Ecclesiastes 4 (1)

Pray Psalm 72.18, 19.
Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen.

Read Ecclesiastes 4.1.

Prepare.
1. What are some examples of “oppression” in the world today? How does living “under the sun” encourage oppression?

2. The oppressed have “no comforter”, or, no one to encourage and support them. Do Christians have such a Comforter?

Meditate.
The end of chapter 3 provides a bridge to this next section of Solomon’s counsel to his son, in which he muses on the wrong that seems everywhere to exist “under the sun”.

The word “oppressions” can be translated “frauds” or “wrongs”, and these are perhaps more germane in our day than “oppressions” (depending, of course, on where one lives). People take advantage of one another, Solomon insists, when their only frame of reference is the temporal/material horizon of experience. Here there are no abiding values or ethical principles to keep men from doing as much as they can get away with to aggrandize their own wellbeing at the expense of anyone and everyone. Those who have power wield it for their own ends, while those who do not find themselves on the short end of the stick, with no one to comfort them. It is a story repeated in all too many ways throughout the course of human history.

Having established his theme, Solomon now turns to unpack his most important lesson: Life is nothing to rejoice over if you choose to live it apart from God.

The next section of his counsel, chapters 4-6, will explore this lesson from various angles, at the same time keeping touch with the main theme of the book, albeit in a soto voce manner. Solomon begins this section with a broad generalization, not unlike the way he began each of the preceding sections. We are meant to understand that “oppression” of various kinds – or frauds and wrongdoings – will be the focus of this next part of Solomon’s exhortation.

Having held up a vision of what life can be, Solomon now brings his son down to the realities of everyday life. Solomon has his head in the heavenlies even as he unpacks the troubles of the temporal realm. And that itself is good counsel.

Reflect.
1. What kinds of “power” leads to people being oppressed?

2. Is it possible to be oppressed by spiritual powers? How does God equip us to deal with these “under heaven”?

3. What does it feel like to be oppressed? Should we be concerned for the oppressed peoples around us? Explain.

All things that are have already been, and “nothing is new under the sun,” but “all is vanity. Therefore I hated the whole of this life,” said Ecclesiastes. He who hated his life certainly commended death. And so he praised the dead rather than the living and judged him happy that did not come into this life nor take up this vain toil. Ambrose of Milan (333-397), Death as a Good, 7.28

People need the comfort of Your love, O Lord, and You have appointed me to give it. Help me today to reach out to…

Pray Psalm 72.1-4.
Pray that the Lord will have mercy on oppressed and poor people everywhere, and commit yourself to be a source of comfort and encouragement to others today.

Sing Psalm 72.1-4.
Psalm 72.1-4 (Martyrdom: Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed)
O give the King Your judgment, Lord, and righteousness Your Son.
And let Him judge by Your good Word the need of everyone.

Let now the mountains ring with peace, the hills in righteousness.
Let justice rise, oppression cease, and all the needy bless.

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006). All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (available by clicking here).