Free group study handout
Ecclesiastes 11: Group Study Handout
How to use: read Ecclesiastes 11 aloud together, then take the questions in order. One page is enough for an evening.
Overview
When one casts bread on the waters, they shall find it after many days (v. 1). It is wise to give to multiple people, as the future is uncertain (v.
Key verse
“He who observes the wind won’t sow; and he who regards the clouds won’t reap.”
Ecclesiastes 11:4 (WEB)
Outline
- Ecclesiastes 11:1–2 Investment Through Generosity
- Ecclesiastes 11:3–5 Acknowledging Life's Unpredictability
- Ecclesiastes 11:6–8 Sowing and Reaping in Uncertainty
- Ecclesiastes 11:9–10 Joy and Accountability in Youth
Discussion questions
- In v1, what does it mean to 'cast your bread on the waters'?
- What does the phrase 'the light is sweet' in v7 suggest about life?
- In vv. 9-10, what tension exists between joy in youth and the reminder of judgment?
- Why might the author say that 'all that comes is vanity' in v8?
- When have you hesitated to act because you were waiting for perfect conditions, as in v4?
Go deeper
Passages that echo Ecclesiastes 11: 2 Corinthians 9, Isaiah 55, Ecclesiastes 12.
Before next time: read Ecclesiastes 12.