SERIES: “BE SATISFIED”
“WHAT’S THE VALUE?”
ECCLESIASTES 4:1-16
OPEN
Stan Caffy was preparing for married life. He and his bride-to-be cleaned out their respective garages and donated everything to Goodwill. Caffy and his soon-to-be wife got rid of an assortment of clothes, bicycles, tools, computer parts, and a ragged copy of the Declaration of Independence that had been hanging in Stan’s garage for at least ten years.
What had been trash to Stan turned into treasure for Michael Sparks. It turns out that this particular copy of the Declaration of Independence was a rare copy made in 1823. Sparks spotted it at the Goodwill and paid $2.49 for it. He later auctioned it for $477,650.00.
Later, the previous owner, Caffy was asked what he thought about the situation. He was quoted as saying, “I’m happy for the Sparks guy. If I still had it, it would still be hanging here in the garage, and I still wouldn’t know it was worth all that.”
Sometimes it difficult to tell the true value of things because what we think is valuable is many times worthless. And what we think is worthless ends up being priceless.
Before computer inventory systems were in popular usage, two teenagers broke into a department store one night as a prank. They didn’t steal anything or destroy anything. They simply switched the price tags on everything.
You can imagine the chaos when the store opened the next morning and the customers found diamond rings selling for $10, shaving cream for $300, an original Hummel figurine for $2, a pocket calculator for $500, umbrellas for a $1,000, and gold necklaces for $5.
We live in an age, just like in Solomon’s day, where the “price tags” have been switched. What should be important is considered trivial and what should be considered as secondary is considered primary.
Solomon teaches us in Ecclesiastes that life lived “under the sun” – without a view of God or eternity – is lived with the “price tags” switched. What is of ultimate value is ignored and what is worthless – empty, vain, meaningless – is sought after. But life lived “under heaven” – looking to God and trusting in Him for eternity – brings real value to life. When lived the proper way, we can know the things that are worthy of pursuit.
Here in Chapter 4 of Ecclesiastes, Solomon takes a look a several different issues. Let’s look at the values he assigns to each one.
POLITICS
Eccl. 4:1-3 – 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. And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive. But better than both is he who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.
The phrase, “I looked again” shows Solomon going back to a subject he dealt with in 3:16 – And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment—wickedness was there, in the place of justice—wickedness was there.
Solomon is addressing corruption in the political system. He saw oppressions and injustice which brought pain and sorrow to people’s lives.
How would you like to work with this group of people? There are over 500 people in this organization with the following statistics: 29 have been accused of spousal abuse. 7 have been arrested for fraud. 19 have been accused of writing bad checks. 117 have bankrupted at least two businesses. 3 have been arrested for assault
71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit. 14 have been arrested on drug-related charges. 8 have been arrested for shoplifting. 21 are current defendants in lawsuits. 84 were stopped for drunk driving
Can you guess which organization this is? It’s the 535 members of the United States Congress. The same group that perpetually cranks out hundreds upon hundreds of new laws designed to keep the rest of us in line.
Obviously, government works the way it always has. Since the beginning, when we as humans sinned, corruption and injustice has existed. Chuck Colson writes, “Many Christians, like most of the populace, believe the political structures can cure all our ills. The fact is, however, that government, by its very nature, is limited in what it can accomplish. What it does best is perpetuate its own power and bolster its own bureaucracies.”
How does it appear that Solomon views this situation? When Solomon states that it was better to be dead than alive and better yet to have never lived, he was not speaking literally. He was using a literary device known as hyperbole – extreme exaggeration to make a point. Hyperbole was a very common technique used in the ancient Near East.
Jesus was very adept with this particular technique. He did not want us to literally pluck out our eyes or hate our parents. He used hyperbole to stress the importance of His teaching on the matters at hand.
When Solomon used hyperbole here in this section of Ecclesiastes, he was simply stating in the strongest possible terms that oppression and official misconduct are heinous, offensive, and destructive practices. He was saying that those who do it rob those they oppress of joy in life and makes life not worth living.
Of course, if this life is all there is (life lived “under the sun”), then of course, no suffering or oppression brings about anything worthwhile. However, for those of us who live life “under heaven”, there is some benefit in trials and tribulations. James 1:2-4 – “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many
kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work
so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Some people go through unimaginably hard times in their lives. I’ve seen incredible suffering and oppression in my years in the ministry. Life is tough. When you live “under the sun”, it probably is better not be alive.
But for someone who lives life “under heaven”, there is a completely different perspective. 1 Pet. 4:19 – So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. Then Rom. 5:3-4 – Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
I can assure you this morning that some of the most godly people I know have suffered much in their lives. Through their suffering, they became better people and not bitter people. There is oppression and injustice in this life but God is able to redeem those tough times and use it for our greatest benefit.
PRODUCTIVITY
Eccl. 4:4-8 – 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. The fool folds his hands and ruins himself. Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. Again I saw something meaningless under the sun: There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless— a miserable business!
The next thing that Solomon looks at is other people at work. I tell people the truth about me and work. Work fascinates me. I can sit and watch it for hours. The question is why do we work?
Solomon mentions one motivation: the desire to have more than your neighbor. We speak of “keeping up with the Joneses”. Someone put it this way: We spend money we don’t have to buy things we don’t need to impress people we don’t like.
Not all greed grows out of competition to have more than someone else. Some folks are greedy because they’re insecure about their future. But many times our desire for more is because we have a desire to outdo other people in the race to acquire things. Just remember, if you compete in the rat race, at the end, whether you win or lose, you’re still a rat. Honest labor is good but watch out for the self-serving motivation of wanting to one-up someone else.
Jesus taught in the Parable of the Sower that the desire to be have riches and material possessions can not only fail to satisfy our deepest needs but can also “choke” out the satisfaction that we’re seeking to achieve. Mt. 13:22 – The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the
worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.
Solomon looks at the lazy man and concludes that laziness leads to self-destruction. Solomon had no sympathy for the lazy man. Prov. 18:9 – One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.
Prov. 24:30-34 – I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest- and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.
Eccl. 3:6 seems to be a little confusing. It’s almost as if Solomon is saying it’s better to be lazy than to be industrious for the wrong reasons. It seems that Solomon is claiming that the lazy man is wiser than the industrious man. Actually, Solomon is declaring the wisest of all finds contentment by not overworking but also by not being lazy. “A single handful” represents having just enough as opposed to the abundance of having “two handfuls” or double what we need. Sometimes we spend so much time working, we never enjoy what we do have.
Solomon declares that this quest for wealth and accumulated possessions is “vanity” – empty; unfulfilling.
Notice that this statement is spoken by an authority because Solomon was the richest man of his day. One person makes the point with this little poem: Possessions weigh me down in life
I never fell quite free
I wonder if I own my things
Or if my things own me
John DeGraaf reported in his book Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic that the average American household carried a credit-card debt of $7,654 in the year 2000. Our supermarkets provide us an average choice of 30,000 items, about two and a half times the number of choices available in 1980. We now boast four times as many self-storage units as we stuffed things into in the 1960’s. De Graaf claims America’s 102 million households are bursting with more material goods “…than all the households put together from all history.”
In vs. 8 of our text, Solomon describes a man who simply goes after wealth for wealth’s sake --there is no
legitimate reason for the man to do what he does. He has no wife or children to provide for or to leave an inheritance. He doesn’t even have a brother or anyone else that his wealth will benefit when he dies. He doesn’t do it so that he can accomplish good and noble things like feeding the hungry, providing help for
the oppressed, helping widows and orphans, etc. He simply does it to gain more and more wealth.
Jesus describes just such a man in Lk. 12:13-21 – Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with anyone who stores up
things for himself but is not rich toward God.”
PARTNERSHIP
On your outlines, I have this one marked as “Practicality” but after I did the original outline, I thought “partnership” was a better word to describe this section. Please change it on your outlines..
Eccl. 4:9-12 – Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Think about it. A rooster minus a hen equals no baby chicks. Kellogs minus a farmer equals no Corn Flakes. If the nail factory closes, what good is the hammer factory? Paderewski’s genius wouldn’t have mattered as much if the piano tuner hadn’t shown up. A cracker maker will do better if there is a cheese maker. The most skillful surgeon needs the ambulance driver who delivers the patient to be operated on. And just as Rodgers needed Hammerstein, you need someone and someone needs you.
Solomon is describing what is termed nowadays as “synergy”. What is synergy? Synergy or synergism means two or more things working together creating a greater impact than the sum of their individual parts.
Our word synergy comes from the New Testament Greek word sunergos. Paul used the word sunergos several times in his writings to refer to his fellow workers. There were people like Pricilla and Aquilla, Timothy, Titus, Epaphroditus, Philemon, Mark, and Luke, who Paul viewed as his sunergos in ministry. Paul knew that by cooperating with other servants of Jesus Christ he could accomplish more for the kingdom of God than he could on his own. So he called them “my sunergos” or my synergizing-partners.
Solomon says that partnership is important. Why? Because we can do more together than we can apart. Gen. 2:18 – The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Jesus sent his followers out “two by two”.
Solomon points out the practicalities of partnering with someone else. The first practicality is that partnership makes for more efficient labor. Two can do more than one. Two can produce more than one.
It’s easier to do difficult jobs when you’re partnered with someone. Not only does it lighten the load but partners can encourage one another.
Three things we all need that we can’t provide for ourselves: 1. Companionship – you can’t be a companion to yourself 2. Comfort – you can’t be a comfort to yourself 3. Counsel – you can’t counsel yourself.
The second practical thing about partnership is that it provides help. The roads and paths in Solomon’s day were mostly unpaved and many roads were unlevel. Rocks were abundant. Sometimes you just had to walk through an open field where hidden rocks were a danger. It wasn’t uncommon for even the most experienced traveler to fall and break a bone or fall into a pit. It was common to travel with others for this reason.
Friends can help one another when trouble strikes. “Falling” represents any kind of trouble that we fall into. It may take the form of an illness or an injury, an emotional trauma (such as the death of a loved one), loss of employment, or any other number of countless things that overwhelm us.
The third practical thing about partnership is that it provides warmth. “Lying down” has to do with the fact that desert nights are often very cold. Before the advent of thermal underwear and space-age materials, travelers had to sleep next to each other just to stay warm enough to survive in those cold desert nights.
Partners give emotional comfort to one another. This body warmth that friends give to each other represents the solace and encouragement you get from a friend.
The last practical thing mentioned by Solomon concerning partnership is that it provides protection
Friends can protect one another from enemies. It’s certainly comforting to know that when danger is around, someone has “got your back”.
POPULARITY
Eccl. 4:13-16 – Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take
warning. The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within
his kingdom. I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the
successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Solomon gives us an “example story” – a narrative that tells a short story with a moral lesson. It’s all about popularity. Solomon tells us that popularity is fleeting. The person who is popular now will be unpopular at another time. Solomon’s story is about two kings: an old king loved by his people until a new king comes along. “The king is dead! Long live the king!”
You have to realize that popularity is fickle. The people that cheered you yesterday are the same ones who want to hang you today. We see this demonstrated very clearly in Jesus’ life. At the beginning of the week He made a triumphal entry into Jerusalem. At the end of the week, He was nailed to a cross. The same people that cried, “Hail, Jesus!” on Sunday were shouting “Nail Jesus!” on Friday.
Winston Churchill was once asked, “Doesn’t it thrill you to know that every time you make a speech, the hall
is packed to overflowing?” Churchill replied, “It’s quite flattering. But whenever I feel that way, I always remember that if instead of making a political speech I was being hanged, the crowd would be twice as big.”
If our goal is to be popular, we need to be careful. Jesus warned us in Lk. 6:26 – Woe to you when all men speak well of you
Thomas a Kempis in The Imitation of Christ said, “We might have much peace, if we were of a mind not to concern ourselves with what others say and do, and which is none of our business. How can he long remain at peace who involves himself with others’ concerns, who seeks opportunities outside his sphere, and who rarely draws his inner self together? Blessed are the single-hearted for they shall have much peace.”
CLOSE
In his book, The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment, Tim Challies tells about an elderly man from Tucson, Arizona who had an old blanket that he inherited many years before. He didn’t think much of the old blanket. He had thrown it over the back of a rocking chair in his bedroom and there it sat for a long time. One day he decided that he would see how much the old blanket was worth so he took it to an antiques appraiser.
Listen to Challies’ words as he described what happened: With the blanket hanging on a rack behind them, the expert appraiser told the old man that his heart stopped when he first saw it. … [The appraiser explained] that the item was a Navajo chief’s blanket that had been woven in the 1840s. In wonderful condition, it was one of the oldest, intact Navajo weaves to survive to the twentieth-first century, and certainly one of only a tiny handful to exist outside of museum collections. …
Because of its rarity and significance, the appraiser had no trouble assigning a value of somewhere between $350,000 and $500,000. …
As the man walked out of the convention center…the blanket he had cavalierly carried in with him was now cradled carefully in his arms. He walked out of the building with security guards on either side of him, drove straight to a bank, and placed the blanket in a safe deposit box. …
What had been “junk,” something to hang on the back of an old rocking chair had been instantly transformed into a precious treasure.
I don’t know where you see yourself today. The world has probably told you that you’re really not worth all that much. But to God, your value is significant. God thinks you’re incredibly valuable.
However, if we live life “under the sun”, we’ll never see the value God has placed in us. If we fail to live life viewed “under heaven”, we won’t recognize that even though sin separated us from God, God paid a very valuable payment to redeem us from our sins. The Bible says that we were bought at a price – not bargain basement values but a great price. 1 Pet. 1:18-19 – For you know that it was not with perishable things such as
silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect..”
