“chocolate easter bunny”€¦ · solomon gives practical rules for living wisely. ecclesiastes...

1

OT10.8 Ecclesiastes Purpose of Life ©Beverly Wilson 2020

Unit 10: Books of Poetry OT10.8 Ecclesiastes Purpose of Life

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1-12

Lesson Goal: King Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived. He wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. In this lesson we will learn that the purpose of man is to honor God and obey His commandments.

Introduction: The wisest man who ever lived was King Solomon. God gave him a special gift of wisdom. Solomon wrote three books in the Old Testament--Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. In these books Solomon gives practical rules for living wisely.

Ecclesiastes is in the third group of books in the Old Testament called Poetry. This book tells about the real meaning of life. Let's say the Books of Poetry in the Old Testament: Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs.

Attention Getter: “Chocolate Easter Bunny” How many of you have ever received a chocolate bunny for Easter? Usually the molded bunny comes in a special box. It may be in your Easter basket surrounded by green paper “grass” and candy eggs. It looks so exciting and you can hardly wait to open it! But then when you take a bite into one of the long ears, you are surprised! The chocolate Easter bunny is hollow! How disappointing that there is no chocolate candy inside! It is hollow, empty, and nothing! When King Solomon came to the end of his life, this is exactly how he felt! He then preached a sermon about how to live your life. It is found in the book of Ecclesiastes. In this lesson we will learn that the purpose of man is to honor God and obey His commandments

Opening Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for giving us the book of Ecclesiastes. You have told us to ask you for wisdom about how to live our lives. You have promised to give us that direction. Help us to not trust in our own knowledge, or our own possessions. We know that all these will eventually pass away. Instead help us to seek a relationship of faith and trust in you as our Savior and Lord. Help us to love and obey your Word. Give us strength to not be afraid. We want to serve you! In Jesus' name, Amen.

Memory Verse: The memory verse is Ecclesiastes 12:13 ”Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.”

Lesson Video: https://youtu.be/BnyFpTjjHWY

When Solomon first became king of Israel, he loved God and wanted to please him. He remembered what his father King David had said to him just before he died, “Be strong and obey God. If you keep His laws you will prosper.” Because Solomon was a very young man, he knew that obeying God would be very difficult especially when he had the whole kingdom of Israel to rule. So Solomon worshipped God by offering a thousand sacrifices on the altar. That night God appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” Solomon responded to God’s request by saying, “"You have been very kind to my father King David and to me. You have made me king. But I must rely on you! I don't know how to do this job. Please give me wisdom so that I'll know what is right and what is wrong. I don't know how to be king without Your help." God was very pleased with Solomon’s humble request.

https://youtu.be/BnyFpTjjHWY

2


So God told Solomon, “Since you have asked for wisdom in making good decisions and not for long life or wealth, nor have you asked for the death of your enemies, I will do what you have asked.” “I will give you a wise and discerning heart, more than anyone else before you or anyone else to come. And as you did not ask for riches and honor I will give these to you also—more than any other king in your lifetime. In your lifetime you will have no equal among the kings. And if you obey me, you will have a long life.” So King Solomon became the wisest man who ever lived. Solomon used the wisdom that God gave him to rule his kingdom, and the nation prospered. Israel became the most powerful nation in the world. King Solomon was talked about in all the land because he was kind and just, wiser than any king before him and all his people were happy. Solomon built a magnificent temple for the praise and worship of God. The temple took thousands of men seven years to build. He also built courts and palaces in Jerusalem. The palaces were made of carved stone and jeweled courts. He accumulated many riches of gold and silver. His fame spread far and wide. All the nations of the earth marveled at his accomplishments. As Solomon grew in power and stature, many nations came to hear of his wisdom and see the glory of his Kingdom. One person who heard about King Solomon was the Queen of Sheba or the Queen of the South as she was sometimes called. Located in southern Arabia, the country of Sheba produced spices and other luxury goods. They traded them with other countries of the world. The news about Solomon’s kingdom reached the Queen of Sheba through her servants who transported the goods through the desert on camels to the land of Israel. At first the Queen of Sheba doubted the reports, so she decided to go see for herself. When she arrived in Israel, she brought a whole caravan of camels laden with gold, precious stones, and exotic spices to give as gifts to King Solomon. Once she arrived in Jerusalem, she asked Solomon difficult questions, but none were too hard for him. The queen was impressed by his wisdom, the buildings he had constructed, the abundance within his kingdom, the plentiful food he enjoyed, the multitude of his servants, and the rich sacrifices with which he worshipped the Lord. She told King Solomon that what she saw around her actually exceeded the seemingly fantastic reports she had heard. She commented how happy Solomon’s servants were to be able to serve him and hear his wisdom. She praised the Lord for giving Israel such a wise king who was able to rule in righteousness with justice. As a token of her respect and admiration, she gave King Solomon the gifts she had brought: 120 talents of gold and large quantities of spices and precious stones. Solomon also gave her gifts, and she returned with her servants to Sheba. Truly God had blessed Solomon with all the riches and success of the world. You would have thought that all these wealth would make King Solomon very happy. Imagine if you had all the money and power you could ever want. How would you use your wealth and power? Solomon used his to try to find the meaning of life. Because God had given Solomon great insight and knowledge we today can have the benefit of this wisdom. Solomon wrote about his thoughts concerning the meaning of life in the Book of Ecclesiastes. First Solomon examined and explored all kinds of wisdom. He said, “I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven… “Lord, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me. I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.

3


Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly….but I learned that this, too, is meaningless, all of them are a chasing after the wind.” Solomon had gathered wisdom from all over the world. He concluded that while wisdom is good, wise people die just like foolish people. Everything seemed to be useless to Solomon. The same thing is true for us today. It is good to study all the knowledge that the world offers. We can go to the greatest colleges and universities. We can earn the highest degrees in science and education. But in the end those degrees will not make a person happy. Searching for fulfillment and purpose in the world’s knowledge will only leave a person feeling empty and void. Next Solomon tried pleasure. He said, “I thought in my heart, “Come now I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” Some of the pleasures that Solomon sought were wrong and some were worthy, but even the worthy pursuits left him empty. All the pleasure that money could buy could not bring him happiness. Many people today enjoy going to big bowl games and sporting events. Others like to go to movies and meet famous people. Others enjoy traveling and seeing lots of places in the world. Some people try drugs or women or power over others. But none of these things will give joy. You can spend all your life and energy looking for happiness and pleasure but in the end it is only God who can give real peace and joy. Psalm 16:11 says, “In your presence is fullness of joy; in Thy right hand there are pleasures forever.” Solomon then tried working. He said, “I undertook great projects. I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees.” Solomon worked hard and became very wealthy. Solomon gathered huge storehouses of silver and gold. But Solomon discovered that no matter how much someone has, they always want more. A man may become rich but never get to enjoy his riches. A person can work their whole life and when they die it will be left to someone who has not worked for it! He decided that people can have lots of treasures and enjoy earthly pleasures but soon they will all pass away. Solomon concluded that working your whole life did not bring meaning to life. So in the end, it all seemed useless, like trying to chase after the wind. Often people today will spend their whole lives trying to accumulate great wealth. They want the biggest houses, the most expensive cars, the most glamorous vacations, and the fanciest food. While all those things might be nice to have, they do not bring happiness. People end up spending their entire lives seeking something that in the end will all decay and pass away. Material things do not bring lasting happiness. People should be wise with money, but money does not give meaning to life. Then Solomon began to look at everything around him. He realized that God had established a plan or time for all people. He observed that there were cycles of life and each one had its work to do. Listen to Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heaven: A time to be born and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot. A time to kill and a time to heal, A time to tear down and a time to build; A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance; A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them; a time to embrace and a time to refrain, A time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away; A time to tear and a time to mend; A time to be silent and a time to speak; A time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.” “God has made everything beautiful in its time.” These verses teach us that timing is important. All the experiences that Solomon listed are appropriate at certain times in our life. Our attitude toward God’s plan for our lives is important. Will we recognize and accept the time and place that God has for us? The secret to having peace and meaning to our lives is to discover, accept and appreciate God’s perfect timing. We should never doubt or resent God’s sovereignty over our lives. The danger in doubting God’s plan for our life will lead to despair, rebellion, or moving ahead without His advice.

4


Finally Solomon thought about religious deeds. He said, “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools, fulfill your vow. It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.” Solomon realized that humans cannot do things to impress God. People should not make big promises to God that they cannot keep. God sees our heart. He knows our thoughts and attitudes. So he concluded that people should obey God and be humble. Sometimes people today make big promises to God. This may happen especially when they are in trouble and they think that they can barter with God to give them a special blessing. They might say that they will devote themselves to great projects of charity and doing great works of help to others. They may give food and clothes to the poor. They may even build houses and give them to those who do not have. Doing good deeds is important and God wants us to show love toward others but in the end, these good works will not bring satisfaction. You cannot play games with God. God created man for fellowship with Himself. We all have a vacuum inside that only God can fill. We will never be satisfied apart from a relationship with God. If we look to accomplishing great things without God, we will only end up with a bitter and painful experience. Then Solomon came to see that everything available to use in this life is of no real value when compared to the things of God. Solomon asked, “What does a person gain for all his efforts? No one remembers the people who came before and no one will remember those who come later.” Solomon realized that people should enjoy the life that God has given them. Life is precious and should be treasured. God is the true source of joy and happiness. In the end Solomon discovered that the most important thing to do—the thing that gives meaning to our lives is to fear or respect with awe God and obey His commands. Solomon realized that our purpose in life is not to get things, or to get rich, or to work around the clock. He realized that we are to respect God and follow His ways. So the next time you hear someone say they want to know the meaning of life or discover their purpose in life, you can tell them what we learned in this lesson. Our purpose is to honor God and obey His commands. Remember honor God and obey His commands!

Review Questions: “Pick a Brick” Preparation: You will need a giant Jenga game for each group of 3-4 students. Label each brick in the Jenga game with a different number: 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100. Say: “In this lesson we learned that Solomon sought to understand the meaning of life. One of the ways he tried was to work hard and build many structures. He built the magnificent temple, castles, vineyards, water reservoirs, etc. But all these structures eventually would decay and be destroyed. Today we are going to play a review game that will help us remember that the buildings that Solomon constructed did not last and were in the end forgotten and meaningless.” Procedure: Divide class into smaller groups of 3-4 children each. Give a set of Jenga blocks to each group. Play a game of Jenga where players pick a brick without the tower collapsing. Ask the children a review question from the list below before they can pick a brick. When the players have collected their brick you can count up the points to find out the winner. (You can also just play a game of Jenga for fun!)

5


Jenga Rules: 1) taking one block on a turn from any level of the tower (except the one below an incomplete top level), and. 2) placing it on the topmost level in order to complete it. The game ends when the tower falls -- completely or if any block falls from the tower (other than the block a player moves on a turn).

1. Who is the wisest man who ever lived? (The wisest man who ever lived was King Solomon.) 2. What books did Solomon write? (Solomon wrote three books in the Old Testament--Proverbs,

Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs.) 3. What caused King Solomon to ask God for wisdom? (Because Solomon was a very young man,

he knew that obeying God would be very difficult especially when he had the whole kingdom of Israel to rule.)

4. What did God say to Solomon in a dream? (God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”)

5. How did Solomon respond to God’s request? (Solomon said, "You have been very kind to my father King David and to me. You have made me king. But I must rely on you! I don't know how to do this job. Please give me wisdom so that I'll know what is right and what is wrong. I don't know how to be king without Your help."

6. When Solomon became king, what great things did he do? (King Solomon was kind and just, wiser than any king before him and all his people were happy. Solomon built a magnificent temple for the praise and worship of God. He also built courts and palaces in Jerusalem. He accumulated many riches of gold and silver. His fame spread far and wide. All the nations of the earth marveled at his accomplishments.)

7. Who heard about the kingdom of Israel and wanted to come to visit? (The Queen of Sheba heard about the wisdom and wealth of King Solomon and wanted to come meet him herself.)

8. What did the Queen of Sheba say about King Solomon? (She told King Solomon that what she saw around her actually exceeded the seemingly fantastic reports she had heard. She commented how happy Solomon’s servants were to be able to serve him and hear his wisdom. She praised the Lord for giving Israel such a wise king who was able to rule in righteousness with justice.)

9. After King Solomon had accumulated all the wisdom and wealth of the world, what did he decide to do? (Solomon used his riches, wealth and knowledge to try to find the meaning of life.)

10. What did Solomon first try to find meaning in life? (He tried to accumulate all the knowledge and wisdom of the world but it proved to be meaningless in giving purpose to life. Wise people die just like foolish people.)

11. What was the second thing that Solomon tried to find meaning and purpose in life? (He tried pleasure to find meaning in life. Some of the pleasures that Solomon sought were wrong and some were worthy, but even the worthy pursuits left him empty.)

12. What was the third thing that Solomon tried in order to find purpose for living? (Solomon then tried working. He undertook great projects like houses, vineyards, gardens, parks, planting orchards, and building reservoirs to water the fields, but none of it proved to be of lasting value.)

13. As a result King Solomon’s hard work, what did he produce? (He became very wealthy. He built storehouse of gold. He became very powerful and known throughout the whole world.)

14. What did King Solomon compare pursuing wisdom, enjoying pleasures, hard work, and accumulating wealth and power to? (He said they were all like “chasing after the wind.”)

15. What did King Solomon observe about the times of life? (He realized that God had established a plan or time for all people. He observed that there were cycles of life and each one had its work to do. Each thing was beautiful in its own time.)

16. What did Solomon observe about how we are to worship God? (We should not make hasty promises to God that we do not keep. We should not try to bargain with God.)

17. What should our attitude be toward God about the plan He has established for us? (We should recognize and accept the time and place that God has for us. The secret to having peace and meaning to our lives is to discover, accept and appreciate God’s perfect timing.)

6


18. What can happen to us if we reject or doubt God’s purpose for our life? (The danger in doubting God’s plan for our life will lead to despair, rebellion, or moving ahead without His advice.)

19. What was Solomon’s final conclusion to the question, “What is the meaning of life?” (Solomon realized that our purpose in life is not to get things, or to get rich, or to work around the clock. He realized that we are to respect God and follow His ways. Our whole duty is to honor God and obey His commands.)

20. What is our memory verse? (Ecclesiastes 12:13 ”Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.”)

21. What are some of the lessons we should learn from this lesson? (We should accept God’s plan for our lives. We should honor God and keep His commandments. We should not make hasty promises to God.)

Bible Memory Verse Activity: “Purposeful Painting”

Our memory verse is Ecclesiastes 12:13 ”Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.” Have students locate the verse in scripture and read together aloud several times. Say: “In this verse King Solomon is telling us that the sole purpose of life is to honor God and obey Him. Living life without God only brings frustration. When we put God first, He will give us the gift of joy and purpose!” Say: “In this lesson we talked about the meaning and purpose of life. Solomon tried to find satisfaction in many things, but ultimately determined that it couldn’t be found in things. We learned that our purpose in life is to honor God and obey His commands.” Preparation: You will need a 5 X 7 inch paint canvas, paints, paintbrushes, painter’s tape, and markers. Procedure: Have students put masking tape in a crisscross fashion across the canvas forming a geometric design background. Using poster paints in various colors have students paint each section of the geometric design with different colors. Let the canvas dry and then remove the masking tape lines. Then using a permanent black marker have students write the memory verse or theme “Honor God and Obey Him” across the background. Optional: You can use sticker poster letters if you desire. Say: “When the paint dries and you have added the theme or memory verse letters, you can take your artwork home and display it somewhere to remind you of your purpose. Let’s say our memory verse again together,” Ecclesiastes 12:13 ”Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.”

Group Learning Activity: “Blow Bubbles” (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need some bubble mix (water, dish detergent soap, glycerin or corn syrup), drinking straws, and pipe cleaners. Bubble Recipe: Measure 6 cups of water into one container, then pour 1 cup of dish soap into the water and slowly stir it until the soap is mixed in. Try not to let foam or bubbles form while you stir. Measure 1 tablespoon of glycerin or 1/4 cup of corn syrup and add it to the container. Stir the solution until it is mixed together. You can use the solution right away, but to make even better bubbles, put the lid on the container and let your super bubble solution sit overnight. (Note: If you used "Ultra" dish soap, double the amount of glycerin or corn syrup.)

7


Bubble wands can be drinking straws or bending a pipe cleaner in a circle loop and twisting it, leaving one end longer for a handle. Procedure: Pass out bubble mix and a bubble wand to each of your students. Have students dip a bubble wand* or straw into the mixture, slowly pull it out, wait a few seconds, and then blow. Say: “How big of a bubble can you make? How many bubbles can you make in one breath? Can you catch the bubble with your hands? Do the bubbles burst quickly? How long can you make a bubble last?” Allow students to blow bubbles and experiment with making different shaped bubbles for several minutes. Then gather students together. Say: “Some of our bubbles burst right away and others lasted a while longer. King Solomon discovered that things are like bubble. He chased all sort of things but found they all burst and didn’t keep him happy for long. Can you think of something that you wanted because you thought that it would make you happy, but later found out that it did not?” (Allow for student response. Share a personal experience.) Say: “In nature we see things that are like our bubbles. Things come and go. We see cycles in nature. For example, the sun rises and the sun sets. The wind blows south and north, here and there, twisting back and forth. The rivers flow into the sea but the sea is never full. The water evaporates into the sky and forms clouds. The clouds rain on the ground forming rivers and the whole process starts all over again. Seeds are planted that grow into plants that make seeds for new plants.” (Use Ecclesiastes 1 as a reference for other examples.) Say: “In Ecclesiastes 3 King Solomon wrote how there are different times for different things. He said that “God makes all things beautiful in its time. Can we think of some times that God has given you? (For example, a time to play; a time to eat; a time to clean up; a time to be loud; a time to be quiet; a time to sleep, etc.) God wants us to enjoy the life that He has given us and the time He has given us. The most important way to enjoy all that God has given us is to honor Him and obey His commands.”

Group Learning Activity: “Full or Empty” Object Lesson (Grades K-5) Purpose: To present a series of objects that show how a person’s life is full of purpose and meaning when they honor God and obey Him. Preparation: You will need drinking glasses, water, gas can, candy, large cotton candy, and a hand puppet. Procedure: Show the following objects to the class and discuss how each one show what our life is like without God. It is empty and meaningless.

Have two glasses of water one that is empty and ugly on the outside the other that is clean. Say: “This empty dirty glass is like our life without God. We are miserable. When God comes into our life, he fills us up and cleans us up.” Place smaller cup that is clean in a dirty larger cup, also have a pitcher of water to represent God. Take the dirty cup and explain that God takes us when we are empty and dirty and fills us up with his love and goodness. At this point pull out the smaller clean cup and explain that the Bible tells us that God makes all things beautiful in His time.

Full glass vs. empty one – Say: “How many of you would like to have an empty glass after you have just got done running in a race and you were very thirsty? Would you rather have a full cup or an empty one? Our life without God is like an empty cup we have no purpose but if our cup is full we have much purpose giving life and strength to all who need it.”

8


Show the Gas Can – Say: “How far you can drive your car with no gas in it? What if your tank is empty? Not far huh? The same thing is true with God. We will not get very far without God. Many people try to put other things in their engine other than gas and they won’t go anywhere. We need God to fill us up. Because life without God is empty.

Show a puppet. Have the puppet say the following: “Without my master I am nothing. If I do not have someone talking for me, I am just a lump of material. But when the puppet masters hand comes inside of me I have life!” Then the puppet’s master says, “Wow! That is just like us without God. Our life is lumpy and meaningless but when Jesus comes into our life and fills us up with His Holy Spirit we have life and life more abundantly!”

Have a piece of candy in its wrapper and then a candy wrapper with no candy in it. Say: “How many of you would like the wrapper with the candy in it? How many of you would like this empty wrapper without candy inside it? (Allow for response) Most will want the wrapper that has something in it, not the empty one. Say: “here is a big difference between being full and being empty. When we don’t have Jesus in our life we are empty.”

Cotton Candy—Share a large ball of cotton candy with the group. Encourage students to eat a bite of the cotton candy. Ask students to try to make it last as long as possible in their mouths without letting it dissolve. Explain that seeking the things of the world is like eating cotton candy. The pleasure of gaining riches, seeking power, gaining great intellect, and being popular only lasts a short time. Honoring God and obeying Him has eternal value and gives meaning and purpose to life.

Conclude by leading in prayer asking God to help students let God guide them in their life. Pray for strength to “Honor God and Obey Him.”

Group Learning Activity: “Water Cycle Bottles” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need clean plastic water bottles, colored permanent markers, blue food coloring and water for each child. Print out one copy of the Water Cycle Chart. Have students complete the water cycle page. Procedure: Distribute the supplies. Have students draw clouds, a sun, water, and land on the sides of the bottle. Mix about a ¼ cup of water and blue food coloring for each bottle and pour the water into the bottle. Close the bottle and place the water by a sunny window. Have students observe how the sun heats the water causing it to evaporate. The water particles then hit the top of the bottle and form droplets. Then these rain droplets fall back down to the bottom of the bottle. Say: “Our water bottle is similar to what happens in our water cycle. The rivers flow into the sea. The water in the sea evaporates into the sky and forms clouds. The clouds blow back over the land and rain falls on the ground forming rivers and the whole process starts all over again!” Display the Water Cycle Chart to the group. Use the chart to explain the water cycle process. Say: “Water has three states of matter: Liquid, gas, and solid. When liquid turns into a gas, this is called vaporization. The heat of the sun over the ocean or river causes the water to evaporate. Water evaporates, turns into a gas, and rises into the air. This collects water droplets at the top of the bottle, known as condensation, when gas turns back into water. This process occurs when a cloud forms in the sky. When the water gets heavy enough, it falls back to the bottom of the bottle just how rain falls back to earth. Water evaporating and then turning back into a solid or liquid and returning to earth is the water cycle.”

9


Distribute the student pages on the “Water Cycle” and let them label the parts of the water cycle by drawing arrows.

Say: Solomon looked at everything around him. He realized that God had established a plan or time for all people. He observed that there were cycles of life and each one had its work to do. Listen to Ecclesiastes 3:1 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heaven: God has made everything beautiful in its time.” The water cycle is an example of one of the times that God has established in nature. “Just as nature has a cycle or plan, God has a plan for us. Will we accept God’s plan by honoring God and obeying Him or will we resist God’s will for our lives? God only wants what is good for us. We should not doubt Him but trust in Him and He will give us peace and joy and meaning to life.”

Group Learning Activity: “Million Dollars” (Grades 2-5) Preparation: You will need one million dollars in pretend play money. Monopoly game money works well for this activity. You will also need a large writing surface, a white board or large chart paper, and a black marker. If you do not have the pretend money you can write a $1,000,000 on an index card. Say: “This lesson comes from the book of Ecclesiastes which Solomon wrote at the end of his life. The book contains his thoughts and ideas about life and work and what is truly important. We are going to read together different parts of the story. Say: “Solomon devoted his entire life to finding meaning. Solomon took on many projects. He built houses, gardens and palaces. He studied books and all different kinds of philosophies. He had musicians and dancers and performers to entertain him. He wore the best clothes and ate the best food. He traveled all over the world and met many people. Solomon realized that no matter what he did or what he saw, it was all meaningless! Nothing could make him happy for a long time. Let’s read the words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Have the students read them aloud with you:” Read scripture aloud. Say: “Solomon understood one thing: God is in control. Everything has a proper time, and God is over it all.” Procedure: Tell the students that you are going to give them a pretend million dollars. Let each student take a turn holding the play money or index card while you ask them what they would do with the money. Write the answers on the large writing surface, white board, or large chart paper with a black marker. Look at the list and decide if there is anything written on the list that Solomon did not try to do. Determine that Solomon probably did everything they would ever want to do—or something just like it—and came to one conclusion: it was all meaningless. Solomon realized that he could not buy happiness, no matter how much money he had. He realized the key to being happy was to make God happy. Say: “Listen to Solomon’s final words in Ecclesiastes 12:13: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Remind students that this is our memory verse. Practice saying the verse together.

10


Group Learning Activity: “Words of Wisdom” (Grades 3-5) Purpose: To help students understand that God’s Word is the true source of wisdom. Preparation: You will need Bibles, spiritual journal page, pencils or pens. Say: “In this lesson we learned that God’s wisdom is available to all who ask for it and if they live a life using Godly wisdom they will experience great blessing. Today we are going to read some scriptures that deal with God’s wisdom.” Procedure: Have students look up the following scripture. Discuss the meaning of each verse with the group.

• 1 Samuel 16:7 “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for

I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” This verse teaches us that God does not judge us on our appearance alone. Appearance doesn’t really reveal what the real value of a person is. God judges our faith and character.

• Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Wisdom begins when we know God. He gives insight into living because he created life. To know God is not just to know facts about God but to honor and respect Him. It means having a relationship of faith and trust in His purpose and plan for our lives.

• 2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” God is fully aware of the needs of his children. He promises to give them strength to live the life that He has ordained for them.

• Ecclesiastes 12:13 ”Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.” Solomon searched for purpose and meaning to life. Everything he tried failed. He concluded that the “whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments.”

• James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” When we need the ability to make difficult decisions, we should ask God. To learn God’s will we need to read his Word and ask Him to show us how to obey it. Then we must do what he tells us.

Have students record what they have learned about God’s wisdom in their spiritual journals. Challenge students to recite the names of the Books of the Old Testament without any assistance. Encourage them to practice saying the books of the Bible at home.

Group Learning Activity: “Looking in the Mirror” (Grades 2-5) Preparation: You will need small purse size mirrors for every two students in your class. Say: “Solomon was a very wise man, but unfortunately he lost sight of the Lord in his older years. He began to look at himself and others instead of the Lord. The Bible tells us that we need to look at the mirror of God’s Word if we want to understand what is really true in life (James 1:25). Let’s play a fun game to remind us to “mirror” the Lord, not ourselves or others.

Procedure: Have the children form pairs. Decide who will be the person doing the action and who will be the person “in the mirror.” The person in the mirror has to mimic all of the actions of the other person.

11


The children should sit down facing each other. They should look at each other in the eyes and not remove their eyes from one another’s. Have the child doing the action begin and the other child mirror them. After a couple of minutes, switch roles. Next, gather the group together again. Say: “What conclusion did Solomon come to after searching the world for the purpose or meaning of life? He discovered that it was to “honor God and obey Him.” Obeying God is really like looking in a mirror and trying to mimic the actions and heart of God. We are to become like Him in word and deed. Say: “Was it easy or difficult to be the mirror? Is it sometimes difficult to mirror the Lord? What are some ways that we can grow in mirroring Jesus?”

Craft Learning Activity: “God’s Clock” (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need plain 8” or 9” white or a plain colored paper plate for each child and number stickers. You will also need cardstock, metal paper brad, blacking marking pens, scissors, and glue. Print the template below one copy per child. Procedure: Distribute materials. Have students glue the template to the paper plate, or attach sticker numbers to a plate, or simply write the numerals with a black marking pen. Or, you can use a marker to write the numbers on the paper plates instead of using stickers. Hint: Draw the numbers 12, 3, 6, and 9 around the inner edges of your plate with a marker, then fill in the rest of the numbers. This trick will help you keep the numbers evenly spaced around the plate. For young children who may have difficulty placing the numbers in the proper places around the face of the clock, you can write them on in pencil, and your child can match the sticker numbers up with your pencil marks, and glue them in place. Have students draw two rectangles on a sheet of card stock. One rectangle should be long for the minute hand and the other rectangle should be shorter for the hour hand. Cut the rectangles out with scissors. Cut a point on one short edge of each rectangle with scissors. Turn the paper plate over and mark the center of the plate with a pen, pencil, or marker. Use the sharp point of the scissors to pierce a small hole in the center of the paper plate. Turn the plate over. Pierce small holes onto the square end of your clock hands and insert the paper brad. Insert the paper brad with the hands into the middle hole on top of the paper plate and pull the brad apart on the back to secure it to the paper plate. Make sure that the brad is loose enough to allow free movement of the clock hands. To help your child distinguish the difference between the clock hands, use a marker to write minute on the long hand and hour on the shorter hand. Have students write the verse: Ecclesiastes 3: 1 “There is a time for everything” on the edge of their paper plate. Say: “Solomon looked at everything around him. He realized that God had established a plan or time for all people. Ecclesiastes 3:11 “God has made everything beautiful in its time.” Just as nature has a cycle or plan, God has a plan for us. Will we accept God’s plan by honoring God and obeying Him or will we resist God’s will for our lives? God only wants what is good for us. We should not doubt Him but trust in Him and He will give us peace and joy and meaning to life.” Close by praying together and asking God to help students recognize the plan or timing that God has for them. Ask God to help them love and obey Him.

12


Craft Learning Activity: “Cotton Bud Painting” (K-3) Preparation: You will need cotton balls, glue, green, red, yellow, black, and white poster paint. You will also need paint smocks and newspapers. Print a copy of the painting template below for each student.. Or you can use plain art paper with black marking pens to draw the tree trunks. Procedure: Distribute the art materials, paint brushes, and poster paints. You will also need paint smocks and newspapers. Have students paint four trees to represent the seasons according to these directions: Spring: Paint a few green leaves and some flowers. Summer: Paint green leaves until the tree is full. Autumn: Paint some orange and brown leaves on the tree and ground. Winter: Paint some snow on the tree and ground. Use cotton balls glued to tree limbs for snow. Say: Solomon looked at everything around him. He realized that God had established a plan or time for all people. He observed that there were cycles of life and each one had its work to do. Listen to Ecclesiastes 3:1 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heaven: God has made everything beautiful in its time.” The water cycle is an example of one of the times that God has established in nature. “Just as nature has a cycle or plan, God has a plan for us. Will we accept God’s plan by honoring God and obeying Him or will we resist God’s will for our lives? God only wants what is good for us. We should not doubt Him but trust in Him and He will give us peace and joy and meaning to life.”

Craft Learning Activity: “Graduation Cap” (Grades 2-5) Preparation: You will need 1 piece of poster board 3” X 25” and another piece of poster board 8” X 8” for each student. You will also need a brass fastener, 4 pieces of yarn 10” long, glue, scissors, stapler, invisible tape, ballpoint pen and crayons or markers. You will also need a copy of the “Wise in God’s Eyes” template below. Say: “In this lesson we learned that Solomon was the wisest man in the whole world. After searching the world for meaning and purpose to life by working hard, accumulating wealth, and seeking wisdom, Solomon came to the conclusion that the secret to living was to “Honor God and Obey Him.” We are going to make a craft that will help us remember that we too can be wise in God’s eyes by honoring Him and obeying His commandments.” Procedure: Show students a sample of the graduation craft. Explain that students wear a cap similar to this when they graduate from school. Ask students if they have a brother or sister or parent who has ever graduated from school. Tell the students that this special cap is a symbol of wisdom because it shows that the person who wears it has successfully completed their studies. The cap that they are going to make will help remind them to be wise in God’s eyes by honoring Him and obeying His commands. Distribute the poster board strips, the printed square signs and glue. Have students color the printed squares and glue them onto the poster board squares. Fit the poster board strips around their heads. Staple the ends in place to hold the cap. Help students put a small hole in the center of each poster board square using the ball point pen or the point of the scissor. Attach the brass fastener. Have students tape the insides of their poster boards strips to the poster board squares. Have students make a tassel by tying the four pieces of yarn together with a knot at one end, making a tassel. Help students place their brass fasteners through the knot at the end of their tassels and into the

13


holes in the center of the squares. Help students open the prongs of the brass fasteners carefully, securing their tassels. Have students write their names on the insides See diagrams below for directions.

Say: “What does is mean to be wise in God’s eyes? It means that we do what God wants us to do even if others do not. To be wise in God’s eyes means to fear God and obey His commands. The next time that you have to make a decision, you should stop and think, “Is this wise in God’s eyes?” Remember to pray and ask God for His wisdom and the strength to obey Him.”

Life Application Challenge: “Sharing With Others” Say:”Can you think of someone who is unhappy because they never have enough? What is it that these people think would make them happy? According to our lesson material possessions, power, knowledge, or pleasure will not bring happiness or lasting peace.” Encourage the students to share the story of Ecclesiastes with that person and invite them to church. Close with a prayer for the students to feel happy when they serve and obey God.

14


Ecclesiastes Purpose of Life

Ecclesiastes 12:13 ”Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.”

15


16


17


18


19


20


21


22


23


24


25


26


27


28


29


30


31


“chocolate easter bunny”€¦ · solomon gives practical rules for living wisely. ecclesiastes...

Documents