Ecclesiastes 4
WE owe much to God for providing us with this wonderful treatise on life apart from Him. 0, if the heedless, the pleasure seekers and the pursuers after power and wealth, would read and profit from this short book in which a man of unsurpassed wisdom and of unlimited wealth has written down that which he saw in the world, "under the sun."
He turns to consider all the oppressions that are done under the sun; the world has not changed for the better since Solomon's day, but rather for the worse. The tears of the oppressed who have no comforter are still being shed, though more than 29 centuries have elapsed since Ecclesiastes was written.
Man boasts, when it suits him, of brotherhood, declares that all men were created equal, and so forth; but such is the natural selfishness that greed for power, for wealth, for advantage of one sort or another, override all right principles on occasion.
Oppression has been practised since the dawn of time; Cain was the first oppressor, and the murderer of his brother (Genesis 4). Soon after Noah's family began to people the earth after the flood, Nimrod the mighty began to oppress his weaker brethren (Genesis 10:88And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. (Genesis 10:8)).
Tears are not usually a subject for mention in the histories which men have compiled; God's Word is a faithful record, and its history is true. It may be interesting to know that 25 of the 39 Old Testament books speak of weeping, as do 13 of the 27 New Testament books. The first weeper mentioned in the Scriptures is Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian slave, and the mother of Ishmael (Genesis 21: 16).
The New Translation (J.N.D.) makes the meaning of verse 4 clear:
"And I saw all labor, and all successor skilfulness) of work, that it is man's jealousy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind."
Is not the wise Solomon's judgment still the truth in 1932? Man tries to get an advantage over his fellows; competition, it is called, nowadays. What is it worth, in the light of eternity, in which we shall all soon be?
Verse 5 is the fool; only the believer is wise (verse 6). See 1 Timothy 6:6-106But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1 Timothy 6:6‑10); 1 Thessalonians 4:11, 1211And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 12That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. (1 Thessalonians 4:11‑12).
Verse 8 brings to our minds the unsaved, living for present advantage, but to ultimate loss.
Verses 9 to 12 are worldly wisdom, men join together in business for their advantage.
Verses 13 to 16 point again to the uncertainties of life, and to dissatisfaction, if this world be one's object.
Messages of God’s Love 11/20/1932