Our daily reflections follow the M'Cheyne Bible reading plan, designed for those who want to read the whole Bible in one year. Each reflection focuses on one of the chapters from that day's readings. Darllenwch rhain yn Gymraeg.
Lord, prepare me to receive your word. Clear my mind and warm my heart. Assure me of your loving purposes for me, and speak into my life today.
Ecclesiastes 4 starts by talking about oppression. We know that from God's perspective oppression is bad because the Bible talks about this several times. But Ecclesiastes is examining a worldview in which God is out of the picture. From this perspective, the lot of the oppressed is doubly hard because 'they have no comforter' (verse 1). The author is reminding us that when life feels unfair and other people treat us badly, at least we can turn to God for comfort and a sense of meaning.
But for those who do oppress others, there is no ultimate meaning to their actions. Anything that they could achieve by mistreating and alienating others is 'chasing after the wind' and not worth sacrificing others for. Hence the conclusion that toil which is motivated by 'one person’s envy of another' (verse 4) is also meaningless, as envy causes us to treat others badly. Instead, the preacher believes that contentment is important for living a peaceful life, as verse 6 indicates.
The author also says that 'two are better than one' (verse 9) – it is better to work with other people and be under God’s blessing than to treat others poorly and sacrifice relationships for temporary gain. Those who alienate others find themselves vulnerable when bad things happen, but for those who live harmoniously with each other, 'a chord of three strands is not easily broken'.
Lord, I thank you for those around me. Please help me to treat them well. Help me to remember the oppressed and stand up for those experiencing injustice.
This reflection was written by Hannah Stevens, who is part of Bible Society's Publishing team
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