Lesson 5

Learning From "Real Life"

Ecclesiastes 4:1-16

In our study of Ecclesiastes we have come to chapter 4. Up to this point, Solomon has seemed rather detached and philosophical about life. Beginning in chapter 4, Solomon observes real people in real situations.

I once read a book, written particularly to preacher, called Between Two Worlds. The thesis of the book was that preachers must study both the Bible and the world of people in which they live. Preachers stand between two worlds - the world of scripture and the real world. The preacher's job is to bring the God of the Bible to the people of the world. He must have knowledge and understanding of both in order to do that. One of my preacher friends and I were expressing our concern about another of our preacher friends. His church seems to be struggling. My friend said, "I told him that he needs to get out of the study and get more involved with the people of his church." I struggle with that at times. I love the study. I love to read and write. In the study things are logical and orderly and make sense. Often, when I mingle amongst the multitude, things are not so neat. To be honest, their messy.

But we cannot understand the real meaning to life in an ivory tower. The Christian life is not to be lived as a monk in a monastery. Learning and living must be brought together. In chapter 4, Solomon did that which every person needs to do. He started watching people. Do you like to watch people? I hate shopping but I enjoy going to malls just to observe people. I sometimes sit in the little center sections of the mall with all the other husbands and watch people. Solomon observed people in a variety of experiences (I wonder if perhaps he had to go incognito) and made some important observation. In verses 1-3, he visited the courtroom; in verses 4-6 he went to the marketplace; in verses 7-12, he traveled the highway; and in verses 13-16, he returned to the palace. At each place he made some comparisons. When you make comparisons, you learn which is better. The word "better" is the key word in this chapter. In each of the four sections, Solomon says what is better, v. 3, 6, 9, 13. Let's tag along with Solomon to these four places and listen to his wise observations about "real life."

In The Courtroom, Solomon Saw Oppression And Insensitivity, 4:1-3.

God himself had ordered and established Israel's judicial system and had commanded that all people be dealt with equally and fairly. Lev. 19:15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour. Deut. 1:17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it. Psalm 82:1-4 God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods. How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah. Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. Solomon himself had been a wise and just king. Remember when two women both claimed that the baby was hers? Unfortunately, the system had been corrupted.

When Solomon slipped off to see "real life" as it is played out in the courtroom he observed "oppressions". Notice, that the word is plural, v. 1. The system didn't work. The word means "tyranny". The dictionary defines oppression as "the exercise of authority and power in a cruel or unjust manner." The system did not produce justice. It was heavily weighted against a certain class of people. Solomon also observed the "oppressed." There were real people being exploited and victimized by the system. The whole system brought "tears", pain and sorrow to innocent people. These oppressed people had "no comforter", no one encourage or assist, no one on their side. Solomon couldn't help but also see "their oppressors". They had "power on their side." They had money and education and influence.

I wonder what we would conclude if we just went to Cincinnati and spent a day in court. A few years ago, I went with a friend, we had been very close in high school, to court in Cincinnati. My friend was really at a low point. When I knew him in high school, he didn't drink. University life had led him to become a pot smoking alcoholic. And he had gotten in trouble with the law. I am not defending his wrongs but I was still his friend and so I went with him to court. I quickly observed that the whole system was totally intimidating and swift. He hardly got a chance to say a word and the judge stuck his gavel and found him guilty. The judge's objective didn't seem to be to discover the truth just to get the case over with. We waited for a hour and a half and stood before the judge for less than five minutes.

Solomon's conclusion was that the system was corrupt that a man was better off dead than alive (v. 2) and better yet was to never have been born (v. 3).

In The Marketplace, Solomon Saw Envy And Laziness, 4:4-6.

Solomon left the courthouse and went, perhaps, to the marketplace. At least he went to a place where work was suppose to be done. Here, Solomon two different men, both of them two far to one extreme.

On the one hand, Solomon observed the Workaholic, v. 4. He noticed a highly ambitious, hard-working, busy man. The man's methods must have pleased Solomon for he himself was a hard worker and had praised the virtues of hard work throughout the Proverbs. However, it was the man's motives that must have disturbed the king. Solomon concluded that some men work so hard out of envy for what his neighbor has. Competitiveness and covetousness go together. God did not put the selfishness factor in human labor; it is the result of sin in the human heart. Hard work is o.k. However, some people are working hard for the wrong reasons, they simply want to have it all, to be #1, to not be outdone by anybody they know.

On the other hand, Solomon observed the Couch Potato, v.5. Here is the guy at the other extreme of the continuum. It must have been difficult for Solomon to even tolerate this guy for a moment. He had no sympathy for lazy people. Prov 24:30-34 I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man. Laziness is a slow path to self-destruction. The lazy man eats his own flesh.

Both of these extremes are wrong. We all have our tendencies toward one extreme or the other. In verse 6, Solomon observes what is "better". Better are the balanced. The couch potato has his hands folded, v.5. The workaholic has both hand grasping for more, v.6. A single handful with quietness (restfulness) is best, v. 6.

Along The Highway, Solomon Saw Loneliness And Friendship, 4:7-12. 

Next, Solomon observed an isolated individual, v. 7-8a. This guy had no family, no children, no brothers. He was working very hard. Somehow, Solomon was able to figure out the this man wasn't enjoying his wealth (he just wanted more and more of it) and there would be no one to inherit it when he died. Yet he never asked himself (v. 8) "Who am I working so hard for?" "Why am I robbing myself of the enjoyments of life just to amass more and more wealth?" When Solomon says, "This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail" he is saying, "What an empty life; what a miserable business."

This loner taught Solomon a lesson of the importance of friendship and value of people. Solomon determined that "two are better than one" ...

In working, v. 9. Even though you must split the profits with someone else, there are more profits to share because the amount of work accomplished is multiplied. Deut. 32:30 "One(shall) chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight..." According to this verse, 2 can accomplish five times the work of one.

In walking, v.10. The roads in the ancient word were treacherous. It wasn't uncommon for a person to stumble or fall, perhaps resulting in an injury, a broken bone or such. In walking the roads, you are not advised to travel alone for "woe to him that is alone when he falleth". You need someone traveling with you to be there to help you, if you happen to stumble and fall. If this is true physically, it is also true spiritually. It is dangerous to travel the highway of life alone. There are so many temptations out there which may cause you to stumble and fall. Even Christians need someone to pick us up when we stumble and fall. Gal 6:1 -2 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

In warming, v. 11. Just as two can multiple the work that is accomplished, two can also multiply the heat. This could make a difference between freezing to death and sleeping comfortably as one traveled by foot along a road in ancient Palestine and stopped to rest at night. I once went on a 21 mile canoe trip in January. The air was very cold and the water was icy. We were instructed that if any canoe overturned that there was a real danger of hypothermia. The wet clothes would have to come off immediately and a warm person should get in a tent or under a blankets with the victim and hopes of warming him up.

In withstanding, v. 12. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.

Solomon began this section with one. He moved to two and closed (v. 12) with three. Two is better than one. Three is best. A three-fold (braided) cord not only represents more than one person but also unity and strength. What a beautiful picture of friendship!

Returning To The Palace, Solomon Saw Foolishness And Fickleness, 4:13-16. 

Frankly, these verses are difficult to interpret. Verse 13 is pretty obvious, but in 14-16 it is hard to figure out just who the pronouns (he; his; him) is referring to. I have come to the conclusion that there are two main principles being illustrated in these verses.

Verses 13-14 give a clear comparison between two people. One is a poor but wise child who ascends to the throne from prison. (Is Solomon alluding to Joseph?) The other is an old foolish king who will not take advice and though he was born heir to the throne, he became poor. Being poor and young and even in prison didn't prevent one from becoming king. Being born with a kingdom and being old didn't prevent the other from losing his kingdom. The key difference between these two people is wisdom ( listening to the counsel of others). That's the first principle. A leader must be wise and willing to listen to advice.

But verse 15 mentions a "second child". Interestingly, Solomon had been both a wise youth and a foolish, old king. He was also the second child of Bathsheba and David. It seems that the young man of verses 13-14 is replaced with another in verse 15. Every generation seems to replace their leaders, v.16. Prov. 27:24b Doth the crown endure to every generation?

People are sure fickle. Popularity doesn't last. It happened to Samuel, Saul, David, and Solomon. It happened to George Bush. Immediately after Desert Storm, his approval ratings soared upwards of 90%. Many thought that he couldn't possibly lose the 1992 election. One year later, he received only 38% of the popular vote. People are never satisfied for long. They soon want change. Today it is "Hosanna"; tomorrow - "Crucify him." This was a source of frustration for Solomon. The point is that a leader must not only be wise, he must also hold on to the affection of the people.

So what is Solomon saying in all of this? He is saying that in real life people are alone and oppressed. Sometimes the system is corrupt and uncaring. In real life, there are workaholics and couch potatoes - guys and gals at both extremes. Boy, how we need to be balanced people! In real life, there are some hopelessly lonely people. Boy, how we need friends. In real life, there are leaders who have been around so long that they don't listen to anyone's advice. In real life, people are fickle. They will love you one day and hate you the next.

Solomon seems to be saying, "Not only am I in trouble without God but everywhere I look, I see the world is in trouble." This whole world, "under the sun", that is, without God is corrupt through and through. The whole world lies in the clutches of sin, shrouded in darkness and despair. What the world needs is a Savior, someone who can rescue us from ourselves.

I've got some good news! There is a Savior! 1 Tim 4:10 "For ... we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all..." I do not know what your "real life" circumstances are, but I hope that you have a relationship with the Savior. If you don't let us introduce you to Him today.