Wisdom's Observation of Vanity and Vexation of Spirit
Book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 4
What is the providence of God? It is a continuous and progressive revelation of Jehovah God, whose never-failing providence orders all things both in Heaven and Earth.
Belief in Providence stands or falls with belief in a personal God.
The Lord Jesus has taught us that the laws of nature are the established methods of His Heavenly Father's workings and that they fulfill and reveal His Will.
Mat 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Mat 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow
not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father
feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Mat 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
Mat 10:30 But the very hairs of your head are all
numbered.
Mat 10:31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value
than many sparrows.
Mat 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before
men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
As humans, we like to ignore the problems that exist around us because they trouble us and rob us of our happiness.
We just do not want to be a part of the difficulties and crises around us.
The truth is that life is full of problems.
Every day, we see people who are the victims of the circumstances of wickedness and the sin in our world.
Did God cause these things? Certainly, He did not.
Does God cause our pain and sorrows? Absolutely not.
These are the things the “god of this world” causes; 2Co_4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Great men and many politicians stand up and tell us how they are going to make this world a better place, but they all fail.
Today, some rich men want to leave this world and establish another place in outer space because they see that nothing can make this world better.
They are all wrong because only God has a plan for this world that will work.
1Co_1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
This world must turn to the Almighty God and have faith in His providence, and it begins with faith.
1Jn_4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
1Jn_5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the
world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
We must keep our eyes focused upon the God of the Bible, the Lord Jesus Christ.
King Solomon saw all these things in His wisdom, and He came to the same conclusion.
*****Ecc 4:1 So I returned, and considered 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.
Ecc 4:2 Wherefore I praised the dead which are already
dead more than the living which are yet alive.
Ecc 4:3 Yea, better is he than both they, which hath
not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
Why did Solomon write this verse?
Ecc 3:16 And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.
Ecc 3:17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the
righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for
every work.
The world is full of injustice, yet the world goes about trying to solve minute problems that cannot be solved without first stopping injustice.
Much sorrow in this world comes from injustice!
The true power in our world is in the hands of oppressors.
God solved this problem with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Isa_19:20 And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them.
As wise as King Solomon was and with his great wealth, he could do nothing about this oppression, this injustice, or this inequality.
In fact, he was part of it. We know the children of Israel suffered under his high taxes.
Solomon became frustrated, and he should have.
The politics of America is at a stalemate, and the politicians are frustrated because they cannot do anything about it as they are seeking worldly answers to avoid a Spiritual truth.
Unless America turns back to the God of the Bible, we will remain divided, and we see that those who are pushing communism are showing strength when they should be ignored.
We should understand that power always lies with the oppressors because power is the breeding ground of oppression.
Power corrupts, as we have seen in the last twenty years of our own nation.
When reformers take over power, they turn into tyrants, which will not solve the problems.
When the Lord Jesus saw this in Jerusalem, what did He do? Jesus wept.
Then He was crucified.
Psa 69:20 Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.
Solomon's only conclusion was that the dead are better off than the living.
God says those who choose His Savior are far better off than the dead.
Jhn_11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
Solomon said even the stillborn and aborted are better off than those who experience life in this world.
They will not see the evil activity of the oppressors, nor the grief of the oppressed.
Solomon is right about one thing. These stillborn children and all the aborted children are already in Heaven, and they will certainly miss out on the wickedness of this world.
As far as we who believe, all these things should drive us closer to God!
As Christians, we are not to become so self-consumed that we are blind to those who are oppressed.
We have the answers to the world's problems, and it is in a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is no other answer to the world's problems!
*****Ecc 4:4 Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
The truth is that in most workplaces, each worker constantly lives in a state of competition with other workers.
Those bosses are always looking at who shines the brightest.
Because we all want to be successful, we get caught up in these things.
Envy and jealousy in the workplace cause all sorts of problems.
It causes problems in the workplace, and it causes problems in the home.
Remember Joseph; Gen 37:4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
Remember the brother of the prodigal son;
Luk 15:25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
Luk 15:26 And he called one of the servants, and asked
what these things meant.
Luk 15:27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come;
and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe
and sound.
Luk 15:28 And he was angry, and would not go in:
therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
The desire to succeed becomes meaningless when envy rules the heart.
Envy robs people of satisfaction and the true purpose behind achievement.
What is God's answer? Php 2:2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Php 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or
vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than
themselves.
*****Ecc 4:5 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
Here we see the fool who has seen what hard work is accomplished by others, and many of them do not get a fair return for their labor.
This fool folds his hands and only works hard enough to get paid.
He will never amount to much, and his reputation will follow him.
We already know that to be lazy is a sin.
We already know that God says those who are lazy should not eat.
So, in reality, this fool is destroying himself, and he can blame no one but himself, though he will not accept it is his fault and blame it upon his circumstances.
Isa 9:20 And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm:
God expects us all to have a good work ethic.
Col 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
*****Ecc 4:6 Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.
We have seen people who are obsessed with working to outdo those around them, which caused some to be envious of them.
Then we have seen those people too lazy to work at all and destroy themselves.
Now we see people who are zealous because they are greedy and covetous and can never get enough.
The one who has worked enough with one hand to satisfy his family and, on the other hand, spends time with his family, lives in peace.
The person who works to have both hands full is still not satisfied, is full of turmoil, and is restless.
Those who are filled with the wisdom of God and have the necessities of life can experience peace.
Mat 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, what shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Mat 6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles
seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these
things.
When we are full of the wisdom of God, we can face less stress and lie our heads at night in peace!
Those who can never get enough to satisfy them never have peace of mind.
We must do our best to be good stewards of the things God allows us to have.
1Co 7:17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.
*****Ecc 4:7 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.
Ecc 4:8 There is one alone, and there is not a second;
yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour;
neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I
labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore
travail.
Ecc 4:9 Two are better than one; because they have a
good reward for their labour.
Ecc 4:10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his
fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another
to help him up.
Ecc 4:11 Again, if two lie together, then they have
heat: but how can one be warm alone?
Ecc 4:12 And if one prevail against him, two shall
withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
What is loneliness?
Loneliness is considered an epidemic by the Surgeon General of the United States.
It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death.
God always knows what He is talking about!
It is said that there are far too many lonely people on this earth.
Many work hard and earn a lot, but have no one to share those things with.
Loneliness is the emptiness of the human soul.
Some people let work be their family, and it just does not work out in their favor.
We need some relationships in our lives.
We have to do things to change this situation if we are suffering from loneliness.
We do need people around us to share our lives with.
We must understand that people whom we can share our lives are much more important than material things we can possess.
We need to love and feel loved.
We need companionship that comes from others.
We need our emotional needs met.
We need those around us who bring meaning to our lives.
We need the joy that others can provide us.
We have that feeling of satisfaction that we receive from
being a companion to others.
Two people can do things that one cannot.
With two, there is always someone to help in certain situations.
In the days of Solomon, people had to walk everywhere they went, and the same desert that brought heat during the day brought cold at night.
Two people traveling together could better fend off the cold.
Two people can defend themselves better than one who is alone.
In fact, three would be better than two in this situation.
There are three characteristics in the lives of each child of God.
1Co_13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
We could also say that the three persons of the Holy Trinity are why our bond with our Lord Jesus Christ cannot be broken.
Jhn_10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.
We as Christians should reach out to those who are alone.
Many who need the Lord Jesus Christ could end their loneliness: Psa 142:4 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.
Psa 142:5 I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art
my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.
*****Ecc 4:13 Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.
Ecc 4:14 For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas
also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor.
Ecc 4:15 I considered all the living which walk under
the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.
Ecc 4:16 There is no end of all the people, even of
all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in
him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
If the word wise means having the wisdom of God, then it is far better to be a poor but wise young man than a rich and foolish old king who rejects the Word of God.
That old king will still reap what he sows and be held accountable for it.
Power has caused many good people to become wicked.
Solomon is a great example of these things. He was a godly young man, and God allowed him wisdom far greater than any man, and yet he allowed his wicked wives to change him, and his kingship suffered because of it.
He had the power and the wealth to do anything he chose to do, and he chose wickedness over godliness.
People are fickle; we should remember the same people who shouted "Hosanna" when our Lord Jesus entered Jerusalem a few days later said, "Crucify Him".
We live in the same world today where the minds of people are changed by the politics of our world.
Everything changes because nothing but the Word of God lasts forever!
We cannot please everyone, but we must do our best to trust the wisdom of God and serve Him.
He is our King forever!
Rev_5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and
priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Gen 41:40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according
unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be
greater than thou.
Gen 41:41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have
set thee over all the land of Egypt.
Gen 41:42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand,
and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and
put a gold chain about his neck;
Gen 41:43 And he made him to ride in the second
chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him
ruler over all the land of Egypt.
Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace
there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order
it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for
ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
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