You can learn a lot from watching people. You could be at the Atlanta airport at the busiest airport in the world or at a quiet rural restaurant and you will find a variety of people. We can become students of people.
Knowing what makes people tick and learning from others is wise. We are learning from the observations Solomon made about people. He was observing the oppressed, the businessman, the idle man, the individualist, and the powerful king.
Observing the oppressed.
Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them. 2 And I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. 3 But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 4:1-3)
Solomon observed the few with power making all the money and those who they oppressed where left miserable. Israel had a divine justice system based on Old Testament law, but it too could be corrupted. We see the victims of oppression shedding tears because the unjust oppress them.
The situation for the oppressed was that Solomon congratulated those who are already dead. Not in the sense that they went to heaven, but in the sense of escaping the torment the oppressed experience in this life. We need to pray for those in authority, 1 Timothy 2:1-6.
My wife has been ministering to some of the most oppressed refugees. She was invited to the birthday party of the group. We sat on the floor and ate a meal with them. One of them who spoke English thanked me. He said to me, we have been treated like we are not even humans, so you do not know how much this means for you to sit with us and have a meal.
It is not going to be too difficult to find the oppressed near you. What is difficult is to minister to the oppressed and take risks. This same oppressed community has a lady who is alone and isolated with three young boys. To make matters worse there is a scabies outbreak on all of them.
My wife and her friends have gone the extra mile to wash their clothes and get them medicated cream to treat this infestation. It comes at a risk. They could bring scabies to their own family in an attempt to help the helpless. They prayed about it and are going to minister to the oppressed. There will always be inherent risks in ministry to the oppressed.
Observing those who work hard with wrong motives.
Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. (Ecclesiastes 4:5)
Solomon was observing people who were working hard, and he observed that their inward motive was envy. We could find this type of person very commonly. Even if we looked in the mirror, we might see someone who is working hard because they are competitive and want to be a little bit ahead of their neighbor.
We call this kind of motivation, keeping up with the Joneses. This is the idiom used comparing ourselves to our neighbor as the benchmark of how we are doing climbing the social ladder. The man Solomon observed had a good skill but wrong motives. This kind of social climbing is vanity. Those who climb this ladder may get up high only to find the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall.
What you will observe by anyone motivated by envy is outward appearance. They may go into debt to fund cars or boats or name-brand clothes just to appear more prosperous. This is the kind of person credit card companies profit from. Their envy can lead them into a destructive economic trap. We should not be surprised that Solomon saw this pursuit as vanity. Getting ahead of your neighbor is never going to bring true contentment.
Observing the idle.
The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh. 6 Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind. (Ecclesiastes 4:5-6)
If the workaholic is vanity, then you might think the opposite folding up the hands and doing nothing would have meaning, but no. The idle person who is motivated by temporary pleasure may have escaped the rat race, but they have exchanged one meaningless vanity for another.
Better is a little with the fear of the LORD
than great treasure and trouble with it. (Proverbs 15:16)
There is something to be said for quietness and the balance from striving all the time and we need the balance, but that is not what brings meaning. It is more than a balance between work and rest. The balance comes in seeking first the kingdom of God. With our fear of God we must add investing time in our families. Too much of a good thing, work or idle time is going to do more harm than good. Too much work, too much idle pursuits will bring ruin.
Observing the lonely.
7 Again, I saw vanity under the sun: 8 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. (Ecclesiastes 4:7-8)
Now Solomon has observed the solitary man who is absorbed in his own pursuits to the point he has become isolated. Sometimes this kind of person is called the lone ranger. But even the lone ranger had his partner, Tonto and he had a close friend in every town in Texas.
The Lone Ranger was selfless and worked for the interest of others. No, Solomon observed something much more negative than the Lone Ranger. We are talking about someone so absorbed in gaining riches that they have become like a recluse. It is vanity and leads to unhappiness.
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 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! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)
Here Solomon is not observing a person but explaining the shortcomings of the individualist. There are benefits to have those near you who need you and make friends and work at relationships. People were not created to live in isolation.
Two are better than one. This would apply to marriage and also to true friendships. When you are facing tough times how wonderful it is to have others you can count on. Our Christian friends can help our walk with Christ. We need to value our relationships with others, and we need to value our relationship with God.
When you fall down your companion is there to help you up. Two keep each other warm in a physical sense but also emotional strength and spiritual encouragements. The cord of three is the famous expression of our strength in unity.
Observing a king’s life.
Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice. 14 For he went from prison to the throne, though in his own kingdom he had been born poor. 15 I saw all the living who move about under the sun, along with that youth who was to stand in the king's place. 16 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. (Ecclesiastes 4:13-16)
There is instability in political power. A poor wise child is better off than an old foolish king. But the poor wise child becomes a foolish king and ends up in prison and the people are glad to be rid of him. There is a political cycle of power and it’s all vanity. Wealth and position are no guarantee of meaning in life.
Conclusion of observing people.
You can learn from observing people. It is amazing that King Solomon could see this much from his palace.
God is in control of this life. With all the difficulties we must make the most of life. We observe oppression and justice is so rarely seen. We observe good businessman with selfish purposes. We need each other.
Jesus asked, For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? He also gave the answer, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40)
Our meaning comes foremost through our faith in Jesus Christ and our relationship with God. Secondly through our relationship with others.
