7 Again, I saw vanity under the sun: 8 one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business.
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. – Eccl. 4:7-12
Chapter 4 of Ecclesiastes continues on from the transition that began in chapter 3, describing aspects of life from the perspective of Qohelet who sought out to examine all of these things in order to determine what things were of lasting value in life (1:13). Chapters 4-10 consider the characters we meet as well as the circumstances that we find ourselves in over the course of our lives. In 4:1-16 Qohelet considers the importance of human relationships as well as their complexities, given the reality that human sin has affected every aspect of life under the sun. Although God made us to be in relationship with both Him and our fellow human beings, sin has introduced brokenness into both. In Genesis 3, after our first parents chose to sin against God, we see clearly that something has changed in their relationship with Him (they hide from Him) and in their relationship with one another (they cover themselves and then blame-shift when confronted with their choices). All of Qohelet’s observations about relationships that he will offer to us assume the truth of this and therefore we must keep all of these things in mind.
Qohelet begins by looking at the big picture, systemic consequences that sin has on human relationships. While all people have tendency to take advantage of one another, the most egregious and evil expression of this comes in the form of oppression. The realities for those who experience true oppression are horrible and have tragic physical and psychological consequences. He recognizes that a degree of hopelessness is common to the oppressed, leading them to consider that both the dead and those who have yet to be born of better off. Circumstances that allow for oppression involve unchecked or unregulated power on the side of those who determine to take advantage of others. Qohelet recognizes, however, that massive, systemic oppression is not present in every society, and that makes things complex when we try to identify the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ people. The reality is that there are not ‘good’ people and ‘bad’ people. Instead, their are fallen people, something that he points out in 4:4 where he observes that envy is a driving force in all our lives. The reality is that oppression is, in many cases, the result of one group of people having the means and opportunity to oppress others and, if the roles were reversed, the oppressed would eagerly become oppressors.
Although envy sometimes produces achievement and laziness always brings about ruin, and balance in life is what mankind should pursue. A healthy person with healthy relationships will find a balance between achievement and rest. Not everyone, however, is healthy in these areas and in 4:7-8 he describes what the life of a person who sacrifices personal relationships for the sake of personal gain. In the end, the wealth and accomplishment that enabled this person’s life of freedom and pleasure was found to be filled with frustration and disappointment, particularly in that they had no one to truly share these things with.
Given the brokenness that tends to characterize human relationships, we could be forgiven for wondering if they are worth it in the end. Qohelet therefore assures us of their value. First, they provide mutual support when one is weak and the other strong. Second, they can provide comfort that an individual cannot provide for themselves. Finally, they offer protection in the midst of a fallen world where others may seek to do us harm. These examples all demonstrate the truth of 4:9 that there is good value in life when people have healthy relationships. This is particularly the case when those relationships are bound together by another relationship. He illustrates this at the end of 4:12, referencing the chord of three strands. Although he could be referring to having multiple human relationships, given his tendency to bring God into his discussions, we are right to understand that as his point in this verse. All human relationships have value, but this is particularly true when those relationships are under-girded by a relationship that is eternal and transcendent.
Although we are aware of the importance of relationships, the reality of sin means that we are prone to failure in these areas, especially as we age. The chapter concludes, therefore, not with a story of success, but failure. This story may be hypothetical, but could just as easily be autobiographical, with Solomon admitting his own failures. When we consider Solomon’s own life, we see that he was guilty of many of the things these verses warn against. He was an oppressor of his people, working them to the point of frustration and exhaustion (1 Kings 12:4). We also know that he gave his life to the pursuit of pleasure and great accomplishments (Eccl. 2:1-11). He also failed to properly pass on his instructions to his son who perhaps learned more from his example than his words (1 Kings 12:12-15).
We would do well to learn from both the instructions and example of Solomon. We must face the fact that much of the brokenness in our relationships is a result of our own sin and cease trying to blame others. Although great sin may have been committed against us, we are still responsible for our own sin.The reality is that many of the relational issues in our lives stem from the fact that we have been separated from the most important relationship that we were designed for. The problem, however, is that we ourselves are incapable of rectifying this situation. In our human thinking, the offender is the one who must seek to bring reconciliation but, from the beginning, it was God who sought the offenders. In Genesis 3, He began the process of reconciliation, and assured them that it would one day be accomplished by the Seed of the woman. What we come to see over the course of Scripture is that Jesus Christ comes into the world as a much greater and wiser King than Solomon, but He comes not to destroy His enemies and shed their blood, but instead to shed His own blood on their behalf (1 Pet. 2:24-25).
Join us this Sunday as we come together to worship our Savior Jesus who has reconciled us to our God and then sends us out as messengers of reconciliation!
Soli Deo Gloria.
-Thomas