Year 5, Day 334: Ecclesiastes 4

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Chemistry

• Chemistry asks whether the person in question can work with the other people that God has called.

Chemistry is all about community.  Very few – if any of us – are truly designed to be in complete solitude.  Even the introverts among us don’t usually want to be completely alone, they want to know the close relationship of a few friends.  Trust me, I know.  I’m one of those people.  I’m an introvert.  But I would die if I had to be in complete solitude.

I think that this is a part of what Solomon is going after in this passage.  When Solomon talks about toil, he says that it is best for a person to work in conjunction with another person.  In other words, work is best shared.  That’s what chemistry is about.  We all need to work; we learned about that a few chapters back.  But work is best done when we have someone to share it with.  Work is best shared when we have someone to share it with whom we enjoy.

That’s why chemistry is important.  After all, when I fall down, don’t I want someone there who wants to help pick me up?  When I am frustrated in my work, don’t I want someone there who wants to help me see it from a new angle?  When I am celebrating a success, don’t I want someone there who celebrates with me because they understand what that victory took?  It is one thing to be alone.  It is another thing to be among others.  But true joy comes when we can be among people with whom we have good chemistry.

Furthermore, I think this issue of chemistry is also found at the end of this passage when Solomon talks about the young poor wise man.  A young wealthy wise man will have all kinds of people wanting his attention for all the wrong reasons.  Such a person won’t be able to find people with whom they have chemistry because their money will always draw otherwise motivated people to them.  But a young poor wise man will have the space to find people with whom they do relate well.  The young poor wise man will have the space to consider chemistry.

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