10/12/21. Study 11. Ecclesiastes 4:1-8

 Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them. ² And I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. ³ But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.

⁴ Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

⁵ The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh.

⁶ Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.

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.

 

1. in 4:1-3 Qoheleth's speaks about the effect of human injustice. What does he say is the best scenario possible for the oppressed? Why?  What do the oppressed lack?

Never to have lived is better than to be dead, which is better to be alive. To be alive is to experience human injustice and oppression ("evil deeds", v 3). Qoheleth does not speak about universal human experience, but we do know of those even in our experience who are oppressed (e.g. FWs)

The oppressed have no power to change their situation, and no comforters to share their suffering.

2. in 4:4-8 What different attitudes to work are mentioned?

a) "all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbours" (v.4)

 Some oppression and injustice occurs because people desire what they cannot have (cf. Ahab and Naboth's vineyard, 1 Ki 21). This desire (c.f James 4:2 "You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel") tempts us to cut corners, trample on others, and to use them for our own purposes.

But the verse primarily speaks about how much ('all ' is  hyperbolic, since v.7-8 would contradict this point) of our effort is driven by the desire to compare ourselves with others in terms of material possessions and earning power, or position and authority, or fame.

 

b) "The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh" (v.5)

 The lazy person (cf. Prv 6:10, 24:33) in the end loses not only his possessions, but a part of himself.  Laziness leads to loss of self-worth. It is self-destructive.

 

c) "a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind" (v.6)

The first phrase combines the idea of contentment, modesty and restraint ('a handful') as contrasted to possessing more ('two hands'), but at the cost of frantic effort.

 

d) "there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches," (v.7-8). List down what we are told about this individual.

This person mentioned here has no heir/successor (cf. 2:18-26)

He is driven by dissatisfaction with what he has, but is immersed in the idea of gaining wealth.

He never reflects on the whole point of his effort. 

3. Do you see your work style or motives in any of the 4 pictures in this passage? What is God's reminder to us all here?

Qoheleth calls us to 1)balance and 2) awareness in our work

How do we decide how much work is 'enough'? This is likely guided by:

• Our financial circumstances. Some people have no choice but to work to the max.
  
• The kind of role we have to play at work. Some jobs are by nature more demanding.
  
• The needs of work vs. personal time, family and Christian service, so that we have to order our priorities rightly.
  
• Personal capacity: what may be a stretch for someone may be easy for another.
  
• Our ability to self-impose disciplines of rest 
• Our mental and physical health (e.g. ability to sleep)
  
• The presence of a margin/buffer so that we are not overwhelmed by any break from our routine.
  
• Our ability to spend daily quality time with the Lord.
  
• The season of our lives. Certain roles (e.g. young parents) must be played,
  

So, some things  cannot be changed, while some can so that we can attain the ideal of the 'handful of quietness'.