Fear God and Keep His Commandments

Study Guide

At the end of Ecclesiastes, both Solomon and the author bring us back to the foundational truths of this book. There is a God, and we are not him. If we fear God and keep his commandments, we are free to live in the moment, releasing all our anxieties to him and enjoying the good things he has given us on this earth.
Application
  1. In what area of your life are you constantly trying to “figure it out” (marriage, parenting, work, finances)? How does that affect your relationship with God and others? What does it reveal about your view of God and yourself?

  2. Consider how the Creator/creature distinction is foundational to everything we’ve learned in Ecclesiastes. In what ways is it hard for you to live as a creature who is dependent on a Creator?

  3. Jesus’ resurrection is the lynchpin of the Christian faith. Why does the resurrection give us freedom to fear God and keep his commandments even when we can’t understand the suffering and injustice of our world? Have you experienced that freedom, or do you struggle to trust God in difficult times?

Key Points
  • God created us with great capacity for delight, and he made everything delightful for us. It is an act of worship to enjoy the good gifts he has given us.

  • To enjoy this world, we must live in the moment. Part of delighting in the present is knowing that hard things are coming.

  • We are free to exercise our will and enjoy life, but we are accountable to God for how we steward what he has entrusted to us.

  • Only in the present can we fear God and keep his commandments—not the past nor the future.

  • Jesus is the source of our hope. Because of his resurrection, we can look forward to a new earth and new, glorified bodies to enjoy his creation.

Other Scripture References

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:14