Practical atheist series - week 1

Practical atheist series - week 1

How did Solomon conclude this book? (12:9-14)
Solomon ended Ecclesiastes with an admonition that we ought to fear God and keep his commandments b/c this is our duty and God will judge everything we do.

What did the Teacher do with his knowledge? (12:9)
He did not keep it to himself, and used it to teach people wisely. He ordered his knowledge in a way that was logical and clear.

For what did the Teacher search? (12:10)
He was careful to choose words that reflect the truth.

How did Solomon describe what the Teacher wrote? (12:10)
They were words that were upright, i.e. the truth

How did Solomon describe the words of the wise? (12:11)
They are words that spur us to action (goads), and are also well placed/timed lessons given to us as instruction by those who teach us.

What did Solomon say about books and study? (12:12)
That there is no end to them and that they lead to weariness.

What is a person’s whole duty? (12:13)
To have a reverent fear of God and to obey His commandments

Why did Solomon tell his reader to fear God and keep His commandments? (12:14)
Because everything we do, good and bad, both in public and in private, will be judged by God.

Reflection
With what mood would you say Solomon concluded this book?
One of pragmatism after experiencing frustration (v.12). I would also say that he was hopeful expectation that we would learn from others (v.9) and understand that instruction is given as reproof for wise living (vv 13, 14).

What is the relationship between fearing God and keeping his commandments?
When we fear God we will keep his commandments. When we have no fear of God, we will not be obedient. But it goes deeper than that. God has given us commandments b/c he cares about us, and does not want to see us go astray. If God didn't care, He would let us do whatever we wanted, whether good or evil. In the end, we would still pay the price for any evil we have done. But because he loves us, he has given us commands (instruction) as well as consequences for disobeying. Those consequences, though they are painful, are meant to bring us back into right relationship with Him, and with each other.

How we can benefit from the wisdom of other Christians?
We can learn from their life lessons without having to fully experience the same things they did.

In what ways can you be a teacher or advisor to at least one other Christian?
I can share lessons that God teaches me along the way when I see a fellow Christian start heading down the same or similar road that I had been on, but be certain to share the lesson(s) with an attitude of humility, and not as one having arrived at perfection.

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