God’s solution: One handful of tranquility
Outline for discussion leader: Ecc 4 begins with Kohelet’s own despair about 1) the prison of sin, 2) the resulting oppression of the weak, and 3) that no one is able to comfort them. At this climactic low point of wishing to be dead (4:2), Kohelet would have to say it now or never whether his book proposes a solution: If the author will share any prophetic insight what God’s gift and His hidden work are, one should expect him to say so here after v4. The way he does it is in the form of three comparisons of what he found to be better (vv4-16):
- Better is one handful of quietness than two hands folded or full of toil;
- Better are two+1 together than one alone;
- Better a poor and wise young king than a rich and foolish old one.
Explore what these are, and how they might be connected to each other as God’s gift of redemption.
Warm-up: Are you a type who is more inclined to passivity or rather to pointless activism, be it at home or at work? Why?
Context: Explain, or ask, what people remember as main points of the previous chapters
- Ecc 1 (the problem addressed by this book): Man’s crookedness and that all our attempts to appease God through the merits of our toil are vain (Ecc 1),
- Ecc 2 (the source of frustration): None of his own pursuits or wisdom could satisfy his soul. This led Kohelet to despair.
- Ecc 2:26-3:22 Satisfaction can only come from pleasing God and enjoying him, and this as God’s free gift – but man cannot find out by himself how God is working out such salvation in time (Ecc 3).
Read Ecclesiastes 4
1) vv1-4: What did Kohelet despair about, and why?
- The extent of oppression: What did this imply about the state of religion at that time, v1?
- No comfort, not even from their religion: Were religious types the oppressors rather than being oppressed?
- v4: Evil and its pervasiveness: What fueled even seemingly good things, such as hard work and skillful performance?
2) What options are explored in vv6-8 how people respond to this bitter reality?
- vv5-6 describe two extreme reactions: What are these?
- Hint: What does the metaphor of ‘two folded hands’ represent compared to ‘two hands full of toil’? [Resignation versus activism]
- Both capitulation to hedonism and legalistic activism can only aggravate crookedness. Why? v5
- What is described as a better way than either of these wrong alternatives?*
- How does such tranquility described in v6 differ from both the lazy resignation of fools and from the activism of busybodies?
- cf Ecc 5:1; To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools
- Ps 46:10; Be still, and know that I am God…
- Mk 4:37-38 (where Mary represents one of those who have ‘ears to hear’)
- How did Jesus model how to do this? [Read e.g. Jn 5:17-19 =>
By doing only what he saw His Father in heaven doing, v19, Jesus was ‘working’ even while keeping the Sabbath] - How are Christians enabled to have ‘one handful of quietness’? Heb 3:18; 4:3; Mt 11:28-29
In the remaining, Kohelet now explores the benefits of this narrow way:
3) Read again vv9-16: What blessings are listed here that go with ‘a handful of quietness’?
- vv9-12 How about friendships, fellowship and helpers: What shape do these take among believers?
- What does it mean to ‘fall’, and how will believers deal with it? cf Gal 6:1-2
- What promise is given to ‘two or three’, Mt 18:16+20
- vv13-14: How does it make a difference on poverty?
- Even if we remain poor, we will be made wise: How is the resulting wisdom characterized?**
- vv15-16: Some translators think that the ‘he’ in “…all of whom he led” (v16) refers to the young king. However, v16 probably must refer to the old foolish king in whom later subjects take no pleasure, otherwise the counsel for believers to take the poor/wise/young king as example would shoot itself in the foot.
4) Personal & application
- Have you ever witnessed how envy spoiled even good work? If so, what was the impact?
- Is fellowship with other believers in your town and local church one of your chores that increase your hyperactivity (two hands full of toil)?
- Or do you experience church as an opportunity to lean back and lazily fold both hands for a few hours each Sunday?
- How do you learn from Jesus to fall into neither of these extremes (e.g. Jn 5:19)?
- Do you experience a tranquility of life that leaves room for real friendships and makes you stronger?
- What roles do resting in contemplation and prayer have for you in this regard?
- How do you guard yourself today from becoming tomorrow like the foolish ‘old king’ described in vv13-16 who could not take spiritual advice?
- Teaser for next week: Ecc 5:1ff suggests that it all depends on how we hear.
* The metaphor of “one hand resting quietly” implies that the other hand is busy working. One hand permanently held by the Father’s hand and walking with him now enables the other hand to go about God’s work at His side, Ecc 9:10; yoked to Christ, Mt 11:28-29.
** Social skills, e.g. the ability to take advice, protecting us against becoming a fool like the old king.
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