Eclesiastes 5

Eclesiastes 5

MacArthur has an interesting comment that "Officials have an unfair advantage to attain wealth." It is amazing how many congressmen and senators enter their service not that wealthy but in time become multi-, multi- millionaires! William Barrick - The successive tiers and levels of bureaucracy result in officials watching out for one another (Eccl 5:8). The mutual protection makes it difficult to root out corruption. (Borrow Garrett page 312) Sometimes that watching involves checks and balances that enable government to operate efficiently and justly. However, all too often those successive levels of governmental provide a means of sharing bribes that are distributed up the chain by the original recipient, who keeps but a small part of it for himself. One ought not be shocked that such things exist within a bureaucracy—it is merely the outcome of fallen human nature. Government comes with a price (1Sa 8:4–18+). Ryrie interprets this as saying that "There is corruption at every level of government, with higher-level oppressors plundering the equally oppressive lower-level magistrates." (Borrow Ryrie Study Bible page 988) The Wycliffe Bible Commentary (online) says this verse "refers to the system of government in those days. Each official watched the one beneath him in order to obtain part of the spoils of taxation and graft. Because of this system one should) not marvel at the oppression and lack of justice." Ecclesiastes 5:8-12 True Satisfaction By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life. --Proverbs 22 Becoming rich and famous does not guarantee contentment. If it did, multimillionaire athletes would not jeopardize their careers by using illicit drugs. If it did, a wealthy lawyer would not have tearfully told me that he would gladly trade everything he had for a change in the behavior of his sons. If it did, the occurrence of multiple marriages among celebrities would not be commonplace. Obviously, contentment must come from a source other than wealth and fame. In Ecclesiastes 5, Solomon said that because sinful people rule the world, we shouldn't be surprised when the poor are oppressed and when justice and righteousness are denied (vv.8-9). The life of those who love money is not as rosy as it seems. They are never satisfied with what they have, and they face the emptiness of watching other people consume their riches (vv.10-11). The humble laborer, content with little, can sleep soundly, while the rich man lies awake at night worrying about his money (v.12). You may have much gold and grandeur, Yet by God be reckoned poor; He alone has riches truly Who has Christ, though nothing more. --Anon. Discontentment makes rich men poor; contentment makes poor men rich! See Christian Contentment Ecclesiastes 5:8-12 Selfish Desire for Wealth First, Solomon notes that a selfish desire for wealth can lead to oppression. A second danger to remember is that love for money leads to dissatisfaction. Third, Solomon notes that a love for money leads to anxiety (vv. 11-12) (Today in the Word) Ray Pritchard - Something New Under the Sun LOST IN THE BUREAUCRACY If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed b y a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. The increase from the land is taken b y all; the king himself profits from the fields. Ecclesiastes 5:8-9 Imagine a typical government bureaucracy in which layers of officials take care of each other and look the other way when corruption occurs. That is what Solomon seems to describe, and he is equally interested by those at the bottom and the top. When you see the poor oppressed, don't be surprised, he says. This is the way of the world and things never change. The people with power rip off the powerless—thus it has been; thus it shall ever be. As with many other statements in Ecclesiastes, this is not a moral judgment, just a statement of reality. This is life "under the sun." At the other end of the spectrum, the king profits from the fields. That is, the poor pay exorbitant taxes and the money filters upward as each official takes his cut. And the king gets the biggest cut. In this system everyone makes out pretty well except the poor fellow at the bottom of the heap. He starts out poor and stays that way. Is Solomon asking us to accept this state of affairs? Yes and no. Yes, in the sense that we live in a fallen world and should not be shocked that people in authority abuse their trust to line their own pockets. On the other hand, if we lose our sense of moral outrage we become complacent and actually begin to accept as normal that which is morally wrong. The fact that sin reigns in the human heart means that we'll never be rid of corrupt leaders, but that's no excuse for tolerating official misconduct. Proverbs 24:10-12 reminds us that we will be judged for what we have done to rescue those who are abused by others. The fact that we cannot help everyone doesn't mean we should not help anyone. There is a time to speak out, a time to protest, a time to write letters, a time to make phone calls, a time to hold a press conference, and a time to sign petitions. God may even call you to run for office so that you can make a difference in high places. If you cannot change the world, do what you can where you are and let God take care of what you can't do. Lord, I pray for the strength to do right when those around me are doing wrong Amen. SHINING THE LIGHT Have you ever been asked to do something you felt was wrong to do? How did you respond? What happened? How can Christians keep a good testimony in a workplace where evil seems to be tolerated or even encouraged? MORE LIGHT FROM GOD'S WORD Read Daniel 1:1-17; Matthew 5:13-16; and John 15:17-21. Ecclesiastes 5:9 After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land. the profit: Ge 1:29,30 3:17-19 Ps 104:14,15 115:16 Pr 13:23 27:23-27 Pr 28:19 Jer 40:10-12 the king: 1Sa 8:12-17 1Ki 4:7-23 1Ch 27:26-31 THE KING'S FIELDS After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land - NLT paraphrases it negatively "Even the king milks the land for his own profit." AMP renders it with a positive slant "After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land." This verse concludes the thought begun in Ecclesiastes 5:8 about injustice and hierarchical government. Ryrie favors the positive slant - A king who devotes himself to developing the resources of the land brings profit to all. (Borrow Ryrie Study Bible page 988) The Wycliffe Bible Commentary (online) In other words, not only do all the officials get a share of the extortion, but there is no cultivated area which does not fall under taxation. William Barrick - Eccl 5:9 contains multiple interpretive issues. The major issue involves the relationship of the king to the cultivated field. Eaton believes that the lesson to be learned is that “bureaucratic officialdom does not totally override the value of kingly authority.” (Borrow Eaton page 101) In other words, despite the presence of oppression and corruption in a monarchy, there is yet an advantage to having a king. Therefore, citizens ought not be too hasty about overthrowing him. As Kidner puts it, “even tyranny is better than anarchy.” (Borrow Kidner page 55) With a slightly different take on the text, Kaiser takes the view that the text refers to ruler and people being “happiest when they both realize that they are served by the farmed fields.”19 Basically, this view echoes 1 Samuel 8:10–18. The king protects the land and its private possession by the nation’s citizens. In other words, a text like Proverbs 23:10– 11 comes under the domain of the king’s authority. (Craig G. Bartholomew, Ecclesiastes) Ecclesiastes 5:10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity. He who loves money: Ec 4:8 6:7 Ps 52:1,7 62:10 Pr 30:15,16 Hab 2:5-7 Mt 6:19,24 Lu 12:15 1Ti 6:10 This too is vanity.: Ec 1:17 2:11,17,18,26 3:19 4:4,8,16 Related Passages: Hebrews 13:5-6+ Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,” 6 so that we confidently say, “THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?” Grasping for vanity! THE FUTILITY OF MORE MONEY This verse returns to one of Solomon’s most consistent themes in Ecclesiastes: the futility of pursuing satisfaction through material wealth, in this section we might call it the "Money Mirage" or the hit song in the Greatest Showman "Never Enough." He who loves (aheb/ahab; Lxx - agapao in present tense = continually loves) money will not be satisfied (saba;Lxx - pimplemi - satisfied totally) with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. It is not wealth itself that’s condemned, but the love of it—a craving or obsession with gaining more. Money is like a narcotic because you can never satisfy the urge to get high and the the more you to it, the more you want it. It's like the old Mick Jagger song "I can't get no...satisfaction!" Wealth, no matter how vast, never truly satisfies the heart. The appetite for more is insatiable. Loving money leads to a bottomless emptiness. True satisfaction can never come from material things—it’s a chasing of the wind. This verse exposes the lie behind materialism: “If I just had a little more, I’d be content.” But the human heart, once enslaved to wealth, always wants more. Solomon had unmatched riches, yet writes as one who found it all to be vapor. Money can buy things, but it cannot buy peace, meaning, security, or eternal joy. Jesus warned about the seductive snare of wealth and money in Luke 12:15+ giving not one but two commands to “Beware (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey), and be on your guard (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” The problem with possessions is they usually end possessing the possessor! The Worship of Mammon Evelyn De Morgan 🙏 THOUGHT - Here are a few thoughts to ponder. Do you desire gold more than God (note there is only one letter difference)? Do you spend more energy gaining than giving, accumulating than adoring? Are you fighting the illusion of "just a little more?" Am I cultivating contentment realizing that true contentment is a choice rooted in gratitude and trust in God's provision (1Ti 6:6–10+). See Christian Contentment. The love of money is a road that never ends—and never satisfies. See Hebrews 13:5 commentary on true contentment. William Barrick - Dealing with the Pursuit of Money (Eccl 5:10–17) Money leaves human covetousness unsatisfied (Eccl 5:10), attracts hangers-on as self-styled dependents and presents opportunities for gaining more money (Eccl 5:11), disturbs one’s peace (Eccl 5:12), places an individual in greater jeopardy because of the potential for experiencing a greater loss (Eccl 5:13–15), and fails to help anyone avoid death (Eccl 5:16–17). Solomon employs a chain of proverbs to speak of money and the impact it has upon people’s lives. This too is vanity (hebel; Lxx - mataiotes - emptiness, nothingness, purposelessness) - It depicts that which looks substantial but vanishes upon grasping. "The love of money increases, in proportion as money itself increases." Ray Pritchard - Something New Under the Sun THE MONEY TRAP Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them? Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 I wonder if Solomon looked in the mirror as he wrote these words. After all, he was the richest man in the world. I wonder if Solomon looked in the mirror as he wrote these words. After all, he was the richest man in the world. Did he never have enough? Does anyone ever have enough? Come to think of it, how much is enough? Those who live for money will be perpetually dissatisfied no matter how much they make. It's like the story of the man who asked the millionaire, "When are you going to stop working and start taking it easy?" Answer: "When I make enough money." "How much is enough?" "Just one more dollar." Money has a way of doing that to you. It's a narcotic—the more you have, the more you want. But that's only part of the problem. As verse 11 points out, the rich person amasses a great fortune only to see others consume his wealth. Nobody keeps his money forever. Even the entrepreneur who corners the market in pork bellies will eventually have to sell them or see them rot in the warehouse. And as for admiring your wealth, how many cars do you really need? Or how many shoes can you wear? You can only eat one meal at a time. You can only drive one car at a time. The rest is just for show. Have you ever read the little book of Haggai? It's all about what happens when God's people decide that money is more important than God. The prophet uses a picturesque phrase—"you earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it" (Haggai 1:6). This is the Law of the Unproductive Harvest. It happens to us over and over until we learn that God will not be mocked. Why would God do this? He allows us to suffer the results of our wrong choices in order to get our attention, to convict us of sin, and to lead us to repentance. God knows how to ring your phone. He knows where you live and He knows how to reach your private line anytime He wants. Joyce Baldwin speaks of the "moral paralysis" that keeps us from obeying God. Because we know what God wants us to do and because we don't want to do it, our lives are stuck in a kind of permanent spiritual neutral— we can't go forward or backward. We just stay where we are—miserable and unfulfilled. That won't change until we finally admit that God matters more than money. God of every blessing, do whatever it takes to free me from loving money more than I love You. Amen. SHINING THE LIGHT What keeps you from obeying God? Where is the "moral paralysis" in your own life? What are you going to do about it? MORE LIGHT FROM GOD'S WORD Read Haggai 1; Acts 5:1—11; and Revelation 3:14-22. Ecclesiastes 5:10-20 I Want More!' He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver. —Ecclesiastes 5:10 Things were going along as well as could be expected in the Sunday school class for 2-year-olds. But then along came “Charlie.” As soon as we took him from his mother’s arms, he squirmed and fussed. Like a broken record, he whined over and over, first for his mommy, then for his daddy. Then a nickel fell out of his pocket, and his tune suddenly changed. As he clutched the five cents in his chubby little fist, Charlie cried over and over, “I want more money!” Finally, one of the other adults thought he might quiet Charlie down by giving the youngster a penny. Quickly the cry became, “I want another penny!” Then it switched back to, “I want more money.” I couldn’t help but think how childishly adult his words were. Sure, money has its place. But as the wise man who wrote Ecclesiastes realized, those who love money will not be satisfied with it (5:10). The best way to live, therefore, is to work hard and be thankfully satisfied with whatever increase the Lord gives. When you look at others with their lands and gold, Think that God has promised you His wealth untold; Count your many blessings—money cannot buy Your reward in heaven nor your home on high. —Oatman To be rich in God is better than to be rich in goods. Our Deepest Longings Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied. Ecclesiastes 5:10 Today's Scripture & Insight : Ecclesiastes 5:10–12 As a young man, Duncan had been afraid of not having enough money, so in his early twenties, he began ambitiously building his future. Climbing the ladder at a prestigious Silicon Valley company, Duncan achieved vast wealth. He had a bulging bank account, a luxury sports car, and a million-dollar California home. He had everything he desired; yet he was profoundly unhappy. “I felt anxious and dissatisfied,” Duncan said. “In fact, wealth can actually make life worse.” Piles of cash didn’t provide friendship, community, or joy—and often brought him only more heartache. Some people will expend immense energy attempting to amass wealth in an effort to secure their lives. It’s a fool’s game. “Whoever loves money never has enough,” Scripture insists (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Some will work themselves to the bone. They’ll strive and push, comparing their possessions with others and straining to achieve some economic status. And yet even if they gain supposed financial freedom, they’ll still be unsatisfied. It’s not enough. As the writer of Ecclesiastes states, “This too is meaningless” (v. 10). What brings you true satisfaction and fulfillment? How can you more fully live out the fact that only God is enough? Gracious God, allow me to find my true fulfillment and joy in You. Keep me from a wrong view of work and material things. GREED - ILLUSTRATION - In the days following her flight from the Philippines with her deposed husband, revelations about Imelda Marcos made her name a synonym for greed. What can a woman do with thousands of pairs of shoes? But the Imelda Marcos syndrome operates throughout the economic scale. The term “greed” means simply “a consuming desire to have more”; it has the nuance of a grasping for more, a lust to acquire. It is the very opposite of the contentment that accompanies true godliness (1 Timothy 6:6). We miss the point, however, if we see covetousness as an issue of amount not attitude. The poorest can be greedy; the richest can avoid greed. But the danger of possessions is that they often arouse the desire for more. Ivan Boesky, who went to prison and paid a fine of $100 million for insider trading was, a few years earlier, the darling of Wall Street. During that time he declared at a graduation ceremony at a major university, “Greed is all right. I want you to know I think greed is healthy. You can be greedy and still feel good about yourself.” As Newsweek later commented, “The strangest thing when we look back will not be just that Ivan Boesky could say that at a business school graduation, but that it was greeted with laughter and applause” (December 1, 1986). In the 1950s, wrestling was almost as popular as it is at present (and just as authentic!). The European champion was Yussif the Turk, who came to America to fight Strangler Lewis for the “world championship” and $5,000. Yussif won and insisted that the $5,000 be paid in gold, which he stuffed into his championship belt. The money mattered so much that he refused to remove the belt until he had reached home safely. Boarding the first available ship to Europe, he headed home. But halfway across the Atlantic, the ship foundered in a storm and began to sink. In a panic, Yussif jumped for a lifeboat, missed, and went straight to the bottom. His golden belt had become a golden anchor, a vivid illustration of the Lord’s words. (Gary Inrig - Borrow The parables : understanding what Jesus meant - see page 93) Steven Cole (see full sermon on How To Be Really Rich) A TEST FOR GREED: Here are five questions to ask yourself: (1) Do my thoughts more often run after material things than after God Himself? If I am often thinking about that new car or that nicer house or that better computer, and I seldom think about how I can know God better, I am tainted by greed. (2) Do I ever compromise godly character in the pursuit of material gain? If I sometimes cheat or lie or steal to get ahead financially or to avoid loss, I am being greedy. If I am willing to shred relationships or to take advantage of another person for financial gain, I am being greedy. If I care more about making money than about being a witness for Jesus Christ, I am being greedy. (3) Do I enjoy material things more than I enjoy knowing God? If my happiness soars when I get a new car, but I am bored by the things of God, I am greedy. If I rejoice when I win a raffle or door prize, but I yawn when I hear about a soul being saved, I am greedy. (4) How do I respond when I lose material things? When the stock market drops, do I fall apart emotionally? If I get robbed or lose some or all of my things in a fire, does it devastate me? I’m not saying that we must be stoical about such losses. We will always feel some sadness when we lose things. But if it wipes us out, then we’re probably too attached to this world and its goods. (5) What would I do if I suddenly came into a fortune? I presume that none of you play the lottery, but what if you won the Reader’s Digest Sweepstakes? What if a distant relative died and left you a large inheritance? Would your first thought be, “Now I can get that better house or car or boat”? “Now I can take that trip around the world I’ve always wanted to take.” Or, would you think, “Now I can support dozens of missionaries”? “Thousands of people can hear about Christ because He has given me funds to invest in the spread of His kingdom!” Ecclesiastes 5:10 The Greed Problem Read: Isaiah 5:1-10 He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase. —Ecclesiastes 5:10 When I was 15 years old, I spent as much time as I could in the library reading articles and books about social justice. I was troubled by the fact that thousands of men who were willing to work hard could not find a job. I was trying to find out what form of government could best provide economic justice. Through a better understanding of the Bible and after some experience in the workplace, I gradually began to see that human greed, not an economic system, is the culprit. A poor person may envy the rich and strive to gain great wealth, but if he succeeds he discovers that he still wants more. One translation of Ecclesiastes 5:10 states it this way: “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income” (NIV). Through the prophet Isaiah, God expressed His grief over what greed did to His people (Isa. 5:1-10). He loves justice, but He saw the rich oppress the poor. He loves righteousness, but He heard cries of distress from the lips of the wronged. And He pronounced judgment on the greedy who kept buying more and more with no concern for others. I do not ask for treasures here, To hoard, decay, and rust, But for the better things of life— Humility and trust. —Meadows Money is a good servant but a poor master. ILLUSTRATION - In 1923 a group of the world’s most successful financiers met at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. Collectively, these tycoons controlled more wealth than there was in the United States Treasury, and for years newspapers and magazines had been printing their success stories and urging the youth of the nation to follow their examples. Twenty-seven years later, let’s see what happened to them. (1) CHARLES SCHWAB—the president of the largest independent steel company—lived on borrowed money the last five years of his life, and died penniless. (2) ARTHUR CUTTEN—the greatest wheat speculator—died abroad insolvent. (3) RICHARD WHITNEY—the president of the New York Stock Exchange—was released some time ago from Sing Sing. (4) ALBERT FALL—the member of the President’s Cabinet—was pardoned from prison so he could die at home. (5) JESSE LIVERMORE—the greatest bear in Wall Street—committed suicide. (6) LEON FRASER—the president of the Bank of International Settlement—committed suicide. (7) IVAR KREUGER—the head of the world’s greatest monopoly—committed suicide. All of these men had learned how to make money, but not one of them had learned how to live. “For what good does it do a person to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” — Mark 8:36 Howard