Ecclesiastes 10

1. Read Ecclesiastes 10:1–4. Spend a few moments thinking deeply and discussing Ecclesiastes 10:1. What does it mean? How have you seen this principle to be true in your own life and observations?
2. What are some of the specific “flies of folly” in your life right now that threaten to pollute the “ointment of wise living”? Even if they are small or seemingly inconsequential, receive this moment as an opportunity to come clean and confess. Don’t wait until the sin becomes “too big to share.”
3. Folly is the opposite of wisdom. True wisdom flows from a proper fear of God. Wisdom is the ability to interpret life well, making sound judgments, and acting in ways that cohere with the goodness, truth, and beauty of God Himself. Folly, on the other hand, is the willful disregard of wisdom. It is often impulsive, short-sighted, and self-destructive (Ecclesiastes 2:19). The folly of a fool is often obvious to others, even though the fool cannot see it himself (Ecclesiastes 10:3). Who are some people in your life who will lovingly tell you the truth when you are prone to foolishness? What sorts of things have they brought to your attention in the past?
4. Read Ecclesiastes 10:5–20. Which themes from this passage resonate with what you experience to be true of life? Explain.
5. Ephesians 5:15–17 warns us to be “very careful how [we] live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Are there any changes you need to make about the way you are walking or the path you are on? Spend some time in honest reflection, and then go to God in prayer for one another.