Useful Bible Studies > Ecclesiastes Commentary > chapter 4

Advantages of love and friendship

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

The author of Ecclesiastes believed that this world is in a terrible state because of people’s evil deeds. But he saw that love still remains in this world. And love is good.

The author had not seen the perfect love that comes from God (1 Corinthians chapter 13). He saw something that was weaker. It was the kind of love that people show for each other. It was like an agreement that says, ‘I will help you if you help me.’ Or, ‘I will show you love because of the benefits that I will receive.’

People wanted to get love more than they wanted to give love. But even that kind of weak love achieved good things. When a man fell, his friend helped him to stand again. When a man lay with his wife, she kept him warm (1 Kings 1:1-4). When robbers attacked, a man’s companion fought on his side.

If you wind three pieces of string together, the string will support a heavier weight. In the same manner, people’s relationships with other people make them all stronger. That is true about friendship, marriage and even business relationships.

But of course, a string will always break in the end, however strong it seemed. In the same manner, when the strain becomes too much, people will disappoint us.

Only God can show us perfect love. Only God will never disappoint us.

Next part: The weakness of people’s support (Ecclesiastes 4:13-16)

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© 2019, Keith Simons.