Ecclesiastes 4 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study
Ecclesiastes 4 Short Summary:
In Ecclesiastes 4, Solomon expands on his reasons for calling all of life “vanity.” Life is oppressive, and the weak are victims of the powerful. There is vanity in hard work and in laziness. Companionship is preferable to solitude, even high-achieving solitude. Fame and power are fleeting.
Ecclesiastes 4 Bible Study
ECCLESIASTES CHAPTER SUMMARIES
Ecclesiastes 1 - Solomon declares that life on earth is vanity. Earthly pursuits are largely meaningless. Men are born and men die in the endless cycle of the earth’s spinning. History is forgotten and repeated generation after generation.
Ecclesiastes 2 - Solomon tested the offerings of the world and found them empty. Physical pleasure, wine, laughter, entertainment, accomplishing things, riches, making a name for himself, they were all vanity. Solomon discussed the fate of the wicked vs. the foolish, and lamented the short-term value of hard work.
Ecclesiastes 3 - The cycle of the earth repeats continually, and everything happens at its appointed time according to God’s design. God created mankind with knowledge of eternity, although much of His work is still hidden from them. Injustice is prevalent on the earth, but a time for judgment is approaching.
Ecclesiastes 4 - In Ecclesiastes 4, Solomon expands on his reasons for calling all of life “vanity.” Life is oppressive, and the weak are victims of the powerful. There is vanity in hard work and in laziness. Companionship is preferable to solitude, even high-achieving solitude. Fame and power are fleeting.
AUTHOR:
Ecclesiastes was almost certainly written by Solomon (Ecc 1:1), the son of David, the 3rd king of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah.
His palace and the Temple of God were located in Jerusalem.
Solomon became king in approximately 1015 B.C and reigned for 40 years.
OUTLINE:
AN OPPRESSIVE LIFE (4:1-3):
Building on his thoughts about the vanity of life, Solomon pointed out that life can be very oppressive.
The weak are oppressed by the powerful, and there is little they can do about it.
Solomon counted those already dead to be more fortunate than the living, because they had escaped the oppression of the world.
Better still were those who were never born, because they never had to live through oppression.
HARD WORK OR LAZINESS, BOTH CAN RUIN YOU (4:4-6):
Solomon observed that the only reason some men work hard is because they are jealous of their neighbors and covet what they have.
On the opposite extreme, some men are so lazy they destroy themselves in their sloth.
TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE (4:7-12):
Another vanity that Solomon saw playing out in the world was when men worked their whole lives to get riches and possession but had no family, friends, or loved ones to share them with or pass them on to.
What a wasted life, to accumulate wealth without people who love you. To pointlessly fill your bank account so that you can leave it to no one.
Solomon went on to extol the beauty and benefits of companionship, saying, “Two are better than one” and “a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
FAME IS FLEETING (4:13-16):
Solomon described a young man who ascended out of poverty to the throne of a great kingdom.
He ruled innumerable people during his lifetime, but the generations that came after him barely remembered him.
Fame and power are short-lived. They are vanity and striving after wind.
APPLICATION
It isn’t wrong to strive to achieve things. It is wrong to strive to achieve things to the detriment of all your important relationships.
God has given us a responsibility to our spouse, children, relatives, and church family.
If your financial portfolio is growing, but your important relationships are crumbling, it’s time to rethink your priorities.
Don’t be the vain fool who meticulously manages his bank account, while simultaneously failing to give the necessary attention to the souls entrusted to you by God.
