2. How often do you think about the meaning of life and the inevitability of death, and how often do you suppose the author of Ecclesiastes thought about such things?
3. Solomon (presumed to be the author of Ecclesiastes) first decided to set his mind to what? (Ecclesiastes 1:17)
4. Why did he conclude this pursuit to be empty and meaningless?
5. What was Solomon’s second pursuit? (Ecclesiastes 2:1)
6. What was Solomon’s third pursuit? (Ecclesiastes 2:4-9)
7. What was his verdict about the value of all these attempts to find meaning and purpose in life? (Ecclesiastes 2:11)
8. Why does he conclude that wisdom is no better than foolishness?
9. What is the best that human beings can hope for, according to Solomon? (Ecclesiastes 2:24 and others)
10. Why do you think Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 has been considered such a rich source of wisdom in life (as well as a great song by the Byrds)?
11. How would you answer Solomon’s argument that humans may be no better than animals in Ecclesiastes 3:18-21? (Again, can you believe that this is in the Bible?!)
12. What do you think of Solomon’s verdict on the meaninglessness of wealth and the pursuit of money? (Ecclesiastes 5:10-19)
13. Solomon repeatedly bemoans that “there is nothing new under the sun.” Do you think his opinion of the meaningless of life and its accomplishments would be different if he saw the technological and scientific progress of the last few centuries? Why or why not?
14. People tend to either love or hate Ecclesiastes. (It is said that it almost was not included in the Bible!) Which camp do you fall in, and why?
15. Do you think the Teacher’s “conclusions” of 12:1 and 12:13-14 are enough to counter-balance his earlier observations of life’s utter folly, injustice, and meaninglessness?
16. Have you ever written (or received) a love poem? Share what you can about that experience.
17. Why do you suppose a romantic poem, especially one filled with erotic undertones, was included in the Bible?
18. Solomon uses imagery with which he was familiar (an apple tree, pomegranate halves, fawns, an ivory tower, etc.) What modern imagery might you employ if you were writing such a poem today?
19. If Songs was written in Solomon’s youth, Proverbs in his middle age, and Ecclesiastes in his old age (as is sometimes surmised), what development do you see in his thought and theology?
20. The “books of poetry” (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs) communicate God’s truth in a way different than straight text. What can poetry convey that prose cannot?
No comments:
Post a Comment