Don’t Be A Fool - Ecclesiastes 3-4

 Ecclesiastes 4:5 (ESV)

The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh.

The fourth chapter of Ecclesiastes is about the evilness of the world and the uselessness of it.  Always, when reading or commenting on Ecclesiastes we have to start with the last verses.  This is Solomon’s conclusion to the entire book:

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (ESV)

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Solomon is testing and measuring life.  He is trying to find the real meaning of life.   The meaning of life is God.   The testing of life reveals what we read about the fool in the above passage.   The fool, as stated, wastes his life.   He simply folds his hands and does nothing.  Here is another verse about the lazy person from Solomon’s words in Proverbs:

Proverbs 6:10-11 (ESV)

A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest,

and poverty will come upon you like a robber,

and want like an armed man.

Here is another:

Proverbs 24:33-34 (ESV)

A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest,

and poverty will come upon you like a robber,

and want like an armed man.

The same proverb is quoted twice because God wants us to realize how bad it is for the fool.   He is so lazy that he simply folds his hands, yet, that will consume him.  It is as though he is eating his flesh.   When Isaiah was warning the nation of Israel about his leaders, notice what he said:

Isaiah 9:20 (ESV)

They slice meat on the right, but are still hungry,

and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied;

each devours the flesh of his own arm,

The lazy person is so slothful they will not even turn to the left or the right to get food.   That is the fool.