Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes One…(1-18)
1. Verses 1-3
a. Who wrote this book and what do you know about him? (verse 1)
This book was written by King Solomon …he was David’s son and king over Israel..
b. What sort of feeling do you get after reading this chapter? (verses 2-4)
A feeling of hopelessness….what’s the use of anything?
c. Can you give a brief resume of Solomon’s spiritual life? (1 Kings 4:29-34; 9:4-7; 11:1-10; Nehemiah 13:25-27)
He was a man who started off with everything that heart could wish for….God’s favour, and God’s promise of wisdom to rule well, peace in his land and wealth beyond anyone else. However, he did not fully trust God for protection and with his weakness for women, he married many foreign (heathen) princesses for political reasons and they infiltrated his home and life with their heathen gods which he began to worship.
d. After thinking about this, at what stage of life would you assume that Solomon wrote the book of Proverbs compared with this book? (verses 13-18; Proverbs 1:1-7)
It seems that he wrote the book of Proverbs while he was following the Lord, and the book of Ecclesiastes at the end of his life when he was a tired and disillusioned old man far from the Lord.
e. What dimension of a person must be taken into consideration before they can be totally fulfilled? (Luke 12:16-21; Romans 15:13)
If we leave God out of our life, we are a fool and end up with nothing; but if we follow Him, we have everything we need for a future hope.
2. Verses 4-11
a. What does this passage show us? (verses 4-11)
It shows the brevity of man’s life on this earth…the natural cycle of life as God has ordained it.
b. Things of earth are transient, here today and gone tomorrow…what therefore should we seek after of lasting value? (Luke 12:31)
We should seek after the things of God and follow Him, then everything else will fall into place.
c. Solomon says everything goes around cycles (including weather patterns), but what does Daniel tell us? (Daniel 12:4b)
That in the end times knowledge will be increased.
d. What do we see happening today?
New discoveries, new inventions, and new technology.
e. Are these things actually new? (verse 10)
The principles have always been there, but now God is allowing people to see them for themselves. Two examples are hygiene and atoms….think how hygiene was hidden from people for hundreds of years, and how atoms have always been but man was not able to know anything about them!
3. Verses 12-18
a. What do verses 12-13 tell us?
That Solomon was the king and that he made every opportunity of learning things that he could.
b. Where did Solomon’s ability to get wisdom come from? (1 Kings 3:5-15)
God gave him the choice to ask for anything he wished and it would be granted…Solomon asked for wisdom to govern wisely and God also gave him great wealth, peace and prosperity to go with it.
c. Solomon had this great wisdom, but where did he make his mistake? (Deuteronomy 17:14-20)
Solomon’s mistake was disobeying God’s rules that were laid down for a king to follow…not many wives, not many horses and alliances with Egypt and to learn the Word of God thoroughly and obey all it said. Solomon disobeyed all these rules and in the end his many heathen wives (his principal wife was an Egyptian princess) turned his heart and mind from God to worship their idols they brought with them.
d. What conclusion can we come to about all this?
Wisdom is all very well, but without obedience and putting God first, the best is missed out
e. What good advice did he give at the end of his life? (Ecclesiastes 12:1)
He told young people to remember their Creator while they were young and still had their life ahead of them to serve Him…to remember God before they became disillusioned with things and hardened against Him.
f. What does verse 13b seem like? (Proverbs 9:10)
That it was hard work to learn wisdom, and had to be worked at, but that it was possible with God’s help.
g. What does he seem to be saying next? (verses 14-15)
Man’s ideas without God make a mess of things which cannot be fixed up.
h. What did Solomon feel about his position and his knowledge? (verses 16-18)
The more he learned, the n ore disappointed he became….the wisdom and education of the world does not bring happiness or spiritual satisfaction.
i. Why does the world’s wisdom, education and knowledge on its own not bring happiness? (Psalm 37:30-31)
Because it leaves God out….it is only about the world and does not give spiritual satisfaction. Man is made to interact with God and if this is ignored there is a great lack. When a person looks to God, he will not make many irreversible mistakes.
j. Is therefore wisdom (education and training, diplomas and qualifications) to be striven for? (Matthew 6:33)
Only on a secondary basis…if we put God first in our life, everything else will fall into place.
k. What happens when we take the time to delight ourselves in the things of the Lord? (Psalm 37:4)
When we delight in the things of God, our desires change and become His desires for us, and so we get what we want because we only want what He wants for us!
Ecclesiastes Two…(1-26)
1. Verses 1-17
a. What is Solomon trying to satisfy himself with here? (verses 1-3)
Partying and socialising with drinking and laughter.
b. How did he feel after a night out doing this? (verse 2 )
There was nothing in it….he said it was empty madness!
c. How does God view a person who relies on this sort of life? (Luke 12:16-21)
As a fool who has everything but ends up with nothing.
d. What did Solomon try next for satisfaction? (verses 4-10)
Getting things….whatever his heart desired….more and larger houses, gardens, servants to do the work, farms and cattle, great wealth…what ever he wanted, he got!
e. Did he find that these things satisfied his inner need? (verse 11)
No, he was as empty as ever….the more he got, the more he wanted, there was no end to it!
f. What is the contrast for those who know the Lord and follow Him? (Romans 15:13-14)
They have joy and peace with God, and are full of hope for the future, as well as being filled with knowledge of spiritual things.
g. What did Solomon examine next and what conclusion did he come to? (verses 12-14)
He was contrasting man’s wisdom and foolishness and came to the conclusion that even though one lived a good life and the other a loose life, there really was no difference at all…they still lived and then just died.
h. What was Solomon leaving out of his examination? What did his father David think? (Psalm 1:1-4)
Solomon was leaving God out of the picture….David could say that the person who followed the Lord and thought about His Word was blessed and fulfilled, like a tree growing by the water that flourished and had a good crop of fruit.
i. So what did Solomon decide to do seeing this was the case? (verses 15-17)
He felt everything was just a waste of time and wasn’t going to bother any more, but just try to enjoy what he had.
j. How does this contrast with what Paul felt? (verses 15; Philippians 3:7-15; using modern translation)
Paul had an aim and was pressing towards it….the aim of knowing Jesus Christ as his Lord. He didn’t let past mistakes hold him back, but left them behind and continued on.
k. Which aim should we have? Why? (Philippians 3:7-15; using modern translation)
There is so much yet to learn about the Lord…..let us keep our minds focussed on Him and not get distracted from this aim!
2. Verses 18-26
a. What was worrying Solomon now? (verses 18-19)
He knew he couldn’t hang onto any of it after he had died, and what was going to happen to the empire he had built up? Apparently he had no faith in any of his sons following the godly ways seeing they all had heathen mothers, and how right it turned out to be!
b. What was his general attitude about it? (verses 19-20)
Why bother any more? What a waste of time it’s been!!
c. What is he saying here? (verse 21)
I’ve built all this up with wisdom and skill, and the person who follows me will just waste it all.
d. What hope does a natural man have for the future? (verses 22-24)
None, so let’s eat, drink and be merry!
e. What glimmer of hope does Solomon give here? (verses 25-26)
Nobody is wiser than I am, and it is God who has given me all this….it is hard work for other people to get a fortune together….what a waste of time it is for them!!!
f. What did Solomon acknowledge here? (verse 26a)
That what he had came from God.
g. What should we acknowledge? What should our attitude be for this? (James 1:17)
We should be thankful for what we have and recognise that it all comes from God.
Ecclesiastes Three…(1-22)
1. Verses 1-18
a. What is this section all about? (verses 1-8)
That there is a right time for everything under the sun.
b. So what must we be careful about then?
Not doing things at inappropriate or wrong times.
c. What are two times we are not going to miss? (Hebrews 9:27)
Death and judgment are two appointments we are all going to face..
d. When is the right time to think about these things and do something about them? Why? (2 Corinthians 6:2b)
NOW is the right time to do something about it, because we may not have a tomorrow.
e. Has he seen any point in working hard? (verses 9-10; 2 Thessalonians 3:10)
No he doesn’t, but we know that we have to work to eat.
f. How did God view His creation when it was finished? (verse 1; Genesis 1:31; Revelation 4:11b)
It was made beautiful, very good and for God’s pleasure.
g. What are we to do with God’s creation? (verse 12)
Enjoy it and look after it.
h. What is another gift of God? (verse 13)
The gift of employment and being able to enjoy the result of it.
i. What is the basis of our faith in God? (verses 14-15; Isaiah 46:9-10)
The fact that what He says, He will perform….He is unchanging.
j. Who is the final judge of good and bad? (verses 16-17; Matthew 12:36-37; Revelation 20:11-15)
God is the final Judge of all at the end of time….He will open His books and everyone will have to give an account of himself as God sees him.
k. What is the unchanging law of God? (Ezekiel 18:20a; Romans 3:23)
The person who sins shall die eternally.
l. What is the remedy for this? (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10)
The person who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ will not perish but be given eternal life with God.
2. Verses 20-22
a. What is an absolute certainty? A fact of life? (verses 19-20)
As surely as we are alive now, we are going to die one day!
b. What observation does Solomon make now? (verses 19-20)
That everything that has flesh and blood will return to the dust of the earth.
c. What is the difference between the death of man and the death of animals and other creatures? (verse 21; chapter 12:7)
There is no difference between the flesh of man and beast; all will die and decay, returning to the dust.
d. What is a person made up of ? ( 1 Thessalonians 5:23)
A person has a body, a soul and a spirit; the body is the case, the soul is the inner person that thinks and feels and the spirit is the part that is God conscious, that can communicate with God, that wants to worship something greater than themselves.
e. How does Solomon seem to be thinking in these verses? (verse 22)
He is thinking as a natural man without taking God into consideration…he is talking as though he knows nothing about God.
f. What does the average person think about life after death? (verse 22b)
That no-one knows anything about it, people die like a dog and that’s the end.
g. What did Paul think about it? (Philippians 1:22-24)
He didn’t just think, he KNEW! He had the confidence that when he died, he would be with Christ which is far better than living on this earth.
Ecclesiastes Four…(1-16)
Read this chapter in a modern translation………..
1. Verses 1-8
a. What is Solomon considering here? (verse 1)
He was thinking about all the people who were being oppressed by others.
b. What did he see happening with them? (verse 1b)
Great poverty and misery as a result.
c. How did he feel about this situation? (verse 2)
He felt it would be better for them to have never been born than to live in such misery.
d. What does oppression of others start from? (Psalm 54:3)
It starts with leaving God out of one’s life and having sinful and greedy thoughts.
e. What does God think about such behaviour? (Deuteronomy 25:16; Psalm 82:3-4)
He detests it, it is an abomination to Him. He requires people to help each other, to be supportive and helpful and to deliver those who are worse off than oneself.
f. What did Solomon consider was pointless and futile here? (verses 4-5)
Working overtime to make a beautiful job….others only envied the result. You might as well take it easy and have a good time as long as you don’t starve!
g. What is the conclusion of verse 6?
It is better to have less and enjoy yourself, than to have a lot of money and no time to enjoy it.
h. What attitude does Paul say we should have? (1 Timothy 6:6-8)
We should live a godly life and be content with what we have…in other words put God first and don’t make being rich your first priority.
i. What does God call a person like this hard working man? (Luke 12:19-20)
He calls him a fool….what’s the point in the end?
j. What is verse 8 saying? (1 Timothy 6:7)
There is no point in a person working hard all his life if he has no-one to leave it to. He can’t take it with him!
2. Verses 9-16
a. What is the topic here? (verses 9-12)
Two are better than one as they can support and help each other.
b. How is this true in the Christian life? (Hebrews 10:25)
We need fellowship with each other to encourage and be encouraged. A coal sitting on the edge of the fire will soon go out…we need the fire of others to keep us going.
c. How is verse 12 particularly applicable to a Christian marriage ?
A marriage with God at the centre will never fail…no-one else will ever be able to come between a husband and wife if they are both following what God says.
d. What is the picture here? (verses 13-14)
If a king becomes old and foolish, a wise child that has the sense to listen to others is better.
d. Solomon is still talking about a foolish old king…what is he saying about this ? ( verses 15-16)
Nobody will rejoice in what he has done, neither those who were before him nor those who come after him. His life has just been like a vapour with nothing to show for it!
e. What is the contrast that Paul talks about in his life? (Philippians 1: 20-23; 3:14)
He had an aim of pressing towards Jesus Christ …his greatest desire was to be with Christ which was far better than any life on earth.
Ecclesiastes Five…(1-20)
1. Verses 1-3
a. What do we have to be SO careful about? (verse 1)
Our motives for going to church, and when doing service for the Lord.
b. What do we have to remember when we do anything for the Lord? (verse 2; Psalm 139:1-4)
That He knows and sees all that we do!
c. What does God think of things done in His Name when a person’s heart is not right with Him? (1 Samuel 15:22)
Not much….He would sooner have obedience than sacrifice….the sacrifices done with a wrong attitude are an abomination (detestable) to Him.
d. What are we to do BEFORE we go to worship? (Psalm 139: 23-24; 1 Corinthians 11:28)
We are to examine ourselves and ask Him to search us out.
e. Are we to examine ourselves and stay away? (1 John 1:9)
No, we are to examine ourselves and confess what is wrong, and then go and worship Him.
f. What sometimes gets in the way of this examination? (Proverbs 29:23)
Self and pride….we don’t want to humble ourselves or to leave our righteous (we think) indignation against another person who has wronged us…we want to hang onto our resentments.
g. What advice is given about our speech? (verse 3b)
Not to talk too much!
h. What is a person called who talks too much? (verse 3b)
He is called a fool….people who often talk too much when they are nervous, are better off to keep quiet.
i. What should we remember about our speech? (Psalm 139:4; Matthew 12:36)
That God hears and takes notice of every word we say, and we are going to have to give an account of them all one day.
2. Verses 4-8
a. What advice is given here? (verses 4-5)
When you make a vow (or a promise) to God, make sure you keep it….it is better to NOT vow at all than to make one and break it.
b. What does God a call a person who breaks a promise to Him? (verse 4)
He calls him a fool, and we are this because we do not realise the seriousness of breaking our word.
c. Who (or what) observes and hears all that we say and do? (verse 6; Job 1:8-11; Ephesians 6:12)
The angels hear our conversation and see our actions take notice of our obedience or otherwise to God’s Word.
d. How did Paul feel about what was happening to him? (1 Corinthians 4:9-10)
He felt that he was being made a spectacle before the angels as well as before men.
d. What should all this make us realise ? (Job 2:9-10; 1 Corinthians 10:31b)
That we should be VERY careful how we react in any situation (especially stressful ones) as there are all these beings watching us… we should react at all times to bring glory to God.
e. We often hear people say how can God be a God of love if He allows all the suffering in the world today, …how can you answer this? (verse 8)
Suffering and oppression is brought about by man’s greed and ruthlessness (sin). God has given man a free choice to live either in sin or for Him. Those who live for Him may still suffer from natural disasters or in poor living conditions, but their spirits will rise above their circumstances, and they will still be able to give God thanks.
3. Verses 9-20
a. Does wealth bring true contentment and happiness? (verses 9-10)
No, it doesn’t….it may give pleasure for the moment but it doesn’t give lasting joy in one’s soul or the promise of eternal life
b. What are some things that money can’t buy?
Peace of mind, friendships, good health, respect of others, salvation from God, clear conscience.
c. What is the difference of the sleep of a poor man and a rich man? Why? (verse12)
A poor man has to work hard with his hands and is tired with a good day’s work, and sleeps soundly; a rich man has no need to work and get tired, instead he can’t sleep because he worries about keeping his money safe and how he can make more!
d. What is the gist of this passage? (verses 13-16)
A person comes into the world with nothing, and will leave with nothing in his hand….there’s no point in it all!
e. All these things we have seen so far in this book have been pointless and futile, so what should we be striving for? What CAN we take with us when we die? (Philippians 3:8-9)
The knowledge of Jesus Christ, and knowing Him… the knowledge of the earth’s wisdom and technology will be useless in heaven, but the knowledge of Christ will blossom still further..
f. In the light of all we have seen so far, what should be our aim? (Philippians 3:10, 13-14; Colossians 3:2-3, 12-17)
To forget the mistakes of the past, to reach for heavenly things and press towards the mark of godliness, looking for the return of Christ for His people.
g. What should our attitude be while here on earth? (verses 18-19)
To work for what we need, to enjoy the times of leisure that we have and give God thanks for all this , realising that everything we have is given to us by God….there is no room for pride.
h. What else should we do besides having a thankful attitude? (1 Timothy 6:17-19)
Share what we have with others, whether it be little or much.
i. What is God’s desire for His people? (verse 20; John 15:10-12)
That they may be joyful with His joy in their hearts; to keep His love in their hearts by being obedient., and to love each other.
Ecclesiastes Six…(1-12)
Read this chapter through in a modern translation…..
1. Introduction
a. What sort of feeling does this chapter leave you with?
Very depressed and without hope.
b. What does it seem that Solomon is saying? (verse 11)
What’s the use of living? Why bother?
c. What is the contrast between Solomon’s attitude and David’s ? (Psalm 9:1-2; 42:4-5)
Solomon looked around him and could find nothing to be pleased with while David went to where others were thinking about the Lord and praised Him….he thought about the Lord and His marvellous works continually.
d. What had taken Solomon’s mind off the Lord? (1 Kings 3:3; 11:1-10; Nehemiah 13:26)
He started off by loving the Lord and obeying His Word, but then as time went by, he married more and more heathen women who turned his heart from God to their idols, and he built them worship places until God became angry with him.
e. Imagine how it all started….one wife would nag and get her deity installed, and then the next one did the same until he had given in to all of them….what word describes this thing? (1 Corinthians 16:13; Galatians 5:1)
Compromise …Solomon disobeyed God’s command and then could not stand firm for the Lord’s ways.
2. Verses 1-5
a. What topic is Solomon talking about here? (verses 1-2a)
He is talking about a rich man who has everything heart can desire.
b. How does Solomon view a person like this (remember, he was speaking from experience!)? (verse 2b)
There is no more aim in life and everything seems futile.
c. What advice does Jesus Christ give concerning any riches a person may have? (Matthew 6:19-21; 19:21)
If you give your riches to the poor, you will have riches in heaven…we are to share what we have with others, and so we will have an easy heart with no worries about our fortune!
d. What is Solomon saying next? (verses 3-5)
If a man doesn’t have a decent burial, he may as well have been stillborn!
d. What does Peter say as a contrast ? (1 Peter 1:3-5)
Because Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead, the Christian has a living hope of a wonderful inheritance reserved especially for him and is kept by God’s power for this.
e. In the light of this, does a man’s burial really matter? ()
No, not at all!!!
3. Verses 6-12
a. What is being said here? (verse 6)
It doesn’t matter how long we live, we will all end up dying one day.
b. What conclusion does Solomon come to here? (verses 7-8)
A person works to eat whether one is wise or foolish, this is a necessity.
c. What else did Solomon feel was futile and a waste of time? (verses 9-10)
Planning and scheming wasn’t as good as the desire fulfilled if there is nothing new to strive for.
d. What part of Solomon’s life were these thoughts? (verses 11-12)
It seems to be the end of his life, and he was worrying what was going to happen to everything after he died.
e. Why do you think Solomon was feeling like this about life in general? (1 Kings 11:4, 8)
It was because he had left God out of his life, and was following the heathen gods that his wives had brought with them. His heart was not towards God at all, and he had nothing spiritual to look forwards to.
f. What is a person today like who doesn’t know Jesus Christ? (Ephesians 2:12)
They have no hope at all of eternal life in heaven and neither know nor care about it.
g. Do we need to be like this? (John 10:10b; Titus 3:4-7)
No, we can have abundant life in Jesus Christ, and this gives us a confident hope of eternal life with Him.
h. So what should we DO? (John 3:16, 36; Romans 10:9)
Believe on Jesus Christ with the heart (that means action, not just head knowledge), confess our sins to Him and our lives will be turned around….old things will not be attractive any longer and we will become new creatures in Christ.
Ecclesiastes Seven…(1-29)
1. Verses 1-10
a. What is the obvious comment in the first verse?
It is better to have a good name rather than any amount of precious things.
b. When is the day of death better than the day of birth? (verse 1; )
When one has come to know the Lord during their life and walked with Him, and at death has the prospect of meeting Him face to face
c. When does mourning or sorrow bring gladness ? (verses 2-4a; Matthew 5:4; 1 John 1:9)
When a person is convicted of sin and genuinely repents, there is sorrow for the past and regret over many things, but knowing one is cleansed of this and forgiven through confession, gives peace and lightness of heart.
d. What CAN one rejoice in, in the midst of sorrow? (Philippians 4:4)
We can always rejoice in the Lord and this takes our minds off our immediate problems.
e. What does sorrow often bring afterwards? (2 Corinthians 7:11)
Many lessons are learned through sorrow that cannot be learned any other way….the Lord becomes more real and precious in those times.
f. What do we see about a foolish person? (verses 4b-6)
He laughs at trouble and doesn’t take things seriously on one hand, and on the other he takes to drink which takes his mind off what is going on.
g. Why does oppression of others make a wise man mad? (verse 7)
Because it is usually exploitation of others and he can see where it is all going to end while being unable to do anything about it.
h. How does a person often behave when they are angry? (verses 8-10)
Proudly and foolishly and say and do things they later regret.
i. What should a Christian do if they get angry? (Proverbs 14:29; Ephesians 4:26)
Calm down quickly, get over it before sundown and don’t sin with words or actions while angry.
2. Verses 11-24
a. How should an inheritance be dealt with? (verse 11)
With wisdom and knowledge….not blown away indiscriminately.
b. We can understand in what ways money is a defence, because it can buy arms and protection from others, but in what way is wisdom a defence? (verse 12)
Because wisdom begins with acknowledging God and the need for His protection in both the physical life and spiritual life of a person.
c. What do we see about the work of creation? (verse 13; Jeremiah 13:23; Matthew 6:27-29)
That God has made everything according to its order and that is the way it will stay….the short man stays short, the leopard keeps its spots and the lily remains beautiful and carefree.
d. What should we remember when things are going well? (verse 14)
To be joyful and thankful for the way things are, but things could easily turn around and trouble come to balance it out. No-one always has everything go well, trouble WILL come and will you be able to face it?
d. What advice does Solomon give in the light of this ? (verses 15-18)
It doesn’t always follow that good people live long lives; sometimes they die young while wicked people live long lives. The fact is to not worry about it, but to fear (trust) God and leave it all to Him.
e. Which is best to depend on….wisdom or strength? (verse 19; Psalm 56:2-4)
Wisdom which is found in the Word of God is better by far than worldly wisdom…it is better to trust in God and not be afraid!
f. What truth is stated here? (verse 20; Romans 3:23)
No matter how good we are, we still sin….ALL have sinned and come short of God’s standard of holiness.
g. What good advice is here? (verses 21-22)
Don’t worry what people say about you because you have done the same to them….it’s a fact of life!
h. What do we see about Solomon here? (verses 23-24)
He was a deep thinker and longed to be wise, but it still eluded him.
i. How can we be wise? Where do we find true wisdom? (Psalm 111:10; James 1:5)
We only find true wisdom with God ….this is where to begin by asking Him to show you and give it to you. This is not a oncer, it must be a daily thing….God will not give you tomorrow’s wisdom today, He only gives you what you need for today as you ask for it.
3. Verses 25-29
a. What is Solomon thinking about here? (verse 25)
He liked to get to the bottom of things and see how they worked and the reason things happened and why some people were so foolish and empty.
b. What conclusion did Solomon come to about a greedy grasping woman? (verse 26)
A woman like that is better kept away from….only God can guide a man to the right one.
c. What did Solomon go on to say on the subject? (verses 27-28)
He said it was very rare to find an upright man and it was impossible to find even one good woman.
d. Why do you think this was so? (1 Kings 11:1-3)
Solomon went to the wrong places and kept the wrong company, and did not depend on the Lord to give him the right wife. His wives were all heathen princesses and he married them for political gain rather than trusting in God for safety in his kingdom. He paid dearly for this in the end.
e. What can we learn from this? (Proverbs 31:30; 1 Corinthians 7:39b; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18)
We are to look for the right friends who love the Lord and won’t lead us astray; we are to only marry those who are believers.
f. What can often drag a person away from the things of the Lord? (verse 29; 1 John 2:15-16)
Believers can get side tracked by the things of this world like sport and gadgets; we have to be so careful to keep a right balance, and it is only the Lord who can guide us in these things.
Ecclesiastes Eight…(1-17)
1. Verses 1-13
a. What comment is made here about a wise person? (verse 1)
It usually shows in his face….they have an open and honest look about them.
b. What advice is being given here? (verses 2-3)
Keep the laws of the land and don’t do your own thing in regard to them.
c. What will a wise person try to do? (verses 4-5)
They won’t argue with the laws, but will keep them and stay calm and quiet.
d. What is being said in this next passage? (verses 6-8)
Each person has a certain length of time appointed for their life, and no-one knows when the day of their death will come….death cannot be avoided.
e. What did the writer notice in the next passage? (verses 9-10)
He saw how the wicked people came and went, they died and were buried and people were pleased to see them go and forgot them.
f. What happens when evil is not quickly dealt with? (verse 11)
Others are encouraged to do the same thing and see if they can get away with it.
g. What are the contrasts between those who do evil and those who fear God? (verses 12-13; Revelation 2:7, 11)
Even if the wicked live a long life the end result is not good; a person who fears the Lord has a safe ending even if they don’t live a long time on earth
h. We are seeing how Christians are being persecuted in some parts of the world now…what sort of hope do they have in spite of this? (Luke 10:20)
No-one can take away from them the knowledge that they know the Lord and have a home in heaven waiting for them.
2. Verses 14-17
a. What is a fact of life mentioned here? (verse 14)
That good and bad happen to all people….natural disasters and wars fall upon everyone.
b. What sort of attitude should a person have in these things? (verse 15)
The attitude of making the best of things that you can’t change and helping others to do the same.
c. What was Solomon’s problem in thinking these things through? (verses 16-17)
No amount of thinking could sort this out….he might as well just accept it all and get a good night’s sleep!
d. What does all this prove? (Psalm 18:2, 30; Proverbs 30:5)
God’s way is perfect, and we can trust Him to work things out and protect us.
Ecclesiastes Nine…(1-18)
1. Verses 1-10
a. What can those who follow the Lord know? (verse 1)
That they are held in the hand of God.
b. What did Jesus say about this? (John 10:28-29)
That He holds His people in His hand and also that they are in God’s hand too, so they are doubly safe!
c. When is this knowledge especially wonderful? What comes to all people eventually? (verses 2-3)
It is especially great to have this confidence as we draw near to death, because everyone dies.
d. What is Solomon saying here? (verses 2-3)
No matter whether a person is good or bad, they will all die in the end.
e. What does the New Testament have to say about this fact? (Matthew 25:10-12; Hebrews 9:27)
That after death comes judgment for each person…not judgment for doing good or bad, but judgment for what we have done about turning to God in this life. If we have ignored Him here, how can we expect to go to His home in heaven? The question is…Does He know me?
f. What are we told next? (verses 4-6)
We had better do something about it while we are still alive….it will be too late once we die.
g. What does a non-Christian think about death? (verses 5b)
That it is the end of knowing anything.
h. What does a Christian think about death? (John 17:24; Philippians 1:21-23)
That it is the gateway to a better life…there is nothing to fear. We will be with Christ which is far better than life here on earth!
i. What does a person leave behind when they die? (verse 6)
Their personality (loves, hates and envies) does not exist any more on earth….it is too late to change anything.
j. What is the picture in these next verses? (verses 7-10)
That of a cheerful fulfilled person, living happily with their spouse, and enjoying their work…a very happy picture.
k. What does the New Testament teach in contrast to verse 10b ? (1 Corinthians 3:13-15; 2 Timothy 4:8; James 1:12)
A person’s work from earth will go through the fire of God’s scrutiny, and whatever comes out of it will be their reward; the crown of life is for every believer. The contrast is that there IS life after death and what we have done on earth will be sorted out.
l. Does this mean that the Bible contradicts itself then ?
No, this was written from a natural man’s perspective…Solomon was far from the Lord when he wrote these sentiments.
Verses 11-17
a. What is verse 11 telling us?
That good things don’t necessarily always happen to those who are the fastest, the strongest, the wisest or the richest, but everybody is subject to bad things (accidents, bad health, family breakdowns etc) as well as good things.
b. What is the picture here? (verse 12)
Anybody is likely to die suddenly and unexpectedly.
c. What is this parable about and what does it mean? (verses 13-16)
It’s about a poor wise man who delivered a besieged city by his good advice, but no-one remembered him afterwards! The story shows that wisdom is the best course, but not necessarily the most appreciated or sought after.
d. How do we see verse 17 in practice today?
Protesting and rioting don’t do much good; quiet words of wisdom are much better.
e. What is the picture here? (verse 17)
Wisdom can soothe troubled waters, but it only takes one idiot to start a war.
Ecclesiastes Ten…(1-20)
1. Verses 1-11
a. What two things are being contrasted here? (verses 1-3)
Wisdom and folly (foolishness).
b. What is verse 1 saying?
Just one dead fly in ointment causes it to stink, so one mistake a wise man makes will spoil his testimony…others never forget your mistakes! All his good advice counts for nothing after that.
c. Why is a wise man’s heart considered to be at his right hand? (verse 2)
Because the right hand is the one that does the work, so therefore a wise man will be consistent in everything he does. The left hand isn’t capable of doing what the right hand does, so a fool isn’t as able.
d. We sometimes hear the saying that a person who keeps his mouth shut won’t show how little he knows until he opens it and removes all doubt …. how can we gain wisdom? (James 1:5-6)
By asking God for it and believe He will give it to you. A decision that has to made should be based on the Word of God (is there anything sinful in it, or will it lead to bad ways) and faith that God is leading (know all the circumstances, and wait for an open door).
e. What does a foolish man do? (James 1:7)
He asks without faith, and then dithers over the decision he still has to make.
f. What is the next section about? (verses 5-7)
About mistakes which can be made by a ruler….either in the home or in the nation.
g. What is verse 4 teaching?
Don’t run away from trouble or unpleasantness ….deal with it immediately.
h. What does Paul say a Christian must do? (Colossians 3:12-13)
To consider one another and be kind, patient and forgiving
i. What does fitting in with others do? (verse 4c)
It pacifies any bad feelings or hurts.
j. What is the picture in these next verses? (verses 5-6)
A ruler making mistakes or allowing foolishness and foolish decisions to be made.
k. What does this prove ? (verse 7)
That he is not ruling at all and things have got completely out of hand.
l. What does this next section show?
It is a picture of someone who doesn’t think ahead, acts without preparation, acts first and thinks afterwards
m. What examples are being given to demonstrate this?
A blunt axe won’t chop properly, a snake will bite if it isn’t being charmed; a person who doesn’t talk sense isn’t worth listening to.
n. How should we react to avoid being like this? (Colossians 3:23)
Whatever we do, do it as to the Lord, to the very best of our ability. We should never do or be sloppy in our work, habits or thoughts.
Verses 12-20
a. What contrast do we see in these verses? (verses 12-14)
The contrast between wise words and foolish talk
b. How does a wise person talk? (verse 12a)
He speaks kindly and graciously, but with sense as well.
c. Who was the greatest example of this? (Luke 4:22)
Our Lord Jesus Christ was the greatest example of someone speaking with gracious wisdom.
d. Where does foolish talk end up? (verses 13-14)
Foolish talking can stir people up to riot….some people can use a lot of words but say nothing that’s worth listening to in the end.
e. What is the picture here? (verses 16-17)
The contrast between a lazy king where everything is a shambles and a good one who has everything under control.
f. What happens when law and order are not maintained? (verse 18)
It is like an uncared for building which drops to pieces and gets run down.
g. What is verse 19 saying?
There is a place and time for everything.
h. What is verse 20 saying? What is the Christian’s attitude to be towards the government? ( 1Timothy 2:1-3)
Don’t say anything against or complain about the government…we are to pray for them that God’s Word will not be hindered from being preached.
Ecclesiastes Eleven…(1-10)
1. Verses 1-10
a. We sometimes hear verse 1 quoted…what does it mean? (verse 1)
It means that we may not see the result of what we do immediately, but that it will come back to us later on.
b. What is the next verse saying? What does the New Testament say about this? (verse 2; 1Timothy 6:18-19)
Do as much good as you can while you can, because we don’t know how much longer we will be able to do it…nothing that we do for the Lord will be forgotten by Him.
c. What do we learn from this next verse? (verse 3)
There are consequences to everything we do…when clouds blow up for rain, the rain will fall, and once a deed is done it is almost impossible to alter it…once a tree is cut, it cannot grow again!
d. What do we learn from this next section? (verses 4-6)
We must do what has to be done regardless….waiting for the right circumstances will result in getting nothing done! We cannot tell the future, we don’t even know how bones form in a mother’s womb, so we must do what has to be done and wait for the result!
e. What are we to remember while things are going well? (verses 7-8)
We are to prepare for eternity while we have the time….none of us can live on earth for ever, and eternity is inevitable.
f. When is the right time to prepare? (verse 9; 2 Corinthians 6:2b)
NOW, today! We are not promised tomorrow.
g. What advice can we give to a young person today? (verses 9-10)
Think ahead…don’t just have a good time now, but prepare for the future when you will have to stand before God.
h. Having a great time is good for today, but what brings lasting joy that can never fail us? (1 John 5:3-4)
Fellowship with God and His Son, Jesus Christ brings a joy that will never leave us.
i. What further advice can we give young people? (verse 10)
Don’t think you know more than the older people….they have been there and done that!
Ecclesiastes Twelve…(1-14)
1. Verses 1-14
a. What is the best thing we can do while we are young? Why? (verse 1)
The best thing we can do is to learn to follow the Lord and live for Him while we are still young because we then have the whole of our life to serve Him. It is good to come to know the Lord at any age, but how much more when we still have some years ahead of us to live for Him instead of ourselves!
b. What is likely to happen if we leave it to the end of our life?
We could easily get past thinking straight and miss out altogether….everything becomes too much of a burden to think about and we could easily have a stroke or some disease like alzheimers which takes away our thinking capacity.
c. What is this verse telling us about? (verse 2)
Make the most of what you have while you have it….don’t wait until things get better!
d. What is this next section all about? (verses 3-7)
Leaving things until it is too late….life becomes a burden and everything is too hard to do; there is nothing to look forwards to and the time of death draws near.
e. What is a life that is lived without God? (verse 8)
It is pointless and futile
f. What are we to do while we still have time? (verses 9-10)
We are to teach others, whether it be children or talk to those we meet about the things of the Lord.
g. What can these conversations do, and be likened to? (verse 11)
Speaking of these things can prick others’ consciences like a cattle prodder, and help people see the right thing to do.
h. Where can we find the information we need to have to find God? (verse 12)
There are many books written, but the main one to read is the Bible itself which is the Word of God.. It IS God’s message to people today, and shows us how to find and listen to the Word of God who is Jesus Christ who came to earth to teach mankind and to give Himself as payment for our sin. This does not happen automatically, but each individual has to acknowledge this and accept it for himself.
i. What does this book end with? What is the conclusion of all that he has been writing? (verses 13-14; Romans 14:11-12)
Man’s duty is to fear God and keep His commands because we are going to have to give an account of why we haven’t in a time to come.
j. What is the final word on this book? (verse 14; Hebrews 9:27)
There is a judgment day when God is going to judge every person who has ever breathed air, and they are going to have to give a true account of everything they have done.
Song of Solomon
Song of Solomon 1…(1-17)
In this book we have a conversation going on between two lovers, so we will look at it and see what spiritual lessons we can get out of it……
1. Verses 1-7
a. Who introduces this book? What do we know about him in this connection? (verse 1; 1 Kings 11:1-3)
By King Solomon who must have been the world’s greatest lover ever known.
b. Is a male or female speaking here? (verses 2-7)
It is a female talking.
c. What can you gather about this girl? (verses 2,4-5)
She was a dark girl who was passionately in love with the king.
d. What is she saying in verse 6b?
She was given a job to do about looking after the vineyards, but she hadn’t kept her own place in order.
e. How can we relate this to a modern day equivalent in the church? (Titus 2:4-5, 1 Peter 3:7)
We can be sometimes so busy serving in some way that we neglect our families and home duties in running around doing these other things. We are to learn to put first things first, and fit other things around that….this goes for both men and women.
f. Where did this girl want to be more than anything? (verse 7)
She wanted to be with her loved one, where he was feeding his sheep (doing his daily chores)
g. What spiritual picture can you get out of this? (verses 14-15)
We should love the Lord so much that we can’t bear to be a day away from Him….other things lose their appeal in comparison to spending time with Him
h. What was Paul’s great desire? Why? (Philippians 1:21, 23-24)
Paul couldn’t wait to be with Christ…he considered dying as gain; to be with Christ was far better than life on earth.
2. Verses 8-11
a. The shepherd (Prince) replies to his loved one…what was her question again, and what did he say? (verses 7-8)
She asked where he was so she could go too, and he said if she couldn’t find him, to follow his flock and feed her little ones by his other shepherds.
b. What lesson can we get out of this? (John 10:14-16; Hebrews 10:24-25)
We should make sure we stay near our spiritual Shepherd, our Lord Jesus, and meet regularly with His people.
c. How does the King regard this girl who wants to be with him so much? (verses 9-11)
He thinks she is beautiful and gives her presents of jewels to wear.
d. How does the Lord regard His people? ( Psalm 147:11; Ephesians 5:25b-27)
He takes great pleasure in all who fear Him, and loves and cares for His Church which He has cleansed and made spotless for His glory.
e. As we think of verse 11, we notice that both gold and silver are mentioned in the jewels the girl wears…remembering that gold and silver in the Bible represent divinity (gold) and redemption (silver), what picture do we see in this of the believer before God ? (Hebrews 9:12b, 28; 1 John 3:1-3)
Every believer is redeemed from sin by the blood of Jesus Christ and made a child of God by accepting this. So each believer wears the gold and silver jewels of being part of God’s family and being redeemed.
3. Verses 12-17
a. The girl replies again…what does her reply imply? (verse 12)
That she is sitting at his table with him, and is beautifully perfumed.
b. We are told that believers can offer a beautiful perfume to God….what is it? (Revelation 5:8)
It is their prayers and praise to God….He loves to hear it all.
c. What should this thought stimulate in our prayers?
We should be careful to give God more praise than requests; our prayers should concentrate on Him and what He has
done for us, rather than “Give me” prayers!
d. How does this girl see the one she loves? (verses 13-16)
As fair and beautiful….she loved his appearance
e. What was her greatest desire? (verses 15-16)
To be with him day and night, and to live with him all the time.
f. What was David’s great desire as far as God was concerned? (Psalm 27:4)
He wanted to be with Him and to see and appreciate His beauty at all times.
g. Do we have this desire? How should we view our Lord Jesus? (1 Peter 2:3-7a)
We should view Him as very precious to us, as Someone we can’t do without.
h. How can we learn to seek the beauty of the Lord? (Ephesians 5:26)
We cannot see it without reading His word continually, and we cannot know it if we are harbouring some sin in our life.
i. What do we have to train ourselves to do continually? (Philippians 4:8)
To “feed” ourselves on that which is good, pure, holy, and honest in what we listen to, watch, read and think….we end up being what we think about!
j. What do you think “green” signifies (especially in a dry area)? (verse 16)
It signifies that which is fresh and flourishing.
k. What do you think verses 16-17 refer to , both in married life and spiritual life? (Ephesians 2:20)
The relationship is on a solid basis (the cedar beams) and growing day by day (the green bed). We must build our relationship with the Lord on the foundation of His Word (the prophets and apostles) with Him at the centre, and everything else will fall into the right place.
Song of Solomon 2…(1-17)
1. Verses 1-2
a. Who is speaking here? What is the description? (verses 1-2)
The prince is speaking here, and he describes himself as the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valley.
b. What is the picture of Sharon in these verses? (Isaiah 35:2; 65:10)
As a place of peace and prosperity with flocks and herds grazing contentedly; a place where God is exalted.
c. What does the prince liken his lady love to? (verse 2)
As a lily among thorns, far ahead of all the other girls.
d. How much does Christ love His people, the true church? (Galatians 2:20c; Ephesians 5:25-27)
Enough to die for her, to redeem a people for Himself.
2. Verses 3-7
a. The Bride now speaks….what does she see her Bridegroom as? (verses 3-4)
As her provider, he was all she wanted; he gave shade (rest), fruit (provision) and feasting (joy and gladness), and he was her lover….she only wanted to be with him all the time.
b. How did King David regard the Lord? (Psalm 27:4-5)
He wanted to see His beauty and be in communion with Him at all times.
c. How do WE line up with these sentiments? (Romans 12:1-2; Philippians 4:8; 1 John 1:9)
We have to keep our minds clean and pure at all times and confess our sins daily and not allow the world to creep into our thinking and attitudes.
d. How can we view verse 4 in a spiritual light? ( John 10:14-15; 1 John 3:1-3; 4:9-10)
God loved us so much that He gave his only Son to save us from our sins; our Lord Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd who lay down His life for his sheep….the Shepherd guides, leads and feeds His sheep.
e. How does the Bride feel about her Bridegroom? (verses 5-7)
She absolutely dotes on him and is lovesick for him….he is all she can think about, and she can’t leave his side, and thinks only of pleasing him.
f. How did Paul feel about the Lord Jesus ? (Philippians 1:20-21)
He lived only for Him, and knew that when he died he would be with Him.
g. What IS loving God? (John 14:15; 1 John 2:3-6)
Loving God is keeping His commands and following His ways.
3. Verses 8- ??
a. The girl is still speaking….what phrase does she use three times in these verses? (verses 8-10)
The phrase “My Beloved”.
b. What sort of picture do we imagine from verses 8-9?
Eternal youth, energy, vibrancy, knowing no bounds, full of exuberance and flourishing.
c. What sort of picture does Paul paint of Christ? (Colossians 1:16-19; 2:2-3, 9)
He is the very image of God, the Creator of all things, the Chiefest of all, the Head of the body of His people, the Essence of all fullness of life, the fount of all knowledge and wisdom, the fullness of God…..there is none greater.
d. What is this one saying to his bride? (verses10-13)
“Come away with me, the winter of doom and gloom is past, and spring lies ahead…. a time of beauty , growth and fruit.”
e. How can we relate this to our spiritual picture? (Revelation 21:3-7)
It is of the time to come when God and His people will be together for ever, with no more sorrow or pain, all things will be new (like a fresh green springtime) and God’s people will inherit and enjoy all things for eternity.
f. The Bridegroom now speaks….what is his desire? (verses 14-15)
He wants to see his bride’s face, to hear her voice and not allow the little foxes that spoil the vines to come between them.
g. What can we take out of this for ourselves? (John 17:22-24)
The Lord desires fellowship with His people….he does not want us to be too busy for Him or to allow wrong attitudes, actions and thoughts to come between us and spoil our fellowship.
h. What else do we read along these lines? (John 14:2-3, 19-20)
Our Lord Jesus Christ said that He was going to bring us to Himself, to a home He has prepared for us, and we will be together for eternity; He wants us to abide in Him while here on earth, and to live as He would have us live.
i. What confidence does the bride have here? (Philippians 4:8)
That there is perfect love between her and her beloved, that they totally belong to each other with nothing between them, and that one day they will be in an eternal day with no shadows.
j. When will we be totally like our Heavenly Bridegroom? (1 Corinthians 15:51-54; 1 John 3:2)
When He appears and comes for us, we will be instantly changed into a heavenly body and things will never be the same again!
k. What does this prospect do for us now? (1 John 3:3)
It makes us keep ourselves pure and in readiness for His return.
Song of Solomon 3…(1-11)
1. Verses 1-11
a. What is the bride doing in this passage? (verses 1-3)
She is looking for her bridegroom…she can’t find him anywhere.
b. What causes us to lose sight of our Heavenly Bridegroom? (Psalm 66:18; Proverbs 1:28-31; 28:9)
Sin and disobedience in our lives causes God to shut his ears to our prayers…wanting to do things OUR way!
c. What is the bride’s attitude to the bridegroom when she finds him again? (verses 4-5)
When she found him she would not let him go….she gave him his every wish and looked after him with all her heart to the exclusion of all others.
d. What is the lesson in this for us today? (Luke 10:27; Romans 12:1-2)
We are to put God first in our lives to the exclusion of every other distraction….we are to have Him in the centre and work around His service and His people with these other interests.
e. How is the King described as coming? (verses 6-8…read in a modern translation)
He is coming wearing his kingly robes and travelling in a sedan chair, carried and protected by his armed men
f. How are we told that the Lord Jesus Christ is going to return for His people? (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10)
In great power with His mighty angels, coming to take vengeance on all those who do not know or obey Him….those who love Him will admire and glorify Him.
g. What do we see about the description of the chariot that Solomon made? (verse 10)
It was made of the best timber available, covered with silver and gold, and upholstered in purple which was made with love by the women of Jerusalem .
h. The types of the material that were used are timber (humanity), gold (divinity), silver (redemption) and purple is royalty….how do we see these portrayed in our Lord Jesus? (Romans 8:3; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:3; 10:12)
He was God come in the flesh to earth to live as a man and die as a man to pay the penalty for sin and is now risen again to sit at God’s right hand in heaven….He is the royalty of heaven.
i. How does the bride finish up her description of the king? (verse 11)
As wearing the crown his mother gave him.
j. How does this equate with our picture of Christ ? (1 Timothy 6:14-16; Revelation 19:11-16)
We see Him at the end of time waging war on sin and all those still in it, wearing many crowns as King of kings and Lord of lords.
Song of Solomon Six…(1-13)
1. Verses 1-3
a. What is being suggested here? (verse 1)
It seems there is a group of girls wanting to find the bridegroom, and they are asking where he is.
b. What reply does the bride give? (verse 2)
He has gone to his garden to enjoy what is growing there.
c. What does that suggest to you? (John 15:1, 8)
That our Lord and His Father get great enjoyment from seeing His people bearing fruit for Him.
d. What does the bride go on to say? (verse 3)
That she and her beloved belong to each other, with nothing coming between them.
e. How can we relate this to believers and the Lord? (John 10:28-29; 17:2-3,10, 23-24; 1 John 3:1-2)
Believers belong to the Lord, and are in Him with He in them….they are one and no-one can come between or take them away from Him.
f. Because we have this relationship with the Lord, what should it make others want? (verse 1)
Others will want to have it too because they can see we are different.
2. Verses 4-17
a. How does the bridegroom see his bride here? (verses 4-10)
As lovely and beautiful beyond compare.
b. How does Christ view His bride, the Church? (Ephesians 5:25-27)
He loved her enough to die for her, so He could cleanse her and have her as spotless as Himself
c. Have you ever considered that your marriage should be a picture of this love and dedication of the Lord for His people? (Ephesians 5:22-25)
What a challenge for each one of us! Every believer is a part of the true Church, the bride of Christ, and as such our lives should show this in our everyday actions and attitudes. What a difference it would make in many marriages if BOTH partners viewed their relationship as such!
d. What is the bridegroom looking for in His garden? (verse 11)
He went to see how the garden was flourishing and what fruit was growing.
e. What analogy can we take out of this? (John 15: 8-9; Galatians 5:22-25)
The Lord wants to see His people walking in His ways and bearing fruit in their lives for Him.
Song of Solomon Seven and Eight…
1. Chapter 7
In 7:1-9, we see the lovesick lovers describe each other fulsomely, and we have already established that Christ sees His bride, the Church, as spotless and without blemish because of His death on the cross paying for her sins. (Ephesians 5:25-27)
a. How should believers regard the Lord Jesus Christ? (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 1:21-24)
He should be the centre of their lives with everything else revolving around Him and what He wants of them and how He wants them to live….the world should hold no attraction for them whatever….after all, He loved them enough to die for their salvation.
b. How great is God’s love for people? (Jeremiah 31:3; John 3:16)
He has an everlasting love that will never let them go…a love great enough to give His only Beloved Son to suffer and to die for them.
c. Does this give us a licence to do whatever we like because God’s love will excuse us? What goes along with God’s great love? (1 Peter 1:15-16)
Just as God is love, so God is holy, righteous and just, and He cannot bear the sight of sin. Because of His holiness as well as His great love, He made a way to satisfy His holiness to bring us back to Him, but it cost Him His very best, His only begotten Son.
d. What sort of picture do we see in verses 10-13?
That of a fruitful garden with the lovers wandering through it enjoying the sights, sounds and smells as well as the produce from it. An uncared for garden with nothing but weeds gives no pleasure at all.
e. What does this suggest as to the relationship between the believer and the Lord? (John 15: 1-5, 8)
Believers are to “abide” in Christ with nothing between them, in full fellowship and communion.
f. How is this achieved? (1 John 1:9)
By taking stock of ourselves continually, having all sin confessed and forsaken.
2. Chapter 8…
a. What is the picture in these verses? (verses 1-4)
That of the bride being totally in love with her bridegroom and only concerned for his benefit.
b. How can we relate this to our spiritual picture? How should believers regard Christ? (Romans 12:1-2)
We should be willing to submit ourselves to the Lord in every facet of our life….body, soul and spirit. If He loved us enough to die for us, it is not too much to give ourselves back to Him.
c. Who is speaking in verse 5? What do we see there? (Ephesians 3:17-19)
The bridegroom is telling how his bride depends on him for her very existence, and if it were not for what Jesus Christ has done for us, we would not be able to face God, or to live in Him.
d. We know that God’s love towards us cannot be exaggerated…comment on this…. (John 17:26; Romans 8:35-39)
There is no limit to God’s love….it is unmeasurable in its height, depth, breadth and length, yet it has been offered to mankind to accept or reject. Nothing can separate God’s people from this great love.
e. What does verse 7 say about love?
Nothing can drown true love, and money cannot buy it.
f. What does loving God produce in our lives? (1 John 4:14-21)
Love for each other; it takes away our fear of facing God in the day of judgment; the knowledge that God loved us before we loved Him.
g. What does the bride think about next? (verses 8-9)
She thinks about her little sister and how she can provide for her for the future.
h. What will we want for others when we love God? (John 17:18-21; Revelation 22:17)
We will tell others about the Lord and want them to come to know Him too, doing all in our power to give them the Word.
i. What is the last picture in this chapter? (verses 11-14)
It is a picture of Solomon’s vineyard, and how he let it out to different keepers to tend and sell the produce from it….the bride had her own small share in it.
j. What are we to give to the Lord first? (Proverbs 23:26; Luke 10 :27; Romans 12:1-2)
We are to give Him our heart, our love, and our mind, putting our own wants behind us.
3. Summing Up…
a. How can we sum up this book?
On the surface it is just about the love of two people for each other, but the deeper meanings relate to God and His people, Christ and His church.
b. What should we always be aware of? (Ephesians 5:22-27)
That earthly relationships are a picture of the heavenly truths….we are to live our lives in such a way that we don’t break down the pictures of this. Thoughtlessness, squabbles and breakdowns have no place in this picture.