Consider the Work of God (Ecclesiastes 4-7)

The Preacher, in the book of Ecclesiastes, has been sharing with us the results of his experiment. In chapters 4 through 7, he shares his observations in more detail while calling us to consider the work of God.

Keep your Bible close as we move through these chapters and shed light on these observations about what the oppressed experience (4:1).

We will see the expression “better than…” again and again. In the midst of observing the oppressed, the Preacher reminds us that there is something better. Likewise in our lives we may be living a reality that may be unjust or painful, but we must remember that a better reality exists.

Injustices of Life

Living under the sun (Ecclesiastes 4:2-3)

These verses by themselves can be quite difficult to understand, but since we know the context of what the preacher has been studying and presenting, we can understand them.

Our reality is that we are living under the sun, a temporary and meaningless life from which the dead no longer have to occupy themselves, and the one who has not been born has not experienced it.

The call is that while we live under the sun, we remember that there is a better reality, one that is above the sun.

Hands full (4:6)

The illustration the preacher uses on this occasion is that of full hands or fists. At first glance it would seem better to have two hands full instead of one.

We are called to consider not how many hands are full, but what they are full of. You can have more work, which involves more anxiety and living dominated by vanity, or you can apparently have less, but of something better, which is rest.

This rest does not refer only to physical rest after a good sleep or from not doing tasks, but even after doing what is necessary, we have peace.

Two instead of one (4:9-12)

I have read this passage many times in the context of weddings and relationships. But seeing it in its context, we understand that it does not only refer to the marriage relationship but to the importance of all the relationships we can develop on this side of eternity.

In the verses that precede this section (7-8), we read of a man alone who focused on making riches and being superior to others without having anyone to share with and extend his influence.

Our society pushes us more and more to be individualistic and superficial in the few relationships we establish. But it is better to have another with whom to live our life and be able to take advantage of and enjoy the good we can obtain in this life.

Wisdom and folly, not age (4:13)

In this comparison we see that what is truly important in a person, contrary to what the world teaches us, is not experience, position, or age, but the absence of folly.

In this and the following lessons, we will talk more about the comparison between the wise and the fool. But already the preacher is reminding us that the best thing a person can possess is wisdom, which allows them to receive advice and instruction.

Vanity of Words and Riches

Watch your words (5:1-7)

I could dedicate a complete lesson to this passage, but in summary, the preacher exhorts us to be careful in the way we express ourselves before God. So that we do not end up like fools who do not keep their word.

Being hasty with our words, for example, could be saying to God, “God, if you grant me this petition, I will respond to you in this way.” In the passage, we see the word dream, a desire that comes as a result of the anxieties of daily life.

Our relationship with God is not one where we are capable of making trades with God, nor one in which we can perfectly fulfill our words; that is why we need a Savior.

Rather than trying to make commitments with God that we will fail, rather than wanting to long for dreams that come from daily anxiety, we should long to know and discover God’s will.

Rejoice with your work (5:8-20)

In this section, more attention is paid to riches, and the problem is not having much or little (v. 12); the problem is when our heart becomes greedy and loves riches more than God. (v. 10)

This observation by the preacher was confirmed by Jesus in Matthew 6:24. Living to generate riches and trying to satisfy ourselves with them is not for our good. The preacher says it is better to sleep well with what we have received than to have too much and not be able to sleep well.

At the end of the chapter, we have a call to enjoy what God allows us to have and be content. We receive what God has given us, we do our work, and we rejoice in its result. When contentment is present in our lives, we will enjoy all the results of our work, whether much or little.

Enjoy the good (Ecclesiastes 6)

In this chapter the observations about riches, greed, and the capacity that God gives us to enjoy what we obtain on this earth continue. He emphasizes that it is vanity for man to accumulate riches when God has not given him the gift of enjoying it and achieving contentment. (Ecclesiastes 6:2)

In verse 9 we see another distinction: it is better what our eyes see, that is, what we already possess, than what we can desire to have. First, because we don’t know if we will achieve it. Second, because if we fall into the error of coveting, nothing we long for will satisfy us.

Wisdom and Folly (Ecclesiastes 7:1-12)

In this section, we read some comparisons between wisdom and folly and the effect both have on our daily lives. I invite you to read this section carefully, since, as I have mentioned before, we will not go into all the details or implications of the passage.

Some lessons I have meditated on in this section are the following:

• Reputation is more important than appearances (v. 1)
• It is relevant to reflect on death and the end of our lives and the destiny of our eternity (v. 2)
• Contentment and joy do not depend on good circumstances (v. 3)
• Wise correction does good to our deceitful heart (v. 5)
• Completing what we begin is important (v. 8)
• Patience is a fruit of the spirit we must cultivate (v. 8)
• Living anchored in the past limits us from seeing what is significant today (v. 10)

In verse 12 he reminds us that wisdom has more value than riches, for it helps us in the preservation not only of our life on this earth but also of our soul. (v. 12)

Consider the work of God (Ecclesiastes 7:13-14)

We will close this lesson with the preacher’s exhortation: if it is true that life’s injustices and the vanities we chase take hold of our thoughts and change our emotions, it is better and more important to consider the work of God.

Consider the work of God,
for who can straighten out
what he has made crooked?

In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that no one can discover anything that will come after him.

Ecclesiastes 7:13-14 (CSB)

When we see that what is bent cannot be straightened, that life’s injustices and vanities cannot be changed by our actions, we have hope that there is goodness in our future when we consider the work of God. (Jeremiah 29:11)

The preacher tells us: in good days and prosperity, we should rejoice. As we saw in chapter 6 and chapter 2, it is a gift from God that we can enjoy the good we receive, and it is in Him that we can best enjoy them.

This reminds us that when good days come, we should enjoy them, but we must live in expectation because bad or adverse days will also come. And instead of beginning to be sad without hope or complaining about God’s goodness, we must remember this truth: God has made both the one and the other.

When we say that God is sovereign, He not only governs over good days but also over bad ones, and recognizing this truth should help us stop and remember what God’s work is like—a work that is not limited to my lifetime but to eternity, as we saw in the lesson “Human Life Under the Eternal God.”

God’s work is not fully revealed to us (Ecclesiastes 11:5), and His work of redemption had not yet been revealed to the preacher. But in this time, Jesus himself said in John 6 that the work of God is that we believe in Him.

In the midst of life’s injustices and vanities, let us stop to consider God’s work. Let us stop to consider the life, teachings, sacrifice, and resurrection of Christ. Let that be our hope, that what is bent that we cannot straighten is made new by Christ’s sacrifice.

There is something better than all that our eyes can see, whether prosperity or adversity; consider God’s work in saving us through His Son. Consider that the Lord has put eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11),now that eternity has a good result because we have been raised with Christ.

If you have not yet taken time to meditate on what we have been studying, do so soon. Knowing the Bible only to recite facts is not its purpose, but it is for our good and growth.

Review this lesson again and present yourself honestly before the Lord; recognize what vanities you have been chasing and what injustices are clouding your vision that do not allow you to consider God’s work.

Consider the cross, the Son of God, leaving His throne to save us with His death on the cross, so that while we live on this side of eternity, we have abundant life and eternal hope. Let us ask the Lord to grow our longing for eternity and that this longing change the way we live our days under the sun.