ECCLESIASTES 4
Oppression is part of life verse 1- 3
So I returned AND considered all the oppression
that are done under the sun
AND behold tears of such as were oppressed
AND they had no COMFORTER
AND on the side of their oppressors there was power
BUT they had no comforter
Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead
more than the living which are yet alive
Yea – better is he than both they – which has not yet been
who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun
Travail is part of life verse 4- 6
Again – I considered all TRAVAIL – and every right work
that for this a man is envied of his neighbor
This is also VANITY and VEXATION of spirit
Laziness is a part of life verse 5- 6
The FOOL folds his hands together – and eats his own flesh
better is an handful with quietness
THAN both the hands full with TRAVAIL
and VEXATION of spirit
Greed is a part of life verse 7- 8
Then I returned – and I saw VANITY under the sun
there is one alone – and there is not a second
YEA – he has neither child nor brother
YET is there no end of all his labor
NEITHER is his eye satisfied with riches
NEITHER says he
For whom do I labor AND
and bereave my soul of good?
This is also VANITY – YEA – it is sore TRAVAIL
Friendship is needed in life verse 9- 12
Two are better than one
BECAUSE they have a good reward for their labor
FOR if they fall – the one will life up his fellow
BUT woe to him that is alone when he falls
FOR he has not another to help him up
AGAIN – if two lie together – THEN they have heat
BUT how can one be warm alone?
AND if one prevail against him – two shall withstand him
AND a threefold cord is not quickly broken
Politics is part of life verse 13- 16
Better is a poor and a wise child THAN an old and foolish king
who will no more be admonished
FOR out of prison he comes to reign
WHEREAS he that is born in his kingdom becomes poor
I considered all the living which walk under the sun
with the second child that shall stand up in his stead
There is no end of all the people
EVEN of all that have been before them
they also that come after shall not rejoice in him
SURELY this also is VANITY and VEXATION of spirit
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 So I returned and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. (6217 “oppressions” [‘ashuwq] means the act of subjugating by cruelty, extortion, wrong, exploit, abused, or the state of causing trouble and hardship to another.)
DEVOTION: When we look around out world, we see that there are people who enjoy giving others a hard time. Sometimes it is just calling people names or making fun of their job but most of the time there are people who enjoy saying things about others to make themselves look good.
Sometimes those who give people a hard time won’t stop until they cause the person to break down and cry or cause them to get angry and do things they would not normally do. It is not easy to face people who enjoy giving you a hard time every time you meet them. It is not easy to see someone you love cry because there are people around them that like to see them cry.
When someone needs help and no one is there to help it causes great pain in the life of that individual or family. It is not something that a genuine believer should do to another person but sometimes even those who claim to be believers cause problems for people.
The LORD doesn’t want this to happen in our world especially if it is happening because a believer is giving someone a hard time. Our responsibility is to help those who need it whether we like them or not.
CHALLENGE: As believers we are called to be those who comfort others and encourage them to turn to the LORD for strength and guidance. Believers are to come alongside those who are struggling.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 6 Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit. (7469 “vexation” [re‘uwth ] means grasping after, a feeding upon, longing, striving, craving or an aspiration or desire one wants badly enough to pursue.)
DEVOTION: There are two extremes in life. There are those who are lazy and there are those who are workaholics. There is supposed to be a balance in our lives.
Solomon states that it is better to have a little with tranquility. He means that work that brings peace to our lives is better than work that makes us grab at the wind. This type of work is causing people to be sleepless worrying about their money. Those who are workaholics are continually on edge. They are never satisfied. Solomon wants those listening to him to realize that they should work but not to the point of being a workaholic. He also wants those listening to not be lazy and expect the world to give them everything.
Balance is the key word related to this verse. What are we craving? Is it quietness or travail? There are choices we make each day regarding what we are grasping after. We know what is going on in our heads. We know what we want out of life. We know what we want for our family. We know if we have a Biblical worldview or a worldview of selfish self.
If our worldview is Biblical we will be looking to the LORD for a handful of things with quietness and peace from HIM. If we have a selfish worldview we will want more than we have or need and find that it only gives travail and a craving for more.
How much is enough? One person defined “enough” as a “little bit more.” If we are always looking for a little bit more we will never have the quietness the LORD wants us to have in this life.
CHALLENGE: Pray to the LORD for a balanced life regarding work and play. Invite others to help.
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: 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 New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982)
DEVOTION: Success is meaningless when it becomes all consuming. Think of the politician or businessman who rises to the top of his profession, only to realize that he has lost his family in the process, or a person consumed by his hobbies to the extent where the family is pushed out. For most, the question, ‘For whom do I toil?’ comes too late!
The Preacher highlights the effects of such loneliness by contrasting them with the joys of togetherness (v. 9). In many cases two people can enjoy more than double the success for their labors. Success is something to be shared. At moments of triumph we instinctively turn to another in the shared moment. As two are better than one in triumph—then this holds good for times of difficulty and even tragedy (v. 10). The Bible instructs us to ‘Bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2). George Eliot described a best friend as ‘a well-spring in the wilderness.
CHALLENGE: Take time to enjoy the success with the people that matter most in your life. Life is fleeting and people that care will make the difference. (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. (5975 “withstand” [‘amad] means take one’s stand, hold one’s ground, be in charge, be steadfast or endure.
Solomon is instructing those who read that friends are necessary in life. It is lonely without them. There are many trials that enter into the lives of those who are followers of the LORD. These trials must be overcome with the help of the LORD and those HE has allowed into our life.
Many people think that they can do it alone. Some have seemed to succeed alone but that is not true. People need to have individuals around them to help them through the different stages of life.
We begin with parents, grandparents and family. They can make up a loving group or they can cause us grief. If they are a loving group you can be encouraged throughout your life. They will be with you through every trial. They will help you both emotionally, financially and most important spiritually. It is great to grow up in a family that loves the LORD. There are families that are religious but that can be a different story.
When an individual becomes an adult there are other people in their life. There are friends and spouses. Marriage is good if the LORD is honored. A husband and wife working together to serve the LORD can help conquer any temptation of the enemy. Along with a spouse there are friends that are brought into the family through church, work and other places.
Once a trial faces these types of individuals who count on the LORD and have family and friends at their side they can have victory. They can endure any problem that comes their way. There is strength in numbers. There is spiritual strength from the LORD. There is physical strength from those who encourage and support a family going through a difficult time. This is what Solomon seems to be teaching.
CHALLENGE: Don’t try to handle life on your own. Trust in the LORD. Trust in genuine friends who will not leave you during hard times. Thank them for being there when needed.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Oppressed verse 1
Man verse 4
Neighbor verse 4
spirit verse 4
Child verse 8, 13
Brother verse 8
King verse 13
Prison verse 14
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Oppression verse 1
Misuse of power verse 1
Evil verse 3
Envy verse 4
Vanity verse 4, 7, 8, 16
Vexation of spirit verse 4, 6, 16
Fool verse 5
No work ethic verse 5
Not satisfied verse 8
Foolish verse 13
Not willing to be admonished verse 13
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Comforter verse 1
Good work ethic verse 5, 9
Satisfied verse 8
Wise verse 13
Willing to be admonished verse 13
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Solomon verse 1- 16
Considered travail and every
right work
Better is an handful with quietness
than both the hands full with
travail and vexation of spirit
Two is better than one
One can lift up his fellow
Threefold cord is not quickly broken
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Dead verse 2
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QUOTES regarding passage
4:11 Third, they give emotional comfort to each other. The warmth of lying beside each other does not refer to sexual activity, nor are the two necessarily husband and wife. It is an image derived from that of travelers who must lie beside each other to stay warm on cold desert nights. But the usage is here metaphorical for emotional comfort against the coldness of the world. (Garrett, D. A. (1993). Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of songs (Vol. 14, p. 308). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
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4:9–12. In contrast with the futility of selfish greed, Solomon commended sharing with others by citing several advantages that come from companionship: better profit (a good return) from one’s labor (v. 9), help in time of difficulty (v. 10), comfort in time of need (v. 11; one’s body heat can keep another person from freezing), protection in time of danger (v. 12). The last three of these are illustrated by examples from the benefits of two persons traveling together. In the case of the second and third of these (vv. 10b, 11b) Solomon lamented the perils of isolation (characteristic of selfish greed; cf. “a man all alone,” v. 8a).
Having set forth the advantages of joint effort and the mutual benefits of sharing one’s toil and its fruit with another, Solomon stated climactically that if two are better than one (v. 9) then three are even better (v. 12). One’s efforts and benefits should not be confined to merely two persons. (Glenn, D. R. (1985). Ecclesiastes. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 987). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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Two are better when it comes to walking (v. 10). Roads and paths in Palestine were not paved or even leveled, and there were many hidden rocks in the fields. It was not uncommon for even the most experienced traveler to stumble and fall, perhaps break a bone, or even fall into a hidden pit (Ex. 21:33–34). How wonderful to have a friend who can help you up (or out). But if this applies to our physical falls, how much more does it apply to those times when we stumble in our spiritual walk and need restoration (Gal. 6:1–2)? How grateful we should be for Christian friends who help us walk straight.
Two are better than one when it comes to warmth (v. 11). Two travelers camping out, or even staying in the courtyard of a public inn, would feel the cold of the Palestinian night and need one another’s warmth for comfort. The only way to be “warm alone” is to carry extra blankets and add to your load.
Finally, two are better than one when it comes to their watchcare, especially at night (v. 12). “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves” (v. 12, NIV). It was dangerous for anyone to travel alone, day or night; most people traveled in groups for fellowship and for safety. Even David was grateful for a friend who stepped in and saved the king’s life (2 Sam. 21:15–17).
Solomon started with the number one (v. 8), then moved to two (v. 9), and then closed with three (v. 12). This is typical of Hebrew literature (Prov. 6:16; Amos 1:3, 6, 9, etc.). One cord could be broken easily; two cords would require more strength; but three cords woven together could not be easily broken. If two travelers are better than one, then three would fare even better. Solomon had more than numbers in mind; he was also thinking of the unity involved in three cords woven together—what a beautiful picture of friendship! (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Satisfied (pp. 58–59). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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4:9–12 Throughout this section there is an emphasis on the obvious benefits of companions. The intimacy and sharing of life brings relief for the problem of isolation and loneliness. A companion can offer assistance, comfort, and defense. threefold cord: The Preacher uses this proverbial saying to clinch his case about the value of friends. (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 785). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)
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Ver. 11. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat, &c.] The Targum adds, in the winter; when it is a cold season, they warm one another by lying together. The Targum interprets it of a man and his wife; it is true of others; see 1 Kings 1:1, 2. But how can one be warm alone? not soon, nor easily, in time of cold weather. This is true in a spiritual sense of persons in a Christian communion and religious society; when they are grown cold in their love, lukewarm in their affections, and backward and indifferent to spiritual exercises, yet by Christian conversation may be stirred up to love and good works: so two cold flints struck against each other, fire comes out of them; and even two cold Christians, when they come to talk with each other about spiritual things, and feel one another’s spirits, they presently glow in their affections to each other, and to divine things; and especially if Christ joins them with his presence, as he did the two disciples going to Emmaus, then their hearts burn within them. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 4, p. 576). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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Verse 11. If two lie together in the cold night of sorrow and sadness, they have the heat of comfort, which mutually they yield one to the other, even by striking together the hard flints of their misery, by easing their hearts while their tongues talk of their distress, by supporting each other under their burdens who cannot bear his own, by doubling the light of counsel which may the better show them the way of getting out. If two lie together in the prison of affliction, society gives heat to their cold irons, softens the hardness of them, and though it cannot break them off, yet makes them to be borne with the more contentment [Jermin].
The fervent glow of zeal for the truth, the fire of devotion and love, can only be maintained by the close communion of mind with mind, and heart with heart.
True sympathy cannot be generated by proxy; the close contact of hearts is necessary to melt them into the tenderness of love.
The live coals of a furnace soon expire when isolated from the rest.
A heartless solitude chills the affections. Love delights in presence—seeks the companionship of one who is ever near.
The soul may sooner leave off to subsist, than to love; and like the vine, it withers and dies if it has nothing to embrace [South]. (Leale, T. H. (1892). Ecclesiastes (p. 67). New York; London; Toronto: Funk & Wagnalls.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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Samson uses foxes to burn the Philistines’ crops and kills 1,000 men.
INSIGHT
A list of the sins of Samson:
1. Fraternizing with pagans
2. Marrying an unbeliever
3. Disobeying his parents
4. Touching a dead animal
5. Murdering innocent people
6. Visiting a harlot
7. Lying
We are often tempted to disregard the truth. We weary of being good and fighting natural inclinations. But one look at Samson’s life reveals the consequences of giving in to that weariness. We must wait on the Lord and have our strength renewed.
(Quiet Walk)
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KNOWING GOD
No man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Matthew 11:27
Salvation brings me a knowledge of pardon and forgiveness, of reconciliation with God. Yes, but beyond all that, it gives me a knowledge of God.
Have you ever considered this text in that way? Have you ever seen the span and the ambit [scope] of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Here it is. There is this little babe on the ground in his smallness and weakness and helplessness, yet the gospel gives Him a knowledge of the Lord of heaven and earth, the Maker, the sustainer of everything that is. What a knowledge! Amazing! I, the pygmy creature of time, can know God the infinite, the absolute, and the eternal—and know Him as my Father—not as some great, mighty force away in the distant heavens, but as my Father.
Those who are interested in Greek words can examine the word for babies, used in Matthew 11:25, in the original and will find that it has a sense of sonship unfolding in it. That is what our Lord was saying: that we, though we have sinned, become in Him the sons of God, the heirs of heaven and of eternal and everlasting bliss.
What a way of salvation! May I say it with reverence—who but God could have thought of it? In such an astounding way, in our utter nakedness and helplessness He just draws back the veil and reveals it to us perfectly in Jesus Christ. He “of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30)—everything, a complete salvation. All you must do is to look at the Lord Jesus Christ and believe this record concerning Him. Surrender yourself to Him and accept the gift, and you will know the Lord of heaven and earth as your Father.
A Thought to Ponder
I, the pygmy creature of time, can know God the infinite, the absolute, and the eternal.
From The Heart of the Gospel, pp. 118-119. (by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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The Faithful Lord
“But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.” (2 Thessalonians 3:3)
The Lord Jesus Christ has many wonderful attributes, not the least of which is His faithfulness. That is, He is believable and trustworthy, sure to do all He promises. He will keep us from the evil one and from being overcome by evil in our lives, as promised in our text. Also, “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted [that is, ‘tested’] above that ye are able” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Why does He care for us so?
In the first place, He is our Creator and has a distinct purpose and will for our lives. Therefore all who are His can safely “commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator” (1 Peter 4:19). He will keep us to the end; Paul said, “I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Then follows his confident assurance: “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).
Even when we yield to the temptations along the way, and fall into sin, He promises: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9), because He has paid the penalty for all our sins, and He is “a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17).
With such a faithful Savior and Lord, we surely ought to trust Him fully. In spite of this, we often doubt Him and His Word, but even this does not change His love toward us. “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). Indeed, “God is faithful, by whom ye were called” (1 Corinthians 1:9), for His very name is “called Faithful and True” (Revelation 19:11).
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Judy Smith writes – Count your garden by flowers Never by the leaves that fall count your days by Golden hours don’t remember clouds at all count your night by stars not Shadows count your years with smiles not tears count your blessings not your troubles count your age by friends not years
Author unknown
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James 3
The exercise of genuine Christian faith results in controlling the tongue to speak good, not evil.
INSIGHT
Through the use of metaphors, James warns us about the tongue. There is nothing good or bad, right or wrong about a tongue; it is simply a few ounces of muscle. But the tongue articulates the contents of the heart. If a flask full of acid is bumped, acid will spill out. If a flask full of water is bumped, only water will spill out. Water will never spill out of a flask of acid, and acid will never spill out of a flask of water. In that sense, the tongue merely reveals the heart. Let the heart be bumped, and the tongue will reveal what is in the heart. In controlling the tongue, you must control the heart. If you want to change the words of the tongue, you must change the condition of the heart. (QuietWalk)
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KEEPING GOD’S COMMANDMENTS
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
1 John 5:3
There is nothing about which we can so deceive ourselves as the fact that we love God. A man may come to me and say he loves God. He says with Browning, “God’s in His Heaven, All’s right with the world.” But when something goes against him, he finds he does not love God. He says, “Why does God…?” Feelings are very deceptive. How do we know we love God? There is the next step—when “we keep his commandments.”
Our Lord emphasizes that in John 14:21: “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.” You cannot separate these things. Love is not a sentiment; it is the most active, vital thing in the world. If I love God, I want to please Him—I keep the commandments. And what I may regard as the love of God in my soul is a pure delusion unless it leads me to keep God’s commandments and to live life as He wants me to live it.
“Again,” says someone, “you have just shifted the problem. This keeping of the commandments—what is this?” “Well,” says John in essence in a kind of footnote on which he is going to elaborate in the next verse, “what matters in this whole question of keeping the commandments is my attitude toward them. When I face the commandments of God, do I resent them? Do I feel that God is imposing an impossible load upon me? Do I groan and grumble and say, ‘Oh, this hard taskmaster who asks of me the impossible’?”
“If that is your attitude toward the commandments of God,” says John in effect, “you are not keeping them, and neither are you loving God, and you are not loving your brethren—you are outside the life altogether.” For someone who is truly Christian does not find the commandments of God to go against the grain.
A Thought to Ponder: Someone who is truly Christian does not find the commandments of God to go against the grain. (From Life in God, pp. 30-31, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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His Amazing Grace
“Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 1:1)
These are the very first of Paul’s divinely inspired words, and in this first of his inspired greetings, he set a pattern which he would later follow in all his other epistles. He would always begin with an implicit prayer that both grace and peace, sent from God the Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, would be received and experienced by the ones to whom he was writing. Furthermore, “grace” always precedes “peace” in these salutations, because one must receive the grace of God before he can experience the peace of God
By this strong emphasis on grace—preceding anything else he might write to the church or its pastor—he confirmed the great importance of God’s loving grace. Grace is the first essential in salvation and is the continuing vital essential in Christian living. The Thessalonians had already been saved by grace through faith, but now the grace of God their Father and Jesus Christ their Lord must also be lived out in their personal behavior, especially in their dealings with others, to whom God would also manifest His grace through them.
Paul also closed every epistle with a prayer that the grace of the Lord Jesus would continue to be with all who read them. Finally, the last of his inspired words (written while he was in prison) to his young disciple Timothy were: “The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen” (2 Timothy 4:22).
Each true Christian life must begin, continue, and end in the sustaining grace of the Savior. Indeed, the very last revealed words of God Himself in the Holy Scriptures are: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” (Revelation 22:21). Thank God for His amazing grace. (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Keith writes (AL): Tithes and offerings are simply a form of our worship to God. We are not giving Him anything that he doesn’t own already. When you tithe in a spirit of worship you will be blessed because you can’t out give Him!
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