 Materials Needed: None.
Notes to the Leader: There is often a pattern that develops with Bible
Study in that the literal translation of Scripture is passed over without
in-depth examination. You might call it teaching by snippets. The
danger is that erroneous conclusions can be drawn, leading someone away from
the very behavior God desires. In this lesson, we find a good place to
observe the risks of taking Scripture literally. Solomon is dead wrong
about his observations concerning death. The value is not in his words
but the study of supporting Scripture and in understanding his errors of
judgment. This study weaves Old and New Testament views of death
together into a hope-filled story.
Introduction
How would you compare
the social discussion that goes on at a wedding versus a funeral?
- At weddings, all
things point to the future. One's expectations for life take center
stage.
- At a funeral, people
tend to examine the life of the departed. There is even a tendency to do
some reflection on your own life.
Why do you think that
Solomon, the wisest and richest man in the world, should be so
preoccupied by death?
- Solomon viewed death
as an end, rather than a beginning. Therefore, as he looked into the
future, he saw that death stole all the profits of a man's labor.
- Solomon's description
of a house of mourning was meant to be a funeral while his reference to
a house of feasting was meant to be a wedding. His methodology of
investigating by looking ahead had hit a road block. Solomon's vision
ended at man's death.
Section One: Why Death is Better than Life
Have someone in your group read
Ecclesiastes 6:1-12.
What is the irony that
Solomon struggles to understand?
- People are blessed
with affluence but are never satisfied. Contentment, therefore, cannot
be achieved.
What is the strange
relationship that Solomon sees between desire, possessions, and
enjoyment?
- Some desire but never
posses. Others posses but never enjoy. Solomon sees the fact that a
stranger gets to enjoy what is owned by another as a grievous evil and
one of the cruel ironies that make life so meaningless.
- In Old Testament
times, a person with many children or a person with a long life were
seen as blessed. Someone with both, were very blessed. Solomon concludes
that even with these blessings, someone may not enjoy the prosperity or
even have a proper burial.
Read Jeremiah 22:18-19 to your group.
What is the disgrace
that is discussed here?
- Jewish burials
typically took place the same day a person died. Friends and neighbors
gathered to show respect and mourn openly and loudly. All who saw a
funeral procession were expected to join in. In contrast, Jeremiah
cursed King Jehoiakim by saying that he would have a burial of a donkey.
Why is Solomon saying
that a still-born child is better off?
- The family mourns and
the child never had to experience and loose the many worldly blessings.
Solomon states the ultimate in negative attitudes, "it is better to have
never lived than to live."
Re-read Ecclesiastes 6:7-8 to your group.
What does Solomon say
about the human appetite (desires)?
- Even when we get what
we want, we are not satisfied.
- The wise man has no
advantage over the fool.
- The poor man who knows
how to live properly has no advantage if he cannot acquire what he truly
wants.
Note: Solomon does admit that to be
satisfied with what you have is better than wanting what you cannot
have. But he attaches no real meaning to this fact either.
Re-read Ecclesiastes 6:10-12 to your
group.
What does Solomon mean
when he says, "what man is has been known from the beginning?"
- The name of man, Adam,
means "from the earth." There is a Hebrew idiom that says to give
something a name is to cause it to exist. Solomon confirms that the
nature of all things have been defined by a Creator. Solomon concludes,
that since God has named man "from the earth," man is of the earth.
Section Two: Is Death Man's Destiny?
Have someone in your group read
Ecclesiastes 7:1-6.
Solomon is stating
that the day of death is better that the day of birth. Why?
- Solomon concludes,
that to gain a greater perspective on live, one must contemplate death.
On one's day of birth, we cannot conclude whether that new life will be
a happy one. However, on one's death, one can look back and draw all of
the necessary conclusions. Solomon's four points are:
- It is better to go
to a funeral than to a wedding
- The living should
take their destiny (death) to heart
- Sorrow is better
than laughter
- The wise prefer
sober reflection (the heart in the house of mourning)
- Reproof is better
than frivolity
How has Solomon come
to such a hopeless view of humanity?
- He has limited his
understanding only to that which he could observe, experience or
understand. When coming to grips with our own faith in Christ, it is
important we do not follow in Solomon's footsteps.
Have someone in your group read
Ecclesiastes 7:7-14.
Solomon draws the
conclusion that we are not in control of our own lives. Why?
- Even a wise person can
fail by being a victim of extortion or bribery
- The impatient and
proud act hastily and can't wait to see how things turn out
- It is dangerous to let
yourself be provoked to anger
- The traditions of the
past are poor guidelines for the present
- Wisdom benefits the
living (wisdom is no benefit to the dead)
- Wisdom and money are
both useful, but wisdom is more likely to extend one's life
Note: Solomon has given us some good
advice and stated a truth here. Only at the end of our life can we look
back and tell whether our lives have been good or bad.
What are some of
Solomon's incorrect assumptions?
- It is not true that by
looking back, we can find any meaning to life
- Biological life is not
really the end of any individual's existence
Section Three: Death in the Old Testament
Read Genesis 2:7 to your group.
What was unique about
God's life to man?
- It was comprised of
both a physical life and a spiritual state.
- It involved the gift
of an image or likeness.
What does this gift of
God's image or likeness do for us?
- It lifts us above
animal creation and makes each human being special.
Read Genesis 2:17 to your group.
What happened to Adam
and Eve with respect to death?
- They died both
spiritually and physically (their bodies began to decay and break down)
What is spiritual
death?
- Being cut off from an
intimate relationship with God and it also corrupts our relationships
with others.
Read Genesis 3:21 to your group.
Why did God cloth Adam
and Eve with animal skins? Why wasn't this something Adam and Eve did
for themselves out of shame and fear?
- These were history's
first sacrifices. This is the first intimation in Scripture that the
effects of sin could be reversed by the death of a substitute.
What did this first
sacrifice do?
- Adam and Eve were
again able to fellowship with the Lord. While this was a temporary
bridge over the chasm of spiritual death, it offered hope that one day,
a permanent restoration would occur.
If God made this
repair to their spiritual life, why wouldn't He do the same for their
biological life as well?
- He did, but not until
the resurrection of Christ.
Section Four: Death in the New Testament
Have someone in your group read Ephesians
2:1-5.
What similarity to you
see here with regard to spiritual death?
- God restores spiritual
life that has been dead because of sin.
What does God do about
our biological death?
- His restoration
through Christ is complete. While we live here in physical decay, we
respond with hope in His Gospel that, through His love and mercy, freely
given to us, we will gain eternal life.
What would you
consider to be the most important benefit of eternal life?
- The complete
restoration of our intimate relationship with God.
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