Day 196: Ecclesiastes 4-6

(Solomon wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes in his late years. During this time, Solomon was focused on the many wives who drew his heart away from God. Solomon was focused on effects (HAVE/DO) and this led him to believe that everything was vain (unprofitable). A key passage from another book of the Bible that will help us understand the causes for Solomon's circumstances came from the Prophet Ezekiel when he explained the causes for Sodom's judgment:

"Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom: pride, fulness of bread, and prosperous ease was in her and in her daughters; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy." (Ezekiel 16:49)

These four causes of judgment against Sodom ran throughout the Book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon actually argued for all four of these causes of judgment. While you read the Book of Ecclesiastes, keep in mind the four causes of judgment against Sodom:
1) pride,
2) fullness of bread,
3) idleness of time (prosperous ease),
4) not strengthening the poor/needy.)

(The previous post covered Solomon's unprofitable foundation that the Book of Ecclesiastes was built upon. These next three chapters showed the process for Solomon's very unprofitable conclusion...)

Ecclesiastes 4
¹ Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and, behold, the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

(Solomon recognized that there were poor/needy people with no "comforter." Did he consider strengthening them?)

² Wherefore I praised the dead that have been long dead more than the living that are yet alive;
³ yea, better than them both did I esteem him that hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

(Somehow, Solomon's response to others needing help was to focus on himself. Solomon thought it was better to die and not see evil than to live and see evil…"under the sun." Was Solomon considering life after that which was lived "under the sun"?)

⁴ Then I saw all labor and every skilful work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
⁵ The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
⁶ Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and striving after wind.
⁷ Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.
⁸ There is one that is alone, and he hath not a second; yea, he hath neither son nor brother; yet is there no end of all his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with riches. For whom then, saith he, do I labor, and deprive my soul of good? This also is vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.
⁹ Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.

(Two were better than one because they would have more reward. Did Solomon see reward as long term (Reward) or only short term?...)

¹⁰ For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and hath not another to lift him up.
¹¹ Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one be warm alone?

(...or, was Solomon presenting a circumstance that was less vain? It was unprofitable to live alone, and less unprofitable to live in misery with another person. Was it even less unprofitable to live in misery with two other people?)

¹² And if a man prevail against him that is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

(Yes, Solomon believed living in misery with two others was less unprofitable than living in misery with one other. "A threefold cord is not quickly broken" is often used in traditional wedding ceremonies. The threefold cord being God, husband, and wife. However, do you believe that all marriages were put together by God? Were all marriages a "threefold cord"? Was this Solomon's meaning behind that statement?)

¹³ Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to receive admonition any more.
¹⁴ For out of prison he came forth to be king; yea, even in his kingdom he was born poor.
¹⁵ I saw all the living that walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the second, that stood up in his stead.

(Solomon said he had considered all the living. Was he willing to consider he had not?)

¹⁶ There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was: yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

(Solomon recognized others were more unprofitable than him. They lived in misery. His answer was to explain how to limit the unprofitability. However, both Solomon and the needy could have been profitable if Solomon had focused on strengthening their arm...)




Ecclesiastes 5
¹ Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God; for to draw nigh to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil.

(Be reverent when going to God and be ready to hear (listen, obey, understand). Solomon now turned his focus from others to God...)

² Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
³ For a dream cometh with a multitude of business, and a fool's voice with a multitude of words.

(A fool was not careful and caring with his words because a fool had no understanding.)

⁴ When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou vowest.
⁵ Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

(When you make a vow (SAY), pay it (DO). It was better to not vow at all than to vow and not pay. When you say you will do something, you ought to do it.)

⁶ Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?
⁷ For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, and in many words: but fear thou God.

(Again, Solomon's approach was not one of profitability, but of limiting unprofitability. Solomon showed how to be less unprofitable in our dealings with God. Solomon, like Job, did not think we could interact with God in a profitable manner.)

⁸ If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter: for one higher than the high regardeth; and there are higher than they.
⁹ Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.

(Solomon did not stay on the topic of God very long. Verses 8-9 began about the oppression of the poor but transitioned to the role of the king being "to be served" and not "to serve." Solomon was not facilitating the purpose and progress of others. He was not being a leader. In fact, Solomon was aware that the poor were oppressed and his rationalization was that God saw it so the king did not need to deal with it. The king was served by the field. Solomon rationalized why he did not need to strengthen the arm of the poor and needy. He had completely justified himself in doing the four causes of judgment. There was no way for Solomon to recover from this. Everything we will read from this point on was an effect of a person who was completely justified in his own eyes...)

¹⁰ He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase: this also is vanity.
¹¹ When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, save the beholding of them with his eyes?

(Solomon was focused on the satisfaction he received from physical things. He was right that this satisfaction died. However, we ought to seek satisfaction by making the spiritual our cause...our focus. Solomon also rationalized why he did not give to the poor: because it would only lead to dissatisfaction. It was almost like Solomon was telling the poor not to have anything because he had everything and it made him unhappy. Solomon ought to have helped the poor not be poor, which would have allowed them to focus on spiritual things instead of earthly things for survival. It also would have caused Solomon to focus on spiritual things.)

¹² The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much; but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
¹³ There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt:

(Solomon saw keeping your riches to yourself as a grievous evil. Verse 12 almost implied the poor who worked were less unprofitable than the rich because at least they got a good night's sleep. Again, this would be a rationalization for why Solomon could convince himself he was helping the poor by not giving to them.)

¹⁴ and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.
¹⁵ As he came forth from his mother's womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.

(Man would take nothing with him when he was dead. Solomon was focused on the physical, so all of his conclusions resulted in unprofitability. However, it is possible to have spiritual reward that lasts for eternity after we physically die.)

¹⁶ And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that he laboreth for the wind?
¹⁷ All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he is sore vexed, and hath sickness and wrath.
¹⁸ Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be comely is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, wherein he laboreth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for this is his portion.

("Fullness of Bread" - "good for food" (Eve).)

¹⁹ Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor-this is the gift of God.

(Solomon was justifying himself.)

²⁰ For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.

(Solomon began this chapter talking about how we cannot be profitable interacting with God. However, the chapter quickly turned into a rationalization for why Solomon did not need to help the needy. Solomon was not settled with his own answer to the problem of the poor and needy. It was almost like Solomon's unconscious brain knew the solution to his problem was helping the needy...and it (and God?) kept bringing him back to this contradiction regardless of whatever Solomon was focused on.)




Ecclesiastes 6
¹ There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy upon men:
² a man to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacketh nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but an alien eateth it; this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

(This chapter again began focused on God, but almost immediately moved to a discussion about wealth and unprofitability. Solomon identified another way wealth did not lead to profitability. The evil Solomon mentioned here was man being given riches but not being able to spend them. This was short term and focused on effects.)

³ If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul be not filled with good, and moreover he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he:

(Again, the focus was on the physical and short term gain. Solomon was stating that if a man was not filled with good while he lived many years it was better to have been an "untimely birth" (abortion, miscarriage). Again, Solomon's focus was on limiting the unprofitability. He had no solutions for how to be profitable.)

⁴ for it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and the name thereof is covered with darkness;
⁵ moreover it hath not seen the sun nor known it; this hath rest rather than the other:
⁶ yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet enjoy no good, do not all go to one place?

(Solomon was saying that it really did not matter how long you lived or what you have enjoyed, all people die. Did he recognize life after our physical death? Did he recognize Justice would be resolved?)

⁷ All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

(Focusing on the physical led to never being fully satisfied. Current happiness studies confirm this same point. Why do people still try to make this method satisfying?)

⁸ For what advantage hath the wise more than the fool? or what hath the poor man, that knoweth how to walk before the living?
⁹ Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
¹⁰ Whatsoever hath been, the name thereof was given long ago; and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him that is mightier than he.
¹¹ Seeing there are many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?
¹² For who knoweth what is good for man in his life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

(Wow, Solomon's thinking took a very negative turn. Solomon said that we did not know what was good for our brief lives.)

(This post covered Solomon's belief that he built on his faulty foundation from the first three chapters: No one could know the profitable solution. The best we could do with God and each other was limit our unprofitability. Solomon thought he was doing his part by not helping the needy.)

Day 197