Ecclesiastes 9:1-10

1. Read Ecclesiastes 9:1–6. According to this passage, what things do the righteous and the wicked share in common? How are they different?
2. What do you think it means to be “in the hand of God” (Ecclesiastes 9:1)? Discuss.
3. Read Ecclesiastes 9:7–10. The Preacher advises people to live life to the fullest they are able, within the boundaries of holiness. Is the posture toward life in Ecclesiastes 9:7–10 descriptive of your own life right now? Explain.
4. We live in the tension between the certainty of death and the uncertainty of life. For those who are God’s redeemed, the certainty of death is not a cause for despair. Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Admitting that your life on earth has an end date, what changes can you make this week to better prioritize what is actually good and eternally significant?
5. If you are feeling hopeless, disillusioned, or despondent today about the state of the world and what it means for your life, then perhaps it is time to aim your attention heavenward. Let God instruct your heart about the fleeting nature of life. Join Qoheleth in his honest admission of death’s inevitability, and let that reality reframe and reprioritize the way you live today. Spend some time in prayer with one another. Pray for wisdom, provision, and anything else that came up in the discussion today.