The Tragedies of Life — David Hocking

There are a lot of frustrations in life and many tragedies. But I just was captured by this particular one this fella gave me this he knew that I was preaching on the tragedies and Frustrations and difficulties of life, and he thought I would appreciate this one.

Here's what he sent me. He said a certain preacher loved golf as much as anything else on earth. Not me by the way, I'm not into golf spirit-filled sports or tennis racquetball etc not golf. But anyway this preacher loved golf.

He said golf was an absolute passion in his life. He played two or three times every week and during one period of his ministry a schedule was so packed with weddings funerals Hospital visits counseling sessions preaching missions.

He went for three weeks Without playing one game of golf. He was about to die. His schedule didn't offer any break in the weeks ahead. So finally his passion got the best of him and he decided he'd pretend to be sick on Sunday morning.

Get someone else to preach for him drive 50 miles away to a neighborhood Neighboring town where no one knew him and he'd play golf on Sunday is the only time he could find in the week. On that given Sunday morning.

He calls the chairman of the board told him he was sick. Then he apologized to God loaded up his clubs. Headed for the golf course in that other city as he teed up the ball on the first tee and angel looked down from heaven aghast.

Said Lord, look at that a preacher of your word playing golf on Sunday morning. How terrible strike him dead. God was so upset That when he went on to the third hole He sent a gust of wind that made the preachers ball sink into the cup on the first shot a hole-in-one.

The angel stood by puzzled said Lord, why did you do that? Is that supposed to be a punishment. God said, of course, just think about it for a moment. That's the first hole-in-one that preachers ever made but who can he tell about it?

The Three Tragedies in Ecclesiastes 4

So to all of you that see that as frustrating. You are now ready for it. Please he asked these for the tragedies of life chapter 4 verse 1. Then I returned and considered all the oppression that is done under the Sun and Look the tears of the oppressed.

But they have no comforter on the side of the oppressors. There was power. But they have no comforter. Therefore I praise the dead who were already dead more than the living who is still alive. Yet better than both as he who has never existed who has not seen the evil work that is done under the Sun.

Again I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind. The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh. Better as a handful with quietness than both hands full together with toil and grasping for the wind.

Then I returned and I saw vanity under the Sun. There's one alone without companion he has neither son nor brother yet. There's no end to all his labors nor is his eye satisfied with riches. But he never asked for whom do I toil and deprive myself of good?

This also is vanity and a grave. Misfortune. Well, there are three tragedies in these eight verses that Solomon mentions that I think are common to us all. One is a lack of comfort. Today they might call it strokes a lack of comfort in life.

Secondly is a lack of contentment. In verses four to six a certain restlessness characterizes us all and Finally, there's a lack of companionship which seems to be the problem of many many people today and that's in verses seven and eight comfort contentment companionship and He deals with the three tragedies related to this now.

The Lack of Comfort Among the Oppressed and Oppressors

Let's start with comfort and to begin this whole thing just to Get our hearts thinking about it. Technically what he does is he shows us the extent of the problem not only among the oppressed people who are really under a heavy burden.

But he shows us the extent of the problem also among those who do the oppressing who've got power in one case We got tears and the other case we got power. But the end result is the same. There's no comfort to either one of them and that's a great tragedy so no matter whether you're on the bottom end really suffering going through a special trial or burden or heavy trip in your home or at work or Whether you're the one dishing it out and you seem to be on top of the totem pole riding high.

Lots of power lots of authority lots of influence the same thing is true of both people. There's no comfort in the world. I'd like you to turn to lamentations which follows the book of Jeremiah. Lamentations.

Jeremiah was called the weeping prophet. He was crying over the situation in his day in his culture. People have gone crazy with sin and idolatry and God had come to Jeremiah and said Jeremiah. I've had enough.

I'm gonna destroy this place and I'm gonna wipe Jerusalem out. I'm gonna bring Babylon in and I'm gonna just a level the place and Jeremiah writes a Tremendous prophecy of 52 chapters dealing with that great coming destruction of Babylon and Relates it even to some things that are coming in the future in our own generation.

But the conclusion of Jeremiah and actually in a Hebrew Bible, they're part of the same book. Is this section we call lamentations? It's the weepings and the lamenting of a prophet who sees the judgment of God upon his people.

Sees people who had decided to go their own way to live it up. Materialism. Immorality idolatry it had dominated their lives and and he cries out these lamentations evaluating the situation beginning at chapter 1 of lamentations.

Look at verse 1 how lonely sits the city that was full of people. How like a widow is she who was great among the nations. The princess among the provinces has become a slave. She weeps bitterly in the night.

Her tears are on her cheeks among all her lovers. She has none to comfort her. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her. They have become her enemies. What was true of that city and that hour of crisis is often true of our lives, isn't it?

There's no comfort when we need it. When we're going through the hard times in the trials people easily forsake you that you once thought. We're your friends in verse 9. It says her uncleanness is in her skirts.

She did not consider her destiny like many of us. We don't think about God. We're just living it up. Therefore her collapse was awesome. She had no Comforter. Oh Lord behold my affliction for the enemy has magnified himself.

No comfort. Look at verse 16. For these things I weep. My eye my eye overflows with water because the comforter who should restore my life is far from me. My children are desolate because the enemy prevailed.

Zion spreads out her hands. But there's no one to comfort her. You ever wanted it so bad and yet there was no one there. Well that we could go on and on in lamentation. Verse 21. They have heard that I sigh with no one to comfort me.

All my enemies have heard of my trouble. They are glad that you have done it. Bring on the day that you have announced that they may become like me. There are a sense of vengeance on those who had just wiped out Jerusalem.

There's no comforter around. I like you turn back to Job chapter 35 if there ever was a classic example of somebody who has gone through the tragedies of life and Experiencing this problem. It was Job.

There's no comforter yet. The Bible speaks about men who came by Job as his comforters. You know people can come by and try to comfort you when you're really hurting and if they're not really dishing it out, right?

I mean it can hurt a lot more. Job listened to all this stuff that they were dishing out to him and all of his grief. He had lost his family. His kids are dead. His wife says curse God and die and she forsakes him.

He's got boils all over his body. They're coming by and trying to evaluate why he's having all this trouble and Of course, like many people who try to counsel us in times of grief. They say you know your problem is that you're not walking with God.

That's the problem. If you had faith to believe what God can do you wouldn't be sick. You wouldn't have these problems if you just learn to trust God and all this comfort kept coming on. One man said well your problem is Job.

You don't understand who God is. Another man says your problem is you don't understand who you are. You are a worm man. You are a duck. You are a dirty rotten depraved sinner, and that's why this is all coming on you.

None of which Job denied. But he took about as much as he could and in chapter 16 verse 2. He said miserable comforters. Are you all? Maybe you'd like to say that to a few folks have been trying to Minister to you lately.

But look what he says in Job 35 verse 9. Speaking of oppressions in life and Heavy trials because of the multitude of oppressions they cry out. They cry out for help because of the arm of the mighty. But no one says where is God my maker who gives songs in the night?

Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of heaven there they cry out. But he does not answer because of the pride of evil men. They want comfort they want answers, but they don't get them because of the pride of Their own hearts.

Back to Ecclesiastes again chapter 4 so as he looks at the extent of the problem the lack of comfort. He sees it in the oppressed as well as the oppressors. He sees the tears as we have clearly mentioned in verse 1 the tears of the oppressed.

And he sees the power of the oppressor, but neither one has a comforter. Psalm 69 20 which is quoted of Jesus in the New Testament says Reproach has broken my heart and I am full of heaviness. I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none and for comforters.

But I found none how true that is in life. Psalm 119 134 David said redeem me from the oppression of man. And in verse 136 He says rivers of water run down my eyes. Because men do not keep your law. The oppression of man and the attitudes of people in society and often cause broken hearts.

And the problems at work and the problems in Our home broken homes broken marriages anger bitterness hostility you name it. Our world is filled with this problem. Tears and power. There's no difference in one issue and that is they have no comforter.

I look for someone to comfort me. And there was none. If you ever wanted that so bad it hurt inside and no one no one could seemingly relieve that ache. No one could somehow soothe that hurt. You felt, you know, what Solomon is saying here then, you know.

You feel it you feel this passage, you know, hey, I know what this is all about. No comfort for my soul. How often that is true. And the oppressors who have power. You know think somehow by all I've gained all I can do.

Those who are making it hard on the rest of us that are. Who are using us and manipulating us to somehow get what they want. They also have the same problem. There's no comforter. Some of the loneliest people in the world of those with power and prestige and influence.

Who think they have it made. Who've got all the money they ever wanted in life, but there's no one to comfort their soul. Solomon speaks of these tragedies out of experience. He had all that man could possibly ever won in life.

The Bible speaks often about the seriousness of those oppressors who have power. It says in Proverbs 14 31 that he who oppresses the poor Reproaches his maker. No wonder there's no comfort for their soul.

Proverbs 28 16 says a ruler who lacks. Understanding is a great oppressor. Proverbs 22 16 says he who oppresses the poor to increase his riches and he who gives to the rich Will surely come to poverty.

God has strong things to say. Let's take a look at the evaluation of the problem in verse 2 and 3 after showing the extent of it whether you are the Oppressed or whether you are one of the oppressors look at the evaluation.

Where are the people who supposedly love and bear your burdens and share with you in time of need. Christians who know that's what the Bible teaches us to do often feel motivated out of obligation and duty to do that rather than out of Compassion and the love of Christ and the power of the Spirit and as a result.

Even Christian people are left with the same feeling in their heart. There was no one. No one to comfort my soul. The valuation of the problem as Solomon sees it verse 2 therefore I praise the dead who were already dead more than the living who are still alive.

He said that I look at this problem with no comfort. No relief. No one to really care about you. He said it we might as well die. It's a lot better than living through all of this. Better yet. He says in verse 3 is the one who has never existed.

Who has not yet seen the evil work that's done under the Sun. So in his mind the best thing that could ever happen to you is not to have been born. Isn't that exciting thrilling really builds you up today?

But frankly it sometimes takes years for a person to identify with this passage. If you're young here, you probably have experienced some pain in this regard but the pain of the years becomes unbearable and if you've gone a long time and you've lived your life and you're no longer.

Anything you're just kind of sailing to those retirement years or you're kind of just Winding down a little bit or you're kind of looking to a little relief a little rest a little peace. I Don't know where you are on the ladder.

But I'll tell you this the longer you live the more you know that it's more important to have comfort for the soul. Than it is to achieve all the great things in life. It's more important to have peace and relationships and love and care compassion than it is to accumulate all that this world can possibly give you and The longer you live the more you see it and so you can say with Solomon Hey, I know what he's talking about.

You might as well not be born if you're talking about comfort if you're talking about the issue of where we really are the hurts. And the pains and the heartaches of life. Be better that you're not born and to have to face all of that without comfort.

Hey, thank God. There's a solution. We'll get to it in a moment. Job knew what this all was about in fact flip back to chapter 3 again of Job just to kind of remind ourselves of this Problem just evaluating it.

I look at the great men of a Bible and don't think because you're such a super Christian that you won't ever feel this way. You know Elijah was a prophet of God and God did great things in his life. But I read in first Kings 19 for him making this statement now Lord take my life.

For I am no better than my father's. You know, I've read that story many times and I really wish that in between the lines God would have said right on. You haven't said anything new. I'm No better than my father.

I'm going through pain and agony. No one to comfort my soul. How about Jonah the Prophet of God? City repents and he's out there on the hill watching all this and kind of upset that God wasn't gonna wipe the city out.

He was looking for a nice neat tribulation type revelation vision passage, you know right before his eyes. He thought God would come in and wipe the Assyrians out. He's running through the city repent the day of judgments coming repent, you know, those those fools did it.

They actually repented now. He's sitting out in the hills. I don't believe this after all they've done to us and God. You're gonna let them live. Well, they they repented. I don't care. God has a weed come up big gourd plant covers in because it's hot and he likes the shade.

That's better and then the gourd dies it withers and dies. He said thanks a lot that's what I get. I mean, I can't even get a little plant. So just take my life. It's not worth living anymore. Everything's going bad.

I mean, you're not killing the Assyrians. And you're not even giving me a plant and it's hot out here. I quit and God says. You mean to tell me you don't even care for a hundred and twenty thousand people in that city.

They can't tell the right hand from the left hand. Obviously referring to the children of that massive city of Nineveh. He didn't even care for the kids let alone anybody else. See sometimes we're our own problem.

Job in Job chapter 3 verse 11 said why did I not die at birth? Why did I not perish when I came from the womb? Why did the knees receive me and why do the breasts that I should nurse and now I would have leaned still and been quiet.

I would have been asleep. Then I would have been at rest. You know, if you're really tired, this sounds attractive. You know, I mean sack time. Think of it eternal sack time. Not bad you read down in verse 16.

Why was I not hidden like a stillborn child like infants who never saw light? They're the wicked cease from troubling and they're the weary are at rest. They're the prisoners rest together. They do not hear the voice of the oppressor.

The small and great are there and the servant is free from his master. See Job said the same thing that Solomon did in Ecclesiastes, and maybe you do too. But you know, I got to thinking about this the sorrow the tears of the oppressed the fact that there's no one to comfort.

I got to thinking about how one day God's gonna wipe away all tears from our eyes. There'll be no more pain. No sorrow. No heartache. Bible says they'll hunger no more. They'll thirst no more. God's gonna take it all the way.

There was no comforter for my soul. Solomon says so what's the use of living back to Ecclesiastes chapter 4? Not only a lack of comfort but also a lack of contentment. And boy do we see that everywhere the restlessness in life.

Envy, Competition, and the Search for Contentment

What are people after whatever they're after they're sure going after it rapidly. They're doing all they can to get it. But what are you after? What do you think you're gonna get? Ecclesiastes chapter 4 he said again I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor.

This also is vanity and grasping for the wind. Now the source of the problem as to why we lack contentment and most people do. They're not contented with where they are. They want things to change. Well, the source of the problem he says is envy or competition.

It's the law of the jungle man. It's a rat race out there and everybody's out to get you. The new IV new international version says it springs from man's envy. Of his neighbor neighbor new international says it's a result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor.

Envy competition. Hey, isn't that the American way? Proverbs 14 30 says that envy is rottenness to the bones. Why don't we learn that. We keep going on. What do we want? We're envying. Charles Bridges and his great commentary on Ecclesiastes says the better the work.

The more is the man hated by that by those who have no heart to imitate him. Interesting the better the work that he does the more is the man hated by those who have no heart to imitate him. What's the result of all this two things?

Solomon says vanity and grasping for the wind or emptiness and elusiveness. There's nothing there. What are you after? It's grasping for the wind. You can't get a hold on anything and it's meaningless.

It's vanted vanity. You just think it's meaningful. But you will soon discover that it's not so. Solomon gives a source of the problem is envy in the heart jealousy. Wanting what someone wanting more than what we've ever gotten.

Jealousy can creep into your heart down there where you work and you and I both know it and the older you get the more Serious, it can be you're just wiser and how to contain it inside of you and you watch jobs and opportunities and positions being given to.

Other people and sometimes younger people you say I've worked for this company all these years and look at what they're doing to me envy jealousy competition. You never achieved in your business what another person the exact same business did and they're doing much better and you see them with far less resources and talents and abilities and you watch them grow and your business is not growing and envy and Jealousy comes in again and the summary of all of this.

It's vanity and grasping for the wind. That's what he said. What's the solutions to the problem that people come up with. Look at verse five and six. Really two kinds one. We have the apathy of the fool in verse five.

And secondly, we have the attitude of the wise in verse six. These are the solutions to the problem of lack of contentment and competition and envy and jealousy and suspicion. We read in verse five the fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.

He just does nothing. We have those kind of people that they realize there's competition. It's a it's a fight out there. It's a struggle out there. So they just give up they fold their hands and literally they consume everything they have.

Consuming the flesh is an old metaphor for starvation. You're gonna wind up with nothing by doing nothing. If that's what you're aiming for. You're gonna hit it every time nothing. That's the fool. In fact, God says a lot about this turn over to Proverbs just back to the book preceding this chapter 6.

Slothfulness and the Call to Diligence

Proverbs chapter 6. Some people look at the hassles of life and they decide to do nothing. I think there's a lot of Christians who are Violating what the Bible teaches about adorning the doctrine of God because you're apathetic and complacent at work.

You're doing as little as possible to get by. You have no desire to achieve. See there are problems on both sides here on the one hand. He's telling us that that we've got a tragedy in life. That's the envy and competition, but one solution that is not good is apathy or complacency.

You never want to achieve. You're not happy with where you're working so you're just gonna float through man. Just do what's necessary to get the big paycheck and live for the weekend. That's all your vision work to you is an evil not a good and that's what you're gonna reap whatever you sow.

That's what you're gonna reap. God is not against. God is not against working hard. God is not against success. The trouble is when envy and jealousy enter the heart then we have real problems. But the apathy of a fool God condemns him and in no uncertain terms in chapter 6 of Proverbs.

We read in verse 6 go to the ant you sluggered, you know when I read this I always kind of I don't know I you ever straighten your tire just kind of sit back. Yeah, I don't know about that. You know, I mean God sits there calls you a slugger.

Couldn't he choose a better word like, you know, maybe incompetent or. That's not too good. Well, what could you say? I mean lazy. I don't like that one either. Couldn't you be softer guy go to the ant you sluggered.

I Mean I'm offended right off the bat. Consider her ways and be wise. Which having no captain overseer or ruler. Provides their supplies in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest. How long will you slumber.

Oh sluggard? Man. And When will you rise from your sleep. A little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands there it is again to sleep. And so show your poverty come on you like a robber and your need like an armed man.

You know sometimes I tell you you can hardly wait to go to bed. You know, I mean you get so tired. You can't wait to just lay down for a few minutes, man. I mean sometimes you get so restless so tired so worn out a little sack time man would be great.

But there's a lot of people who've been in the sack too long. They're sleeping their life away and there's an apathy. Complacency problem in all this where people don't want to take hassles. They don't want to take confrontation.

They don't want to do this week at work what they know they ought to do. They're just gonna cruise it through because they've had it with the hassles. Little folding of the hands God says and your poverty will come on you like an armed robber.

God says a lot about it. You can't run away from look over chapter 24 of Proverbs verse 30. God talks a lot about the importance of work and staying with the stuff. So he's not encouraging us to be like the fool who folds his hands and says well.

There's so much competition out there this private enterprise deal just leads to jealousy and all kinds of manipulation and hypocrisy. I'm gonna just back off of it. Proverbs 24 30 says I went by the field of the slothful.

God doesn't have very good words to describe us. Does he. And. By the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding and there it was all overgrown with thorns. Its surface was covered with metals. Its stone wall was broken down last time.

I spoke on this I was using in an illustration in another town a guy gave me a note afterwards and he said I'm really offended. You just described my yard. You know depending on where your yard stand you get convicted even reading this stuff and God calls it slothful people.

Verse 32 when I saw it I considered it. Well, I looked on it received instruction a little sleep a little slumber a little there. It is again folding of the hands to rest so your poverty will come like a prowler and your want like an armed man.

The apathy of a fool that's no way to go but the attitude of the wise. Look back at Ecclesiastes again chapter 4 verse 6. This is an interesting verse to analyze. How do you handle this problem? There's there's competition jealousy envy out there in the marketplace.

Now, how do I handle the problem? Solomon says better that's always a key word in Ecclesiastes to tell you he's going to give some sort of solution next better is a handful with quietness. Then both hands full together with toil and grasping for the win.

That's a wise man. Statement you may look at everybody around you say I have truly accomplished great and mighty things. But if you've got toil and turmoil in your heart if you've got the lack of contentment and peace in your heart.

Then what good is it and better is one hand? Full with quietness of the heart then to have both hands full and be disturbed all the time and can never be at rest. You're going after too much. You see the problem of the overachiever again.

You want too much and what you're after is not there. Better is a one hand full with quietness in your heart than to have two hands full. But you are troubled and you are grasping for the wind. You are going nowhere, even though you think you are quietness.

Wow. Turn back to Proverbs 15. Same man wrote both and I think he probably had these passages in mind obviously by the direct statements like folding of the hands which we find in Proverbs and. And better a little with quietness than much with turmoil.

This is a concept we see frequently by Solomon in chapter 15 of Proverbs verse 16. He says better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure with trouble. How true. And Verse 17 better is a dinner of herbs or vegetables where love is than a fatted calf with hatred.

And that's true, too. You can have the greatest meal in all the world, but if there's hostility tension hatred bitterness jealousy at the table. You can't even enjoy your food and God says this frequently over in chapter 16 verse 8.

Better is a little with righteousness than vast revenues without justice. Again better what's better. And chapter 17 verse 1 better is a dry morsel. I Really don't like the bread when it gets dry and crusty and it can break, you know and all that.

But it's as better as a dry morsel with quietness than a house full of feasting with strife. When I see this sometimes I think of Thanksgiving National holiday supposedly to thank God and many homes are filled with tension.

The notes and letters that I received from many people about your Thanksgiving is enough to break a person's heart. And some of us are Christians. We we don't know what to do about those occasions. They've just become family tension times.

You don't even want to go. God says better as a dry morsel with quietness than a house full of feasting with strife. These things we all know are true back to Ecclesiastes 4 again. So we have a lack of of on the one hand a lack of comfort.

No one's relieving us inside. No one's ministering to our hearts, though. We keep wanting it and we live in a narcissistic age. It's you know crying out for this. I got needs man minister to me and everybody's saying the same thing and there's no comforters.

And a lack of contentment. Man, it's everywhere in this world. And then he comes to a final problem in verse 7 and 8 another great tragedy and that's a lack of companionship. It's no fun to be alone. I guess there is differences between being alone and being lonely.

Loneliness and the Need for Companionship

And we could talk about that. There certainly is sometimes you want to be alone. I mean, you're so hassled with people all the time. You you got to get alone. You got to have a little quiet time a little peace.

I understand that. But sad the person no matter how much they like their independence and no matter how much they like being alone. Sad the person who grows later in life and discovers all the pressures and hassles and problems that can inevitably come to a person.

And be there without anyone. To care you don't understand this problem. Go visit our rest homes and our convalescent hospitals. You talk about loneliness. That's why it's important to build your friendships not only among those in your own family but among those who are christian friends that you have known and ministered through to the years that.

In your hour of crisis in your hour of need there will be friends who will care. And it will be there. The sad truth is that we see relatively little of this in the world. Instead we see lonely people everywhere songs are sung.

And often become hit tunes whether they're by the young and the rock scene or whether they're by the old. Of the past generations in past decades. We hear the same message coming out the loneliness of life.

Where's the true friend? Where's the true companion? And solomon here in verse 7 and 8 lists. I believe at least three problems that we have to face in this matter. One is the simple problem of loneliness.

Verse 8 says there's one alone without companion. He has neither son nor brother. He's alone. Loneliness proverbs 18 1 suggests that sometimes we cause our own problem. Proverbs 18 1 says a man who isolates himself.

Seeks his own desire. And he rages against all wise judgment. Sometimes it's dangerous to want to be alone. Sure, whenever we're with somebody it involves certain obligations and certain responsibilities.

And some people say I want to be alone. I don't have to have the hassles. I don't have to minister to people. I don't have to bear the burdens. I don't have to hear their stories. My friends it goes both ways.

It's not easy to develop friendship. Friendship is developed often in the arena of hard times and difficult places. A friendship is something you work on frequently. It doesn't just come there's no spiritual hypodermic needle to somehow solve the problem of loneliness that many of us feel right now.

I've seen people that are married for years and are lonely as all get out live under the same roof and still so lonely. I've had people write and tell me that. These are problems that we have in society loneliness.

Proverbs 27 10 tells us do not forsake your own friend or your father's friend. Have you noticed how we have different friends parents and kids you notice that? God's advice to kids don't ever forsake your father's friends.

It goes on to say don't go to your brother's house meaning a relative in the day of calamity. For better is a neighbor or a friend who is nearby than a brother or a relative far away. What an interesting principle that is.

Is blood thicker than water? I don't know. First of all, I never found that verse in the bible. If your relatives are also christians who love god and are deep friends of yours. You have a choice blessed Thing from god god bless you.

But there are a lot of us who have found that even relatives can seem so distant and far away so uncaring. So lacking in compassion and concern and some of us will hear that relative word and and have a a warm wonderful Feeling for it and others will hear it and all we think of is sadness and tragedy and tension and hostility.

Better as a friend who is near whether he's a relative or not. Better as somebody that you've ministered over a long period of time. Don't forsake your friend ever and don't forsake your father's friend.

Bible has a lot to say about this and we're going to say more in our next message about friendship. Loneliness, it's a problem to face, but there's another problem. Look at verse 8 again. It's not just loneliness.