Ecclesiastes 4:7-16 – a verse by verse devotional commentary

Main Reading: Ecclesiastes 4:7-16

In Ecclesiastes, we’ve been analyzing the sad state of affairs of life under the Sun.

But the author does not want to inspire you to envy or hate those around you because of these difficulties. In this section, he’ll actually show you why the frustrations and worries of this world should encourage you to work with and for your neighbors; serving and helping them as you navigate life. He’ll show you how and why human beings are not meant to be alone.

This is something we all seem to know and agree upon—it’s not good to be by yourself. I used to walk the trail just up the road from my house every day. When you start out, there’s a sign that reads: “always exercise with a partner”—it’s safer that way. And have you ever noticed that, when you have to do something you dread, it’s always easier with a friend? As a kid, I hated going outside into the dark backyard alone…but with my dad by my side, it wasn’t so bad. And likewise, the good things in life are always better when you have someone to share the experience with or to tell about what fun you just had. But I don’t want to make it seem like this chapter is all fun and games with friends…it’s not. This is Ecclesiastes, after all! So let’s into it and see what it says:

v. 7-8 — “Again, I saw vanity under the sun: one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, ‘For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?’ This also is vanity and an unhappy business.”

Not only are some people in the world outnumbered and oppressed, as Solomon mentioned last time, some people are completely alone. He looked out into the world and saw a man without anyone else…He had no wife. And we know that isn’t good…In the Creation story, God called everything “good”—except for the fact that Adam was alone. So, He created Eve as the remedy. "Then the LORD God said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone ; I will make him a helper fit for him'" (Genesis 2:18).

This man also had no son, which meant that even if he had a bunch of cool stuff,

There was no one to leave it to…no one to inherit it. And, in Israel, if you didn’t have a son, all your possessions would go to your brother when you died (Deut. 25:5-10). But this guy didn’t have a son or a brother…

Now, you might say, well there are some benefits from being solo…You have limited distractions, you don’t have to share, you can keep all the money & food to yourself, etc. And while that’s true, you will also have no time to enjoy all your stuff & you’ll have no one to share it with…

But, often times, people who isolate themselves are so caught up in—and consumed by—what they’re doing that they don’t even stop and look up to ask “Why am I doing this? What’s the point?” Instead of looking at life as a whole or others around them, they remain intently focused on their own desires.

And Solomon’s imagery is strong here…he describes desires and riches as something we see and stare at. Speaking of Eve, who was Adam’s helper and companion, she was seduced by what she saw. "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes , and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate" (Genesis 3:6).

Although that’s an example of two people failing miserably…Solomon still says that, in general, two are better than one.

v. 9-12 — “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

Even though, when you work as a pair, or a couple, or with a partner, you’ll have to split the money and share the spotlight, you will get much more done with two people than you will by yourself.

More than that, if one person falls down physically or metaphorically, the other person can lift them up! [Some of us may require two friends to pick us up when we fall…] It’s a scary thing to fall down when you’re alone and be unable to get up!

That’s why we all remember that commercial where the elderly woman falls and screams for help.

Also, it’s better not to sleep alone. Before the days of centralized heating & air,

people relied on body heat to stay warm—even King David! 1 Kings 1:1-4

[Maybe after this cold winter we’ve had, you can understand why that might’ve been essential].

It’s also better to fight as a team. Sure, you might be able to take on your enemies or defend yourself 1v1 against one other person, but it’s always best to have backup. This too is seen in David’s life (2 Samuel 21:15-17).

So, Solomon concludes that two is better than one and a cord with three strands is hard to break. Now, 3 sure did come out of nowhere, didn’t it? We’ve been talking about partners, pairs, & couples, but then Solomon brings up three…Some people understand this as a reference to the multiplied benefits of working together rather than alone. Others, think this is a reference to two people working together and having God in the mix. Or, as I think, Solomon is simply saying: “Hey—2 is better than 1, but 3 is better than 2!”

v. 13-16 — “Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice. For he went from prison to the throne, though in his own kingdom he had been born poor. I saw all the living who move about under the sun, along with that youth who was to stand in the king's place. There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.”

This section of Solomon’s writings seems to be a little autobiographical…he’s writing about himself. He had become the old and foolish king who had little time for the ideas of others. And Solomon now sees that, if the world made any sense, there ought to be a total shift in the selection of kings…

A young man is better for the job than an old one because he’s not as stuck in his ways. And a poor man would be better than a rich one because he’s been through adversity—he worked his way up from prison to the palace. Rich guys typically come from rich families, so why should we reward them? Poor people are often better at being resourceful, “scrappy,” and dedicated to solving problems.

So Solomon imagines what might happen if this kind of man—poor, young, & for the people—became king. His popularity would be through the roof. There would be no end to the people following him! But…in the next generation, after some time has passed, this guy would be totally forgotten…Human popularity and praise from other people never lasts, Solomon says, it’s all meaningless.

Well, now, it’s time to talk about the God who makes all the comforting things in chapter 4 true and all of the saddening things untrue…

Loneliness is a real problem in the world that people face every day. Even though our world appears to be very connected and social, the reality is true togetherness is on a steep decline. But we have a God who does not leave us alone or let us stay to ourselves in the corner…No—He called 12 apostles together. He gathered 70 disciples, and sent them out in groups of 2. He has put us together in this group and in local churches. Just as a three-strand cord is hard to tear, Paul says that the encouragement we have in Christ knits us together in love (Col. 2:2).

And what else? What else has God done and what else do we know about Him?

Well, God has eternally revealed Himself in the 3-fold way; Father, Son, & Holy Spirit.

And Jesus Christ came to this earth, suffered, and died for the sins of the world. He took the fall for all of us on His shoulders alone. But unlike those of us who are weak and helpless, Jesus was able to get up from this fall on His own. He came out of the grave without any help!

"Jesus answered them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' The Jews then said, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?' But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken" (John 2:19-22).

"For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father" (John 10:17-18).

When we fall, we often get stuck and need someone else to lend us a hand. But our God marched in and out of the grave like it was nothing!

And if you were wondering who the ultimate king is—who the one who was raised poor and thrown into prison, but made it up to the palace—look no further than Jesus! He came from a poor family, He was treated as a criminal and a prisoner, and now He reigns. But His popularity isn’t waining…to this day people are coming to know Him as their Savior & King!