A common objection to Christianity is if there is a just God why is evil allowed to prosper. This is not just the accusation of the atheist or sceptic, it is something that believers often feel as well at times in our lives. It is also an issue that the Bible is not afraid to tackle. David and many of the prophets raised the same or a similar question, and the Teachers here does the same.
People were oppressed, suffering much with seemingly no comfort. Power was on the side of the oppressors. His conclusion was that the dead had the best deal, except for those who had never been born.
Even where things were achieved in life, so often it was achieved through envy. Envy was what motivated people to do things, not a love for others or some other noble sentiment.
Fools do bring much suffering on themselves through laziness, but striving too hard is also foolish. It is better to have a reasonable amount and have peace, than to have more but have to stress oneself out achieving it.
Then there are those who strive but have no one to pass their wealth on to.
Mixed in with these rather depressing thoughts is something more positive in verses 9-12. We need each other. If you are on your own then when your failings come to the fore (as they assuredly will at some point) you have no one to help. However, if there are two then the other can help in those times. There is an obvious allusion to marriage with the reference to keeping each other warm. The third strand is God. But there is wider application as well. The whole message of the Bible is one of people working together with God. It is not just people working together, for if God is not involved then we will end up just working together to create an idol. It is working together with Christ at the centre.
Wisdom is given value on verse 14, but again the pointlessness comes to the fore. A leader may be welcomed, but then later on people will start to despise the leader.
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