Ecclesiastes 7: 13-29
- What are we to consider?
- How might we destroy ourselves?
- What does not exist on earth?
- Have you met people who act like they know everything or are righteous?
- How can a right view of God keep you from becoming a know-it all, or a self-righteous ‘git’ (UK expression for low-life)?
The teacher realises that to really understand the nature of things, one must make deep connections between things. The Teacher has found just one person he has a deep connection with, but he finds women incomprehensible to him. Compared to other humans he is wise. Compared to God’s totality of knowledge he knows very little. The conclusion is that it is worth being as wise as possible because it gives advantage in life. Still, before God our efforts at righteousness, wisdom, and happiness are small. Best to let God be God.
Going Deeper
Observation
- What should you be when times are good?
- What should you do when times are bad?
- What will overwicked foolishness bring your way?
- What will the man who fears God avoid?
- What does the author find more bitter than death?
Interpretation
- Why would a person reading this bother doing anything at all?
- Why isn’t it good in this passage to be righteous?
- Is avoiding extremes the same as hitting the ‘Golden Mean’?
- What kind of woman is more bitter than death?
- Is the author a misogynist?
Application
- How have self-righteous people given Christians a bad name?
- How have self-righteous people died early?
- In what areas are you self-righteous?
- How does sexual attraction lead to becoming enslaved?
- How does pleasing God lead to an escape from sexual sin?
Plymothian 