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ECCLESIASTES 7:11-22 the Wise God Offers Person Imperfect

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ECCLESIASTES 7:11-22 the Wise God Offers Person Imperfect Session 11 Where Is the Balance? The wise person realizes God offers wisdom to the imperfect. ECCLESIASTES 7:11-22 11 92 EXPLORE THE BIBLE Why is acknowledging our sinfulness important for having a proper understanding of ourselves and our limits in this life? We live on a fine line. If we think too lowly of ourselves, we see ourselves as being so broken we are not salvageable. If we think too highly of ourselves, we see no need for God or His forgiveness. We need to find balance to being broken by sin and yet still created in the image of God. The wise person realizes God offers wisdom to the imperfect which gives us balance. UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT In Ecclesiastes 6:12, the Teacher asked: “For The wisdom that comes from God is the who knows what is good for anyone in life, in key to living a balanced life. It is wise to the few days of his futile life that he spends recognize one’s utter helplessness and look like a shadow?” He set out to answer this to God. Having the wisdom of God provides question in 7:1–8:17. He began in chapter 7 strength and a way of escape from sin. It is using proverbs. The person who is wise is recognizing that only God can make one able to evaluate what the better things in upright (7:11-29). God’s wisdom enables life are. For example, Solomon observed that people to conduct themselves properly before the death of a person with a good reputation governmental authority, realizing while one is far more valuable than the expensive may be powerless before a king, every king is perfumes used in burial preparations, and powerless before God (8:1-8). Additionally, it the death of one who lived for God is better is God’s wisdom that gives people patience than fleeting moments of merriment. to wait on God’s judgment of the wicked and vindication of those who fear Him When faced with mortality, one may (8:9-13). In contrast, trusting in one’s own take stock in how life should be lived, wisdom leads to futility, because the Lord whereas amusements serve as temporary has deliberately made life incomprehensible diversions at best. The person who is wise apart from Him (8:16-17). will contemplate how to live in light of his or her mortality. Hence, the birth of a child is wonderful, but a life lived for God is even better (7:1-4). DATE OF M Y BIBLE ST UDY: ____________ 93 ECCLESIASTES 7:11-22 11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance A and an Passage Outline advantage to those who see the sun, 12 because Accept It wisdom is protection as silver is protection; but the (Eccl. 7:11-14) advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves Find Balance the life of its owner. 13 Consider the work of God, (Eccl. 7:15-18) for who can straighten out what he has made Acknowledge Sin crooked B 14 ? In the day of prosperity be joyful, but (Eccl. 7:19-22) in the day of adversity, consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that no one can discover Key Words anything that will come after him. 15 In my futile A. An inheritance comes life I have seen everything: someone righteous without the toil of work. perishes in spite of his righteousness, and someone Likewise, the wisdom that’s passed down or 16 wicked lives long in spite of his evil. Don’t be inherited is to be greatly C excessively righteous, and don’t be overly wise . valued because it comes Why should you destroy yourself? 17 Don’t be without the pain of excessively wicked, and don’t be foolish. Why ignorance. should you die before your time? 18 It is good that B. This term refers to you grasp the one and do not let the other slip from Ecclesiastes 1:15, “What your hand. For the one who fears God will end up is crooked cannot be straightened.” The term is 19 with both of them. Wisdom makes the wise also used by Job (19:6) to person stronger than ten rulers of a city. 20 There blame God for not being is certainly no one righteous on the earth who just. Simply put, no one does good and never sins. 21 Don’t pay attention to can defeat God’s plan— since He is the one doing everything people say, or you may hear your servant the bending or twisting. cursing you, 22 for in your heart you know that many times you yourself have cursed D others. C. Solomon warned the reader of the pain that accompanies a pursuit of too much wisdom. D. Solomon used an idiom “in your heart you know” to help the reader see that we’ve all cursed others or gossiped. Therefore, it’s a common occurrence and shouldn’t be given serious thought since it won’t lead to godly wisdom. 94 EXPLORE THE BIBLE EXPLORE THE TEXT The first part of verse 11 states thatgaining that totally confounded the teaching of wisdom is as good as an inheritance. An traditional wisdom: a righteous person can inheritance is meant to be a blessing to the die young while a wicked person may live a one who receives it. Likewise, the one who long life. The Teacher also addressed a false receives wisdom is greatly blessed. In verse 13, philosophy that seeks the good life through the Teacher asked a rhetorical question strict religious commitments. Obviously, expecting the emphatic answer: “Nobody there is a difference between being excessively can.” Having wisdom involves recognizing righteous and righteous, and being overly God created everything and does all things wise and wise. Theexcessively righteous and according to His own purposes. What is more, overly wise have given themselves to legalism He is in control of everything. Expounding (seeking righteousness by keeping the law on verse 13, the Teacher anticipated and or doing good works) and asceticism (self- answered the question his readers must have denial in order to attain a spiritual ideal). been asking. We must remember that like the The basic notion is that if you obey all the good times, the difficult times are also from rules (and perhaps even make up some new the hand of God. (See Lam. 3:38.) ones), then you will be righteous and have a wonderful life. Why might people find it so difficult at times to trust that God’s ways What is the difference between being a are always best? religious fanatic and being completely devoted to God? BIBLE SKILL: Use a Bible concordance to compare how KEY DOCTRINE: Man By his free a word is used. In Ecclesiastes choice man sinned against God and 7:14,24,26-29, Solomon repeatedly brought sin into the human race used the words “find” and “discover.” (Rom. 1:21-23). Look up the Hebrew word matsa’ in a Bible concordance that includes Recognizing we are all sinners (v. 20) should Hebrew words and examine Old impact how we understand ourselves and Testament passages that use the others. We must learn to deal with people as word. How does the use of this they are—as sinners like us. In verses 21-22, word in other passages help you the Teacher provided an example of what this gain a clearer understanding of why looks like. Solomon would have used the word How does recognizing the tremendous in this passage? mercy, grace, and forgiveness God has The Teacher observed how the pervasiveness shown us empower us to be merciful, of sin and its effects in a fallen world have gracious, and forgiving to others? sullied every aspect of human virtue. In this verse, he pointed out a phenomenon 95 APPLY THE TEXT • Believers can be sure that God’s plans for them are the best. • Believers are to live reasonable and balanced lives. • All people are sinners and therefore are in need of God’s grace and wisdom. List areas in which you struggle to accept God’s plans. What steps can you take to more fully trust Him in each area listed? Ask God to reveal things in your life that are out of balance. What actions do you need to take to get these things aligned with God’s purposes and plans? What does it mean to live a reasonable and balanced Christian life? Discuss as a group why it is wise and good to always remember that all people, including ourselves, are sinners. How does doing so bring honesty and perspective to the group as a whole? As a group, hold one another accountable for memorizing Ecclesiastes 7:20 this week. Prayer Requests DAILY EXPLORATION Day 1: Wisdom comes from God. Read Ecclesiastes 7:11-12, comparing wisdom and inheritance. The first clause of verse 12 provides the Teacher’s reasoning for saying wisdom is as good as an inheritance. It is because both wisdom and financial wealth provideprotection . The phrase wisdom is protection literally is “the shade of wisdom” in Hebrew. The idea of protection derives from the picture of one’s being protected from the intensity of the sun’s rays in the heat of the day. The second clause in verse 11 states that wisdom is an advantage tothose who see the sun. Most scholars understand this phrase to be synonymous with those “under the sun,” meaning every living person. In this case, it means wisdom is good for everyone, which is true.
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