Ecclesiastes 11:1-10

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TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

Diligence in Uncertainty

BACKGROUND NOTES



DOCTRINAL POINT(S)

  1. Believers should work hard even though the future is uncertain.

  2. Believers should enjoy life because the prime of life is fleeting.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

  1. Apply the principles of Ecclesiastes 11 to spreading the Gospel!

QUESTIONS

  1. List four facts about life that we would not and could not know apart from God-given revelation from His Word.

  2. In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon teaches us that we should live our lives joyously. However, in doing so, we should remember three important lessons. List them.

  3. What is the primary lesson Solomon is teaching in verses 1-6 regarding a believer’s work?

  4. What particular lesson is Solomon teaching in verse 4 regarding a believer’s work?

  5. In verse 8, Solomon refers to people who live to an old age. What is he teaching them?

ANSWERS

  1. Apart from the divine revelation that God has given us in the Bible, we would not know that: a . There is life after death. b. There is a heaven and a hell. c. There is a purpose for living. d. How life began.

  2. While living our lives joyously, we should remember that: a. Life is a gift of God and that we should live our lives to please Him, not ourselves. b. Life is short, so we should take advantage of the days the Lord has given us. c. While God in His sovereign grace has given us divine revelation, He has not revealed everything to us.

  3. The primary lesson Solomon is teaching in verses 1-6 is that even though our knowledge is limited, we should still work hard. Not knowing the details of the future should not cause us to stop working hard today.

  4. In verse 4, Solomon teaches us that we should not always wait for ideal conditions before we begin our work. Those who wait for perfect weather conditions before they plow and plant, will never reap.

  5. In verse 8, Solomon is teaching people who live to an old age the same lesson he teaches those who are younger: the remaining days of life may be short and the darkness of death may be right around the corner, so live life joyously and for the glory of God.

DISCUSS/CONSIDER

  1. Discuss the many advantages of having a diligent and consistent work ethic in your profession, vocation and in your home. Consider the necessity of good work habits in the application of the spiritual gift(s) God has given each believer for use in the church body.

CHALLENGE

  1. Have you made a concerted effort to share the wonderful Word of God with others? Have you been waiting and waiting for the ideal moment to share your faith with the unbeliever you work with each day? Take the words of 2 Timothy 4:2 seriously, and “Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season.”

KEY VERSES

  • “As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, so you do not know the works of God who makes all things. Ecclesiastes 11:5



Ecclesiastes, Old Testament, TalksDeb HarmsEcclesiastes 11:1-10