SUGGESTED VERSES FOR MEMORIZATION & MEDITATION

Ecclesiastes 7:29 | See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

OPENING THOUGHT

To many the book of Ecclesiastes appears to be quite depressing. Of course, the book’s repeated proclamation of everything being vanity does little to disprove such interpretations. Likely written by Solomon near the end of his life, Ecclesiastes is the findings and conclusions to his lifelong search for discovering what is good for humanity to do during our short lives.

He has observed community, finding it necessary but damaged. He has chased unabashedly after pleasure, which only gave a temporary enjoyment. With more wealth than any other human in history, he discovers the insufficiency of wealth to satisfy our souls. But Solomon hasn’t just presented to us the bad news; he has also given us the good news that life can be truly enjoyed and satisfaction can be found. But enjoyment and satisfaction cannot be gained; they only come as a gift from God.

In chapter 7, we have studied some of the difficult teachings of Solomon. He began with a reminder that God makes days of prosperity and adversity and we should consider such things. He then pondered why bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people only to realize that no one is truly good or wise. Nevertheless, the chapter concludes with his commitment to pursue wisdom and what he learns about humanity.

GROUP DISCUSSION

Read Ecclesiastes 7:25-29 and discuss the following.

1. Which verses stood out most to you as you read Ecclesiastes 7:25-29 this week? Why? What do these verses teach you about who God is?
2. What is wisdom, according to the Bible? What is foolishness? Why does Solomon describe foolishness as wicked and insane? How does this differ from current views of foolishness?
3. What does Solomon mean by the woman whose heart is a snare? Why is being captured by her worse than death?
4. What does Solomon mean when he says that he has only found one man in a thousand but no women? In what ways do we rebel against God by seeking out many schemes?

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Because all Scripture profits us through teaching, reproving, correcting, and training us, reflect upon the studied text, and ask yourself the following questions about the present text.

• What has God taught you about Himself?
• What sin is God convicting or reproving you of?
• How is God correcting you?
• How is God training and equipping you for righteousness?