Week 699 · Old Testament · about 2 minutes · 277 words
💧 Ecclesiastes 4
Ecclesiastes 4 opens with these words: “Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had…” The line to keep is Ecclesiastes 4:2: “Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive.” Carry the word “praised” from that verse into the rest of the day.
Ecclesiastes 4 is a real chapter from the Old Testament. It starts, “Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.” That is not a motto invented for a poster. It is the first sentence a family hears when this page is opened at night.
Keep going a little further. The chapter also says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.” Ecclesiastes 4 opens with these words: “Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had…” The line to keep is Ecclesiastes 4:2: “Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive.” Carry the word “praised” from that verse into the rest of the day.
The line worth learning out loud is Ecclesiastes 4:2: “Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive.” If the rest of the chapter feels crowded, hold that one sentence until the room is quiet.
What happens first in Ecclesiastes 4? Then try this: Read “Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive.” once more. What does it show you about God? You do not have to finish every verse. You can close the book after the memory verse and still have read the Bible together.
“Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive.”
Ecclesiastes 4:2 · Ecclesiastes 4
Say it
Practice Ecclesiastes 4:2
Tap the words in order. The blanks follow the verse from left to right.
ThereforeIthewhohavebeenlongdeadmorethanthelivingwhoareyet
Talk about it
- What happens first in Ecclesiastes 4?
- Read “Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive.” once more. What does it show you about God?
- Who can you tell one sentence from Ecclesiastes 4 before bedtime?
Prayer
Father, thank you for Ecclesiastes 4. Help us remember Ecclesiastes 4:2 when we wake up, and teach us to notice you in an ordinary night. Amen.
Parent tip
If Ecclesiastes 4 is long, read Ecclesiastes 4:2 twice and ask one of the talk-about questions. The chapter page has every verse if you want more tomorrow.
Week 699 · the whole night
💧 Ecclesiastes 4
Story, coloring page, word search, and the verse to trace.
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