Ecclesiastes Class #8

Summary

In the remaining six chapters the Preacher shares his counsel through a mixture of proverbs and narration. He imparts wisdom designed to make the most of life "under the sun". In other words, while life under the sun is "vanity", how then should we live? The first half of chapter seven offers "counsel for better living" with a series of comparisons. For example, honor is better than luxury, your day of death is better than your day of birth, a funeral is better than a party, etc. His estimation of what is better may often sound strange, but it comes from who has learned from both experience as well as inspiration (1-14).

The second half of the chapter offers "counsel for balanced living."There are challenging and difficult statements which should be understood in their context, and in the context of the Bible as a whole. It appears the Preacher is mainly warning against extremism, and against the presumption that one can find the answer to every question in life (15-29).

1) What are the main points of this chapter?

- Counsel for better living (1-14)

- Counsel for balanced living (15-29)

2) What is better than precious ointment? (1)

- A good name

3) Which is better, the day of death or the day one's birth? (1)

- The day of death

4) Why is it better to attend a funeral rather than a party? (2)

- The funeral house is the end of all men, and the living take it to heart

5) Why is sorrow better than laughter? (3)

- By a sad countenance the heart is made better

6) Where does the heart of the wise reside? The heart of the fool? (4)

- In the house of mourning

- In the house of mirth

7) Which is better, to hear rebuke from the wise, or a song from a fool? (5)

- The rebuke of the wise

8) What is the laughter of the fool? (6)

- Like the crackling of thorns under a pot; vanity

9) What destroys a wise man's reason? What debases the heart? (7)

- Oppression; bribery

10) What other two comparisons are made? (8)

- The end is better than the beginning

- Patience is better than pride

11) Why should one not hasten to be angry? (9)

- Anger rests in the bosom of fools

12) What is not a wise thing to say? (10)

- Why were the former days better than these?

13) What is good along with an inheritance? Why? (11-12)

- Wisdom; it is a defense just as money is a defense

14) What is the value of knowledge? (12)

- It gives life to those who have it

15) What should we consider about the work of God? (13)

- No one can make straight what He has made crooked

16) What should we do in days of prosperity? In days of adversity? Why? (14)

- Be joyful

- Consider

- God has appointed both so that man can not find out what will come after him

17) What two things had Solomon seen in the days of his vanity? (15)

- A just man perishing in his righteousness

- A wicked man prolonging life in his wickedness

18) Against what does Solomon caution? (16-18) - Extremism in being righteous and wise, and in being wicked and foolish

19) How strong is wisdom? (19)

- Stronger than ten rulers of the city

20) Is there anyone who does not sin? (20)

- No

21) What should one not take to heart? (21-22)

- Everything people say

22) In his effort to be wise, what did Solomon find? (23-25)

- There were things beyond his ability to discern 23) What did he find more bitter than death? (26) - A woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are fetters

24) Who can escape such a woman? (26)

- He who pleases God

Ecclesiastes 7:15–29 ESV

In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them. Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others. All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me. That which has been is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out? I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness. And I find something more bitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her. Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things— which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

For Discussion: Verses 15-29 are a "counsel for balanced living," which do you find most difficult and why?

Barry Johnson

This balance can be difficult to achieve. One should always pursue righteousness, but you can go to far. Generally when you don’t leave room for Grace you have gone too far.

Philippians 3:6 (ESV): as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

Paul was one who went to extremes, causing him to leave what God had intended. We must always be careful of our extremes, it builds self-righteousness and is not pleasing to God. Always leave room for faith and grace.