“Together We Stand”
Ecclesiastes 4:4-16
Let’s begin this evening by reading the text in a modern version, just listen as I read, “Then I observed all the work and ambition motivated by envy. What a waste! Smoke. And spitting into the wind.(5) The fool sits back and takes it easy, His sloth is slow suicide. (6) One handful of peaceful repose Is better than two fistfuls of worried work— More spitting into the wind. (7-8) I turn-ed my head and saw yet another wisp of smoke on its way to nothingness: a solitary person, completely alone—no children, no family, no friends—yet working obsessively late into the night, compulsively greedy for more and more, never bothering to ask, “Why am I working like a dog, never having any fun? And who cares?” More smoke. A bad business. (9-10) It’s better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. And if one falls down, the other helps, But if there’s no one to help, tough! (11) Two in a bed warm each other. Alone, you shiver all night. (12) By yourself you’re unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped. (13-16) A poor youngster with some wis-dom is better off than an old but foolish king who doesn’t know which end is up. I saw a youth just like this start with nothing and go from rags to riches, and I saw everyone rally to the rule of this young successor to the king. Even so, the excitement died quickly, the throngs of people soon lost interest. Can’t you see it’s only smoke? And spitting into the wind?” (The Message -MSG)
Given all the trouble (injustice and oppression) in the world, sometimes Solomon was tempted to think that it might be better not to live at all, and he said as much at the beginning of chapter four (vv.1-3). Then he made several comparisons based on what he saw happening around him and he offered practical advice for living in a transient world. It is better to live with contentment (4:4-6), to work in partnership with other people (4:7-12) and to lead a teachable spirit (4:13-16).
First, Learn To Live With Contentment. (4:4-6)
Solomon has already told the reader that work is a gift from God (2:24) but as with all of God’s blessings it can be distorted by sin.
• The Problem. - Two opposite Extremes
The Man who works to Much.
“Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.”
First Solomon talks about what we would call the workaholic (v.4) in reality he is motivated by envy. This individual work is life, their job becomes all-consuming.
The Man Who Refuses To Work. (v. 5)
“The fool folds his hands And consumes his own flesh.”
Rather than joining the rat-race some people drop out altogether. Solomon says such individuals “Consume his own flesh” this expression is the equivalent of “brings ruin upon himself or destroys his own dignity” We have more than enough of this kind of individual in our society, the person who decides to ride the system, pick up their check and live off the government. Solomon says that such a lifestyle devours one’s self, to sit in idleness causes your resources to dry up and your self-respect to disappear. One of the saddest things taking place in our country is the enabling of “able bodied” individuals to “fold their hands” and do nothing and collect federal assistance. As long as there is any unfilled position, we are doing those on welfare a grave disservice by paying them to stay home. Warren Wiersbe says, “laziness is a slow comfortable path to self-destruction.” [Warren Wiersbe. “Be Satisfied.” (Wheaton: Ill.: SP Pub, 1990) p. 56]
• The Prescription. (v. 6)
“Better a handful with quietness Than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind.”
“Quietness” can also be translated “content-ment.” Two fisted consumption speaks of the person who is grabbing as much as possible and always grasping for more. Later Solomon wrote of the danger of greed when he said, “He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase.” (Eccles 5:10) In the New Testament the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Tim. 6:6 -NKJV)
The Bible abounds with warnings and exhortations about the dangers of confusing material prosperity with the blessings of God. Paul wrote in to the church at Philippi, “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am,to be content:(12) I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Every-where and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. (13) I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:11-13)
“A survey of 2,000 people in the U.S. labor force was conducted to determine how their faith influences their spending.(Sadly) It found, faith makes little difference to the ways in which people actually conduct their financial affairs.” [Adult Teaching Guide (March –May 1994) 1 &2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon. (Atlanta: Sunday School Growth Curriculum, SP Publications, 1994) pp. 74-75]
We buy more than we can afford because we want more than we need. Someone has said that credit cards let you start at the bottom and dig yourself a hole. “How many of you received at least one credit card offer recently?” The average American receives 32 credit card offers per year, regardless of their credit history.
Nationally, the average American has four major credit cards with an average credit card debt of $9000.
00. When you realize that a number of these individuals have been convinced to pay a minimum payment plan, you have a recipe for disaster. A credit card with a balance of $3900.00 making a 3% payment would require nearly 42 years to pay off the debt and the total of those monthly payments would total $14,530.00.
Paul says godliness is ‘gain’ even ‘great gain’ (1 Tim. 6:6) providing you mean spiritual gain and not financial. The love of money is identified as “a root of all kinds of evil,” not the root of all evil. What are the danger signs of loving money? John MacArthur in his commentary on 1 Timothy identifies five danger signs of loving money. (1) Those who love money are more concerned with making it than being honest. (2) Those who love money never have enough of it. (3) Those who love money tend to flaunt it. (4) Those who love money resent giving any away. (5) Those who love money often sin to get it. [John MacArthur. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary – 1 Timothy. (Chicago; Moody Press, 1995) pp. 249-250]
Later in his letter to his young son in the ministry, Timothy, Paul warns, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. (8) And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. (9) But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. (10) For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:7-10) Paul reminds Timothy that some people who have become so caught up in their desire for wealth that they have “strayed from the faith,” with painful results. The phrase “pierced themselves” literally means to be skewered from every direction and roasted like a piece of meat.
The advice that Solomon advances is that of balance, it doesn’t pay to work yourself to death in the quest for the accumulation of things but neither does one progress by not working and going hungry. One should work to provide for yourself and your family and learn to be content with that.
Secondly, Learn the Value of Friends. (4:9-12)
• The Misery of Solitude. (vv. 7-8)
“Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun: (8) There is one alone, without companion: He has neither son nor brother. Yet there is no end to all his labors, Nor is his eye satisfied with riches. But he never asks, “For whom do I toil and deprive myself of good?” This also is vanity and a grave misfortune.”
Is the epitome of the expression, “It is lonely at the top!” It is likely that this individual has sought meaning in work and wealth but has found himself alone and in a tough situation. It is often found that as one climbs the “ladder of success” they get increasingly lonely and have fewer people that they can honestly call friends. This kind of driven individual never stops to ask the why questions. “Why am I knocking myself out and for whom?” Solomon exclaims, “This too is meaningless – a miserable business” (v.8 – NIV)
• The Profit of Companionship. (vv.9-12)
“Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor.(10) For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. (11) Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? (12) Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
When we read these words of Solomon we tend to think in terms of marriage, and there certainly is that application. But I believe the author had a much wider application in mind. This is for people who are humans on this lonely earth who are wondering how to survive in our dog-eat-dog culture.
The writer of Ecclesiastes wants us to understand that Friendship is a good investment (v. 9). When the author says in verse nine, “Two are better than one, because they have good reward for their labor” the words “good reward” can also be translated “good return” for it means - dividends paid on a wise invest-ment.
The very best investment you will ever make in life will not be a financial one, but rather the investment made in relationships. We will get the best return on that investment over any other investment that we will ever make. As we go through life there are two kinds of things we can give our lives to.
Some people try to accumulate possessions. They are constantly trying to get more or better stuff. It is attributed to the late Malcolm Forbes to have said, “He who dies with most toys wins.” However, since he has died, he knows that not to be true. If we spend all our lives trying to accumulate more and more possessions, we will never truly be happy and fulfilled.
On the other hand we can decide to focus on building relationships, trying to make friends and to be a friend. The first half of Proverbs 18:24 says, “A man who has friends must himself be friendly…”
Now I want us to turn our attention for the next few moments to Several benefits of friendship.
• Friends Working Together Are More Productive. (4:9). Solomon writes, “Two are better than one
because they have a good return for their labor.” The simple truth is that when two people combine their strength, creativity, and talent, they can accomplish more than they can alone. There is something special about working together with at least one other person. There is a bond that takes place when people work or serve together.
• Friends Lend One Another Encouragement. (4:10).
Solomon writes, “For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.”
Now you may have a lot of people in your life you could call acquaintances. But you may only have a very few that you could term “real friends.” Someone has suggested that we have been successful in life if we have enough close friends to act as pall bearers at our funeral. You may wonder, “How can I tell the difference between acquaintances and friend?” That’s easy, just get in trouble, the people that are still around are your real friends, and there may not be as many left as you would have thought.
A friend is the kind of person if you call them at 2:00 in the morning and tell them you need them. They don’t ask, “So what’s the problem” and then decide whether or not to come. They simply ask, “Where are you?” as they are getting dressed. That’s a friend. How many people do you have like that in your life? The writer of Proverbs (17:17) says, “A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.”
Biblical Example of Johnathon and David (1 Sam. 23:16)
•Friends Lend One Another Support. (4:11).
Solomon writes, “Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?”
Sometimes we have a tendency to take a passage so literally that we miss point of the whole idea. This is more than just about keeping each other physically warm. We need help to face circumstances beyond our control; we need to be able to gain emotional strength when we do not have enough of our own. Sometimes it’s cold out there in the world. These are those circum-stances where we are facing a battle of “How am I going to make it through this right now?” That is the time we need a friend to give us emotional strength.
We all know that the reality of life is that we encounter a lot of people who when we spend time with them, they send our emotional gas gauge all the way over to empty. We leave their presence absolute drained. But there are other people and these are our friends, that when we spend time with them, our emotion gas gauge goes all the way over to full. There are two kinds of people in the world encouragers and discouragers, which group characterizes you?
You know, I think that many of those discouraging people have no idea that they are discouragers. But all you need to do is take a look at what you say. If every word out of your mouth is setting someone straight or telling them how they can improve themselves or their performance, you probably have a problem in this area. Why not decide to be an encourager today?
• Friends Give Each Other Strength. (4:12).
Solomon closes his thoughts in this section with these words: “Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.”
When these words were written based on the mili-tary strategy of the ancient world. Almost all combat, was hand to hand combat. Soldiers went into battle with a partner, someone that could be counted and trusted implicitly. The soldiers stood back to back of one another, and they always keep their backs in contact and fought whatever enemy came from any side.
Friends not only never stab you in the back, they guard your back. A friend never puts up with gossip about their friends. Let me give you a definition of Gossip. I think you should write this down. (Gossip is when someone says something negative or unkind about someone who is not present, whether it is true or not.)
A real friend is someone who will fight to protect you or your reputation.
Solomon goes on to say, “A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart” (12b) was a proverbial way of saying “there is strength in numbers.” Yet Solomon has more in mind that mere numbers he is also thinking of the unity involved in a three cords woven together.
Third, Learn that Popularity Passes Away. (4:13-16)
“Better a poor and wise youth Than an old and foolish king who will be admonished no more. (14) For he comes out of prison to be king, Although he was born poor in his kingdom. (15) I saw all the living who walk under the sun; They were with the second youth who stands in his place. (16) There was no end of all the people over whom he was made king; Yet those who come afterward will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and grasping for the wind.”
This “rags to riches” story is about someone who rose from obscurity to royalty. The story is a little hard to decipher, but it seems that the Preacher told the story of a young man who rose to power unexpectedly, taking the place of the king who ruled before him. Though the young man had been born in relative poverty, he rose to the highest office in the land. This new king ruled over a vast kingdom. There seemed to be no end to the people who followed him. Yet even the new king could not rule forever. Eventually, he also passed away, and others followed him, and the young king was finally forgotten.
Let me say briefly that one lesson we should note is that fame is fleeting. The Preacher wants us to under-stand that no matter how popular a leader is, the day will come when someone else will succeed him and his fame will fade away. We are reminded not to put too much stock in earthly position.
But the main lesson I want to draw your attention to is the one the Preacher highlights. He stresses the importance of leading with a teachable spirit. Notice again how he put it in verse thirteen: “Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice.” Apparently, in earlier days the king took advice, but eventually he no longer knew how to take advice. This tragedy is repeated again and again, in the culture as well as in the church.
If we are honest with ourselves, we will acknow-ledge that life at the top is fleeting. Our attention span is short, our memories nonexistent, and our only question is, “What have you done for me lately?” Presidents and prime ministers may have extremely high approval ratings for a while, but they don’t last, no matter what political party they represent.
It is even true is sports. Former Dallas Cowboy quarterback, Don Meredith, used to say about quarter-backs, “Today you are in the penthouse. Tomorrow you’re in the outhouse.” What is true of quarterbacks is also true of pastors, state workers, teachers, and small business owners. Popularity doesn’t last.
“Together We Stand”
Ecclesiastes 4:4-16
First, Learn To Live With Contentment. (4:4-6)
• The Problem. - Two opposite Extremes
The Man who works to Much. (Workaholic) (v.4)
The Man who Refuses to Work. (v. 5)
• The Prescription. (v. 6)
Secondly, Learn the Value of Friends. (4:9-12)
• The Misery of Solitude. (vv. 7-8)
• The Profit of Companionship. (vv.9-12)
Benefits of friendship.
Friends Working Together Are More Productive. (4:9)
Friends Lend One Another Encouragement. (4:10). (Prov.17:17) Biblical Example of Johnathon and David (1 Sam. 23:16)
Friends Lend One Another Support. (4:11).
Friends Give Each Other Strength. (4:12).
Third, Learn that Popularity Passes Away. (4:13-16)
“Together We Stand”
Ecclesiastes 4:4-16
First, Learn To Live With ______________________. (4:4-6)
• The _______________. - Two opposite Extremes
The Man who works to Much. (Workaholic) (v.4)
The Man who Refuses to Work. (v. 5)
• The ________________. (v. 6)
Secondly, Learn the Value of ______________. (4:9-12)
• The Misery of ______________. (vv. 7-8)
• The Profit of ______________________. (vv.9-12)
Benefits of friendship.
Friends Working Together Are More ____________. (4:9)
Friends Lend One Another ____________________. (4:10). (Prov.17:17) Biblical Example of Johnathon and David (1 Sam. 23:16)
Friends Lend One Another _____________. (4:11).
Friends Give Each Other ______________. (4:12).
Third, Learn that ________________ Passes Away. (4:13-16)
