Ecclesiastes 4

Ecclesiastes 4 (NKJV)

The oppression in the World

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.

Oppression defination; prolonged cruel or unjust treatment, it is basically persecution.

The world is full of opression, injustices because it is a fallen world. The Bible says that the God of this world is the devil.

It is not a suprise that those who might be in position of power are oppressors in one way or another.

The only place where there is no oppresion is the Kingdom of God.

Therefore if this world is all that there is then it is better not to exist that exist in this world.

However there is hope for the oprress in the world that is to come.

We who are oppressed, persecuted and suffer for the name of Christ, as Jesus did, our reward is great in the Kingdom of God.

The vanity of Envy

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.

Envy people for the gift or skill they possess is vanity.

The dangers of laziness (slothfull) and overworking

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.

the true sentiments of Solomon's mind, steering between the two extremes of slothfulness, and too toilsome labour to be rich;

Instead of being satisfied with comptence (one handful), you overwork to have (two handfull), lack of contentment or covetousness.

that it is much more eligible to have a competency, though it is but small, with a good conscience, with tranquillity of mind, with the love and fear of God, and a contented heart, than to have a large estate, with great trouble and fatigue in getting and keeping it, especially with discontent and uneasiness;

Proverbs 6:6-11 “6 Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, 7 Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler, 8 Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest. 9 How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep— 11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.”

Proverbs 24:30-34 “30 I went by the field of the lazy man, And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; 31 And there it was, all overgrown with thorns; Its surface was covered with nettles; Its stone wall was broken down. 32 When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction: 33 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest; 34 So shall your poverty come like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.”

Proverbs 15:16 “16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, Than great treasure with trouble.”

Proverbs 23:4-5 “4 Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! 5 Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.”

The vanity of overworking

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.

Do not overwork to be rich

The value in number

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.

There is power in numbers.

Jesus send the desciples two by two

The supremancy of wisdom

13 Better a poor and wise youth Than an old and foolish king who will be admonished no more.

The supremacy of wisdom irregardless of one’s youth and poverty.

Though one may have the prestige and honour that comes from being old and weilding great power of a king, this is meaningless without wisdom.

Job 32:5–9 NKJV

5 When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was aroused. 6 So Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, answered and said: “I am young in years, and you are very old; Therefore I was afraid, And dared not declare my opinion to you. 7 I said, ‘Age should speak, And multitude of years should teach wisdom.’ 8 But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding. 9 Great men are not always wise, Nor do the aged always understand justice.

The vanity of popularity

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.

This young poor youth because of his wisdom and inspite of his humble status and poverty is thrust into the throne, many following him

Yet eventually the generation that rises after him, when he is old won’t rejoice over him. His popularity has waned.

Ecclesiastes 5

Ecclesiastes 5 (NKJV)

The folly of much speach that is sensless and incoherent

1 Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.

2 Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.

3 For a dream comes through much activity, And a fool’s voice is known by his many words.

proverbs 10:19 “19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.”

The sin of not keeping one’s promise to God

4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed—

5 Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.

Deut 23:21-23 “21 “When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you. 22 But if you abstain from vowing, it shall not be sin to you. 23 That which has gone from your lips you shall keep and perform, for you voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth.”

Ps 66:13-14 “13 I will go into Your house with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows, 14 Which my lips have uttered And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.”

Psalsm 15:4, the person who fullfill his promise to God irregardless of how painful it is, will abite in his tabernacle, in the Holy hill of God.

6 Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands?

Prov 20:25 “25 It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy, And afterward to reconsider his vows.”

The Hebrew word for messenger is hammalak wich is literally angel 1 Cor 11:10 “10 For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.”

7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But fear God.

8 If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent perversion of justice and righteousness in a province, do not marvel at the matter; for high official watches over high official, and higher officials are over them.

9 Moreover the profit of the land is for all; even the king is served from the field.

Satisfaction does not come from an abundance of what one has

10 He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.

Luke 12:13-15 “13 Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” 15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.””

11 When goods increase, They increase who eat them; So what profit have the owners Except to see them with their eyes?

12 The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, Whether he eats little or much; But the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep.

The more you have, the more your life becomes complicated.

The more things you have to worry about maintaining and preserving.

life is much more sweet with simplicity.

The labourer his life is simple, he works in the feild and comes home weary and he has sound sleep.

13 There is a severe evil which I have seen under the sun: Riches kept for their owner to his hurt.

14 But those riches perish through misfortune; When he begets a son, there is nothing in his hand.

15 As he came from his mother’s womb, naked shall he return, To go as he came; And he shall take nothing from his labor Which he may carry away in his hand.

16 And this also is a severe evil— Just exactly as he came, so shall he go. And what profit has he who has labored for the wind?

17 All his days he also eats in darkness, And he has much sorrow and sickness and anger.

1 Timothy 6:6–10 NKJV

6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

18 Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage.

life is not about the pursuit of abundance in riches, weath and possesion.

the best thing for man to do is to enjoy the good of all his babor and toil.

19 As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God.

20 For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.