9 Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
The third characteristic of “life under the sun” is the dependence of human beings on other human beings. No one is truly autonomous and solitary. Every person needs people.
Characteristic 3—We Need Others
Life “under the sun” reveals our great need for one another. No one is truly an island unto themselves. We need others in so many ways.
We need others to help us, comfort us, and walk with us. We need other people in our lives because no one can do everything. The interdependence of the human race is seen in our economy, our homes, and churches.
Let’s give thanks that God places people in our lives to help get through this life. Family, friends, and neighbors are vital to sustaining us until we see Jesus.
The church is important to Christians as we seek to live out the principles of God’s Word each day. Be faithful and be in fellowship with the church. We need the church, and we need each other more than we will ever know.
4 Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind. 5 The fool folds his hands And consumes his own flesh. 6 Better a handful with quietness Than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind. 7 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun: 8 There is one alone, without companion: He has neither son nor brother. Yet there is no end to all his labors, Nor is his eye satisfied with riches. But he never asks, “For whom do I toil and deprive myself of good?” This also is vanity and a grave misfortune.
Ecclesiastes 4:4-8
We are examining the second characteristic of “life under the sun” from the book of Ecclesiastes this week. And that second characteristic found in chapter 4 is the dearth of lasting peace. Life without God does not lead to peace and contentment. Let’s examine.
Characteristic 2—No Lasting Peace
Another feature of life on this earth is a lack of peace. Nothing in this life can fulfill us for very long.
Our work doesn’t lead us to peace. Instead, it leads to bitterness, envy, and covetousness. Solomon laments the meaninglessness and vanity of labor under the sun.
Don’t misunderstand the point. Work is good and is given by God. God provides for us through our work and labor. It is far better to work and be productive than to be lazy and ineffectual.
Ecclesiastes reminds us that though work has a purpose, it can never bring lasting peace. Labor when seen outside of the sovereignty and the purview of God, is mere drudgery and monotony. But, when work is kept in its proper perspective as a gift from God, it becomes something altogether different. Keep this in mind when the alarm clock rings next Monday!
1 Then I returned and considered all the oppression that is done under the sun: And look! The tears of the oppressed,But they have no comforter–On the side of their oppressors there is power,But they have no comforter.2 Therefore I praised the dead who were already dead,More than the living who are still alive.3 Yet, better than both is he who has never existed,Who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 4:1-3
“Life under the sun” is a phrase that Solomon uses extensively in this book. Some say it simply implies to the earth and all things related to it.
Other scholars also believe that the phrase refers to a purely humanistic perspective of life that precludes the presence of God. In this view, Solomon is examining life purely in human terms with only limited references to God or His working. Both views have interpretive merit. Keep these in mind as we examine the characteristics of life under the sun.
Characteristic 1—Oppression “Under The Sun”
Oppression is abundant in our world. Unfairness and injustice permeate the very fiber of this sinful planet. Injustice in our day and time is overt and systemic.
Yet, there seems to be little that can done to overcome it. While we must fight for justice and help the poor and oppressed, we know that our efforts will never be powerful enough to help everyone. Thanks be to God for His ultimate judgement which will set things right once and for all.
14I know that whatever God does,It shall be forever.Nothing can be added to it,And nothing taken from it.God does it, that men should fear before Him.15 That which is has already been,And what is to be has already been;And God requires an account of what is past.16 Moreover I saw under the sun: In the place of judgment,Wickedness was there;And in the place of righteousness,Iniquity was there.17 I said in my heart, “God shall judge the righteous and the wicked,For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”18 I said in my heart, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.” 19 For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. 20 All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. 21 Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth? 22 So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?
Ecclesiastes 3:14-22
Wickedness and evil are having their day. But, that day is only temporary. Jesus will return to set things right.
One of the great themes of the Bible is the final judgement of God. There is coming a time when all will be judged. The strong and the weak, plus the righteous and the wicked will all be adjudicated. Those who reject Christ will be judged and cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:14-15). The Christian will stand before God for how they used the gift of life to serve the Savior (Romans 14:10). Are you ready for judgement day?
Friends, we are not mere animals despite Solomon’s assertion in verse 19. We are created in God’s image to serve Him and enjoy Him forever. Our lives have meaning and purpose through Jesus. Christ died in our place and was judged in our stead. Through Him we have life eternal, reconciliation with God, and adoption into God’s family.
Trust in Christ today. He is your only hope for salvation (John 14:6). Don’t wait.
1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: 2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; 3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; 7 A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; 8 A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace. 9 What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 10 I have seen theGod-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
God is in control. This is a comforting thought for the Christian. It reminds us that our lives are not spinning around in an out-of-control manner. Chance and happenstance play no part in our circumstances. Rather, our circumstances are divinely controlled by God Himself. Even when it doesn’t appear to be the case, God is still in control.
Solomon confronts this fact as he observed the rhythm and flow of life. May we see the nature of God’s control as we study this lesson this week.
Chapter 3 comprises one of the most famous passages of scripture in the Old Testament. Everything has an appointed to a time. The good and the bad, the joyful and the sorrowful are appointed to this life. Perhaps the following breakdown can make the point clearer.
Appointed Times for………………………..
Birth and Death
Planting and Destruction
Killing and Healing
Tearing Down and Building Up
Crying and Laughing
Mourning and Dancing
Cast Stones and Gather Stones
Embrace and Refrain
Gaining and Losing
Keeping and Discarding
Tearing and Sowing
Silence and Speaking
Love and Hate
War and Peace
Wow! What an incredible list. And God controls it all. He sovereignly reigns through our ups and downs, our victories and defeats, and our success and failures. God is in control of it all.
We may be thinking “if God is in control, then why is my life so difficult?” Shouldn’t my life be easier if God controls all things? There is no easy answer for these questions. God never promises ease and comfort on this earth (John 14:27). We live in a sinful world that will create circumstances that hurt us and cause us pain. We can’t understand it all. Yet, when can be comforted knowing that God is provident, in charge, and that He will never leave us.
God has given us an eternal perspective. We instinctively know that God exists and we are accountable to Him. We should be thankful that God has revealed Himself through Jesus Christ. For through Christ’s perfect life and sacrifice we have eternal life.
24 Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? 26 For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.
Ecclesiastes 2:24-26
Solomon’s counsel here is stark. Due to the meaninglessness of life, we should enjoy God’s blessings. God’s provision is reason enough to give thanks and praise for all that He does.
As we view life from God’s perspective, we find that life is not meaningless. As we trust in Christ and follow Him, our life develops an eternal nature that gives us something the world cannot give.
God is the giver of all blessings (James 1) and all good things. And He is with us every step of the way.
This world’s goods, pleasures, and power can never give us the meaning and significance we so desire. But, when we are adopted into God’s family, our life takes on an entirely new dimension. We receive a hope and purpose that is not of this world.
Don’t get me wrong. The life of the Christian is not perfect and trials and difficulties await us all. Through our Savior, we are able to endure even the most challenging of circumstances and come through them in victory. As a Christian, life is anything but meaningless.
17 Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind. 18 Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun. 21 For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? 23 For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.
Life without God also renders work and labor meaningless. Solomon was famous for his great achievements and building projects. Some of the great buildings in the history of Israel were built during the reign of King Solomon.
Even success in work, however, was not enough to give him substance and significance. He couldn’t seem to enjoy his success knowing that once he died, someone else would take credit for his labor and someone else would spend his resources. His success was no salve to the restlessness for his soul.
Only Jesus can provide true peace. Christ alone can give us ultimate purpose. Look to Jesus, Child of God, and be filled with His peace.
12 Then I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly; For what can the man do who succeeds the king?– Only what he has already done. 13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly As light excels darkness. 14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, But the fool walks in darkness. Yet I myself perceived That the same event happens to them all. 15 So I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, It also happens to me, And why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart, “This also is vanity.” 16 For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die?
Ecclesiastes 2:12-17
Death comes to all. The fool and the wise alike are still subject to the same fate. We all die. Hebrews 9:27 reminds us that we are appointed to death because of our sin.
Jesus is our hope for forgiveness. Jesus is our hope for heaven. Without Him, we are lost and separated from God. In Christ, we are saved, sanctified, and secured. Are you ready for death? That day is approaching for all us.
Trust in Jesus and be saved. Repent of your sins and turn to Jesus. Death, indeed, comes to all.
I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter–“Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?” 3 I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives. 4 I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. 5 I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. 7 I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds. 9 So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor. 11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
Solomon’s attempt to find meaning in life is the stuff of legend. He tried many things in order to find peace and contentment. And each time, these pursuits came up empty.
The “preacher” chased after pleasure to the full. The pleasures of life were given to him in abundance. But, they were never enough and left him empty.
Next, Solomon pursued money and great building projects. He built palaces, public works and even the temple. But, once again, these pursuits do not give him the peace and passion he longs for.
Finally, Solomon sought lasting meaning in his power. Power was heaped upon him as one of the greatest kings of his day. Even that power was not enough to shake him from his conclusion that all is vanity and meaninglessness.
Only Jesus can bring satisfaction. Trust in Him today and everyday!
12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised. 14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind. 15 What is crooked cannot be made straight, And what is lacking cannot be numbered. 16 I communed with my heart, saying, “Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has understood great wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind. 18 For in much wisdom is much grief, And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
Ecclesiastes 1:12-18
The conclusion of chapter 1 deals with the meaninglessness of purely, human wisdom. While human wisdom is greater than foolishness, it too is limited. Solomon was given great wisdom. Yet, the wisdom he had did not help to ease his frustrations when viewing the paradoxical nature of life. Instead, His wisdom only made the futility and madness of life on this planet more plainly seen and easily discerned.
What is the point of all this? The world’s knowledge, the world’s pleasure, and the world’s prominence will never bring true satisfaction and will only lead one to a meaningless existence. Solomon tried it all and every time was left with one thought—“all is vanity.”
The only hope we have is Jesus Christ. If you are not a Christian, trust Jesus as your Savior today. Call upon Him and ask Him to forgive you and save you. Believe that He died and rose again for you and trust Him to reconcile you.
The world’s goods and delights can never fulfill your deepest longings. Only Jesus can do that! Trust Him today.
Believers, we ought to spend our time pursuing Jesus. While we must live in this world, let’s not be too at home here. We are called to a higher plane of living and being. Seek godliness and Christlikeness instead of this worlds allures.
mrtonyfrench 