What am I Chasing After? (Ecclesiastes 4:1-5:7)
It has been said of our society that “we worship our work, work at our play, and play at our worship”. Work has become the object of our devotion. We find our identity and meaning in what we do for work and how well we do it. Work has become a “god”, to whom we look for fulfilment, purpose and provision. We also work at our play. Leisure and entertainment have become a serious business. We spend money, time and energy in pursuit of more play, better play. Meanwhile, worship has become play. Spiritual matters have been commercialised and trivialised. The sacred is sold like a product. Disciples become consumers. Entertainment has replaced awe. The trendy has displaced the truth. Convenience has trumped conviction.
The fact that we worship our work, work at our play, and play at our worship reflects a fundamental failure in worship. By “worship”, I don’t just mean what we do on Sundays when we gather here. “Worship” refers to the basic orientation and direction of our hearts and lives: Who or what we are pursuing? Where are we going? In this basic sense, all of us — whether we are religious or not — are worshipers. Tim Keller said: “Everyone has to live for something, and if that something is not God, then we are driven by that thing we live for.” We worship what we chase after.
Fear God and worship Him, not work.
Our worship problem is not new. In our passage, the Preacher in Ecclesiastes observes how life under the sun is marked by wrong worship. We worship the wrong things, and we worship the wrong way. All this also is vanity and a striving after wind. It is futile and fleeting. It will not result in lasting gain. The Preacher also points us to a better way. This is the big idea: Fear God and worship Him, not work. Two points: (1) Don’t worship our work; (2) Don’t play at our worship.
Don’t worship our work (Ecc 4:1-16)
In chapter 2, the Preacher spoke of the vanity of toil. Our work under the sun does not result in lasting gain. Death puts an end to it. In chapter 4, the Preacher again focuses on work, as he reflects on the difficulties of life in a fallen world, To discourage us from worshiping work, the Preacher gives us two “whys” — why we shouldn’t worship work, and two “hows” — how to avoid worshiping work.
Why #1: Selfish striving causes sorrow (Ecc 4:1-3)
These verses paint a very sad picture of the brokenness caused by oppression. In the Bible, “oppression” is not just about rulers abusing their power. It also includes the injustices we see and experience at work. For example, employers oppress their employees by overworking and underpaying them. Bosses drive their staff harder and harder, demanding more and more of their time. A supervisor blames the staff for his mistake and takes the credit for their work. Office politics breeds suspicion and distrust. Colleagues backstab one another to get ahead. Such self-centred striving for selfish gain causes sorrow.
This fallen world is drenched with the tears of the oppressed. The world is a miserable place because people kick and trample one another for gain. When we idolise work, others invariably get hurt. When we ruthlessly pursue profit, power, and prominence, we see others either as obstacles to climb over or as objects to be used. How have we treated others in the workplace? How have I made work all about me?
Has work left you in tears? Have you suffered injustice in your workplace? God knows. His word is realistic and honest about the trials of work in a fallen world. It’s painful under the sun. Troubles at work are normal, not exceptional. And, it can feel as though we are all alone in the struggle: They had no one to comfort them. Where is justice? None is mentioned here.
Life under the sun is tough. We should not pretend it isn’t. There are no easy answers, because life in a fallen world is not neat and tidy. In Ecclesiastes 4:2-3, the Preacher reveals his inner struggles. These are some of the darkest verses in the whole Bible. As he observes the oppression all around, he feels the wearying weight of vanity. It’s like how we feel after hearing terrible news. Given the world’s problems, perhaps it would be better to never have been born. The Preacher sounds like the longsuffering Job, who “cursed the day of his birth”. (Job 3:1)
What are we to make of these dark and disturbing verses? We must not understand them to be suggesting suicide or to be promoting childlessness in marriage. They are descriptive, not prescriptive. These are the honest groanings of someone living under the sun. God invites us to lament. It is better to cry out to him with our struggles than to give him the silent treatment. Groan to God. And remember, these verses are not the last word on our pain. God has more to say.
How #1: Work the right way (Ecc 4:4-8)
In these verses, the Preacher contrasts wrong and right ways to work. Let’s look first at the wrong ways. Look at Ecclesiastes 3:4: Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of his neighbour. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.” What fuels our worship of work? The Preacher exposes envy as a motivation. We want what others have—their qualifications, money, possessions, prominence, etc. So, we work to outdo others. We are afraid of missing out and falling behind. We are ashamed of appearing less successful than others. Their CVs and social media feeds make us jealous. So, we keep pushing ourselves to work longer and harder because we envy those who have it all. We want to be like them, or better. But this is fleeting and futile.
On the other hand, some get disillusioned by work and become disinterested. Burnt out by the overwork promoted by the “996” culture, many in China are choosing to tang ping (“lie flat”). Globally, there has been a surge of people leaving their jobs in what has been termed the Great Resignation. Some quiet quit, not actually resigning but quietly disengaging from their jobs. They stop caring, doing just enough to get by. According to a survey, Singapore has a higher rate of quiet quitting than the global average. Around one in three workers here say they have quiet quit. But being idle at work is no better than making an idol of work. Listen to Ecclesiastes 4:5: The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh. It is a disturbing picture of someone who has to resort to cannibalising himself because he refusing to work. Idleness is self-destructive. As 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” Idleness idolises the self. It selfishly sponges on others to pay the bills and put food on the table.
In Ecclesiastes 4:7-8, the Preacher observes another wrong way to work. “Again, I saw vanity under the sun: 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.” See here the solitary striver, who is alone in his accomplishments. He sacrifices relationships to chase after gain under the sun. Perhaps he has neglected his wife because he is married to his work. Maybe he is a distant father who is a stranger to his own children. Or, she is an irregular church member who is too busy to build spiritual friendships with other believers. What is more, they are too busy with work to realise they are missing out on happiness now. Why? It is because they are always craving for more, never content with what they have. There is always something to chase after — better grades, higher pay, the boss’ approval, that perfect job, more stuff. Do we ever stop to ask, “Who am I really working for?” We can know the price of everything, and yet know the value of nothing.
Quietness is the fruit of trust and thankfulness.
The sins in our hearts, like envy, greed, discontentment and ingratitude, drive us to idolise work, to make more of work than we should. But worshiping work kills our joy. Why should we deprive ourselves of pleasure? We can be happy in our toil today if we work the right way. Look at Ecclesiastes 4:6: Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind. One full hand is better than two hands that are never full because they’re always trying to grab air. So, work hard and cultivate contentment in whatever God gives us in this season. We can leave the rat race by choosing to stop chasing. We don’t have to fear missing out, because we can trust the good and sovereign God to provide. Instead of thinking we can only be happy if we had more, how about rejoicing over God’s gifts now? Quietness is the fruit of trust and thankfulness. “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Tim. 6:6)
How #2: Don’t go it alone (Ecc 4:9-12)
To avoid worshiping work, we must avoid self-centred individualism. Much of the oppression, envy and greed in work is driven by selfishness and ego. But the Preacher urges us to think “we”, not “me”. Work with others. Listen to Ecclesiastes 4:9: Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. It is tempting to be self-centred at work, and to use others for selfish gain. The office can be a very lonely place, where it is every person for himself or herself. But the Preacher encourages us to see work as an opportunity to love, not hate, our neighbour. Work under the sun is toil. We need community; we need one another to encourage us to persevere (Ecc 4:10): 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! Others comfort us with companionship (Ecc 4:11): Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? Working with other is good for our protection (Ecc 4:12): And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him — a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
So, work with others and work for others, for their benefit. Two are better than one because they can share the good reward from their toil. Generosity is the remedy for the individualistic, selfish self-striving that is so common under the sun. Work to bless others. Ephesians 4:28 says, “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labour, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” The right way to work is not self-centred but other-person-centred. Prioritise relationships. Work enables us to practically love our families, care for our friends, and help our colleagues. In a dog-eat-dog world, an unselfish approach to work can be a powerful testimony of God’s goodness.
We can also apply these verses to our relationships in the church. Having a spiritual community is vital for our wellbeing. Amid our toil, build deeper spiritual friendships with our brothers- and sisters-in-Christ. God has brought us together to do spiritual good to one another. As we toil under the sun, encourage one another to persevere in faithfulness. Lift one another up when we stumble and fall. For example, during times of unemployment, come alongside one another for mutual support and prayer. When work is difficult and discouraging, help one another to keep looking to Christ. The church community can provide comfort and companionship. For some, retirement can be lonely. It is good having others to walk with us after we retire. Encourage one another to serve God with our retirement.
Our spiritual brothers and sisters help remind us of our identity in Jesus Christ. He is enough for us.
We also need one another to protect us from worldliness in our work. It is tempting to believe the world’s lies about work. Our spiritual brothers and sisters help remind us of our identity in Jesus Christ. He is enough for us. We do not have to chase after gain, as though this life is all there is. Help one another to resist the pull of the world. Point one another to our hope of glory beyond life under the sun.
Why #2: Success slips away (Ecc 4:13-16)
So far, we have heard one “why” and two “hows”. Do not worship work because selfish striving causes sorrow. Avoid worshiping work by working the right way, and by not going it alone. Ecclesiastes 4:13-16 give us a second reason why we should not worship work. The example of the poor and wise youth and the old and foolish king makes the point that success slips away. The gain from work is fleeting. The king, who no longer knew how to take advice, is supplanted by the youth who goes from rags to riches. The old king is an example of how age does not necessarily make us wiser. Instead, we might grow more stubborn, opinionated, proud and foolish. This will undo any success we may have enjoyed in our younger years. May God keep us humble and teachable as we grow older, so that we keep listening and learning.
But the youth’s success is also fleeting. He, too, will go the way of the old king. Look at Ecclesiastes 4:16: Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. As we heard earlier in Ecclesiastes, things come and things go. Under King Solomon, Israel’s prosperity peaked. But under the rule of his son, Rehoboam, the kingdom was torn in two. All is vanity.
Don’t play at our worship (Ecc 5:1-7)
Living under the sun, we have a worship problem: We worship the wrong things, and we worship the wrong way. Chapter 4 urges us to not worship work; Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 tell us not to play at our worship. God is mentioned six times in these seven verses. He is the focus here. How should we worship him rightly? Two points: Be careful to listen to God (Ecc 5:1-3); be careful to obey God (Ecc 5:4-7).
Be careful to listen to God (Ecc 5:1-3)
The Preacher speaks to the worshiper who is going to God’s house, which refers to the temple in Jerusalem. Every year, Israelites were required to go to the temple for three main festivals: the Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Built by Solomon, the temple represented God’s presence with his people. It is where the people meet with God.
When I worked as a business journalist, I had the opportunity to visit a number of high-tech manufacturing plants. Often, the important parts of the manufacturing process would take place in clean rooms. These have to be completely free from any contaminants. Even the smallest speck of dirt can derail the process and damage the product. You cannot casually walk into a clean room. There are strict cleaning procedures to follow before you can enter.
Similarly, we must come to God in the right way. He is holy, perfectly pure and glorious. How, then, should we approach him? Not carelessly, but with careful self-examination. Guard your steps, says the Preacher.
Consider the posture of our hearts towards God. Only he is worthy of our wholehearted adoration and devotion. He is the sovereign ruler over all creation. So far in Ecclesiastes, the Preacher has sought to humble us by showing us our limitations under the sun. The times and seasons are not in our hands. God is the one who rules of time. God is God and we are not. How have we taken God lightly? Maybe we have taken his approachability for granted. We gather with the church for corporate worship as and when we feel like it, if it is convenient for us. And, even when we gather, we allow ourselves to be distracted. Our minds wander, our hearts are divided. How have we domesticated God and made him small?
The Preacher warns us not to toy with God. Do not think we can manipulate or appease him with half-hearted worship. Look at Ecclesiastes 5:2: “To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil.” God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah, describes the sacrifice of fools: “This people draw near with their mouth and honour me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men.” (Isa 29:13a) The sacrifice of fools is hypocritical, man-centred worship. It looks pious on the outside, but it is actually empty on the inside. Fools focus on external appearances but neglect the heart.
The Preacher’s target is the pious, well-meaning person who religiously shows up for worship, but has no real love for God. He or she is simply going through the motions. But we are fools if we think we can deceive God. Hypocritical worship is doing evil.
How, then, should we approach God? It is better to draw near to listen. Be quick to hear. Come to Him with a humble heart that is open to receive his word. The great God has spoken; should we not listen? God is God, and we are not. We need His truth. To know God for who He truly is, He must reveal himself to us. When we behold God, our response is quiet reverence and awe. Habakkuk 2:20 says, “The LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.”
This is the reason why we have a moment of silence before the call to worship. When the silence is broken, it is not by our words, but by God’s word extolling his greatness, calling us to worship him. We draw near to listen to God by listening to the preaching of his word. The preacher’s task is to clearly and faithfully expose God’s word. The apostle Paul said. “What we proclaim is not ourselves.” As a pastor-friend of mine puts it, the preacher’s job is to “preach God’s word and get out of the way”.
We listen to God by humbly submitting to His word.
For this reason, we mainly preach expositionally through books of the Bible. We commit to hearing the whole counsel of God—not just the parts of Scripture that we know and like. God’s word, not our choice of topics, sets the agenda for what we hear. The point of the Bible text should be the point of the sermon. We listen to God by humbly submitting to His word. Pray for our preachers, teachers, care group leaders, Bible study leaders to be faithful hearers and speakers of God’s word. Pray also that we as a church will keep drawing near to listen. May the Spirit open our hearts to God’s word. Only He can humble and convict us of spiritual truths.
On our part, let us be active hearers. Prepare ourselves to hear God’s word by getting enough sleep the night before. Come early to settle yourself before the service. Put aside any distractions (eg. youth group’s policy on phones). Take notes. Talk about what we have heard with one another. Commit to doing God’s word, and encourage one another in this.
Be slow to speak. As Ecclesiastes 5:2, “Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God.” Do not say things to God that we do not mean. If we say we follow Him, then do our lives show it? Do not make commitments we do not intend to keep. Our lip-service will not impress God, for He knows what is in our hearts. Jesus says, “When you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matt 6:7-8) Do not forget who God is and who we are. He is big and we are small. God is in heaven and (we) are on earth. Therefore let (our) words be few. The fool who speaks without listening is like the one who is busy with much toil because he dreams of gain from his work under the sun (Ecc 5:3).
Be careful to obey God (Ecc 5:4-7)
What matters is that we listen and obey, as Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 states. Talk is cheap. And, mere talk without action is disobedient. Better to not say anything at all than to say and not do. Because we want to look good, it can be tempting to say many spiritual things. Or, we make rash promises to God in times of trouble, only to forget them when times are good. Listen to Ecclesiastes 5:7 — “When words grow many, there is vanity.” So, we should learn to watch our words and control our tongues. Be simple and sincere.
To obey is better than sacrifice because God will judge. He will call us to account for what we have said. Look at Ecclesiastes 5:6: “Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?” We would do well to recover a right reverence for God. He is not to be trifled with. The holy God is dangerous. When confronted with God’s glory and majesty in the temple, Isaiah was convicted of his sin and cried out, “Woe is me!” How can one who is unclean approach the holy God and live? One of my favourite passages from C. S. Lewis’ book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is when Susan learns that Aslan is a lion. “Is he quite safe?” she asks. Mr Beaver replies, “Who said anything about safe? Of course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King.”
Of course, God is not safe. And, lest we think this is just the God of Old Testament, the New Testament makes the same point. “Let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (Heb. 12:28b-29) How does this truth about God change how we approach Him in worship? But God is also good. The fact that he invites us to draw near to Him is proof of this.
Therefore, the Preacher exhorts us in Ecclesiastes 5:7, “God is the one you must fear.” To fear God does not mean to cower before Him in terror, but to honour, reverence and praise Him. To fear God means to draw near to Him by faith, depending on His grace not our works. Be in awe of Him for He is both holy and good. He must punish sin, yet He is also gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. This God is seeking true worshipers who will worship Him in spirit and truth. So, fear God and worship Him. Do not worship work, for it cannot save us. Do not play at worship. If we are to approach God, then we must come on His terms and in His way, not ours. Fear God by listening to His word to us and trusting in His work for us.
God has taken the initiative to draw near to us. He has sent His Son, Jesus, to seek and to save sinners like us, that we might become true worshipers. We have worshiped the wrong things, and we have worshiped in the wrong ways. We have idolised work for selfish gain. We have failed to listen and obey God’s word. We have been unfaithful to God and broken our promises to Him. He is right to be angry with us.
But God, in His grace, has opened up the way for us to come to Him. Jesus is the true temple. To meet with God, we must go to Jesus. His arms are wide open to receive all who repent of their sins and trust in Him. Jesus died on the cross to bear God’s judgement against us. He rose from the dead to give us life and hope. We listen to God by listening to Jesus, the Word made flesh. Trust Him to be our Lord and Saviour. In Christ, we are forgiven and counted righteous. By Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself, we can confidently draw near to God, with full assurance of faith. We can come before God, secure in His grace in which we stand. So, fear and worship God through Jesus Christ.