Ecclesiastes 10
Explanation and Bible story for toddlers and preschoolers (ages 3-6)
The Explanation
Long ago there was a wise man. His name was Solomon. Solomon looked around him. He saw many things. And he wrote them all down in a book.
Listen to what Solomon saw.
Solomon saw a little jar. In the jar was sweet oil. It smelled so good! But look… a little fly fell in. Just one little fly. And now the whole jar smelled yucky. One little fly, and everything stinks.
Solomon saw a man chopping wood. Chop, chop, chop. The axe was blunt. So the man had to work very hard. He puffed and he sweated. If only he had sharpened his axe first!
Solomon saw someone digging a big hole. Deeper and deeper. And then… oops! The man fell into his own hole.
Solomon heard people talking. Some people said kind words. Their words were sweet, like honey. But other people said mean words. On and on and on. They just kept talking.
Solomon also saw a lazy man. That man did not fix his house. He just sat. And what happened? Drip, drip, drip. The roof started leaking!
Solomon saw so much. And he wrote it all in his book.
What Does This Mean?
Solomon wants to say something important. Little things matter. A little fly can spoil a big jar. A little laziness can break a whole house. And little words, little words matter too.
Kind words are like sweet oil. They smell good. They make people happy. Mean words are like the fly in the jar. They spoil everything.
The Common Thread
Solomon was very, very wise. But there is Someone even wiser. His name is Jesus.
Jesus always spoke kind words. When people were sad, Jesus said, "Come to Me." When children came running, Jesus said, "Let them come!" His words were sweet, like honey. His words made people better.
Jesus knows about the little things too. He sees the little bird in the sky. He counts every little hair on your head. Nothing is too small for Jesus.
For You
You can talk too. Your mouth can say things. Do you know what?
You can say kind words. "I love you, Mommy." "Come play with me!" "Thank you, Daddy." Those words are like sweet oil. They smell so good.
But sometimes an ugly word slips out. "No! Go away!" That word is like the little fly in the jar.
Jesus helps you. He helps you say sweet words. And when a fly word slips out, you may say, "Sorry." Then it is clean again.
Little hands can help too. Picking up a toy. Giving a hug. Little things. But so important.
Talk About It
What is a kind word you can say to someone today?
Can you think of something small that made you very happy?
Praying Together
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for kind words. Thank You for sweet things. Please help me say nice words. And when I am not nice, please help me too. I love You, Jesus.
Amen.
Questions about Ecclesiastes 10
Short answers for anyone reading about this for the first time.
What is Ecclesiastes 10 about?
What does Ecclesiastes 10 say?
What does Ecclesiastes 10 teach us about God?
What can toddlers learn from Ecclesiastes 10?
Why is Ecclesiastes 10 an important Bible story?
What others discovered
By slothfulness the roof sinks in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaks." No storm did that. Nobody tore the roof off. It simply went unattended, one quiet day at a time. Some things in your life are leaking right now, not because you attacked them, but because you stopped tending them. What needs your hands today?
Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place." Solomon saw it and refused to pretend otherwise. Sometimes the loudest fool gets the platform and you get the back row. He doesn't promise to fix it here. He just says it's real, so you stop assuming your low seat means God overlooked you.
A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes the life glad; and money is the answer for all things." Solomon isn't praising money here, he's naming how the world actually works. Bread, laughter, wine, and yes, money smooths everything. But notice what's missing: meaning. Money answers the bills, not the ache. Be honest about which questions you're really trying to answer.
Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to produce an evil odor; so does a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor."
Think about that. A whole jar of costly perfume, ruined by a few tiny flies. Years of building a good name can be undone by one careless word, one small compromise. Guard the little things. They carry more weight than you think.
Looking for something for slightly older children?
We also have dedicated versions for elementary age (7-12) and teens (12 and up).
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