In today’s episode, we delve into the pressing issue of isolation in modern society. Despite our technological advancements, many find themselves more alone than ever. Bible teacher David Hocking guides us through Ecclesiastes chapter 4, exploring the loss of comfort, contentment, and companionship, and revealing where true comfort can indeed be found. David passionately discusses the empty promises of independence and the critical missing component in our lives, pointing us towards a timeless solution backed by scripture. Join us as we unpack these complexities and seek a deeper understanding of the comfort offered by God himself.
Right now, there is a mood in this country for independence, singleness, staying away from people, doing your own thing, retreating into our homes with massive multimedia communication equipment phases that will keep us being alone, keep us trapped from ever caring about anybody. A lack of comfort, a lack of contentment, a lack of companionship. I’m all alone. What’s missing? What’s missing is the Lord, friend. That’s what’s missing. He’s the answer to comfort. Blessed be the God of all comfort.
SPEAKER 02 :
We’re watching a shift in how people live. More withdrawal, more self protection, less dependence on anyone else. And for all that technology that promises connection, people are more isolated than ever. Ecclesiastes chapter 4 doesn’t call that progress. It calls it loss, loss of comfort, loss of contentment, and loss of real companionship. On this edition of Hope for Today, Bible teacher David Hawking continues his study in Ecclesiastes chapter 4 as God’s word points us to what’s actually missing and why true comfort is found not in independence, but in the Lord himself, in God, and in his word. Turn to Ecclesiastes chapter 4, verses 1 through 8, and we’ll get back in the passage in just a moment. And just before David brings us today’s study, here’s some facts. Hope for Today does not stay on the air by accident. It stays here because people who care about unfiltered, straight Bible teaching decide it’s worth backing. If this program has been steadying you, comforting you, and keeping you grounded, we ask you to prayerfully consider stepping in as a regular monthly partner. Consistent monthly giving or automated monthly giving helps lock in the future of this broadcast and keeps God’s Word going out without dilution or detours. Make a one-time gift, become a regular monthly supporter, or sign up for automated monthly giving at DavidHawking.org. Or call us in the U.S., 875-BIBLE. In Canada, 888-75-BIBLE. And Bible by the numbers 24253. And thank you for praying for us and prayerfully considering supporting the work. Well, here’s David Hawking with day two of The Tragedies of Life from Ecclesiastes chapter 4, verses 1 through 8.
SPEAKER 03 :
What’s the solutions to the problem that people come up with? Look at verse 5 and 6. Really two kinds. One, we have the apathy of the fool in verse 5. And secondly, we have the attitude of the wise in verse 6. These are the solutions to the problem of lack of contentment and competition and envy and jealousy and suspicion. We read in verse 5, the fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh. He just does nothing. We have those kind of people. They realize there’s competition. It’s a fight out there. It’s a struggle out there. So they just give up. They fold their hands and literally they consume everything they have. Consuming the flesh is an old metaphor for starvation. You’re going to wind up with nothing by doing nothing. You know, sometimes, I tell you, you can hardly wait to go to bed. You know what I mean? You get so tired, you can’t wait to just lay down for a few minutes, man. I mean, sometimes you get so restless, so tired, so worn out. A little sack time, man, would be great. But there’s a lot of people who have been in the sack too long. They’re sleeping their life away. And there’s an apathy, complacency problem in all this where people don’t want to take hassles. They don’t want to take confrontations. They don’t want to do this week at work what they know they ought to do. They’re just going to cruise it through because they’ve had it with the hassles. A little folding of the hands, God says, and your poverty will come on you like an armed robber. God says a lot about it. You can’t run away from it. Look over chapter 24 of Proverbs, verse 30. God talks a lot about the importance of work and staying with the stuff. So he’s not encouraging us to be like the fool who folds his hands and says, well, there’s so much competition out there. This private enterprise deal just leads to jealousy and all kinds of manipulation, hypocrisy. I’m going to just back off of it. Proverbs 24, 30 says, I went by the field of the slothful. God doesn’t have very good words to describe us, does he? And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding, and there it was, all overgrown with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles. Its stone wall was broken down. Last time I spoke on this, I was using it in an illustration in another town. A guy gave me a note afterwards, and he said, I’m really offended you just described my yard. You know, depending on where your yards stand, you get convicted even reading this stuff, and God calls it slothful people. Verse 32, when I saw it, I considered it well. I looked on it, received instruction. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little, there it is again, folding of the hands to rest, so your poverty will come like a prowler and your want like an armed man. The apathy of a fool, that’s no way to go. But the attitude of the wise… Look back at Ecclesiastes again, chapter 4, verse 6. Now this is an interesting verse to analyze. How do you handle this problem? There’s competition, jealousy, envy out there in the marketplace. Now how do I handle the problem? Solomon says better. That’s always a key word in Ecclesiastes to tell you he’s going to give some sort of solution next. Better is a handful with quietness than both hands full of together with toil and grasping for the win. That’s a wise man’s statement. You may look at everybody around you and say, I have truly accomplished great and mighty things. But if you’ve got toil and turmoil in your heart, if you’ve got the lack of contentment and peace in your heart, then what good is it? And better is one hand full with quietness of the heart than to have both hands full and be disturbed all the time and can never be at rest. You’re going after too much. You see the problem of the overachiever again. You want too much and what you’re after is not there. Better is one hand full with quietness in your heart than to have two hands full that you are troubled and you are grasping for the wind. You are going nowhere even though you think you are. Quietness. Wow. Turn back to Proverbs 15. Same man wrote both, and I think he probably had these passages in mind, obviously, by the direct statements like folding of the hands, which we find in Proverbs, and better a little with quietness than much with turmoil. This is a concept we see frequently by Solomon. In chapter 15 of Proverbs, verse 16, it says, He says, better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure with trouble. How true. And verse 17, better is a dinner of herbs or vegetables where love is than a fatted calf with hatred. And that’s true too. You can have the greatest meal in all the world, but if there’s hostility, tension, hatred, bitterness, jealousy at the table, you can’t even enjoy your food. And God says this frequently over in chapter 16, verse 8. Better is a little with righteousness than vast revenues without justice. Again, better. What’s better? And chapter 17, verse 1. Better is a dry morsel. I really don’t like the bread when it gets dry and crusty and it can break and all that. But it says, better is a dry morsel with quietness than a house full of feasting with strife. These things we all know are true. Back to Ecclesiastes 4 again. So we have a lack of, on the one hand, a lack of comfort. No one’s relieving us inside. No one’s ministering to our hearts, though we keep wanting it. And we live in a narcissistic age that’s, you know, crying out for this. I got needs, man. Minister to me. And everybody’s saying the same thing, and there’s no comforters. And a lack of contentment, man, it’s everywhere in this world. And then he comes to a final problem in verse 7 and 8, another great tragedy, and that’s a lack of companionship. It’s no fun to be alone. If you don’t understand this problem, go visit our rest homes and our convalescent hospitals. You talk about loneliness? That’s why it’s important to build your friendships not only among those in your own family, But among those who are Christian friends that you have known and ministered to to the years, that in your hour of crisis, in your hour of need, there will be friends who will care. And it will be there. The sad truth is that we see relatively little of this in the world. Instead, we see lonely people everywhere. Songs are sung and often become hit tunes, whether they’re by the young in the rock scene or whether they’re by the old of the past generations and past decades. We hear the same message coming out, the loneliness of life. Where’s the true friend? Where’s the true companion? And Solomon here in verse 7 and 8 lists, I believe, at least three problems that we have to face in this matter. One is the simple problem of loneliness. Verse 8 says, there’s one alone, without companion. He has neither son nor brother. He’s alone. Loneliness. Proverbs 18.1 suggests that sometimes we cause our own problem. Proverbs 18.1 says, A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire, and he rages against all wise judgment. Sometimes it’s dangerous to want to be alone. Sure, whenever we’re with somebody, it involves certain obligations and certain responsibilities. And some people say, I want to be alone. I don’t have to have the hassles. I don’t have to minister to people. I don’t have to bear the burdens. I don’t have to hear the stories. My friends, it goes both ways. It’s not easy to develop friendship. Friendship is developed often in the arena of hard times and difficult places. A friendship is something you work on frequently. It doesn’t just come. There’s no spiritual hypodermic needle to somehow solve the problem of loneliness that many of us feel right now. I’ve seen people that are married for years and are lonely as all get out, living to the same roof and still so lonely. I’ve had people write and tell me that. These are problems that we have in society, loneliness. Proverbs 27.10 tells us, Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend. Have you noticed how we have different friends, parents and kids? Have you noticed that? God’s advice to kids, don’t ever forsake your father’s friends. It goes on to say, don’t go to your brother’s house, meaning a relative, in the day of calamity. For better is a neighbor or a friend who is nearby than a brother or a relative far away. What an interesting principle that is. Is blood thicker than water? I don’t know. First of all, I never found that verse in the Bible. If your relatives are also Christians who love God and are deep friends of yours, you have a choice, blessed choice. thing from God God bless you but there are a lot of us who have found that even relatives can seem so distant and far away so uncaring so lacking in compassion and concern and some of us will hear that relative word and and have a warm wonderful feeling for it and others will hear it and all we think of is sadness and tragedy and tension and hostility Better is a friend who is near, whether he’s a relative or not. Better is somebody that you’ve ministered over a long period of time. Don’t forsake your friend, ever. And don’t forsake your father’s friend. The Bible has a lot to say about this, and we’re going to say more in our next message about friendship. Loneliness, it’s a problem to face. But there’s another problem. Look at verse 8 again. It’s not just loneliness, it’s restlessness. You might say dissatisfaction. It says, “…yet there’s no end to all his labors, nor is his eye satisfied with riches.” He’s alone, but he keeps on. What are you after? What are you going for? Why are you staying alone? Why do you not minister to people? Why do you not bear other people’s burdens? I want to be alone. I’ve got things to accomplish in my life. Listen, I’m hitting at the core of what secular society is about. Don’t think I don’t understand it. Many of you know what I’m talking about, too. Right now, there is a mood in this country for independence, singleness, staying away from people, doing your own thing. Retreating into our homes with massive multimedia communication equipment phases that will keep us being alone, keep us trapped from ever caring about anybody, much less the person next door. People live in communities today and they have never met their relatives or their neighbors again. They’ve never even gone to see them. Some people have told me that people in their own direct family, they haven’t seen in 25, 30 years and don’t care to. I see people in neighborhoods that have gotten introduced and said, you know, I’ve always known, I saw you got in your car, we just haven’t met. How long you lived here? 35 years. 35 years. 35 years. It’s amazing what’s happening to us, but, you know, until somebody like me brings it up, we don’t even think about it. We just keep going on, buying the lines of the world, do your own thing, independence, isolation. You know, you can be you. You can do it. You know, intimidate everybody else and win and succeed. And what’s happening to us? The older we get, sometimes the smarter we get. It gets more lonely. We get more restless. We wonder if anybody cares. We’re talking about tough stuff here. Loneliness, restlessness. There’s one more thing, though, another problem in the lack of companionship that you must face, and that’s meaninglessness. Verse 8 says, For whom do I toil and deprive myself of good? Who am I doing this for and why? And Solomon says, This is also vanity and a grave misfortune. Psalm 39.6 says, Surely every man walks about like a shadow. Surely they busy themselves in vain. He heaps up riches, and he does not know who will gather them. The psalmist answered, and now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you. So many of us do not have our hope in the Lord, and if we’re trying to walk it alone, and you talk about a problem of companionship, for whom am I doing all of this? And then one of the real tragedies is some guys think they’re doing it for their wives and their families, and one day they discover that the families and the wife never saw it that way. I’ve been doing all this for you. Hey, we want you, not your things. And so many of us are living life in a fast lane, in a rat race culture, a law of the jungle, survival of the fittest, and I’ve got to face it all week long. The point to learn, the end of verse 8, what is the point to learn? He said this is vanity and a grave misfortune. Two things he’s telling us, that such a life lacks meaning. It’s vanity, emptiness. It lacks meaning. Sir, ma’am, listen. If everything I’ve been telling you is describing you, your life is lacking meaning. What are you doing it for? What are you after? What are you trying to achieve? And secondly, when he said a grave misfortune, he’s saying that such a life brings misery. Paul said, if only in this life we have hope, we’re of all men most miserable or most to be pitied. Well, what’s the answer to all of this? Lack of comfort, lack of contentment, lack of companionship. And I like what Jerome, who translated the Bible’s original language of Greek into Latin, into the Latin Vulgate, which was a standard edition for the Roman Catholic Church for many years. Jerome wrote in the fourth century after this passage, here’s his word. He said, what is missing is Jesus. I love that. just captured by the tragedies of life, a lack of comfort, a lack of contentment, a lack of companionship. I’m all alone. What’s missing? What’s missing is the Lord, friend. That’s what’s missing. He’s the answer to comfort. Blessed be the God of all comfort, the Father of mercies, who’s comforting us in all of our tribulation. Contentment, the psalmist wrote, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Perfect peace. Companionship. There’s a friend that sticks closer than a brother. A friend who the Bible calls a friend of sinners. Someone who loves you even though he knows what you’re like. He’s the friend of all friends. What a friend we have in Jesus. All our sins and griefs to bear. Jesus we’re talking about. Jesus is all the world to me. My life, my joy, and my all. What are you after? We’re talking here about the most important thing in life. I want you to reach out to Jesus today. He’s your friend. He’s your companion. He’s one who knows your needs before you ask him. He’ll minister to your heart in a way that even some Christians ignore. Though they know him and love him, they forget that he is the one who’s always there. He’ll never leave us nor forsake us. The Bible speaks of his aching heart wanting to fellowship, sometimes wanting to throw his arms around us. And so often we ignore and neglect him in our lives. Jesus is the one missing in all this passage. A relationship with him will bring you what you are looking for. He calls himself a comforter. He calls the Holy Spirit a comforter. He tells us about all the wonderful things he’s doing for us to relieve our burdens. He invites us to cast our burdens on him and he will sustain us. Cast all of your anxiety on me. He invites us to do that. You talk about comfort. The Lord is our comfort. He is our strength. And contentment, hey, when you know him and know all that he is and all that he does and all he’s going to do, no more is that restlessness and dissatisfaction there. When you focus on him, you say, having Jesus, I’ve got all I need, all I need. I don’t need anything else. You and God make a majority. And because of his wonderful presence in your life, you’ll begin to minister to others. He is a companion that no one else is like. He’s one who’s always there, who cares about me even when I’m sinning and I’m rebellious and my attitudes aren’t right. He loves me. He’s forgiving. What a friend. A friend that sticks closer than a brother. How we need Jesus. I hope you know him.
SPEAKER 02 :
That’s David Hawking with what may be the most important words you’ll ever hear, dear friend. If you don’t know Jesus, Hope for Today would love to send you David’s booklet, What is Christianity? and a Bible study by mail. Again, these are free for those who don’t know Jesus. You’re not yet a Christian, but you’re curious, or even if you’re a new Christian, you’re new to the faith and would like to know more about what God’s Word says about becoming a Christian. Get these resources by calling 800-75-BIBLE in the U.S. or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. And Bible is 24253. You can also request them using the contact form at DavidHawking.org. That’s DavidHawking.org. Matt Hawking is in studio with me now. We’re going to talk about this month’s Hope for Today featured resource package. Matt?
SPEAKER 01 :
Inside Is Life Worth Living, my dad expresses his sincere desire and prayer that his study of Solomon’s messages in Ecclesiastes under the direction and supervision of the Holy Spirit will powerfully motivate and encourage your life.
SPEAKER 02 :
Matt, this month we’re offering Is Life Worth Living by David Hawking, together with the complete set of audio messages for our current radio series in Ecclesiastes, the complete package. For just $40. Well, hey, let’s take a quick look inside the pack for the topics covered. Amen. I see that chapter one is all is vanity. Chapter two, Matt, living for your job. Oh, we got a time for everything. In chapter five, the tragedies of life. Solomon’s reflections on that. The importance of friendship from chapter six. Chapter seven, Matt, what happened to integrity? Yeah, right. Chapter eight, the problem with wealth. How about chapters 10 and 11, the value of wisdom and the search for wisdom. Chapter 12, the problem of authority. Chapter 13, how to enjoy what you do. Matt, this and so much more are in store for you inside Is Life Worth Living? David Hawking’s 172-page deep dive into the riches of Ecclesiastes and inside our radio series in this power-packed Old Testament writing.
SPEAKER 01 :
Everything you’ll hear in the Ecclesiastes series on radio plus the book Is Life Worth Living? are in our featured resource pack this month for just $40. The Is Life Worth Living Pack will bless you.
SPEAKER 02 :
And your purchase will bless and help the ministry of hope for today. At a donation to help us continue this radio and online outreach, or simply send your most generous contribution and join with us in ministry. And please continue praying for hope for today. And again, to order this package, call us at 1-800-75-BIBLE. That’s in the U.S. 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. Or visit us online at davidhawking.org. And if you’ve been listening for a while, let me ask you a different kind of question. What happens to Bible teaching like this if people who benefit from it Don’t step in. Well, Hope for Today exists for one simple reason, to put clear, uncompromised teaching of God’s Word into places it would otherwise never be heard. That takes airtime, production, and distribution. And when you give, you’re helping us reach people who may never open a Bible unless someone meets them where they are. The amount isn’t the point. Every gift matters. It all adds up to keep this teaching going for the next person who needs to hear it. And so if this program has helped you think more clearly, to understand God’s Word and trust Him more deeply, or to see the world more biblically, and you want others to hear it as well, Call us at 800-75-BIBLE. That’s in the U.S., or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. You can also mail your gift in the U.S. to Hope for Today, Box 3927, Tustin, California, 92781. In Canada, write to Hope for Today, Box 15011, RPO7OAKS, Abbotsford, B.C., V2S 8P1. And online you can donate at davidhawking.org. And thank you. Once again, here’s David.
SPEAKER 03 :
Father, thank you so much that in spite of the great tragedies of life, there is one who can meet them all and remove the hurt and relieve the sorrow, take away the tension, all the envy and the strife. One who gives peace, peace not like the world gives, who just wants the cessation of trouble, but he gives us peace even in the midst of a storm. You’ve said, let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also. God, we thank you for your wonderful promises. You tell us you’ll wipe away every tear from our eyes. There’ll be no more pain or suffering or death or sorrow or sickness. You are the God of all comfort. You know what we’re going through right now. You know how many hurts are in this audience right now. Things that we’re feeling inside that the person to the right or the left doesn’t know anything about. But you do. And you’ve invited us to cast that burden on you. You are such a sympathetic Savior. You tell us you understand all of our weaknesses. You know all of our sins. You are a merciful and faithful high priest able to succor or to comfort those who are troubled. We thank you in Jesus’ name. Amen.
SPEAKER 02 :
And on our next broadcast, Ecclesiastes takes aim at one of the biggest lies we believe, that we’re better off on our own. We’ll be in chapter 4, verses 9 through 16. And don’t miss the importance of friendship. Next time on Hope for Today. Hope for Today.
