Ecclesiastes 4 The Evil of Oppression
“Again I looked, and I considered all the oppression taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; the power lay in the hands of their oppressors, and there was no comforter. So I admired the dead, who had already died, above the living, who are still alive. But better than both is he who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.”
Wait just an all-fired minute, Solomon! You are the richest and wisest king-and one of the most powerful-in the entire earth. How dare you merely sit there in your palace and whine when you have the power to change things?
If you know Solomon’s story, you remember that Solomon had 700 hundred wives and 300 concubines. Most of these women were idolaters and demanded Solomon build places of worship for the demons they followed. There’s an old saying: “You lie down with dogs; you get up with fleas.” In Solomon’s case, it can be modified to “You have sex with idolaters and you wind up with demons.”
Yes, demons can transfer from one person to another through sex. Witches’ covens have been using that strategy to seduce new members for centuries. Sadly, Solomon has been influenced by these demons rather than by the One True Living God, even though he has dedicated a magnificent temple in Jerusalem. The tragedy of Solomon’s life illustrates the fact that faith is not a one-time affair, but a continual walk with the Lord. Only an idolater can refuse to correct problems and then whine that unborn souls are better off than anybody else.
“I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.” Speak for yourself, Solomon! Many people work for the joy of doing a job well and to support themselves and their families. Yes, there are those who envy others, but the vast majority of us are too busy to waste time in envy.
“The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.” This is true. When we fold our hands and refuse to work, we are inviting disaster.
“Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind.” Tranquility is vastly under-rated. Proverbs 16:7 tells us, “When a person’s ways please the Lord, He makes even their enemies to be at peace with them.” The mark of the Holy Spirit is peace, a peace that passes all understanding. There’s also the question of the nature of the toil. Are we pursuing God’s will for our lives or are we speeding off in some other direction and begging God to bless our misguided efforts?
“Again, I saw futility under the sun. There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a miserable task.”
I once read an interview with a Chinese billionaire who had no family. The man spoke of the wonderful philanthropic things he wanted to do….just as soon as he had enough. But he couldn’t tell the interviewer how much more he needed before he would reach that point. Sadly, this man would fit Solomon’s description.
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. For if one falls down, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to help him up! Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? And though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
For centuries, people have braided all kinds of fibers into ropes with at least three strands. The more strands a rope has, the stronger it will be and the more it will resist breaking. The same thing is true for fellow workers and for friends. In a country where a poor man might be forced to shiver in the cold, two or three huddling together could mean the difference between life and death. The story is told of two prisoners in an open box car on their way to a concentration camp during World War II. The one man was a bit stronger and feared for his companion, so all night long, he kept chafing the other man’s hands and feet. In the morning, only those two men were still alive; all the others in the box car had frozen to death in the night. When we help others, we are also helping ourselves.
The Futility of Power
“Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take a warning. For the youth has come from the prison to the kingship, though he was born poor in his own kingdom. I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed this second one, the youth who succeeded the king. There is no limit to all the people who were before them. Yet the successor will not be celebrated by those who come even later. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.”
This is a fascinating observation. Is Solomon referring to the story of Joseph, who came from the prison to become the second most powerful man in Egypt? Has Solomon caught wind of some kind of palace intrigue and is now giving a veiled threat to an ambitious young man? Or has Solomon been studying Rehoboam who will succeed him? Does Solomon already realize that Rehoboam is a foolish young man who will make disastrous decisions?
There is no leader who will live forever; at the same time, successors to famous leaders are frequently swiftly forgotten. All any leader can aspire to do is to seek God’s help and do the best he/she can with the time given. May God help us, so that we will trust in Him and do our best, refusing to lose hope, no matter how difficult things might be.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to remember that You call us to do Your Will, not to be successful or to compete with others. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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