Intro
Welcome to Ecclesiastes!

Over the 11 days, it is our prayer that you reflect on key questions on life and death, learning to treasure Jesus more fully and live in light of the cross and resurrection. The Scriptures are living and active (Hebrews 4:12), meaning that God is continuing even today to use his Word to change our lives. May this be a fruitful time of study and devotion for you.

As you begin, consider this note on genre:

Ecclesiastes fits into a genre of Scripture referred to as “wisdom literature” alongside Proverbs, Job, and Song of Songs. These Old Testament books have one primary goal: “to develop character in the reader” (Grasping God’s Word). They build upon the theological foundation of the biblical story and address practical elements of how to live in the world in light of this foundation.

Proverbs functions as the center of wisdom literature, demonstrating the default approach to life. “Proverbs presents the rational, ordered norms of life, while the other three books present the expectations and limitations to the rational, ordered approach to life” (Grasping God’s Word).

In this framework, Ecclesiastes provides an exception to the centering wisdom of Proverbs by demonstrating the failure of the rational, ordered approach to provide ultimate meaning to life.

 Read

• Read Ecclesiastes 1:1-11. Consider reading the passage in two different translations, such as the English Standard Version (ESV) and New Living Translation (NLT).
  
  

“Vanity” is the key word in Ecclesiastes–it shows up 38 times across the 12 chapters! The Hebrew word is hevel, which can be translated a variety of ways: “vanity,” “absurdity,” “fleeting,” “vapor,” “mist,” “futility,” and the like.

• As best you understand, explain the meaning of hevel in your own words based on this passage. 
• How does an understanding of sin inform why “all is vanity” (v.1)? 
• V.3 is the central question of this passage. How does the Preacher answer his question in v.4-11? 
• What is the significance of cycles and repetition for the Preacher? How do they play into his argument?  
  
  

• Ecclesiastes forces you to ask the question, “Shouldn’t you be happier?” Would you say that you’re happy? Why or why not? 
• When have you experienced the reality that there is “nothing new under the sun”? What makes this a relatable phrase for you? 
• What is a time you ‘gained,’ only to find out it didn’t totally fulfill you. What happened?  
• How do you typically respond when life feels monotonous? 
• Do you think much about these deep questions about the purpose and meaning of life? Why or why not? How do you tend to think about them? 
• How does this passage portray your need for the gospel?

Consider the following prayer prompts:

• Praise God for including a book like Ecclesiastes in Scripture–a book that so honestly wrestles with the big questions of life. 
• Repent of any ways you have turned to things other than the Lord to find your happiness and meaning in life. 
• Ask God for wisdom in clarity in life’s meaning and purpose as you continue to study Ecclesiastes. 
• Yield to God by patiently wrestling with the questions posed by the Preacher.
  
  

Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:26

Read

• Read Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:26. Consider reading the passage in two different translations, such as the English Standard Version (ESV) and New Living Translation (NLT). 

Examine

• Why does the Preacher conclude that wisdom is vanity? 
• Why does the Preacher conclude that self-indulgence is vanity? 
• Why does the Preacher conclude that toil is vanity? 
• How does death shape the Preacher’s search for meaning in life? 
• Looking at 2:24-26, how does an awareness of God inform the conversation on futility? 

Apply

• How is Ecclesiastes relevant today? How is Preacher’s quest similar and/or different from the quests people embark on today?
• What do people today seek to find life and meaning in? Which pursuits are most tempting to you?  
• How might you discuss the truths of this passage with a non-Christian? 
• Do you tend to avoid thinking about death? How might facing the inevitability of death help you approach life more wisely? 

Pray

Consider the following prayer prompts:

• Praise God that he has graciously shown us the path to life and shown us what is vanity. 
• Repent of the pursuit of vanity in your life. 
• Ask God to help you reject the allure of these vain aspects of life, and to pursue life and meaning in Christ. 
• Yield to God by refusing to seek ultimate meaning in that which is vanity. 

 
Related Resources
Sermon - Everything is Never Enough

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22

Read 

• Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-22. Consider reading the passage in two different translations, such as the English Standard Version (ESV) and New Living Translation (NLT). 

Examine

• What does the poetry in v.1-8 imply about God’s nature and sovereignty? 
• What does this poem NOT mean? What are some misinterpretations that should be avoided (ex: using “a time to kill” as moral license to murder)? 
• What does the Preacher mean when he says that God “put eternity into man’s heart” (v.11)? 
• In v.18-22, the Preacher addresses the common death shared by humans and animals. How does an understanding of the Fall (Genesis 3) inform our understanding of this passage, of “the irony that we die like cattle because we fancied ourselves as gods”? 

Apply 

• What things do you try to control? How can you work on releasing your controlling grip on these things? How does this text lead you to trust God and be comfortable knowing you’re not in control of everything? 
• What is your reaction to the recognition that your season of life is not permanent? Does that excite or disappoint you? 
• How would you describe your current season of life? How have you noticed God being active in it? 
• How does the reality of judgment affect the anxieties you have in the present?

Pray

Consider the following prayer prompts:

• Praise God for who he is: that he is outside of time and sovereign over it. 
• Repent of the desire to “control” your life and be your own god. 
• Ask God to help you receive and live in your present season well, to be faithful wherever God has you. 
• Yield to God by living faithfully as a follower of Jesus in whatever season he has you. 

Related Resources
Sermon - A Season for Everything

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Read 

• Read Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. Consider reading the passage in two different translations, such as the English Standard Version (ESV) and New Living Translation (NLT). 

Examine 

• What do v.9-12 teach about the importance of community in life? Why is community necessary to humanity? 
• Read Genesis 2:18. How is this text relevant to the Preacher’s point in this passage? 
• Read Acts 2:42-47. How does this passage bolster your understanding of Christian community? 
• How does the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus create community and inform our understanding of community? 

Apply 

• One way to pursue Christian community is to devote yourself to community. Would you consider yourself devoted? Why or why not? What steps could you take to devote yourself to community? 
• In order to live in healthy community, you need a variety of relationships at different levels of death. You must “find your people.” One pathway to develop healthy Christian relationships is to join a Community Group. If you’ve not joined one, fill out an Interest Form on the “Connect” tab of the WPBC app. If you are in a CG, evaluate your devotion and involvement. How can you grow here? 
• Christians living in community must expect it to be messy. What’s a time you’ve experienced the mess of Christian community? What did you learn from the experience? What do you think it looks like to honor Jesus and pursue community amidst its messiness? 

Pray

Consider the following prayer prompts:

• Praise God that he has created community in the gospel, that man should not have to be alone. 
• Repent of any prideful, individualistic approach to your own life that neglects the importance of community. 
• Ask God to help you in your practice of community. 
• Yield to God by seeking out life together, embracing the messiness of the church, and resolving to grow together as followers of Jesus. 

Related Resources
Sermon - Two Are Better Than One

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

Read 

• Read Ecclesiastes 5:1-7. Consider reading the passage in two different translations, such as the English Standard Version (ESV) and New Living Translation (NLT). 

Examine 

• Why is it significant that “God is in heaven and you are on earth”? 
• To “let your words be few” before God cannot be a prohibition on prayer. What does it mean to “be not rash with your mouth,” and what is the author communicating? 
• What does it mean to make a vow to God? 
• What does it mean to fear God? What does it not mean?

Apply 

• What might it look like to “guard your steps” in worshipping God today? How can you encourage others communally in sincere worship? 
• How does this passage keep you from becoming irreverent in our relationship with God while still being personal and honest? 
• How can you grow in listening to God more than speaking? 
• How does this passage shape how you approach various commitments in the context of community? 
• What practices can you incorporate in your life to increase your fear of God? 

Pray

Consider the following prayer prompts:

• Praise God that he is wonderful enough to be worthy of our awe-ful, reverent fear. 
• Repent of any prideful attitude within you to worship yourself instead of God, or any ways you have lived by fearing men rather than God. 
• Ask God to reveal his glory to you that you might appropriately fear him. 
• Yield to God in worship, submitting to him. 

Related Resources
Sermon - Authentic Worship

Ecclesiastes 7:1-25

Read 

• Read Ecclesiastes 7:1-25. Consider reading the passage in two different translations, such as the English Standard Version (ESV) and New Living Translation (NLT). 

Examine

• How does this passage present the pursuit of wisdom as a better response to this world’s brokenness than escapism/denial? 
• What are the limitations to wisdom in a broken world according to this passage? 
• According to v.23-25, how is wisdom insufficient to bring us complete knowledge about the entire world? How does this conclusion fit into the Preacher’s larger message and argument in Ecclesiastes? 
• What does this passage teach (explicitly or implicitly) about God and his character? What does it teach about humanity and the human condition? 
• V.20 says, “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.” Explain how Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection form a proper understanding of this passage. 

Apply 

• How does this passage help you recognize and embrace your limitations? 
• Wisdom may not bring complete knowledge of the universe, but it still has value. What practices can you incorporate in your life to foster wisdom? 
• Which of the wisdom statements resonates with you most? Why? 
• What does the reality of v.14—that God is sovereign over both prosperity and adversity—mean for your everyday discipleship? How does this truth challenge you to live both when your circumstances are good and when they are challenging? 
• How does the knowledge that nobody (other than Jesus) is totally sinless teach you to live in community with one another? 
• This passage teaches that the funeral is a better classroom than the party, nostalgia is a comforting liar, and hard teachers only help humble students. Which of these three points resonates with you most? Why?  

Pray

Consider the following prayer prompts:

• Praise God for the gift of his wisdom, that he desires to impart it upon us that we may live rightly. 
• Repent of any ways in thought or deed you have sought to live outside your human limitations. 
• Ask God to reveal his sovereignty to you so powerfully that you trust him and serve him whether your life is going well or poorly. 
• Yield to God by remembering that God is Lord over both the day of prosperity and adversity. 

Related Resources
Sermon - The Teachers We Try To Avoid

Ecclesiastes 8:1-17

Read 

• Read Ecclesiastes 8:1-17. Consider reading the passage in two different translations, such as the English Standard Version (ESV) and New Living Translation (NLT). 

Examine

• The Preacher recognizes the absurdity that the world is often backwards when it comes to good and evil (v.14). What is his solution to this reality? 
• How does fear of God relate to the reality of injustice in the world? 
• How does the Preacher’s recommendation of having fun (v.15) fit into the flow of the passage? What kind of joy is he commending?  
• How does the gospel assure us of the final defeat of wickedness and injustice? How does Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection bring confidence that fearing God is better than doing evil? 

Apply 

• How does this passage challenge you to live under imperfect authorities on earth? What are Christlike attitudes and habits we can exhibit toward leaders? 
• Where do you wrestle with the reality that justice often seems slow or absent? How does this passage challenge you to respond? 
• What are some examples of people today feeling “safe to do wrong” because justice seems slow/absent? How should you respond? 
• What are some joys of ordinary life you could cherish more in light of v.15? 
• Grounded in the gospel, how can you pursue justice and joy in the context of Christian community? 

Pray

Consider the following prayer prompts:

• Praise God that the gospel is our answer to the injustices of the world, that he sees our needs and is meeting them. 
• Repent of ways you have failed to trust God appropriately, relying on false idols for safety or provision. 
• Ask God to execute justice, to help the oppressed, and to liberate the captives. Call on him in his holiness, love, and justice to act for the sake of his people. 
• Yield to God by trusting him. 

Related Resources
Sermon - Wise Living in a Wicked World

Ecclesiastes 9:1-18

Read 

• Read Ecclesiastes 9:1-18. Consider reading the passage in two different translations, such as the English Standard Version (ESV) and New Living Translation (NLT). 

Examine

• What is the Preacher communicating about life when he says that “a living dog is better than a dead lion” (v.4)? 
• How does the reality of death lead to the importance of enjoyment for the Preacher? 
• How does the gospel form a robust understanding of death for Christians? 
• Why does the Preacher encourage enjoyment of life’s gifts (food, drink, marriage, etc.)? What do these gifts reveal about God’s character and generosity? 
• What does the unpredictability of life (v.11-12) teach us about both God and humanity? 

Apply 

• How does the gospel teach you to “die well”? 
• What might it look like to love this life in accordance with the knowledge that it is fleeting? 
• “Everyone must give an account before God of all the good things one saw in life and did not enjoy.” How does this quote challenge you to live? What good things can you enjoy this week? 
• How does the gospel help you navigate the unpredictability of life and its hardships (v.11-12)? What might it look like to follow Jesus well through this unpredictability? 

Pray

Consider the following prayer prompts:

• Praise God for creating such a beautiful world for us to enjoy. 
• Repent of any lack of enjoyment of the physical world, of not appreciating and loving what God has created. 
• Ask God for opportunities to enjoy even the small pleasures of life as a way to worship him. 
• Yield to God by enjoying something consciously today, and giving praise to God for it. 

Related Resources
Sermon - Carpe Diem: Jesus Edition

​Ecclesiastes 11:1-6

Read 

• Read Ecclesiastes 11:1-6. Consider reading the passage in two different translations, such as the English Standard Version (ESV) and New Living Translation (NLT). 

Examine

• David Gibson says the idea of v.1-2 is that “because the future is uncertain, there is risk involved in what we do, but that risk is not meant to paralyze.” What is being communicated here about wise living? 
• How does the repeated emphasis of “you do not know” (v.2, 5, 6) shape the meaning of the passage? 
• V.6 says that “you do not know which will prosper.” What does this reveal about human perspective on success and failure?   
• What does this passage teach about the importance of not putting all one’s eggs in one basket? How does this fit into the Preacher’s larger argument in Ecclesiastes? 

Apply 

•  
• In light of v.1-2 and the idea that life has unavoidable risk, what might it look like to take risks for the sake of the gospel? What are some of the things you cling to tightly that this text might encourage you to hold more loosely? 
• Where in life do you hesitate to act because you’re waiting for the perfect circumstances? What might it look like to act in faith? How can community help? 
• How does v.5 challenge you to live in relation to God? 
• Do thoughts of success and failure dominate your thinking about life? How can you bring these thoughts more in line with the gospel? What does it look like to handle both earthly success and failure well? 

Pray

Consider the following prayer prompts:

• Praise God for his abundant provision in your life. 
• Repent of ways you have failed to trust God’s provision. 
• Ask God to provide for your “daily bread,” meeting your needs faithfully. 
• Yield to God, trusting that he will provide, rejecting the anxiety that would lead you to doubt his provision. 

Related Resources
Sermon - Living Courageously Through Uncertainty

Ecclesiastes 12:1-8

Read 

• Read Ecclesiastes 12:1-8. Consider reading the passage in two different translations, such as the English Standard Version (ESV) and New Living Translation (NLT). 

Examine 

• What does it mean to “remember” God throughout life? How does this charge fit within the overall storyline of the Bible? 
• Why is it significant that God is described as the Creator in this passage? How does that shape our understanding of the text’s meaning?  
• Read Luke 17:11-19. How does this story of the ten lepers shed light on the idea of “remembering your Creator”? 
• V.1-5 poetically describe the inevitable breakdown of the human body. Why does the Preacher suggest people remember the Creator before their bodies break down?  

Apply 

• How does this passage compare to modern cultural perspectives on youth and old age? 
• How can older and younger believers help each other to live out the truths of this text practically? If you consider yourself to be in the younger category, do you have meaningful relationships with older believers? If you consider yourself to be in the older category, do you have meaningful relationships with younger believers? What can you do if not? 
• What rhythms can you build to help you remember your creator in the ordinary flow of life? What counter-rhythms cause you to forget your creator, and how can you fight against these? What does it look like to live knowing that you are the creature, not the creator? 
• How does the gospel inform our understanding and application of this passage? 

Pray

Consider the following prayer prompts:

• Praise God that, because of the gospel, even the breakdown of our bodies is not the end of our story.
• Repent of how you have tried to live as the creator, rejecting your position as creature in relation to him. 
• Ask God for help to continually remember him, to live with an awareness of who he is and what he’s done, and who you are in light of this. 
• Yield to God by remembering him today. 

Related Resources
Sermon - Advice From Your Future Self

Ecclesiastes 12:9-14

Read 

• Read Ecclesiastes 12:9-14. Consider reading the passage in two different translations, such as the English Standard Version (ESV) and New Living Translation (NLT). 

Examine

• V.11 teaches that wisdom is like a cattle prod—how does this imagery help explain the role of wisdom in life?  
• V.11 says that wisdom ultimately comes from “one Shepherd.” How does the biblical theme of God as shepherd (Psalm 23; John 10) shape the meaning of this passage? 
• How does v.13 serve as the theological conclusion and center of Ecclesiastes? How does the gospel impact how we understand this verse?  
• Bobby Jamieson says, “To fear God is to fulfill your humanity.” In light of this, explain v.14 in your own words.
• What is the significance of Ecclesiastes ending with a statement about God’s justice and judgment? How does the gospel demonstrate God’s justice?  
• How does Ecclesiastes point forward to Jesus and the gospel? 

Apply 

• Where are some areas that you’re noticing God’s Word poking and prodding you (v.11)? What should you do in response? 
• How does the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus encourage and equip you to obey God? 
• What does a healthy fear of God look like in your daily life (personal relationships, at home, at work, etc.)? 
• Are there any commands of the Lord that you know you’ve been neglecting? What might obedience look like this week?
• How does a recognition that God will one day make all things right impact the way you live in the present? 
• What final takeaways do you have from your study of Ecclesiastes? List 2-3 especially valuable insights or action steps. 

Pray

Consider the following prayer prompts:

• Praise God for his gift of the book Ecclesiastes. 
• Repent of breaking God’s commandments and not fearing him, whether in thought or deed. 
• Ask God to help you grow in fear and obedience, experiencing the joy of being fully human as a follower of Jesus. 
• Yield to God by obeying him today. 

 
Related Resources
Sermon - Wisdom for Living...On Both Sides of the Grave