Tag: Ecclesiastes

  • The Righteous Have Hope

    Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”

    Colossians 3:2

    Ecclesiastes was written by King Solomon, the man who had it all – riches, fame, a rich heritage, a personal relationship with God, and wisdom beyond measure. However, because King Solomon had not learned how to restrain his desires, he discovered that they were the cause of all of his vanity and vexation. Vanity means “anything that is futile or worthless”. Vexation means “something that disturbs or annoys; to trouble seriously”. King Solomon recognized the fool he had become in turning from God. Even with all of his wisdom, he did not have the answers of life. In Ecclesiastes chapter nine, he revealed that he learned there are two kinds of people: wicked or righteous. God takes care of the righteous, but all people will one day die. Only the righteous have hope (of eternity in heaven with Jesus).

    An important thing to consider is that the teachings of Ecclesiastes present the philosophy of Man under the sun (of which Solomon referenced many times in chapters 1-8). He presents the inevitable conclusions by man, not the Christian’s worldview nor the representation of God’s viewpoint. One must remember that Solomon wrote as a man who chose to live his life apart from God as he tried to be happy.

    Read Ecclesiastes 9:1–5. [Note: In brackets there are some thoughts and suggestions for the verses.]

    1. For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them” (Ecclesiastes 9:1). [As Solomon continued to consider the vanity of life, he saw that the righteous, the wise, and their works were in God’s hand. “For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?” (Deuteronomy 4:7).]

    2. All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath” (Ecclesiastes 9:2). [There are two groups of people laid out here—the righteous and the wicked. We find “things” happen to all people, whether they are righteous or wicked.]

    3. This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead” (Ecclesiastes 9:3). [Life is not fair. Everyone will die.]

    4. For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion” (Ecclesiastes 9:4). [The righteous “joined to all the living” are those who have been saved and have Jesus in their hearts. There is a hope. See Solomon’s faith in what we now know. “19. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:19–22).]

    5. For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten” (Ecclesiastes 9:5). [Because Christians realize this world is temporary, there is a life after. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). The lost (those apart from Christ) do not understand or believe this. Also consider the following: “6. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7. (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8).]

    Solomon set out to declare these truths to all generations that followed him, and we should adhere to these truths. He recognized what many today still do not understand—this life is not what we should be living for. There is a life of “the living” that we should desire to be a part of, but we also should warn the rest of the world (just as did Solomon). “15. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 16. To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Corinthians 2:15–16). We must be encouraged to be a “savour of life unto life.

    The world and Christianity are far apart. Remember how a Christian is to view life: “1. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2).

    Have you set your affections on things above, recognizing that this world is temporary?

  • Things of the World

    For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36)

    “Have you ever desired the things of the world? Everybody has; that’s part of our nature. It’s okay to want stuff here in this world. The important thing is to not desire the things more than pleasing God and to do what is right, according to God’s Word. Should you lie, cheat, or steal to get something? Of course not. Should you want what “everybody” else has? Not if it doesn’t please God. Because we live on this earth, we have to have “things” to live. But we have to be content with what God gives us and not make things our primary focus. What is to be our focus? We should have our eyes set upon Jesus. We must be careful not to allow the desire for the world (see Mark 8:36: For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?) to keep us from serving and pleasing God. We will see how King Solomon learned this lesson as we begin Ecclesiastes …

    “…No matter what possessions we acquire while we live on this earth, one day everyone will die, and we can’t take any of those possessions with us. Solomon, with all of his wealth and fame, came to this realization. As he looked back over his life realizing everything gained in this life was worthless, he wanted to share with everyone what he had discovered. He recognized his sin in turning his heart from God to the things of this world. Solomon learned to be careful what he promised, for God would hold him accountable, and he finally realized that man cannot understand God, but the “ … fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). By learning to fear Him, Solomon could know Him …”  

    [Excerpt from Year One Quarter Four Lesson 10, Ecclesiastes 1-8: The Vanity of Man, now available through Rock Island Books (www.rockislandbooks).]

  • Lesson 11 (Lesson 50): Ecclesiastes 9-12: The Conclusion of the Matter

    Key Verse

    “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

    Read the Key Verse with your class.  Ask:  How can we be “crucified with Christ”? (By dying to our own selfish desires and living a life pleasing to God.)  Ask your students if they understand what it means when it says “nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” (Once a person is saved, they are to no longer do what they want, because they are a sinful creature, but they are to do what Jesus wants them to do.)  In living a life “in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God”, means that even though we live here on the earth, in the flesh, we live a life of faith because we believe Jesus died on the cross, paying the penalty for our sins, so that we can live forever with him in heaven for eternity.  Encourage your students to keep this in mind as we continue our study of Solomon’s conclusions as we complete the book of Ecclesiastes.

    Summary:  Today we continue with the fourth of the Personal books, Ecclesiastes.  In our second week of studying the book, we remember that it was written by King Solomon, the man who had it all – riches, fame, rich heritage, a personal relationship with God, and wisdom beyond measure.  Remember he found that all of life is “vanity and vexation.” (vanityany thing that is futile, or worthlessvexationsomething that disturbs or annoys; to trouble seriously.)  Because Solomon had not learned how to restrain his desires he found they were the cause of all of his “vanity and vexation.”

    Last week we found King Solomon recognized the fool he had become in turning from God.  Even with all of his wisdom, Solomon did not have all of the answers of life.  We continue our study this week discovering other truths Solomon learned.  Solomon learned there are only two kinds of people; wicked or righteous.  God takes care of the righteous, but all people will one day die.  Only the righteous have hope (of eternity in heaven with Jesus).  After trying to make sense of life apart from God, Solomon found he couldn’t.  Solomon concluded, late in life, that it really is important what you do with your life.  He finally understood the importance of remembering the Creator in the days of your youth (while one is young in life) before evil takes root in ones life.  Once Solomon learned these very basic principles, he recorded them for all generations to come.  He found it so important to warn everyone that he ended the book of Ecclesiastes with these words:   Ecclesiastes 12:13-14:  “13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

    Encourage your students to bring their Bibles and use them!

    Emphasis:  Man’s duty is to fear God and to keep His commandments.  Only in this will we please Him.

     

    Optional Worksheets to be downloaded:

    Lesson 50 – Volume 1 Children’s Worksheet 1

    Lesson 50 – Volume 1 Children’s Reinforcement Worksheet

     

    Ideas for children:

    Stickers always work well with children. Often times I watch Wal-Mart or Oriental Trading Company for specials or deals on things I can use for crafts for Sunday School (i.e. foam sheets, Bible Story scene stickers, crowns, stick on jewels, construction paper, etc.).  I keep a stash and when I need something, I go search in my stash!  Pinterest always has great ideas!

    You could have a coloring sheet that goes with the lesson.

    One idea for today’s lesson:  (See picture below).  For today’s lesson I found a coloring sheet with a cross with the words “How do I Follow Jesus”.  It had pictures such as going to church, reading the Bible and loving Him.  As we colored the picture, we discussed ways we can follow Jesus (i.e. obeying parents, choosing to do right, being kind one to another, etc.).  We also colored the verse from today’s lesson (the Children’s Reinforcement Worksheet).

     

    Mural idea:

    Refer to the wall in your classroom that has become a mural.

    By now your class should be in a groove as to the direction and areas in which they need to focus and work on to improve their Christian lives.  Use this knowledge to help you address specific areas in each lesson that your class can discuss and share as you add new things to your mural.  Continue to watch as your class grows in their knowledge of not only God’s Word, but areas in their lives that can be corrected, drawing them closer to the Lord.

    Have them each add anything else they may have brought to add to the wall.  Encourage everyone to participate.

  • Lesson 10 (Lesson 49): Ecclesiastes 1-8: The Vanity of Man

    Key Verse: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”  Mark 8:36

    Read the Key Verse with your class.  Ask your students if they have ever desired the things of this world (everybody does – that’s part of our nature).  Is it OK to want stuff, here on this world? (Of course.)  The important thing is to not desire things more than pleasing God, and to do what is right according to God’s Word.  Should you lie, cheat, or steal to get something? (No.)  Should you want what “everybody” else has? (Not if it doesn’t please God.)  Because we live on this earth, we have to have “things” to live.  But, we have to be content with the things God gives us, and not make “things” as our primary focus.  Ask your students if they remember what is to be our “focus” (what we have our eyes set upon – Jesus).  We must be careful to not allow the desire for “the whole world” (see memory verse) to keep us from serving and pleasing God.  See as King Solomon learned this lesson as we begin Ecclesiastes today.

    Summary:  Today we begin the fourth of the Personal books, Ecclesiastes.  We will take two weeks to study the book.  The word, Ecclesiastes, means “the Preacher.”  Ecclesiastes was written by King Solomon, the man who had it all – riches, fame, rich heritage, a personal relationship with God, and wisdom beyond measure.  Yet with all of that, he found that all of life is “vanity and vexation.” (vanityany thing that is futile, or worthlessvexationsomething that disturbs or annoys; to trouble seriously.)  He repeats that phrase 7 times in Ecclesiastes.  Ecclesiastes 1:14:  “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity (emptiness, something unsatisfactory) and vexation of spirit.”  Solomon had not learned how to restrain his desires and that was the cause of all of his “vanity and vexation.”

    Watch as King Solomon recognized the fool he had become in turning from God.  See as Solomon set about to prove he could be happy in this world, but ended up proving the worth of the wisdom from God. He also learned to be careful in his worship of God.  Finally, today, we see that man cannot understand God, we just have to fear him.  In doing this, we can know him.

    Even with all of his wisdom, Solomon did not have all of the answers of life.  He wrote this book from a worldly man’s point of view.  He tried to make sense of life apart from God, yet couldn’t.

    Encourage your students to bring their Bibles and use them!

    Emphasis:  Man cannot be satisfied with the things of the world.  He must seek God, and wisdom from God.  We cannot understand God, but “fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.”

     

    Optional Worksheets to be downloaded:

    Lesson 49 – Volume 1 Children’s Worksheet 1

    Lesson 49 – Volume 1 Children’s Reinforcement Worksheet

     

    Ideas for children:

    Stickers always work well with children. Often times I watch Wal-Mart or Oriental Trading Company for specials or deals on things I can use for crafts for Sunday School (i.e. foam sheets, Bible Story scene stickers, crowns, stick on jewels, construction paper, etc.).  I keep a stash and when I need something, I go search in my stash!  Pinterest always has great ideas!

    You could have a coloring sheet that goes with the lesson.

    One idea for today’s lesson:  (See picture below).  For today’s lesson I found copy of a treasure box online that we could color, cut out and glue together.  We discussed the idea that even with all of the treasures and resources that King Solomon had, he was not happy.  He found that he had to seek God first in order to be satisfied.  Remind them that gaining a lot of stuff (treasures to us) is not as important as seeking God and pleasing Him.  King Solomon learned this the hard way!

     

    Mural idea:

    Refer to the wall in your classroom that has become a mural.

    By now your class should be in a groove as to the direction and areas in which they need to focus and work on to improve their Christian lives.  Use this knowledge to help you address specific areas in each lesson that your class can discuss and share as you add new things to your mural.  Continue to watch as your class grows in their knowledge of not only God’s Word, but areas in their lives that can be corrected, drawing them closer to the Lord.

    Have them each add anything else they may have brought to add to the wall.  Encourage everyone to participate.

  • Lesson 7: Five Personal Books: Job – Song of Solomon

    Key Verse

    “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.” Job 42:5

    Has anyone ever “heard” of God?  Has anyone seen God?  (Moses saw the back of God as He passed by – that’s all we know of.)  What does it really mean when someone says they’ve “seen” God?  (Explain that the person has seen God move in their life through events.)

    In this lesson, we are going to begin looking at some men in the Bible who wanted to know God better.  These men wanted to communicate with God, and wanted to know Him better.  Their words collectively are the five Personal books, each book written as poems and some as songs.  The five Personal books are called such because they deal very personally with man.  Each book deals with different individual’s experiences with God:  Job, the men who wrote the Psalms (David, Moses, Asaph – who led the music, and others), King Solomon – as he recorded wise words in the Proverbs, when he wrote about the vanity of life apart from God in Ecclesiastes, and as he wrote of the beauty of a perfect love in marriage in Song of Solomon.  They mainly deal with the individual’s heart issues as they seek to know and understand God better.  We often set some these poems to music and sing them.  We will emphasize and mention all five books.

    In this lesson it is important to recognize that “seeing” God is when someone sees God move in their life through events.

     

    Optional Worksheets to be downloaded:

    Lesson 7 – Volume 1 Children’s Worksheet 1

    Lesson 7 – Volume 1 Children’s Reinforcement Worksheet

    Ideas for children:

    In any lesson, you may want to work on your coloring timeline – especially when it relates to the lesson.

    Review the 3×5 cards if you made them, practicing the divisions.  Focus on putting the Personal books in order for today’s lesson.

    Display the poster of the books of the Old Testament (may be downloaded from the Lesson 4 Blog). Review the five Personal Books (showing them on the poster).  You may have them write or draw a picture of their favorite event from the Personal books.

    It would be good to have a special time set aside each week for prayer. Encourage your students to discuss any prayer requests they may have.  Help them understand the importance of prayer.  If they do not know how to pray, help them learn and become comfortable praying aloud.  You may want to begin by learning The Lord’s Prayer together.  This is an example of prayer that Jesus gave to His disciples.  Not only will they learn the basics of praying, but they will become more comfortable speaking prayers aloud.

    “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:  For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.  Amen.”            Matthew 6:9-13

    If you close with the Lord’s Prayer each session, it will implant it in their hearts for a lifetime!

    Mural idea:

    Refer to the wall in your classroom that has become a mural.  For this week, have them each add the picture, news article, poem they have written, picture they may have drawn, etc. of something they believe is relevant to the lessons we have been studying.  Encourage everyone to participate.  Watch as it grows weekly, as they express what God is revealing to them through our study of how the Bible fits into His plan to help us become more like Him.

    Today, ask them to open their Bibles to Proverbs.  Ask:  Have any of your parents sent you to your room to read Proverbs, or have they quoted you verses from the book of Proverbs?  Have them read their favorite verse from Proverbs.  If they don’t have one, assign one (or more) of the following (or another one of your favorites) for them to look up (choose your favorites before class):

    Proverbs 3:1-2       Proverbs 3:5-6       Proverbs 3:7          Proverbs 3:12        Proverbs 3:27        Proverbs 3:30        Proverbs 4:23   Proverbs 6:20       Proverbs 7:2          Proverbs 13:3        Proverbs 13:20      Proverbs 14:12       Proverbs 15:3        Proverbs 15:5        Proverbs 16:3        Proverbs 16:7       Proverbs 16:18        Proverbs 16:25      Proverbs 17:13      Proverbs 17:17      Proverbs 17:28      Proverbs 18:24      Proverbs 20:11      Proverbs 23:7a          Proverbs 23:17      Proverbs 26:22      Proverbs 30:5

    Have them decorate a piece (or pieces) of cardstock or construction paper with the verse.  (Only one verse per sheet.)  Then have the students add them to your mural.  Encourage them to “hide these words in their hearts” (Psalm 119:11.)

    Personal Books Picture