1. Make a timeline of your life
Start on one end of paper and draw out a line to the end of sheet, representing the beginning and end of your life.
Choose some “BIG DEAL” events in your life and mark them down; leave space to represent the part of your life you have not yet lived
Mark your date of birth, grade you are in, etc. Plot 3-5 things that you want to have happen in your future.
Draw a large cross at the appropriate point on your timeline prior to your current position in life to represent the time when you began to follow Jesus; if you don’t know Christ, draw the cross somewhere in the future.
On your timeline, what would the Teacher say is “meaningless,” based on 1-11?
Journal entry #1: Write a letter to the Teacher and relate to the Teacher something in your life that you believe has meaning and lasting value.

2. Lesson 9 Understanding God
Unit 3: Job & ECC
Lesson 9 Understanding God

3. Does God always make sense?
Newspaper articles?
“Questioning God” p. 52 in textbook

4. Ecc. Journal #2
“Imagine you are being given an opportunity to present yourself before God for the purpose of questioning him about the story you have just heard. Suppose for this activity that God has expressed his willingness to answer you directly. What one burning question do you have for God?

5. Same dilemma, different angle
Job said, “Why do the righteous suffer?” ECC says in a broader sense, “Is there any meaning at all in life?”
We have already seen in the natural order, history, with people, and wisdom that everything is meaningless
WITHOUT GOD!

6. ISAIAH 55:9-11
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways  and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

7. A preliminary look: No purpose: 1:2-11, 14-15, 17-18
Nothing new: 1:9-10
No panacea (solution, answer, or cure) for the wrongs of life: 1:15
No memory of anyone: 1:11
DO THE OBSERVATIONS FOUND IN THIS QUEST LEAD YOU TO PEACE?

8. Zondervan Handbook to the Bible
“Wisdom” at the time…
“Ecclesiastes is a piece of ‘wisdom literature’,…a popular form of writing in Near-Eastern countries in OT times. It is not a familiar form today, and can seem disjointed to us, with its apparently disconnected thoughts and sayings and observations of life. But the theme of Ecclesiastes is singularly ‘modern’; and is shared by many 20th-century novels and plays.
“The book simply observes life and draws logical conclusions. This is life ‘under the sun’, life as we see it…Life as we live it, without God, is futile, meaningless, purposeless, and empty.”

9. OTHER CULTURES:
The Gilgamesh Epic shows humanity’s struggle with these perplexing topics.
Dated: 1300 BC

10. Hebrew Poetry is different
Hebrew Wisdom
Taught God’s people to turn to him and to his Word for comfort and peace during times of trial.
Other cultures, such as the Egyptian
Focused on wisdom for sages and found meaning through the serene and even heroic acceptance of one’s trials.

11. At the time ECC was written, surrounding cultures were producing similar types of wisdom literature, writings that wrestled with various difficult problems, suffering, and the meaning of existence.
What the TEACHER does in ECC is not unique; however, keeping God at the center was distinctive to God’s people. The Teacher is not STUCK with what is meaningless, instead he declares that significance and meaning can indeed be found in God alone.

12. READ Ecc. 8-9 with a partner
Ecc 8:16-17 What did he conclude? Who can comprehend God’s ways?
Ecc 8:12-14 What do these verses say?
Ecc 9:2-6 & 11-12
Ecc 9:1 Who controls what happens to people?
Ecc 8:15? What did the Teacher recommend in this verse?

13. Look back to your timeline:
What would you like to do with your BIG EVENTS? Do they matter? Does God care? Is God in charge?
Look at your future dreams. Can we smile at the future? Do you know the end of the QUEST for meaning in life?

14. Lesson 10 Finding Fulfillment
Unit 3: Job & ECC
Lesson 10 Finding Fulfillment

15. “Finding Fulfilment” Textbook p. 52

16. Look back to your timeline:
What would you like to do with your BIG EVENTS? Do they matter? Does God care? Is God in charge?
Look at your future dreams. Can we smile at the future? Do you know the end of the QUEST for meaning in life?

18. Solomon tries to find fulfillment in life without God…

19. Ecc. 6
“If there was no limit to the amount of money you could spend, the power you could exercise, the fame you could enjoy, what might your life be like? Look back at the picture, what does your present day search for significance include? What are thinking will add lasting pleasure to your life? Ecc 6 says that none of these things brings joy. Read Matt 6: What does Jesus say about earthly treasures?

20. Where do you find fulfillment?
Find ONE ad; paste the ad on your paper.
Answer these questions on your paper: What is your advertisement trying to sell?
What attracts you to this add?
How does this message compare to what God is telling us through Ecclesiastes?
Look at this ad: In what way could 7th graders be making an Esau trade?
Journal #3:
Does God want us to enjoy life? What does the Teacher say about this? What is the difference between seeking pleasure and finding enjoyment? (see 2:10-11 and 24-26)

22. Discuss Where do people go today to find fulfillment?
What kinds of things do people think bring happiness in life?
In what ways, if any, can these things bring meaning to your life?
Can you think of a way that purchasing or using the item from one of these ads could bring honor to God?

23. Read and ANSWER: 1:12-18 2:1-11 2:12-16 2:17-26 4:13-16 5:8-17 6:1-12
What is meaningless?
Why is it meaningless?
2:1-11
2:12-16
Record one or more examples of this in today’s world
2:17-26
4:13-16
Be prepared to present chart to class.
5:8-17
6:1-12

24. Journal #3
Does God want us to enjoy life? What does the Teacher say about this? What is the difference between seeking pleasure and finding enjoyment? (see 2:10-11 and 24-26)

25. Lesson 11
A Time for Everything

26. Journal #4 Read Matthew 6:19-24
What did Jesus Teach concerning possessions and pleasure?
Where are your treasures?
What steps can you take to make sure your treasure is in heaven?

27. Opposites game!
1 minute on the clock to write down as many opposites as you can!

28. Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
14 opposites?

29. Ecclesiastes 3:9-14
What did the Teacher mean when he said that “God has made everything beautiful in its time?”
God has set eternity in each person’s heart but none of us are able to find out the grand scheme of things!
Why do you think God has instilled within us a profound sense of the divine?

30. Memorization- Ecc. 3:1-14 YOU CAN DO IT!
Memorization due: _________________________.