Ecclesiastes 3 | frustration & joy
(Mike Flynn - Vicar)
Questions:
Here is an outline of Ecclesiastes 3.
Time [3:1-8]
Our times are determined by God and our job is to be wise enough to discern them
Frustration and Joy [3:9-15]
We have ‘eternity set in our hearts yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end’ Even so we can find joy in our daily lives as a gift of God
Justice [3:16-21]
If we work against God by acting unjustly then the very act of injustice mocks us instead of God. Our injustice shows we are like beasts rather than like gods.
Joy [3:22]
Ecclesiastes encourages his readers to respond to the uncertainties and fixed times of life with actively pursuing the gifts of joy that God holds out to us.
Q: Do you think there are seasons in life that the wise need to recognise and prepare for?
Q: What reason does the apostle Paul give in Romans 8:18-30 for why God has subjected our world to frustration?
Q: Is Ecclesiastes recommending passivity in the face of the times God has set or something else?
Q: How do we find the gift of joy according to Ecclesiastes 3?
Q: How does our rebellion against God’s ways in verses 16-21 turn out not to mock God but ourselves?
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