Ecclesiastes 4:1-6 4 Then I returned and considered all the oppression that is done under the sun: And look! The tears of the oppressed, But they have no comforter— On the side of their oppressors there is power, But they have no comforter. 2 Therefore I praised the dead who were already dead, More than the living who are still alive. 3 Yet, better than both is he who has never existed, Who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun. 4 Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind. 5 The fool folds his hands And consumes his own flesh. 6 Better a handful with quietness Than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind.
SOAP – Ecclesiastes 4:6 Solomon observes the violence and suffering that takes place on earth and envies the dead. He also notes that it is the ambition in the world that creates envy. He concludes that it is better to have few possessions with peace than to have many with worry and stress. Even though believers live in a fallen world, God promises us His peace and His love in the midst of painful and chaotic circumstances. We can be content no matter what we go through knowing that this earth is not our home. We have hope in an eternity ahead of us in Heaven free of sin, pain, sorrow, and tears.