Reflection Questions

1. How does Solomon’s reminder that death comes to all (9:2–3) challenge the way we view our daily lives?

2 Which of Solomon’s points on enjoying God’s blessing (9:7-10) resonated with you and why? Daily provisions, spouse, or work. 

3. Solomon reminds us that even wise people are quickly forgotten (9:15). How does this truth redirect us to live for Christ rather than human recognition?

4. Why is it so easy to waste life on distractions (social media, entertainment, trivial pursuits)? How can we guard against becoming “trivial” ourselves?

5. How do our words reveal whether we are wise or foolish (10:12–15)? What practical steps can we take to use our words to build up rather than tear down?

Reflection Questions

1. How do verses 5–6 remind us that wisdom involves knowing the right time and the right way to respond? What does this look like practically in our workplaces, churches, or communities?

2. How does acknowledging our limits (vv. 7–8) help us avoid rebellion and instead trust God’s sovereignty over authority, justice, and death?

3. How can we teach our children to respect authority in the home so that they learn to respect authority outside the home?

4. Why does Solomon command joy in the midst of confusion and injustice? How does gratitude help us resist the temptation to dwell on the past or worry about the future? (vs 14-15)

5. How can we encourage one another to rest in God’s sovereignty when life doesn’t make sense? (vs 16-17)

Reflection Questions: 

1. How does impatience reveal pride in our hearts? Can you think of a recent situation where impatience led to anger? (Ecc 7:7-12)

2. How might reflecting on God’s sovereignty, “consider the words of God,” change the way you approach your devotional life? How are you doing that, or what steps can you take to start doing that? (7:13-14)

3. Avoiding Extremes (7:15-18)

   A. What does it mean to be “overly righteous”? How might legalism or pride masquerade as righteousness in our lives?

   B. Why is it dangerous to let sin discourage us into a downward spiral? How does fearing God keep us balanced?

4. Why does Solomon describe sexual sin as “more bitter than death”? How does this warning speak to you and our culture today? (7:26)

Reflection Questions

1. Ecclesiastes 7:2 says, “It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting.” Why might sorrow be more spiritually impactful than celebrations? How does this align with the gospel?

2. In 6:1–6, Solomon describes someone who has everything but cannot enjoy it. What does this teach us about the difference between having blessings and receiving them with joy? What is the key to joy in life? (see Ecc 5:18-20)

3. Ecclesiastes 5:1 says, “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God.” What does it mean to “guard your steps” in worship? How does this potentially challenge your approach to church and devotional time? 

Reflection Questions

1. How does the reality of injustice (vs 1-3) deepen your longing for Christ’s return and His perfect justice?

2. Solomon warns against both envy-driven toil and lazy disengagement (vs 4-5). Where do you tend to lean, toward overwork or underwork?

3. What does “one handful of quietness” (vs 6) look like in your current season of life? How can you pursue gospel-centered balance?

4. Solomon says in verse 10, “Woe to him who is alone when he falls.” What relationships are you growing, or what steps can you take to start growing relationships, to ensure you’re not walking alone? 

5. What does Solomon’s story in verses 13-16 of the forgotten kings teach us about the fleeting nature of fame and influence?

Reflection Questions

1. In light of verses 1-8, how does acknowledging that time is in God’s hands, not ours, change the way you approach your daily decisions?

2. Verse 11 says God has “put eternity into man’s heart.” How do you see that longing for eternity show up in your own life?

3. Solomon says there’s “nothing better” than to be joyful and do good (vs 12-13, 22). What does joyful obedience look like in your current season? What ordinary routines in your life might be more spiritually significant than you’ve realized?

4. How does knowing that God is sovereign over time (vs 14-17) lead you to fear Him rightly?

5. How does this passage point you to Jesus as the only source of lasting meaning, hope, and eternal life?

Reflection Questions

1. Solomon pursued every form of pleasure imaginable: wine, wealth, projects, possessions, and relationships (vs 3-11). Why do these things fail to satisfy the soul? How can we enjoy good gifts from God without turning them into idols?

2. Solomon wrestles with the reality that both the wise and the foolish die, and that even great legacies fade (vs 12-17). What legacy are you tempted to build apart from Christ? How does the gospel reframe our understanding of legacy and remembrance?

3. Solomon reflects on the toil of work and the anxiety it can produce, especially when identity is tied to achievement (vs 18-23). How do you personally wrestle with finding meaning in your work? How can we guard against finding our identity in our job title or productivity?

4. Solomon concludes that joy, wisdom, and satisfaction are gifts from God to those who please Him (vs 24-26). How does the gospel free us to enjoy life without chasing after it?

5. In light of Ecclesiastes 2 and John 4, what “wells” are you tempted to drink from that leave you empty? How can you help others recognize their need for the living water only Christ provides?

Reflection Questions

1. Solomon says, “Vanity of vanities… all is vanity” in verse 2. What areas of life feel most futile to you right now, and why?

2. (2 Part Question) 

  a) How does the phrase “under the sun” help us understand Solomon’s perspective on life? Aka, how does death render everything we do as meaningless?

  b) What changes when we shift our view to “under the Son”? Aka, how does Jesus bring significance and meaning to all of our actions, even the ones that seem mundane? 

3. Solomon says that growing in wisdom leads to grief in verses 16-18. What’s the difference between Godly wisdom and worldly wisdom? How do we pursue one without being consumed by the other?

Reflection Questions

1. What would you say changed for Job in light of his encounter with God in Job 38-41 that leads him to repentance?

2. What does today’s passage teach us about the power of God’s word (2 Tim 3:16) and repentance? 

3. What stuck out to you about Job 42:7-9 and how God addresses Job’s three friends? 

4. How do you feel about the fact that nowhere in the book does God explain to Job or his friends about Job 1-2 the conversation with Satan? What’s the application point there for us?

Reflection Questions

1. How does God’s response in these chapters challenge the way we approach suffering and unanswered questions? In what ways do these chapters expose the limits of human understanding of God?

2. What do the rhetorical questions and creation imagery reveal about God’s sovereignty and wisdom?

3. How do these chapters speak to the dangers of pride, especially in seasons of suffering or hardship?

4. What do these chapters teach us about the difference between knowing about God and truly encountering Him?