Ecclesiastes 4:7-5:7
In our journey through the book of Ecclesiastes, we are continuing in a section, several chapters long, that is full of wisdom for life. As is the case with most pieces of wisdom literature, there is not necessarily a single idea tying it all together. But there is plenty of good wisdom to be found.
“I thought about a person who seems to have much but really has nothing.” Workaholism can tempt us into finding our value in what we do or what we accomplish or how much we accumulate. And there is plenty of workaholism to be found in our society. We rank near the top of the world in income, but we also rank near dead last in the amount of time that we take away from work. Only people in Japan take less vacation than we do.
And the second piece of wisdom here is that good things become better things when we have someone to share them with. Selfish gain is stupid gain. We are meant for relationships, meant for companionship. Working hard and getting ahead doesn’t mean much unless we have people to share life with. Having great wealth without great relationships is another example of “chasing the wind.”
Sometimes we find it hard to build relationships. Perhaps we find it difficult to trust others. Maybe with good reason. But the rewards far outweigh the risks.
“Two are better than one.” The math is wrong. One plus one does not equal two. One plus one is greater than two. And the reason for this is that we all have weaknesses, blind spots, and faults. But if we work together, then our collective strengths exceed our strengths as individuals. Partnerships multiply our strengths and divide our weaknesses.
“A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” That’s how rope is made. You weave together strands, at least three of them, so that under stress each one gains strength from the others. Likewise, it is the weaving together of our lives with others that so often brings us through the most difficult parts of life.
I often read this text at weddings. And then I go on to talk about how God can be the third strand in our relationship. As we draw closer to each other, we can also draw closer to God. And we can find strength to overcome in both God and spouse.
Here’s the thing, there is no hint that QOHELETH is intending this image only for marriage. The image holds true whether we are talking about a marriage, or a friendship, or a partnership. It’s true in all cases. We are stronger through relationships.
Sometimes we think it’s better to go it alone in life. Maybe it’s because we don’t trust others. Maybe we think no one else will do the job correctly, so we need to do it by ourselves.
And certainly there are instances in life where partners fail us. But the exception to the rule doesn’t make the rule untrue. We are better working together. Collaboration is more productive. Someone having your back is better than trying to watch it yourself.
Pastors have a notorious tendency to go it alone. There are plenty of “lone shepherds” out there. I try not to be one. I have a close group of friends and colleagues in my canoe trip leadership crew. I have worked hard over the last decade to make our local Ministerium a place of collegiality and cooperation. I know all of those folks pray for me and I pray for them. And we all need those kinds of relationships in our lives.
QOHELETH goes on: A poor young man who is wise is better than a rich old fool. There is great value in wisdom. If you have wisdom, other disadvantages can be overcome.
We live in a culture that values youth. We would generally assume automatically that youth is better than old age. But that was certainly not the case in 10th century BC Israel. Old age, experience, and the wealth of influence that came with them were highly valued in that culture. Nonetheless, wisdom is better. And there is no age limit to foolishness. I think we could agree with that. Old fools may not be as common as young fools, but they are still out there. Congress is proof of it.
QOHELETH speaks of this young wise man who rises from adversity, even prison, to become king. Is he thinking of someone in particular? Assuming QOHELETH is King Solomon, we might assume he is speaking of his father, David. And David did end up briefly in prison during his years on the run. And he certainly did eventually succeed by wisdom over the old fool, King Saul. So maybe.
Then he speaks of people turning against that king. That happened as well. Many people turned against David when his son, Absalom, rebelled and tried to take the throne. His point is that fame, popularity, and loyalty are fickle companions. If these are the things that spur us on in life, we will most likely be disappointed. As others have pointed out in Scripture, “It is better to seek the approval of God than human beings.”
Then QOHELETH turns to the Temple and matters of religion.
Chapter five starts out, “Guard your steps when you come to God’s Temple,” in a literal reading. It means be careful and thoughtful about you approach God’s house, how you approach matters of faith.
There have always been many motives for “coming into God’s house.” Some enjoy the experience of worship. Some see religion as a form of “spiritual self-indulgence.” Some come to be seen by others in a particular way. They want others to know they are a good person. Some come hoping that God will bless them for it in some way.
But the essence of true religion is hearing and obeying God. “Obedience is better than sacrifice.” That refrain is echoed numerous times in the Old Testament. Among other times, it was the words spoken to King Saul when God rejected him as king and turned the nation over “spiritually” to David.
“Don’t make hasty oaths.” An oath in ancient Near East culture was binding oneself by the name of one’s God. Oaths were taken in court and in treaties and contracts. To break an oath was to invoke both human and divine wrath. So don’t be quick to use God’s name in your promises. This is really the meaning of the third commandment about “not using God’s name in vain.” It’s not so much about cursing as it is about using his name lightly in our promises.
“God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.” Now this is about oaths and vows, not our prayer life. We shouldn’t be quick to make promises to God. We don’t know the future. We don’t even know all the circumstances of the present.
Some have read this verse and assume QOHELETH has a distant and cold understanding of God. We can read it that way. But again, it’s not about prayer. And even Jesus tells us not to be excessive in our words to God. In Matthew 6 he says that some think they will have their prayers answered by the verbosity of them. But this is not the case. God already knows our needs.
I think we can also read this as a way of saying that it’s more important to hear from God than speak to God. God already knows our minds. What’s important is for us to know his.
“Don’t make hasty vows.” A vow or promise to God is a voluntary thing based on God’s actions. “God, if you will do ____, then I will do ____.” Deuteronomy 23 and Proverbs 20 both make it clear that if we do make a promise to God, we must be sure to follow through completely.
How many of us have ever made a promise to God and then not really followed through? Probably all of us at some point. Be careful of doing that. We must follow through completely and as quickly as possible if we are making promises to God. Avoid empty promises and long, insincere speeches in our relationship with God.
As I said at the start, there is no single, unifying idea to these chapters of Ecclesiastes, but there is plenty of wisdom. Seek out companionship in life. It makes life better. Seek wisdom more than popularity. And have a right understanding of what it means to worship God.
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