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"The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh"

Text: Ecclesiastes 4:5

THE FOOLISH

Solomon sought to be objective in his study of man and life on earth. The reality was that some appear to walk in the path of foolishness!

“The fool folds his hands
And consumes his own flesh
Better a handful with quietness
Than both hands full,
together with toil and grasping for the wind.”
Ecclesiastes 4:5-6

1. “The fool folds his hands”

a) A sharp physical observation.

b) The fool chooses to fold his hands to sleep (Proverbs 24:33-34).

c) Figuratively

i) He is lazy.

ii) He does not like to work.

iii) He prefers a life of ease.

2. “And consumes his own flesh”

a) This is the end result.

b) He destroys himself.

c) He will end up in poverty.

3. “Better a handful with quietness”

a) Solomon posits a “middle ground”.

b) To be satisfied with having “a handful”.

c) This is a description of contentment:

i) One has enough.

ii) One enjoys “quietness” (free from stress and strife).

4. “Than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind”

a) This is the opposite of the fool who is plain lazy.

b) This person has “both hands full”.

c) How does he have so much?

i) He toils.

ii) He works extremely hard.

iii) Often at the expense of his health.

iv) Or at the expense of his family.

d) He does not realise that he is attempting “to grasp the wind”.

i) The wind cannot be grasped.

ii) Having both hands full is not the true goal of life.

iii) Grasping the wind is truly “vanity”!