It's time to get into this week's lesson study and discussion in preparation to class discussion on March 10th.

http://www.ssnet.org/qrtrly/eng/07a/less10.html

Memory Text: "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom" (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

As the Sabbath afternoon section says, "His focus here, though, is on death, a theme that has appeared in other places in Ecclesiastes. As we read, remember that Solomon at times is expressing views from a "secular" perspective, a perspective that should help us understand the futility and meaninglessness of our existence if there is no God who promises us justice, answers, and eternal life. At the same time, though focusing on death, he is also talking to us about life and how we should be living now."

Sunday's section is titled In God's Hands.

It begins with Eccles. 9:1 which says in the NIV, "So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God's hands, but no man knows whether love or hate awaits him."


Can any of us answer the questions in the following at the bottom of Sunday's section?

I thought about it, and couldn't easily come up with an answer. I'm planning on asking my class that question this weekend.

Yes, it is a good question that is not easy to answer.

It's easy to look at those in the Bible who were placed into dire circumstances.

The one I think of most is Job who was stated by God as being a perfect man.


We know why what happened to Job next. It seems that Job was given a test to the extent that no other person, outside of Christ in His humanity, was given. We see how Job handled that test. He had a hard struggle, even to the point of wishing that he had never been born, however, he never gave in completely, but instead remained faithful to God.

The next one I think of most is Joseph being sold as a slave, being falsely accused and sent to prison where he stayed for many years. Joseph also had his struggles, but he also remained faithful to his God. He also successfully handled the test that God allowed to come upon him.

What about us? When we are tested, how do we do?

Have any of us here been tested? If so, how did we do?

I think they passed the test as they knew in faith, not doubting, that they were still in God's hands.

Do we believe in faith, not doubting, no matter what happens, that we are also in God's hands?

We are in the last days, and prophecy states that things are going to get worse for the true believer in Christ, therefore, we need to be as ready as they were.

Monday's section is titled, One Fate?

The title is a question title, which means it is looking for an answer.

What is the question all about? Once we know that, then we should be able to provide an answer.

In relation to death, do we all have one fate? I would say the answer is yes, for the fate of all of us is "death." Unless Christ comes in our lifetime, we will all die. There are only two people we are aware of who never experienced death, namely Enoch and Elijah. The rest have all experienced death. Even Christ experienced death.

I like what it says in Monday's section:


In my response, I was looking at the short view, which is the first death.

What then is the long view?

Tuesday's is titled The Dead.

For the lost, death is the end of their chance to be redeemed, and the loss of that chance leads to the eternal second death.

The long view encompasses the realities that lie beyond physical death. If we kept that always in mind, the sufferings of this world might dim in comparison to the bliss of the next. (Of course, for the lost it is in reverse.)

I look at Abraham as an example of trusting God's hand. We are told that the sacrifice of Isaac was the greatest test given to man. Through all that, Abraham had to trust the God knew what He was doing.

From Wednesday's section:


This is why Wednesday's section is titled Now Is the Day of Salvation.