Better

After reading 4 chapters into Ecclesiastes, I conclude that Solomon had a one track mind. Everything is vanity--in other words, alone, all is futile.

But amid his comments about the futility of life, he loudly proclaims something I hadn't noticed before, though I had read it many times. 

"There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brotehr: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.

"Two are better than one; becasue they have a good reward for their laour. For is they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken" (Eccl. 4:8-12).

I've read the second paragraph a number of times. But I'd never noticed that it was preceded by the description of a man who lives solely unto himself.

He gets up everyday, works himself to death, is never satisfied with what he has and thus works harder. But for what? He has no children, therefore no wife. He has no brothers, sisters, friends, that he cares for. He only lives to himself.

I have heard it before: "no man is an island." We all somehow contribute to someone else, whether bad or good. Is Solomon saying this isn't true? Not exactly.

What he is saying is that you can live to yourself, but you'll be miserable.

Two. Better than one. And why?

You can help each other up.
There is warmth, of heart and life. (Notice that the man living to himself doesn't have that. He's cold, cold of heart and mind.)
If one tries something funny, two will withstand.
In short, when there are two, you are ideally unselfish. There is love. (And for those of you who think I'm preaching heresy, a two is not necessarily a 'couple.' This goes for you and whomever else might be around you.)

But, we're human. I've seen plenty of 'twos' who were horribly selfish. How is this supposed to work?

Solomon wasn't quite finished. He goes on to add, 'And a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

Three? It's sounding like two on their own won't quite get all the way to that unselfishness bit. But add a Third, and suddenly, you're there.

It's not difficult to see what Solomon is saying.

One, to himself? Miserable.
Two, on their own? Better.
But welcome that heavenly Third? Best.