Sunday Praise & Worship 10:00
Christian Education - 10:00 - Casual Dress - Loving Childcare
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Ecclesiastes 4:9 Two people can accomplish more than twice as much as one; they get a better return for their labor. All is vapor. Thus begins the words of “The Preacher” in a Hebrew book which takes its name from the Greek translation of the Old Testament. But Ecclesiastes (the word for church in Greek is ekklesia) reads like a sermon you’ll never hear in any church. Churches that go by the Lectionary, a three-year cycle of readings from the Bible, will only get to hear 10 verses from Ecclesiastes once every three years, and then only on New Year’s Day as an alternative reading. The Old Testament is divided into three main categories of books: Law, Prophets, and Writings. It is into this third grab bag collection that Ecclesiastes falls, in a subset called the Wisdom Writings, which also includes Proverbs and Job. But what kind of wisdom do we find in this book (and in our passage today from chapter 4)? The phrases “all is vanity” or “this too is vanity” occur 14 times in the book, which dates from several generations after Alexander conquered the Middle East (probably in the 3rd Century, BCE). The word vanity or vapor (translators disagree about its precise meaning) is used by the Preacher as much as the other 38 books of the Old Testament combined. Perhaps the best translation might be “meaninglessness”. We probably know Ecclesiastes best for the unconventional sound bites from chapter three (“there is a time to kill” Eccl 3:3). Here’s another enigmatic passage: “In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless! So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 8:14-15) Like many Jews of his day, the preacher did not believe in an afterlife, and struggled to come to terms with a mysterious God who did not mete out justice in life in a way that humans could hope to comprehend. Here’s how the Preacher sums up the end of life: “For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. ‘Everything is meaningless,’ says the Teacher, ‘completely meaningless’.” Ecclesiastes 12:7-8 Chapter four contains some advice for all who spend their lives working: don’t do it alone. The Preacher calls to mind three ways in which two people fare better than lone rangers: achievement, safety (protection), and companionship. We continue to return to Ecclesiastes not because it wallows in nihilism, but precisely because of this rare mixture of realism and practicality. If we cannot understand the meaning of life, at least we can live courageously in the face of so many unknowns – and we can live for and with each other. After all, the Preacher takes his name from the Hebrew word for a gathering of people: qahal (ekklesia in Greek). If, in the final analysis, we cannot know why we live and die, at least we can determine how we will live and die: together. Questions for Reflection 1. What motivates you to achieve? How does the kind of work you do (whether or not for pay) bring you fulfillment and joy? What exactly are you working to achieve? 2. What sort of qualities do you look for in a friend? What kinds of qualities do you have that your friends seem to appreciate most? 3. What is one specific thing you can do to improve the quality of your friendships? Think about verses 9-12 in chapter 4 as you reflect on this question. (Two people are better than one because {together} they have a good reward for their hard work. 10 If one falls, the other can help his friend get up. But how tragic it is for the one who is {all} alone when he falls. There is no one to help him get up. 11 Again, if two people lie down together, they can keep warm, but how can one person keep warm? 12 Though one person may be overpowered by another, two people can resist one opponent. A triple-braided rope is not easily broken.) 4. The Preacher mentions envy in verse 4:8 (There are people who are all alone. …there is no end to all the hard work they have to do. Their eyes are never satisfied with riches). How can you overcome envy to become a better listener in you conversation this week? (Think a bit about the Internet and why scientists decided to create it.) For Next Week: Our theme is Hospitality. Please read Romans 12:9-16. We practice love and connectedness that shapes people as they serve and are served by one another. |
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