Copy of HAPPINESS CAN ONLY BE FOUND IN GOD, LIFE AS VANITY: LESSONS FROM THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES CHAPTER FOUR

Today, we conclude our series from the book of Ecclesiastes, which has been themed "Happiness can only be found in God, Life as vanity: Lessons from the book of Ecclesiastes." We are ending this series on the fourth chapter of Ecclesiastes. Let's begin today's lesson by examining the message of the chapter below.

"Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed—and they have no comforter power was on the side of their oppressors—and they have no comforter. 2 And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive 3 But better than both is the one who has never been born, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun. 4 And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person's envy of another. This, too, is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 5 Fools fold their hands and ruin themselves 6 Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. 7 Again, I saw something meaningless under the sun: 8 There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. "For whom am I toiling," he asked, "and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?" This, too, is meaningless—a miserable business 9 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor: 10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. 13 Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. 14 The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. 15 I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king's successor. 16 There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind" (Ecclesiastes 4:1-16, NIV).

Exploration of the chapter verses:

The struggle to make a life for oneself leads to a lot of complications in this world, where one is hurt by another. Wherever there are people, social injustice and relational problems cause uncomfortable situations. In chapter four, the teacher continues with his sermon on social injustice and wickedness in the world from chapter 3:16. Social injustice is prevalent in every continent; one is favored over the other. In the workplace, educational institutions, governmental organizations, and all sorts of organizations face social injustice and relational problems. In some cases, the most hardworking person is deprived of the necessary awards and incentives.

In most cases, this happens because the beneficiary has established good relationships with the rewarder. When this happens, the adage that hard work pays no longer works. Sometimes, hard work is rewarded; however, relationships often overcomes hard work. Talent and hard work are never enough; you need more than that in this world. We should remember that God sees the heart, but man considers the outward appearance. "But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). In most cases, the outward appearance is more than just hard work and talent. And, of course, the bible admonishes us to live in peace with all people. "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (Romans 12:17). Sometimes, impossible relationships go a long way to cost people their necessary benefits and recognition. Therefore, many awards and recognitions are genuine, and many are corrupted.

Social injustice in the world is more than just an award; many are convicted of crimes they did not commit. Not all prisoners committed crimes; some are genuinely innocent, but since they had no lawyer due to poverty, they ended up in prison. In some cases, the truth is twisted into lies, and vice versa. Who is the perfect judge, but except God? What about racial discrimination? What about disability discrimination? What about employment discrimination? What about police and law enforcement discrimination? What about slavery? What about food and healthcare inequality? What about harassment? What about child abuse? What about human trafficking? What about treatment and responsibility inequality? The list goes on and on; the world is flooded with many cases of social injustice.

Not forgetting envy and jealousy. One envies the other due to possessions and certain skills in life. Joseph is a clear example in the scripture where his own brothers sold him to the Ishmaelites, and he ended up in Egypt. What about Cain and Abel? Envy is dangerous and can lead to hatred. As Christians, if there exist relational problems with someone in our lives, let us take a step toward reconciliation to promote peace. After reconciliation, let us move on in life and keep everything behind our backs; we are the salt of this world. Due to all these corruptions happening in the world, the teacher preferred the unborn child over the dead and living.

The unborn child has no experience of the social injustices happening in the world. He or she is free from any hurt and persecution from another. However, as Christians, we should remember that all these persecutions and social injustices are bound to happen. The Lord warned us, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). When anyone is treated unfairly, it is extremely painful but let us move on for the goal ahead and remain silent. Let us put our trust in God and always remember that this world is not our home. No one should take the law into his or her own hands for defense; vengeance belongs to the Lord. Let us apply the teacher's sermon to our lives and act accordingly. What do we learn from this chapter?

Application:

1. We should be agents of peace:

The world is never immune to social injustice. Wherever there are people, social injustice and relational problems exist. If you feel that there is unrest between you and anyone, the best decision is to promote peace and reconciliation. We should enjoy the peacefulness of God, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:2). We should always embark on togetherness (Ecclesiastes 4:9-16), and peaceful environment. If you feel you have wronged anyone in life, do not let anger and pride overcome you. Go to the person and seek reconciliation through an apology. Let us remember that God's worship rests upon service to man and Him.

2. Let us learn to be content:

We are stewards of God, meaning all our possessions are from God who gave them. Whatever earthly possessions we have been blessed with, let us learn to be content with what we have in our bosom. It is not a sin to work extra hard to increase your salary and earnings or gain an earthly artifact; the teacher even warns us against laziness (Ecclesiastes 4:5). However, we should not accumulate earthly materials and earnings that we do not deserve. We should always be thankful for what we have and pray that we are blessed even more while not envying another. We should remember that envy is cancerous!!!

Thank you for studying with the Close to Him Ministry. God richly bless!