Adult
• 5 Sessions of Learner’s Materials
• 5 Sessions of Teaching Materials
• 4 Handouts
1. Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
2. Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:8
3. Song of Songs 2:8-13; 7:10-12
4. Esther 3:2-3, 5-6a; 4:7-16
5. Esther 8:3-8; 9:18-23
Scholars usually designate the three Old Testament books of Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes as wisdom literature. These books are about living in our world. The wisdom writers sought to provide a perspective from which to live and attempted to offer practical advice on how to live wisely. Two other books are sometimes associated with this genre: Song of Songs and Esther. In this unit, we will study the wisdom needed to make the most of our time on earth.
The first lesson, titled “A Time for All Things” (Ecc 3:1-15), establishes the theme by affirming that there is a time for everything we experience in life. The second lesson, “A Time to Remember” (Ecc 11:7–12:8), reminds us that there is a time to remember God and God’s will for our lives. Moving to the Song of Songs, we learn the value of romantic love in a lesson titled “A Time for Love” (SS 2:8-13; 7:10-13; 8:6-7). The last two lessons come from Esther. In “A Time for Courage” (Est 3; 4), we examine the story and learn the importance of courage in perilous times. In “A Time to Celebrate” (Est 8; 9), we see the fruition of Esther’s and Mordecai’s wisdom as a new time to celebrate is born for the people of Israel.
by LaMon Brown
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