Living with Purpose - 5
Studies in the book of Ecclesiastes - Chapter 4
As we saw last time, chapter 3 verse 15 begins the second of four sermons from the Teacher. It concludes at chapter 5 verse 20. Solomon is dealing with the problem of meaninglessness. He is showing how it is possible to find meaning in today's world. We now look at chapter four. In this book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon looks at life from the position of the unsaved and then the saved. Chapter three ended with Solomon showing the thinking of the unsaved about the after life and the day of judgement. As far as they are concerned they don't exist. So the end of chapter three said, in verse 21, "Who knows if the spirit of the man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down to the earth?" Because the unbeliever has this view, he lives for this life and all it offers without any thought for eternal things. Chapter 4 shows that because he is not convinced that anything lies beyond this life, he decides to make the best of it without God. What does he find as he lives life in that way?
He has to conclude that life is a meaningless struggle. He says in verse 1, "Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed and they have no comforter, power was on the side of their oppressors. " In his more depressed moments he feels life is not worth living. It is better to be dead. He says in verses 2 and 3, "I declared that the dead who had already died, are happier than the living who are still alive. But better than both is he who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun. " Do you feel that same sense of utter futility about life? Are you disillusioned as you look at life? Without God in your life you have no real answers. The believer knows the joy of being able to take his burdens and cast them on the Lord. The Christian has the comfort of the presence of the Lord when life gives him a knock.
Solomon depicts the unbeliever's response to his daily work. In verse 4 he says, "And I saw that all labour and all achievement spring from man’s envy of his neighbour. " We call this keeping up with the Jones'! There is such a jealous competitiveness, Solomon observes, that nothing is achieved. Rather, it brings envy which eats away inside and makes you miserable. He says, at the end of verse 4, "This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. "
Solomon shows two attitudes toward daily work at both extremes of the scale. He sees the lazy person. He is idle and does not want to work. We read in verse 5, "The fool folds his hands and ruins himself. " His excuse is in verse 6, "Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil. " He wants an easy quiet life! But he ruins himself because he has nothing in the end. Surely there is no fulfilment in that. Verse 6 says that this is "chasing after the wind". The Bible teaches the importance of diligence in working to provide for yourself and your family. We read in 1 Timothy 5 verse 8, "If anyone does not provide for his own relations, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. " The Christian work ethic brings a sense of responsibility and purpose to everyday living.
At the other extreme we have the workaholic. We read in verse 8 about a man and "there was no end to his toil". He never stopped. Every moment was taken up with his job. We are told at the beginning of verse 8, "There was a man all alone". Why? Because he was so consumed with his business that he had no time to forge friendships, attend church, or even spend quality time with his family. Eventually he sees the bad affect it is having on his life. He says at the end of verse 8, "Why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?" Many a man has ruined his marriage because of being consumed by his work. Christian friendship is missed because you are so preoccupied with your business that you are never at Church. Solomon shows the benefits of friendships. He says in verse 10, "If one falls down, his friend can help him up. " In verse 12 he says, "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves; a cord of three strands is not quickly broken. " Get your life into a biblical perspective and balance. You will lose a lot of the precious things in life if you don't. This can only lead to frustration and emptiness in the end.
Then Solomon notices the instability of position in life, and the fickleness of the crowd. In verse 13 Solomon refers to a poor, wise youth who is made king. He says in verse 14, "The youth may have come from prison to the kingship. " The youth has support and a good following. He grows old and will not accept advice. He loses his support. The people favour another youth and they make him king. We read in verse 15, "I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king's successor. " The lesson is this: promotion at work, position in society, and personal popularity can be short lived. Some think that if they get into a position of power and influence they will be totally satisfied and complete. They achieve it only to find there is a management reshuffle, or a change of company direction, and they lose their position or, even worse, they lose their job. Those who were with you are now against you. Life is so changeable. Personal circumstances can alter over night! There is no guarantee that what you have today will be yours tomorrow. It is foolish to make popularity and success your aim because they are so fickle, and unreliable. What should be your goal? John tells us in 1 John 2 verse 16, "For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has or does - comes not from the Father but from the world. " He concludes, "The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives for ever. " Now that is worth having isn't it? Making God’s will your aim and delight will bring real meaning to life. Your circumstances will change, but you can be secure and content in the Saviour! Follow the Lord and know a lasting unchanging peace in a changing world.