60 to 75 min Examine the tragic condition in Ecclesiastes 6:1 to 6 where God gives wealth but withholds the capacity for enjoyment. Analyze the paradoxical wisdom proverbs in Ecclesiastes 7:1 to 6 regarding mourning, grief, and the day of death. Exegete Ecclesiastes 7:13 to 14: God making both prosperity and adversity so humanity cannot master the future. Evaluate Qoheleth theological diagnosis of humanity in Ecclesiastes 7:29: God made man upright (yashar), but they sought many schemes. Ecclesiastes 6 and 7 represent the pivot from social critique to profound philosophical and ethical reflection. Chapter 6 confronts the nightmare of the unlived good: a person may possess unimaginable riches, honor, a hundred children, and two thousand years of life, yet if his soul is not satisfied with good and he has no proper burial, Qoheleth pronounces a stillborn infant better off than he, because the infant at least finds rest without enduring futile labor. Chapter 7 introduces a series of counter-intuitive "better than" (tov min) proverbs that upend conventional worldly wisdom. Worldly culture rushes toward parties, frivolity, and laughter; Qoheleth insists that the house of mourning is far better, because death is the end of all people, and the living will lay it to heart. Sorrows refine the character, rebuke cures folly, and balancing prosperity with adversity keeps humanity humble before God mysterious providence. True wisdom faces death and sorrow honestly rather than numbing the soul with shallow entertainment; God alone holds both prosperity and adversity, reminding us of our fallenness and directing us to humble dependence. Qoheleth diagnoses a grievous evil: "A man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil." Material wealth and the ability to enjoy wealth are two distinct divine gifts; one may possess the former while being deprived of the latter. Qoheleth presents an extreme hypothetical: if a man father a hundred children and live many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life good things, and he also has no burial, "I say that a stillborn child is better off than he." The stillborn child arrives in vapor and departs in darkness, never seeing the sun, yet it has rest rather than endless, unsatisfied striving. Qoheleth delivers a series of profound antithetical maxims: "A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth. It is better to go to the house of mourning (bet evel) than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools. For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fools; this also is vanity." Visiting a funeral grounds the soul in eternal realities that noisy parties evade. Qoheleth warns against anger, extortion, and nostalgic romanticism: "Say not, Why were the former days better than these? For it is not from wisdom that you ask this." He directs our attention to the sovereign architect of reality: "Consider the work of God: who can make straight what He has made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him." God intentionally weaves both sunshine and shadows into life so mortals cannot predict or control the future. Qoheleth warns against extreme fanaticism: "Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them." Qoheleth affirms the pervasive nature of human sinfulness: "Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins." He advises not taking to heart every word people speak, lest you hear your servant cursing you, for your own heart knows that you have cursed others. He confesses the inadequacy of human intellect to grasp absolute wisdom: "I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me." In his quest, he warns against the enticing woman whose heart is snares and nets and whose hands are fetters; he who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her. Then comes the monumental canonical conclusion in verse 29: "See, this alone I found, that God made man upright (yashar), but they have sought out many schemes (khishvonot rabbim)." Humanity original moral integrity in Eden was abandoned for twisted, self-engineered rebellions. Shem Tov (שֵׁם טוֹב) Shem Tov A good name, honorable moral reputation; evaluated as far superior to expensive perfumed oil. Ecclesiastes 7:1; Proverbs 22:1; Song of Solomon 1:3 Bet Evel (בֵּית אֵבֶל) Bet Evel The house of mourning; the venue of funeral reflection where mortals confront death and develop wisdom. Ecclesiastes 7:2, 4; Jeremiah 16:5 Yashar (יָשָׁר) Yashar Upright, straight, morally aligned; describing humanity original unfallen state of integrity at creation. Ecclesiastes 7:29; Deuteronomy 32:4; Job 1:1; Psalm 33:4 Khishvonot (חִשְּׁבֹנוֹת) Khishvonot Schemes, devices, twisted inventions; denoting fallen humanity cunning rationalizations and moral rebellions against God. Ecclesiastes 7:29; 2 Chronicles 26:15 Attend funerals with intentional spiritual seriousness, allowing the reality of mortality to strip away superficial distractions. Refuse to romanticize the past ("the good old days"), trusting that God is actively present in your current generation. Accept seasons of adversity alongside seasons of prosperity as sovereign appointments designed to keep you humble. Acknowledge the universal reality of original and pervasive sin, looking to Jesus Christ as the only righteous Savior. Spend thirty minutes reflecting on your own mortality; write down how you want to be remembered (your "good name") and what adjustments you need to make today to live toward that goal. O Sovereign Lord, You hold both our days of prosperity and our days of adversity in Your wise hands. You made humanity upright, yet our hearts have wandered into many twisted schemes. Forgive our sins and cleanse our motives. Lead us to the house of mourning to learn wisdom, and deliver us from the noisy laughter of fools. Grant us a good name rooted in Christ, and help us walk in humble fear of Your holy name. Amen. What heartbreaking condition does Qoheleth describe in Ecclesiastes 6:2? A person to whom God gives wealth and honor, but not the power to enjoy them A farmer whose crops are devoured by desert locusts A soldier who loses his armor in the heat of battle A priest who is exiled to the island of Patmos A person to whom God gives wealth and honor, but not the power to enjoy them Ecclesiastes 6:2 describes the tragic anomaly where God provides riches, but a person lacks the inner capacity to enjoy them. Why is it better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting in Ecclesiastes 7:2? Because death is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart Because funeral food is less expensive than wedding banquets Because the law of Moses forbids attending festive weddings Because weeping burns more physical energy than laughter Because death is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart The house of mourning forces mortals to confront the reality of their own end, cultivating sober wisdom. According to Ecclesiastes 7:14, why has God made both the day of prosperity and the day of adversity? So that humanity may not find out anything that will be after them To test whether angels are more faithful than humans To allow merchants to fluctuate market prices To ensure that kingdoms fall every forty years So that humanity may not find out anything that will be after them God balances prosperity and adversity so human beings cannot predict, manipulate, or control the future. What foundational theological truth about humanity is stated in Ecclesiastes 7:29? God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes Humanity was created inherently evil and unredeemable Human nature improves automatically with every generation Only kings possess the divine image of God God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes Ecclesiastes 7:29 affirms that God created humanity upright (yashar), but mortals fell through their own twisted schemes. The House of Mourning and the Origin of Human Brokenness Write an academic paper of 700 to 900 words on Ecclesiastes 7:1 to 14 and 7:29. Analyze why Qoheleth commends the house of mourning over the house of feasting, examine how God sovereignty over prosperity and adversity undermines self-reliance, and exegete the doctrine of creation and the Fall in Ecclesiastes 7:29. Analyze the literary form of the "better than" (tov min) proverbs in Ecclesiastes 7:1 to 12. Explicate the psychological and spiritual benefits of contemplating mortality in the house of mourning. Examine the theological meaning of who can make straight what God made crooked (Ecc 7:13). Synthesize Ecclesiastes 7:29 with Genesis 1 to 3 and the Christian doctrine of original uprightness and total depravity. Why does our contemporary culture flee from the house of mourning into non-stop entertainment, digital distractions, and forced optimism? How does the realization that God ordains both days of prosperity and days of adversity (Ecc 7:14) reshape our theology of suffering? What does Qoheleth mean by warning against being "overly righteous" or "overly wicked" in Ecclesiastes 7:16 to 18? How does Ecclesiastes 7:29 ("God made man upright, but they sought out many schemes") guard us against blaming God for human evil? Guide learners to appreciate the sober wisdom found in confronting mortality, helping them embrace both adversity and prosperity with humble trust in God sovereign governance. Discuss why funerals often make a deeper, more lasting spiritual impact on people than parties or celebrations. Examine Ecclesiastes 7:13 to 14 and reflect on how God uses uncertainty about the future to keep us dependent upon Him. Close with verse 29, exploring the tragic contrast between God beautiful original design and humanity twisted schemes. Make sure students understand that verse 16 is not an endorsement of compromise with sin, but a rebuke of proud, self-righteous legalism. Ecclesiastes 6:1 to 7:29 Genesis 1:26 to 31 Genesis 3:1 to 19 Romans 3:9 to 20 The meaning of the warning not to be "overly righteous" (al-tehi tsaddiq harbeh) in Ecclesiastes 7:16. The identity of the woman described in Ecclesiastes 7:26: a historical person, a personification of Folly (as in Proverbs 9), or a warning against seduction. The contrast between the stillborn child in chapter 6 and Job lament in Job 3. Derek Kidner, The Message of Ecclesiastes, The Bible Speaks Today (Downers Grove: IVP, 1976), 66. Michael A. Eaton, Ecclesiastes, TOTC (Downers Grove: IVP, 1983), 110. Craig G. Bartholomew, Ecclesiastes, BCOT (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009), 245. Bartholomew, Craig G. Ecclesiastes. BCOT. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009. Eaton, Michael A. Ecclesiastes. TOTC. Downers Grove: IVP, 1983. Kidner, Derek. The Message of Ecclesiastes. BST. Downers Grove: IVP, 1976. Plantinga, Cornelius, Jr. Not the Way It Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995. Seow, C. L. Ecclesiastes. Anchor Bible. New York: Doubleday, 1997.