Queen's Road Cell

  Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them. 2  And I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. 3  But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun. 4  Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. 5  The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh. 6  Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind. 7  Again, I saw vanity under the sun: 8  one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is v

  16  Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. 17  I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. 18  I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. 19  For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. 20  All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. 21  Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? 22  So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him?   1. What does v.16 teach

9  What gain has the worker from his toil? 10  I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11  He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12  I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; 13  also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man. 14  I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15  That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away ..   1. Explain the phrase, "He has made everything beautiful in its time" (3:11). To what theological truth about God revealed in 3:9-15 does this point us? Where else in Script

  For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2  a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3  a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4  a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5  a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6  a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7  a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8  a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. 1. What is the poem in verses 1-8 about?  What is Qoheleth’s view of time? Does the poem seem positive or negative? If we live long enough, we will experience many things in life. There is an observation that life is complex. Different things happen at different times. These times do not last.

  18  I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, 19  and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. 20  So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, 21  because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22  What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? 23  For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity. 24  There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, 25  for apart from him who can eat or wh

  I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. 2  I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3  I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4  I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5  I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6  I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7  I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8  I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons

12  I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13  And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14  I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. 15  What is crooked cannot be made straight,      and what is lacking cannot be counted. 16  I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” 17  And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind. 18  For in much wisdom is much vexation,      and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.   These verses provides a transition from the preceding poem to Qoheleth's experiment in 2:1–26ff.  1. a) How does Qoheleth describe himself here? What is his q