Chapter Four

This chapter starts with Solomon's observation of acts of oppression. "Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them. So I congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living. But better off than both of them is the one who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun" (verses 1-3).

He is speaking to the lonely, or alone facing oppression. It is not good to be oppressed obviously, but it is worse to be oppressed and all alone. Solomon is saying it is better to not be alive when oppressed and alone. In the midst of Job's oppressions, he says, "Why did I not die at birth?" When I was going through my first divorce and my family were in the Midwest when I was on the west coast, I may have said something similar. I felt it. For anyone with compassion, it grieves us to see oppression and pain. It pains us to see might win over what is right and such injustice. It goes to our soul. It can cause us to despise life. It can cause us to withhold and not participate in life and develop bitterness.

Here is the brilliance of God in our lives. With this philosophy, those ungodly men and women would be better not born than to waste their lives in vanity and suffer a miserable after-life, for reasons explained in the next verses 4- 6. The troubles of those who do well, including all who are industrious and those whose efforts are prosperous end up with this dilemma: Greatness and prosper invite envy and opposition. Those who see great results foolishly expect more satisfaction and develop sloth and idleness. Those who earn great results expect more. Moderate pains and gains do best. The idle and the workaholic create vexation. One hand of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind. I think other cultures find this philosophy better than we do in the US. They have had to in order to survive. Our productivity is better than it was in the 1960's, one of the greatest era's of productivity in our history, yet those in power have done nothing but take away from the workers who create this wealth by taking away benefits, pay and rights for personal profit. Look at what businesses are doing right now. They are holding on to profits which would ease the economy and making people do the work of three right now. They are not employing anyone, which is another way it could ease the economy. It is vanity by definition of Solomon.

Man is competitive by nature, yet Solomon shows that the two extremes of dropping out of competition is as bad as wanting it all. It is both vanity that causes these diametrically opposed philosophies in this world. Here we look at the loneliness of man. And it is lonely at the top and the bottom, though I know more of the bottom. Verse 8 describes a hypothetical situation of a man who has no brother, or children, but works himself to the bone and amasses wealth. Who is he to share it with or pass it on to? He never stops to ask himself who is it for? We live in a culture in which we should all be a John Wayne. Current surveys have stated that parents do not want to end up with their children. This is more so for men than women. It is a shame in our culture that we don't want to extend the family and strengthen it, or even be with it in our old age. "It is not good for man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18). Think of when you feel lonely. It is usually in a crowd or with a bad relationship in its height.

Verses 9-12 lists four reasons why it is better not to be alone: 1). You are working for a reason, 2.) We can support and pick each other up in trouble, 3.) We keep each other warm when it is cold, and 4.) We can watch each others' back in adversity. Those who are industrious can sometimes lament they can do the work better than with someone, but in reality, we are more productive when working with someone. It is more enjoyable. Even the God forsaken IRS gives advantageous tax credits to partnerships. Woe to the man who falls when there is not another to lift him up. How often do we ponder being alone in old age and chastise in conversation those children who abandon their parents at this time? Sharing the cold with someone you love not only helps keep us warmer, it does so on the physical, emotional and spiritual planes. " And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart" ( 4:12). When a man takes a woman, and the Spirit of Christ is with them, the strength of this union holds fast. You can witness this.

When we take our sight away from this world, and focus on doing the right thing, in work, play and philosophy, we loosen the binds of vanity. This is a lesson for people and corporations. How much better is it to witness someone who is doing the right thing? Where does this exception come from? How much does it please our souls to make a difference in this world? It is invaluable. It is truly the essence of life. People are never satisfied and look for change. There is nothing new under the sun. When we have God in our philosophy, we rejoice in seeing and doing good. Ever watch Undercover Boss? Make a point of it some Sunday evening. Solomon uses himself to address this issue. It is better to be a young lad, then an old king and foolish. We admire a self-made man. We don't admire those to whom all is handed and all popularity is fleeting. There is an abundance of wisdom in Solomon's perceptions.

In our culture, we put people up on a pedestal to knock them off of it. A true friend, children and companionship lasts and give us purpose to do better. It is a part of God in our lives we can feel and experience. Without God, it is all smoke. Perhaps this is where we feel emptiness and feel the emptiness within our culture. The bulk of my writing this chapter come from two commentaries, Matthew Henry Concise Commentary and One is the Loneliest Number, www.angelfire.com/nt/theology/eccl04-01.html