Read Ecclesiastes 4 and then answer the following questions:
Section 1: Ecclesiastes 4:1-6
1. Who are the oppressed of today’s society?
2. Look up Jeremiah 7:3-7 and Zechariah 7:8-10. What does the Bible have to say about those who oppress others? How are we to treat each other?
3. The idea of being “better off dead” or better yet, never born is not unique to Ecclesiastes (See Jeremiah 20:14-18 and Job 3:11-26). This wording is used to make the point that a life without “the God whom the Bible reveals, [is a] life not worth living.” How do you think this idea is connected with verse 1?
4. The saying, “Keeping up with the Joneses” is similar to verse 4. What does the Bible have to say about envying what others have? How are we supposed to treat our neighbors? (See Exodus 20:17 and Matthew 22:39)
5. In verses 5-6, the folding of idle hands refers to not working at all. Having “one handful with quietness” is working to earn what you need, but not over-working yourself. Having “two handfuls with hard work” shows that while you may have earned more but at the cost of your own rest and tranquility (perhaps to “keep up with the Joneses”). How are these proverbs relevant to society today? Do you think the author is condemning hard work?
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