The Strand Study Bible

ECCLESIASTES

ECCLESIASTES

1015

and “conclude” things. 3:22b Because we cannot observe the future (the meaning behind “ for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him ”), Solomon concludes ( I perceive ) that man needs to make the best of the present ( a man should rejoice in his own works ). And the best of the present is experienced by observing the best God has to offer, which is His Word, i.e., His commandments (Eccl 12:13). 4:1 There are two kinds of people referred to here: 1. those that are oppressed 2. those that do the oppressing In order to understand what Solomon is about to say here in verses 2-3, I Kings 12:1-11 needs to be read. 4:2 Because the oppressions of men are great (vs 1), Solomon concluded ( Wherefore ) that the living are better off dead than alive. Interestingly enough, “ the living which are yet alive ” include both the oppressed and the oppressor (vs 1). For decades, Solomon had oppressed the people within his kingdom with his selfishness (I Ki 12:1-11). Thus, he was talking to himself here and the regret that he had as an oppressor of the people. This is why he concludes in verse 3 that both they (both the oppressed and the oppressor) are better off dead. Despite all his wealth and ease of living, Solomon could not escape his conscience. What Solomon is saying here in verses 1-3 is that it is better not to have been born than to be “repressed” and/or have “regret” because you are the repressor. NOTE – If you think for a moment that “regret” won’t eat at you like repression does the oppressed, think again. 4:3 What a statement! Solomon reasons that both the oppressed and the oppressor ( both they ) are better off dead. Why? Because both are miserable; the oppressed because of repression, and the oppressors because of regret (Eccl 4:1-3 and Lk 16:19-31). 4:4 This word ( right ) is the Hebrew word kishron and means “ dexterity ; the skill to succeed in an honest manor. ” A man can work hard, defraud no man, and manage his business in such a way as to be fair and equitable, and still be envied by those who covet. Solomon’s conclusion: This is also vanity and vexation of spirit . Meaning: Even an honest and successful quest for wealth brings little satisfaction when everyone around you wants to take it from you. Sound like modern America? Sound like socialism ? Those who work hard are now forced to provide for those who do not. Satan is so good at mixing truth with error. While it is true that there are some who have gotten their wealth by dishonesty and deceit (such as the fat cats on Wall Street and Freddie Mac & Fannie May), there are others who have worked hard all of their life, scraped and saved in an honest manor, only to be clumped together with the corrupt and made the target of those who push their “class warfare” socialistic propaganda upon the masses. Amazing, isn’t it, how Satan works. He gets people with socialistic agendas to focus all their energies on the ill-gotten gains of some of the rich, then convinces those people to clump all rich people together (those who earned it legitimately with those who did not), all the while bailing out the two greediest groups there are (Wall Street and Freddie Mac & Fannie May). There is no greatest hypocrisy going on in this country of ours than what our current government is feeding the masses. Solomon was right when he said that an honest and successful quest for wealth brings little satisfaction when everyone around you wants to take it from you. Matthew Henry in his commentary on Ecclesiastes 4:4 notes: Because of their socialistic ideology, those now in charge now want to punish the honest hardworking people for the dishonest deeds of the greedy, and then coerce the masses into thinking that the reason we’re in trouble financially in this country is because the rich don’t pay their fare share ( Mt 25:28 and Jn 4:24b ). And to think... the masses actually believe it. 4:6 To paraphrase Solomon: Better not to have money ( Better is an handful with quietness ) than to have money that greedy people envy and greedy relatives want ( than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit ). Solomon’s advice here is this: Work hard, make as much money as you can, then invest it eternally. Give so much of it away for good and for God that you neither look greedy to the socialist that wants to take it from you or you end up leaving it to some relative that will squander it after you’re gone. Having a lot of money, even if you acquired it honestly, always poses the same three problems: 1. People will envy what you have ( Eccl 4:4 ) Solomon was right when he said that an honest and successful quest for wealth brings little satisfaction when everyone around you wants to take it from you. 2. People will end up inheriting what you leave ( Eccl 2:18 -19) Solomon was right when he said that part of the vainness of trying to find fulfillment in material success is the fact that one must leave the fruit of his work to another who may well waste the accrued profits. 3. You, personally, could end up focusing all your energies on earthly pursuits (Eccl 2:1,9-11) NOTE – God’s will is and always has been to use temporal wealth for eternal purposes (Gen 12:1-20, Isa 45:1-4/Ezra 1:1-8, and Mt 6:19-21). Those who learn to give “eternally” ( Gen 12:16 , Mal 3:8,10 and Mk 12:41 -44) eliminate three potential problems from their life. They eliminate: 1. envy from those who covet what they have (Gen 13:1-11) Trust me… nobody wants what you don’t have. 2. enabling those who don’t need what you have ( Luke 15:11 Subject Head ) 3. earthly pursuits (Mt 6:19-21) and encourages an eternal mindset ( II Cor 4:17,18 ) What little conscience most men have, that they will bear a grudge to a neighbor, give him an ill word and do him an ill turn, only because he is more ingenious and industrious than themselves, and has more of the blessing of heaven…This is downright diabolism. 1