Ecclesiastes 4

“Again, I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them!” (v1). The Preacher saw that the pursuit of wealth was “vanity,” but there was also the pointlessness of poverty and oppression without justice. Further, the pursuit of success was often motivated by envy (v4), so that after gaining everything, the successful person was often alone (v8). In a difficult world, the Preacher concluded that “two are better than one” (v9).

“A threefold cord is not quickly broken” (v12). Strong relationships help us survive our troubles and remind us that we weren’t created to live alone, but to enjoy divine and human fellowship.