Meaningless Toil
to Life Changing Love
Ecclesiastes 4:1-16 - New International Version (NIV)
1 Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place
under the sun:
I saw the tears of the oppressed—
and they have no comforter;
power was on the side of their oppressors—
and they have no comforter.
2 And I declared that the dead,
who had already died,
are happier than the living,
who are still alive.
3 But better than both
is the one who has never been born,
who has not seen the evil
that is done under the sun.
and they have no comforter;
power was on the side of their oppressors—
and they have no comforter.
2 And I declared that the dead,
who had already died,
are happier than the living,
who are still alive.
3 But better than both
is the one who has never been born,
who has not seen the evil
that is done under the sun.
4 And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one
person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
5 Fools fold their hands
and ruin themselves.
6 Better one handful with tranquillity
than two handfuls with toil
and chasing after the wind.
and ruin themselves.
6 Better one handful with tranquillity
than two handfuls with toil
and chasing after the wind.
7 Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:
8 There was a man all alone;
he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
“and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is meaningless—
a miserable business!
he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
“and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is meaningless—
a miserable business!
9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
13 Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no
longer knows how to heed a warning. 14 The youth may
have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty
within his kingdom. 15 I saw that all who lived and
walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. 16 There
was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later
were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after
the wind.
What
did the Teacher see “taking place under
the sun” (verse 1)?
Who did the Teacher declare was “happier than the living” (verse 2)?
Who has not “seen the evil that is done under the sun” (verse 3)?
What does the Teacher say that “all toil and all achievement” spring
from (verse 4)?
In your opinion, what does the Teacher mean by
“fools fold their hands and ruin
themselves” (verse 5)?
What is better than “two handfuls with toil” (verse 6)?
In your opinion, why does the Teacher say that
it is meaningless to endlessly toil alone
(verse 8)?
Why are two better than one (verses 9 and 10)?
What do two lying down together do (verse 11)?
What is “not
quickly broken” (verse 12)?
Who is better than a “foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning” (verse 13)?
Who followed “the youth, the king’s successor” (verse 15)?
Who was “not
pleased with the successor” (verse 16)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of
this passage?
Matthew
5:43-47 - New International
Version (NIV)
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and
hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be
children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and
the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If
you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax
collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own
people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be
perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
What
does Jesus say that His hearers have heard was said (verse 43)?
Who does Jesus tell us to love (verse 44)?
Who does Jesus tell us to pray for (verse 44)?
Who does our Father in Heaven cause His sun to
rise on (verse 45)?
What do even tax collectors do (verse 46)?
What do even pagans do (verse 47)?
How are we to be (verse 48)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of
this passage?
In your opinion, what causes the difference
between the attitude of the Teacher who says that, due to oppression, the dead
are better off than the living in Ecclesiastes 4:1-16, and Jesus, who commands
in Matthew 5:43-47 “love your enemies and
pray for those who persecute you”?
Romans
12:9-21 – New
International Version (NIV)
9 Love must be sincere. Hate
what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to
one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never
be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be
joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share
with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute
you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who
rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony
with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of
low position. Do not be conceited.
17 Do not repay anyone evil
for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If
it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do
not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is
written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On
the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry,
feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by
evil, but overcome evil with good.
What
must be sincere (verse 9)?
In your opinion, what does it mean to “be devoted to one another in love” (verse
10)?
What are we supposed to keep (verse 11)?
How are we to respond to affliction (verse
12)?
Who are we to share with (verse 13)?
Who are we to bless (verse 14)?
In your opinion, why should we “rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with
those who mourn” (verse 15)?
Who should we be willing to associate
with (verse 16)?
How should we not repay evil (verse 17)?
How should we live with others, if it
is possible (verse 18)?
What should we leave room for (verse
19)?
How do we heap burning coals on our
enemies heads (verse 20)?
How should we overcome evil (verse
21)?
In your opinion, what is the basic
message of this passage?
In your opinion, what do the oppressed people
that the Teacher talked about in Ecclesiastes 4:1-16 need to become the people
that Paul instructed to “bless those who
persecute you” and to “overcome evil
with good” in Romans 12:9-21?
In your opinion, how can we who find
it easy to be zealous in hating our enemies listen to the command of Jesus from
Matthew 5:43-47 to “love your enemy” and
still be able to follow Paul’s instruction from Romans 12:9-21 that we “never be lacking in zeal” even while we
are overcoming “evil with good”?
1
Peter 4:4-11 – New
International Version (NIV)
4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless,
wild living, and they heap abuse on you. 5 But they will
have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For
this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so
that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body,
but live according to God in regard to the spirit.
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober
mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other
deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer
hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of
you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful
stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If
anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If
anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all
things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the
power for ever and ever. Amen.
How will non-Christians be surprised by the
Christians (verse 4)?
Who will the non-Christians have to give
account to (verse 5)?
In your opinion, what does Peter mean when he
says the gospel was preached “even to
those who are now dead” (verse 6)?
Why should Christians be “alert and of sober mind so that you may pray” (verse 7)?
In your opinion, whose multitude of sins does
love cover over (verse 8)?
How should hospitality be offered to others (verse 9)?
What should each one use the gift they received
to do (verse 10)?
How should the Christian speak (verse 11)?
How should the Christian serve (verse 11)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of
this passage?
In your opinion, how are the dead that the
Teacher said in Ecclesiastes 4:1-16 were “happier
than the living, who are still alive” and the dead that the gospel had been
preached to that Peter refers to in 1 Peter 4:4-11 similar? And what is their biggest difference?
In your opinion, how does Peter’s instruction
in 1 Peter 4:4-11 to “love each other
deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins” help us move toward
obedience to the instruction of Jesus from Matthew 5:43-47 to “be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly
Father is perfect”?
In your opinion, what do we learn from 1 Peter
4:4-11 that helps us in attempting to obey Paul’s instruction from Romans
12:9-21 “do not be overcome by evil, but
overcome evil with good”?
In your opinion, what do these passages from Ecclesiastes,
Matthew, Romans and 1 Peter teach us about living oppressed versus serving “with the strength God provides”?
In your opinion, how do we move from a life of
meaningless toil to life changing love?
(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)
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