. Salvation of the soul is a gift and the first step in the process of finding our way to The Way (the Source of wisdom).
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Theme: Working Your Way Through
Focus: Working Your Way Through Injustice in the World
Wisdom Insight: The Mystery of Injustice
2 deadly viruses are killing Americans – COVID-19 and racism. The daily news, social media, & politics are froth with these injustices. Ecclesiastes posits that there is little justice in the world. Evil & wicked people are in the places that good people should be occupying, and they act without justice, corrupting things that should be just & fair. So, as believers, what is our stance as we work our way through injustice in the world? How can we keep from losing our way in life as external influences bombard us? The answer lies in total trust. In God. Though there is injustice, that is not the end of the story. Because of God, injustice is limited in its scope.
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Theme: Working Your Way Through
Focus: Working Your Way Through God’s Plan For Your Life
Wisdom Insight: Invest in Your Life
God has a plan for your life. A wonderful plan. A better plan than you could ever imagine. His plan is a promise for your future. The problem is that it is not our plan for our life. If we were given that privilege, we would have no unpleasantness at all in life. And that would ruin
us. God is sovereign and has set up the plan of life in a way that we cannot interfere with. He has done so, in order that we should fear Him. Isn’t that the conclusion of the matter in Ecclesiastes 12:13? Our Wise Father desires for us to enjoy life & rejoice in any and every circumstance.
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