Ecclesiastes 4:1-6
Bible
Study - Solomon Talks about
Oppression
-
4:1
Again I looked and saw all the oppression that
was taking place under the sun:
I saw the tears of the
oppressed
and they have no
comforter;
power was on the side of
their oppressors
and they have no
comforter.
2
And I declared that the dead,
who had already died,
are happier than the
living,
who are still alive.
3
But better than both
is he who has not yet
been,
who has not seen the evil
that is done under the
sun.
4
And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring
from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is
meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
5
The fool folds his hands and ruins himself.
6
Better one handful with tranquillity than two
handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.
This
is the Word of the Lord ... It is meant to change
the way that we think, and the way that we live.
Commentary
by Bob Pardue
Money and
Possessions are not Everything
Which is worse? .. a
lazy person or a
workaholic?
In this Bible study lesson,
we'll discover Solomon says that one is just as bad
as the other. He is saying that we should work
moderately and enjoy the gifts that God gave us
such as our families and friends.
Working is Not
Optional
You have to work to support
your family and it is great to have a few
playthings to better enjoy life. So, we go to our
jobs and some find great pleasure in what they do -
but not all.
Can Christians Accumulate
Wealth?
Some people believe you must
be poor in order to be a "good Christian." This is
not the case. Enjoy life; enjoy the fruits of your
labor but just don't have a goal of making more
money in order to have more money. Money is useless
without the benefit of joy in life.
How to Get
Joy
The good news is; you can
have that joy with or without money through the
love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Just
ask
Christ into your life
today. Your problems might still be there but he
will be there also.
Love in Christ
- Bob
If you have never made the
commitment to receive the love and life-changing
experience of Jesus Christ, please take a moment to
read
John 3:16 for more
information.
Verses about the love of money as stated by
Solomon are from Life Application Study Bible:
New International Version
Study these Other
Lessons
Ecclesiastes
2:18-23
- Meaningless
Work
Ecclesiastes
2:24-26
- Work
without
Meaning
Ecclesiastes
3:1-8 -
A Time
for Everything
Ecclesiastes
3:9-13 -
Personal
Satisfaction from
Work
Ecclesiastes
3:14 -
Purpose
Driven Life
Ecclesiastes
3:15-16
- Is it
Gloom and
Doom?
Ecclesiastes
3:17-22
- Solomon
Says Man Has No Advantage over the
Animals
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