Ecclesiastes 4:1-16

It’s been a week since we were in Ecclesiastes, so I’ll give a bit of a recap here for you. In Chapter 1, we learned that King Solomon is most likely the author of Ecclesiastes, calling himself The Teacher, a Son of David, and the greatest king Jerusalem has ever known. He wrote several of the wisdom books. Song of Solomon was written in his young years about the 1st love of his life. Proverbs was mostly written by King Solomon thruout his life, but Ecclesiastes was written at the end of his life and what did he find? Oh Vanity of Vanities, all is vanity. What does vanity mean? Smoke, vapor, grasping at the wind.

He searched for the meaning of life “under the sun” and what did he find? That there’s nothing new under the sun. Everything that happened before, will happen again, and that which is happening has already happened. Why is that? To teach the next generation the lessons the previous generation didn’t get right.

BUT, is there something new under the sun? Us, that’s right. There will never be another me. God designed this world FOR US, this life FOR US, to do one thing, and what is that? To point people to Him and he doesn’t want to do it without you. Because that’s the purpose of Life, to bring Glory to God. So share your faith, build relationships, let people tell you about them, so you can then tell them about you and how you fixed what was broken in your life.

Have you ever asked why these people keep finding you? Because you know what it’s like to be found. Teach them find out how to fix their broken lives too. Romans 10:14-15 “14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!””

Last time, in Ecc 3 we saw God has a calendar for our lives, and we are all in a season right now, coming into a new one, going out one. We all go thru these seasons, they knit us together, so we can show people how to grieve, how to love, how to struggle, how to stand, how to fight. And when. Then Solomon ends Chapter 3 like this: Ecc 3:18-22 “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?” Everybody dies, so do what you want because once you’re gone, the next generation won’t even remember you. Is this a true statement? We’re building a legacy and a reputation here on earth, and in Heaven. Be aware of that. This world needs to see a difference, AND they need to hear it from your mouth. A pastor I was listening to this week said this and it spoke to me this week from an unknown pastor: “If you give up in winter, you won’t be around for spring.” The harvest is coming.

Let’s pray.

Ecclesiastes 4:1–3 NKJV

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.

Solomon saw a destitute world in his day too. Kind of like today huh? Depression is at an all-time high and it’s consuming lives like never before. Everyone focuses on themselves, and we’re taught to soothe ourselves. What do we soothe with? Narcotics, nefarious company, dirty pictures and videos. We’re the generation that’s bowing to our phones instead of looking up at the world around us. When Solomon was talking about there being “nothing new under the sun,” that’s what he’s talking about, the fact that he’s been looking DOWN and IN, and not UP and OUT. Why do we give into that power? The wiles of the devil are POWERFUL. There is no comfort, there is no satisfaction. The pit gets and deeper, doesn’t it. You feel hopeless. So did Solomon!

He praises the DEAD and those who haven’t been born because he sees this world for what it is, and how is that? It’s dying, corrupt, morally bankrupt. The wisest man in the world was BORED and LONELY. Listen to him, does this sound to you like a man who is living the life he could live? He’s moping around, nothing is fair, nobody cares about your feelings.

Even then, people wanted to disappear, to erase themselves thinking the world would be better off without them. This isn’t the world God made. BUT, it IS the world Jesus saved. He came for this world. A world that is seeking, that’s had eternity set in it’s heart, a yearning to search for Him, to search for something more. And for most people, they are watching that beautiful smoke dance around and not looking thru it to the One who made it for them to behold and KNOW that there is an ALMIGHTY GOD.

Solomon is getting fed up, look what he says here:

Ecclesiastes 4:4–6 NKJV

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.

We all want to feel special, right? We’re 1-upping the Joneses. Keeping our eyes on the prize…Ever bought a new car and started looking at the eyes of the people you’re passing on the road? I used to do that, looking for people watching your new car drive by. That’s vanity. I know better. I’ve owned 4 vehicles. 2 I drove into the ground. 1 I gave to my mom. It was a blue Ford that some who aren’t colorblind would have called purple. Your pride can make you do strange things huh? Spend money you don’t have. Do things you regret. All vanity.

How about this hilarious phrase: The FOOL folds his hands and consumes his own flesh. What in the world does that mean? A fool folds his hands and does nothing…and he’ll starve physically, emotionally, spiritually. Our bodies start to consume itself don’t they?

How many of you have been to a jr high or high school dance? Ever been that person standing on the wall, waiting for someone to come ask YOU to dance? Only nobody comes up, right? Some people look at that as being humble, but it’s pride. We want to be wanted SO BAD! And it does what? What’s the phrase we use when something is just “eating us up.” Right? Be busy about the right things.

Ecc 4:6 “6 Better a handful with quietness Than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind.” How about this one? In the same vein, a handful, just enough with quiet thankfulness than both hands full, filling up and up and up. What do we call that? Greed. We need to organize the things on our daily plate. Just like God has a calendar for us, he’s organized that time for us. Organize your plate, prioritize, and don’t just go build a bigger plate when things don’t fit. Get a shovel and throw it off the pile. Especially if it could become an idol. Think about those things you’re putting on your plate that have no business taking up your time. Identify the enemy and attack that stronghold. Bring an army with you and hoo-rah.

Ecclesiastes 4:7–8 NKJV

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.

The devil wants us here. Alone. Isolated. Helpless. Some of us are there right now, aren’t we? We dig, dig, dig, dig, dig, dig, dig…in a mine the whole day thru! All that most of us do is work, isn’t it? Who are you? I’m a real estate agent. I’m a business owner. What we do IS WHO WE ARE. Who do we work for? For US, for our families, for the little box the world allows us autonomy over. As long as you stay in that box, you’re good…Focus on the box, focus on what you need to do to upkeep that box.

Prov 27:20 “20 Hell and Destruction are never full; So the eyes of man are never satisfied.” Solomon is quoting himself here. What is the verse right before that one? I used it in my first message of this book. Proverbs 27:19 “19 As in water face reflects face, So a man’s heart reveals the man.” A man’s heart reveals who you really belong to. Who you are is not what you let people see. What’s the verse right after this? Prov 27:20-21 “20 Hell and Destruction are never full; So the eyes of man are never satisfied. 21 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, And a man is valued by what others say of him.” Ouch. Is that what we have been reduced to? What others say or think about us? When life is lonely, that’s where we get. We look at facebook or twitter, or our blog for validation and we find less followers, nothing trending…we’re alone. Where does that drive us?

1 John 2:16 “16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” When we keep looking at everything under the sun, we get caught up right here. We get low and we start filling the cracks in our lives with lust, with empty feelings, with the quick fix, with cosigners of our bad decisions…who then put those bad decisions online and trend off of your emberrassment. I fell and broke a rib last week. I do wish I had video of it to share. NOT to make it trend, but to bring laughter to you all. To show you my scars. To help you not do stupid stuff. To remind you listen to the prophets in your life like Jeff.

Vv8 says one alone, without companion…yet there is no end to his labors. What do we work for. What good are you doing with your wealth? What are you doing with your time? That’s our most precious resource. Time shows you how much you love. Build wealth that moth and rust can’t destroy. Build riches in heaven by how you handle the name of Jesus. Solomon, tell us why:

Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 NKJV

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.

These verses are commonly used in couple’s counseling right. But it’s practical in all of our life’s endeavors. Verse 11 is not just about lying down together, it’s about the fact that 2 can protect each other, yes, they can keep each other warm, but they can also comfort each other when they’re struggling. Married couples especially, how many of you fight with your spouses? Jerks. How many of you fight with your spouses like it’s the two of you against the world? How many of you tell your wife or husband “We’re OK. This is a disagreement, but you and I, our marriage, it’s OK.” Did you know the devil will use your kids to split you? I’ve talked with mine, they know where they stand. Their mom is my priority. If they are coming between us, they need to learn their place. Nothing muscles in on God’s territory. I can’t allow it, and my wife won’t either.

How many of our friends need to hear "We’re OK” from you? I might disagree with the fact you are a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. I may not like you as a human being for that, but it doesn’t mean we can’t be friends the other 6 days of the week. I jest, but we take it to that extreme don’t we? We separate over the dumbest things, and then when one of you tries to rebuild, the other snubs.

A threefold cord is represented by the bond of 2 people with Christ in the center. Ropemakers know that spooling 2 strands together is stronger than one, but 3 is exponentially stronger. ** KIDS GET OUT YOUR CRAFTS **

All the more reason to build an army around you. To pull you along, to lift you up, to keep you warm, to help you withstand the wiles of the devil, and you will strengthen them. When you think about a tear in fabric, it’s hard to fix that. There’s always a separation, always a weak point. BUT, when something is knitted, it can be fixed. It’s got to be unraveled a little, right? Relaxed, then the knitter goes to work, stitch by stitch, until the seam is gone. We need to relax a bit. Stop getting mad over every little thing. Jesus died for that sin that you see in your friend that is SO PREVALANT because YOU DO IT ALL THE TIME! Stop being sin sniffers and start being fruit finders. Weave those seams together in Jesus name and let Him heal hurts.

Teach people how to defend themselves against the wiles of the devil. The world doesn’t know. They just let it happen. This is as good as it’s going to get…maybe they’ve just given up on thinking someone out there loves them enough to show their worth. They don’t understand that there’s a chasm they can’t do anything themselves to bridge. Only the blood of Jesus do that. They need to see that blood that was poured over you lived out. Let your light shine.

Here’s the final verses for the text today:

Ecclesiastes 4:13–16 NKJV

13 Better a poor and wise youth Than an old and foolish king who will be admonished no more. 14 For he comes out of prison to be king, Although he was born poor in his kingdom. 15 I saw all the living who walk under the sun; They were with the second youth who stands in his place. 16 There was no end of all the people over whom he was made king; Yet those who come afterward will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

Again here, Solomon is feeling the weight of his kingdom going to the only son of the 1000 women in his life that is talked about in scripture. 1. Rehoboam. There is nobody else listed as a son of Solomon. If it is the oldest, or if it’s the 1, how helpless does he feel knowing he’s leaving his kingdom to Spongebob. His council of his friends would ruin God’s kingdom. That was God’s plan though. That we would learn from the fools of our past. There’s nothing new under the sun when it comes to the lessons history teaches us. We don’t rejoice in Rehoboam, do we? He’s responsible for the split of the kingdom, for the exile, for the poor kings…but it had to happen.

Why? So we could see what happens when we try to rule ourselves. A good dad is constantly teaching lessons. Sometimes hard ones, right? There comes a day when we’re no longer responsible for our children’s behavior. They make their own choices and live with the consequences. A good dad though, always keeps that line of communication open. A way back.

Solomon turns a corner in the next chapter. He starts coming back to where his pursuit of the “American Way” has driven him off-base. What is the “American Way?” Life, Liberty, and the PURSUIT of Happiness. If only our founding fathers had used a different word than Happiness. Happiness doesn’t get you anything but heartache. So easy are the highs and the lows. Pursuit of JOY would probably have been better, BUT, they didn’t get much wrong here, Love covers right?

So, what have we learned from Chapter 4? 1) We learned that there is power in the oppressor, but only because we allow him to have power and there appears to be no comforter for those who are oppressed. Our world is not helpless, but most of us are like stress paralyzed, if that’s even a thing.

2) Solomon found that we are our own worst enemy, we need to focus on the happy medium in our labors. Don’t sit idly by and let the world happen to you…and don’t fill up your hands and your arms with so much you are not ineffective to the Lord. Handfulls with quietness, right? Be thankful for what you have, because nothing satisfies, our eyes are always trying to find the next scheme. Keep your eyes on what’s above.

3) When we try to live our life on our own, we get stuck in the box. The devil wants you right there, focused on your little box, defending it from anyone who might want to help you change it or make it better…it’s MY box. But 2 is better than one, and 3 is even better still. To have friends, you need to be friendly, and there’s nothing friendly about tending to your box.

4) What people say about you doesn’t matter. All that matters is what the Lord knows about you. Jesus makes a way, where there is no way. We need to learn from the past, from OUR past, and not make the same choices again. Jesus paid the price for our failures. He overcame so we could overcome. When you know Jesus, you know the way. Be confident and lead the way.

Turn with me to 2 Cor 5:12-21

2 Corinthians 5:12–21 NKJV

12 For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Let’s read verse 21 out loud together. For HE made HIM (Jesus) who knew no sin to be SIN FOR US, that WE might become the RIGHTEOUSNESS of GOD in HIM. If you’ve been saved by the blood of the Lamb, YOU are representative of HIS righteousness. He carried the CROSS FOR YOU - Finish