Ecclesiastes 4: 9 “Two are better than one because they have a more satisfying
return for their labor; 10 for if either of them falls, the one will
lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and does not
have another to lift him up.”
Who, here, at one time or another has not felt
alone? I can tell you I am definitely
tired of feeling alone. For anyone who
has never experienced deep soul crushing loneliness I would ask that you still
stay tuned in because chances are that you know someone or you will know
someone who suffers silently from loneliness.
This loneliness can also be manifest as depression, but it can be
manifest by the fake smile of the person sitting right next to you. A person can feel lonely even if they are in
a crowd of likeminded people such as a church or a big family with spouses and
kids. One does not have to be completely
alone to feel lonely. The converse is
also true just because a person is all by themselves does not mean that they
suffer from loneliness. Loneliness can
stem from a lack of physical, mental or spiritual connection or any combination
of these. For those that may be
wondering how you can help someone like me the answer is not completely
straight-forward. Yes you can remind us
that we are not alone. That you and God have our backs. This may suffice for a little while, Hugs
also help. No I’m not asking for those
things personally, but I rarely pass up a hug if offered! The biggest problem is that this is a daily
battle. One that I must do the work of
looking to Jesus, for myself. It is when
I take my eyes off of Jesus that the loneliness takes hold. There are also varying degrees of loneliness;
however self medicating with inappropriate physical closeness, drugs-legal or
otherwise- or alcohol only masks the real deeper connection that is longed
for. Knowing this intellectually and
remembering this in the moments of crisis are two completely different
things. So if you have suffered with
feelings of loneliness you are in good company .J Today I
would like to explore through the Bible three of the central figures who
experienced loneliness. But I will not
leave you there I will also share with you promises from God’s Word that you
can cling to in times of great loneliness,
So let’s look at some Biblical examples. Our first example is Moses. Now Moses had his brother, sister, wife and
kids but Numbers 11:14, says, “14 I am not able to carry all these people
alone, because the burden is too heavy for me.” Heavy is a
good word to describe the sensation of loneliness. Verse 15 goes on
to say, “So if this is
the way you are going to deal with me, please kill me at once, if I have found
favor in your sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness.” Just kill me…Moses would rather be dead that
to be so alone. In verse 17 God gives help to Moses in the form of 70 men to
help him with the load of work Moses was trying to do. 70 men!
To me this means two things; one, Moses was trying to do the work of 70+
men all alone. And two, 70 people is about the size of an average church. Our little church group runs about 20-30
people a week approximately. That means
that we need all hands on deck to be doing God’s work. Not one person should be doing the work or
carrying the load all by themselves. I
think that our group does a pretty good job at working together. Of course there will always be room to
grow.
Another person in
the Bible I would like to look at for a minute is Job. Let’s look at a few texts in the book of Job.
Job 1:15-19 Job 1:15 And the
Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants
with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 16While he
was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, the fire of God is fallen
from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them;
and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 17While he was yet speaking, there
came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon
the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the
edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 18While he was yet speaking, there came also
another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in
their eldest brother's house: 19And,
behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners
of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am
escaped alone to tell thee. We come to
the next chapter and Job is stricken with boils. His wife speaks in Job 2:9 “Then said his
wife unto him; dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die. Verse 10But he said unto her, Thou speakest
as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? Shall we receive good at the hand
of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his
lips.” So Job had lost just about
everything except four servants and his wife. He is in pain and alone. I say alone because his wife doesn’t
understand him and his servants that escaped to tell him the bad news seem to
disappear from the story at this point. His
friends come to “help” him. And we have
all heard this story enough to know that their “help” was no help at all. In fact in Job 7:16 Job says, “I loathe it;(speaking
of his life) I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity.” Job would rather be alone than to have well
meaning friends spouting well meaning words.
I take this story to mean that sometimes just being silent with someone
who is hurting is better than all the platitudes in the world. Yes, we all know that Jesus is the
answer. Jesus will never leave us or
forsake us. Deuteronomy
31:8 (KJV) “And the
Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail
thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” ETC.
Etc. But sometimes the head knowledge is
not what we need in the moment.
The
last person in the Bible that I would like to focus on is the person of Jesus
Christ our Lord and Savior Himself.
Jesus, we know was never married or had kids, so in that aspect he was
alone. His earthly father Joseph must
have died some time during his 33 ½ years on this earth because he was not at
the cross when Jesus died or Jesus would not have said to John in John 19:
26 “When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple
standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy
son! 27Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from
that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.” If Joseph were still alive this would not have
been necessary as Joseph would have taken care of his wife himself. Jesus siblings for the most part didn’t believe
in Him. In Desire of Ages we read, “The sons of Joseph were far from being in
sympathy with Jesus in His work. The reports that reached them in regard to His
life and labors filled them with astonishment and dismay….His brothers heard of
this, and also of the charge brought by the Pharisees that He cast out devils
through the power of Satan. They felt keenly the reproach that came upon them
through their relation to Jesus. They knew what a tumult His words and works
created, and were not only alarmed at His bold statements, but indignant at His
denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees. They decided that He must be
persuaded or constrained to cease this manner of labor, and they induced Mary
to unite with them, thinking that through His love for her they might prevail
upon Him to be more prudent.”DA Page 321 chapter 33. Entitled, “Who Are My Brethren?” [This chapter is based on Matt. 12:22-50;
Mark 3:20-35.] Even in the end all of
His disciples left Him alone. Mark 14:50
(KJV) “And they all forsook him, and fled.”
Yet Jesus was continually in a throng of
people, everyone clamoring to touch him or to receive from some miracle or
another. Jesus had to make time for
Himself to be alone with His Father.
Jesus is the one who gave us our example. Matthew 14: 23 “And when he had sent
the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the
evening was come, he was there alone.” Jesus even though He was alone in
this world knew that in reality He was never truly alone. For He said in John
16: 32 Hebrews
4:15 (KJV) “For we have not an high priest which cannot be
touched with the feeling of our infirmities;
but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
There are many other
examples that I could share like the lepers had to live alone outside the camp
and never have human touch again. Leviticus 13: 46 “All the days wherein the plague
shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone;
without the camp shall his habitation be.” Jesus reached even these men when He lived
here on the earth. Matthew 8:3 “And
Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” Jesus touched Him! 
We don’t know how long it had been since this
man had been without another human touch, but can you imagine that the first
human touch he had received was from the hand of Jesus? David also wrestled with loneliness see
Psalms 102:1 “Hear
my prayer, O Lord, and let my
cry come unto thee. 2 Hide
not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto
me: in the day when I call answer me speedily. 3 For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as
an hearth.4 My heart is
smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread. 5 By reason of the voice of my groaning
my bones cleave to my skin. 6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the
desert. 7 I watch, and am
as a sparrow alone upon the house top. 8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad
against me are sworn against me. 9 For I have eaten ashes like bread, and
mingled my drink with weeping, 10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted
me up, and cast me down. 11 My days are like a shadow that
declineth; and I am withered like grass.”
Even Elijah, who was taken to heaven, felt alone." 1 Kings 19:14 “And he
said, I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts: because
the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars,
and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they
seek my life, to take it away.” But God tells him in verse 18 “Yet I
have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto
Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.”
Jesus has given us many, many promises of his love for us
and His assurance that He will never leave us. From the very beginning the
Godhead knew that it was not good for man to be alone. Genesis 2: 18 “And the Lord God said, it is not good
that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” God is in the business of helping us humans
to not be alone. Psalms 147:3 “He healeth the broken
in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” My favorite promise from Jesus
is found in John 14:1 “Let not
your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my
Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I
go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may
be also.” God will not leave us
alone.Another one of my favorites is: Romans
8:15 (KJV) “For
ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received
the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba,
Father.” When the Bible says Abba that
is like saying “Daddy”. The connotation here is of a little child’s
innocence and unconditional love for his/her dad. I can picture myself curled up in my dad’s
lap listening to him tell me a story. This
picture brings me great comfort when I can think of God like that instead of as
a cruel judge.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 “For the
Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these
words.” 
God does not promise that we
will never be alone or lonely on this earth but He does promise that He will
always be with us.
God’s
word is a living, breathing document that holds relevant content for each of us
today. Whether our issue is loneliness,
or any particular specific sin God gives us plenty of evidences of His love and
grace. Hebrews 12:
1 “Wherefore
seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us
lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us
run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author
and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the
cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of
God.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9
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