Ecclesiastes 5:8-20 Money Money Money

ECCLESIASTES 5 MONEY MONEY MONEY

YOU WONT FIND MEANING IN YOUR MONEY

You will find corruption  "If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righ­teousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them" (Ecclesiastes 5:8).

You will find Frustration  "He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity" (Ecclesiastes 5:10)

The more you have, the less you're satisfied  "Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income" (v. 10).

The more you have, the more you realize it does you no good. "And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?" (v. 11).

The more you have the more you spend "When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes?" (Ecclesiastes 5:11).

The more you have the more you worry "Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep" (Ecclesiastes 5:12).

The more you have the more it can hurt you v13 "I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner" 

The more you have the more you lose  ".. and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is the father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand."  "Or wealth lost through some misfortune" (v. 14).

The more you have the more you leave "As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind?" (Ecclesiastes 5:15–16).

The more you have the lonelier you will be "Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger." 17

YOU CAN FIND JOY IN YOUR JOB AND MONEY

Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot.19 Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil---this is the gift of God.20 For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.

GOD WANTS YOU TO EXPERIENCE CONTENTMENT, FULFILLMENT AND ENJOYMENT

1 Tim 6:6 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment,7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. 11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness…  17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

 

Growth Group Questions

What are some things in your life you thought would make you happy if you got them, but the happiness didn't last long?

In what ways do you have trouble "clocking out" when you leave work? What are some steps you should take to disengage from work and to rest better?

How can you fight against anxiety in the arena of money?

In what ways does contemplating death help you view money and possessions more biblically?

In what ways do meaningful relationships bring more joy than a lot of money and stuff?

What are the ways we can view and use money rightly? 

How do we become generous people?

 

 

Do you have dreams of unbounded riches? You've visualized winning the lottery.. $180 m powerball lottery? Someone on Penrith? I haven't noticed the offering go up this week.

Money money money by Abba.  Or Money can't Buy Me Love by the Beatles.

Madonna the singer not the idol. 'Cause we are living in a material world And I am a material girl
You know that we are living in a material world And I am a material girl

The TV show may have got it right: Kath and Kim  The Life of Effluence

You wont find meaning in your money

You will find corruption

The Solomon of Ecclesiastes wants to help us win this spiritual struggle by showing us the vanity of money. He starts by talking about the injustice that people suffer from the sinful structures of society. In a moment he will make this personal, but he starts by talking about the system: "If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righ­teousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them" (Ecclesiastes 5:8).

The Preacher sees something that we all see — oppression and injustice at every level of society. We see it in communism, where the state seizes control of the means of production. But we also see it in capitalism when­ever profit is pursued without regard for the well-being of other persons. Somehow poor people always seem to get the worst end of the bargain. Ecclesiastes tells us not to be surprised by the vanity of all this injustice. This is not to excuse unrighteousness; it is simply being realistic about life in a fallen world.

He refers to an official hierarchy, in which one person oversees another. But it is not entirely clear why this causes injustice. Maybe the issue here is government bureaucracy — what Tremper Longman calls the "red tape" interpretation.1 Somehow a multi-level bureaucracy always seems to open more doors to injustice. In the words of one scholar, this verse is about "the frustrations of oppressive bureaucracy with its endless delays and excuses, while the poor cannot afford to wait, and justice is lost between the tiers of the hierarchy."2

Or perhaps the point is that each level of government takes something from the level below. We should not be surprised when people in authority abuse their power. Eventually injustice reaches all the way down to the poor, who would probably oppress someone if they could, but they can't because they are at the bottom. On this interpretation, the problem is not bureaucracy but tyranny.

The right way to interpret the verse partly depends on the meaning of the word for "watched" (shomer). Occasionally this word has a negative connotation. So it might refer to the way that different branches of govern­ment tend to be suspicious of one another. To "watch" in this sense is to keep people under surveillance, looking for a way to take advantage of them. But "watch" can also be taken more positively, in which case it would imply that people in government are watching out for one another, protecting each other. This kind of cronyism creates a political machine that leaves poor and ordinary people on the outside looking in. There are so many kinds of injustice in society that we should never be surprised by sin. Unless there is "some Solomon to exhort and console him," said Martin Luther, "government crushes the man, extinguishes him, and utterly destroys him."

Verse 9 seems to offer at least a partial solution to this perennial prob­lem. The Preacher says, "But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields" (Ecclesiastes 5:9). This is another hard verse to translate. The way the English Standard Version has it, the best defense against government corruption is a godly king. Society needs a ruler with wisdom like Solomon, someone who values economic free­dom, who encourages his people to prosper by cultivating their own fields. Many scholars read this verse more negatively, however, and translate as follows: "The profit of the land is taken by all; even the king benefits from the field."4 On this reading, the king is not part of the solution but another part of the problem. Certainly this is the way most rulers operated in the ancient world, and ever since: they claimed the profits of the land for themselves.

"A politician is someone who has his hand in other people's pockets."

You will find Frustration

Public officials are not the only people who want to get more money; this is a temptation for all of us. So the Preacher warns us about the vanity of prosperity: "He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity" (Ecclesiastes 5:10)

The more you have the more you want John D. Rockefeller was one of the richest men in the world, but when someone asked him how much money was enough, he famously said, "Just a little bit more."

The more you have, the less you're satisfied  "Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income" (v. 10).

The more you have, the more you realize it does you no good. "And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?" (v. 11).

Scottish Poet Robert Burns: But pleasures are like poppies spread, You seize the flow'r, its bloom is shed;

Or like the snow falls in the river, A moment white—then melts forever.

The Temptations were high school kids having fun singing on the corner, then somebody heard them, and suddenly they were Motown. They got famous. And you know what? Today only one of those guys is still alive. One shot himself because of his alcoholism and a broken marriage, both of which were caused by wealth. Another used his money to get into drugs. He was found with a bullet through his head after he had been thrown out of a drug pusher's limousine. Another one of them committed adultery and destroyed his marriage.  Life was simple until they got money. They didn't know how to deal with it and became real-life examples of wealth accumulated by man to his hurt. Have you ever considered that one of God's great mercies toward you is that He restricts the amount of money you make?

The more you have the more you spend The problem with money is that other people will try to take it from us. "When goods increase," the Preacher says, "they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes?" (Ecclesiastes 5:11). The phrase "they increase who eat them" refers in some way to people who consume our wealth. It might be the oppressive govern­ment described in verses 8– 9, which takes away our money through higher taxes. It might be our children or other dependents — the hungry mouths around our table. Or it might be the people who come begging for us to give them something — the spongers, the freeloaders, and the hangers-on. But no matter who they are, the more we have, the more other people try to get it. No one knew this better than King Solomon. He was the richest man in the world, but given the many thousands of people whom he had to feed (see 1 Kings 4:22–28), he almost needed to be! Here he warns us that the more we have, the more people will want it. If they succeed in getting it, we will never be able to enjoy it ourselves. We may see it, but it will be gone before we ever get the chance to use it. This is vanity.

William MacDonald says, "When a man's possessions increase, it seems there's a corresponding increase in the number of parasites who live off him: management consultants, tax advisers, accountants, lawyers, household employees, and sponging relatives."

The more you have the more you worry         Money is that it will keep us up at night. The Preacher-King makes this point by drawing a contrast: "Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep" (Ecclesiastes 5:12).  "The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep" (v. 12).

As a general rule, people who work hard all day, especially if they work with their hands, are ready for a good night's sleep. Whether they have had a decent supper or else are so poor that they go to bed hungry, they will be tired enough to go right to sleep. The idle rich do not enjoy this luxury but are up all night. This is not because they are worrying about all their pos­sessions, like the rich fool in the parable that Jesus told (Luke 12:13–21), but because a gluttonous diet of fatty foods gives them a tummy-ache. Their insomnia is caused by indigestion.

Having a lot of money can be very unhealthy — not just spiritually but also physically.

The more you have the more it can hurt you  "I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner" (v. 13). The more you have, the more you can hurt yourself by holding on to it.

The more you have the more you lose     "There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is the father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand."  "Or wealth lost through some misfortune" (v. 14).

This is a third reason why living for money is meaningless: it may be here today, but it will be gone tomorrow. The Preacher calls this "a grievous evil," which literally means that it makes him sick even to think about it. To explain why, he gives us a case study, the point of which, said Martin Luther, is to show that "God permits the very riches in which people trust to bring about the ruin of those who own them." Today people lose their money in places like the stock market. In those days their ships foundered at sea or their camel trains were attacked in the wilderness. But whatever the reason, this man took a gamble and ended up destitute as a result.

Even worse, the man was a father, and now he had nothing to leave his son. The story thus assumes what the Bible teaches in other places: parents should leave a legacy for their children (e.g., Proverbs 13:22). In financial planning for the future, we should think not only of ourselves, but also about what we can give to our families.

When life goes wrong, we look first to the financial remedy. Her marriage fails, and she wonders if a bigger house would have made the difference. He faces depression, so he goes out and buys an expensive sports car. They're losing their kids, so they shower them with gifts. Very simply, wealth is not the answer. Don't you think it's significant that this idea permeates the whole Word of God, from Moses to Paul? Isn't God urgently trying to tell us something? The illusion is powerful, persistent, and deadly. It promises heaven but delivers heartbreak. In this chapter of Ecclesiastes, Solomon offers us five points on finance, then two profound truths about God.

The more you have the more you leave     We can't take it with us. Here is how the story of the man who lost his money continues: "As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind?" (Ecclesiastes 5:15–16).

Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand" (v. 15)

How much will a rich man leave? Everything. Every single cent. The only time in the Bible that God personally calls a man a fool is in Luke 12:19-20: And I [a rich man] will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry. But God said to him, ˜You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?"

The rich man loses everything he had put his faith in. Store up treasures in heaven, not here, because wealth in the hands of a man who doesn't know how to use it is a severe affliction.

He calls that foolishness in Luke 12. Steve Jobs (1955–2011) had a net worth of $10.2 billion when he died. We all know how much he took with him. Not a penny.

  "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21). The Apostle Paul took the same truth and applied it to all of us: "We brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world" (1 Timothy 6:7).

One day all our labors will be lost. This is the tragic reality that every one of us must face — the reality of our mortality.

The more you have the more you may regret it

A striking example of perpetual dissatisfaction comes from the exca­vations at the city of Pompeii. When Vesuvius erupted and Pompeii was buried, many people perished, with their body shapes, postures, and in some instances their facial expressions preserved in volcanic ash. One woman's feet were pointed in the direction of the city gate, headed for safety. Yet her face was turned back to look at something just beyond the reach of her out­stretched hands. She was grasping for a prize — a bag of beautiful pearls. Whether suddenly she remembered that she had left the pearls behind or else saw that someone else had dropped them as she was running for her life, the woman was frozen in a pose of unattainable desire.

This is a temptation for all of us: to turn from life to death by reach­ing for something we think will satisfy us — a string of pearls perhaps or some other kind of jewellery. Some people reach for food and drink or some other substance they can put into their bodies. Others are allured by sexual pleasure. Still others turn to their toys and games or to some other hobby. Or maybe they just spend more time watching television or playing on the computer. But whatever it is, our wandering appetites are always reaching for something we hope will satisfy us.

"If anything is worse than the addiction money brings," writes Derek Kidner, "it is the emptiness it leaves."

Does Solomon tells us to eat, drink, and be industrious, for tomorrow we die?

That is not all he is saying. He is giving us a balanced, God-centered view. Just as he has been honest about the vanity of our exis­tence, so also he wants to tell the truth about finding joy in the everyday things of life, like working and feasting.

How is it possible to tell whether we are guilty of an inordinate love of money? A friend of mine has identified a number of telltale signs that are a distinct challenge. I am guilty of loving money when:

• Thoughts of money consume my day.

• Others' success makes me jealous.

• I define success in terms of what I have rather than what I am in Christ.

• My family is neglected in my pursuit of money.

• I close my eyes to the genuine needs of others.

• I am living in the paralyzing fear of losing it.

• I am prepared to borrow myself into bondage.

• God gets my leftovers, rather than my firstfruits.

You can Find Fulfillment in your work

He knows that joy is real because he has experienced it himself. He also knows that joy is "good and fitting" — something appropriate for the people of God. Yes, our time on earth is short, but whatever time we do have is a sacred gift. When the Preacher calls life "the gift of God," he is giv­ing it the highest praise. This is not stoicism or sarcasm but godly gratitude.  The Preacher can say this because he believes in the God of joy. Earlier in this passage, when he was talking about the vanity of money, the Preacher hardly mentioned God at all. But in verses 18–20 he mentions him repeat­edly. Whatever enjoyment he finds is God-centered. Without God, life is meaningless and miserable, especially if we are living for money. But when we know the God of joy, even money can be a blessing.  Yet here he tells us explicitly that if we are wealthy, we should enjoy it. It almost sounds like a contradiction, but notice where the power of enjoyment comes from: it comes from God. Both having things and enjoying things are gifts from God. This profound insight helps us have a balanced view of our earthly pos­sessions. The world that God created is full of many rich gifts, but the power to enjoy them does not lie in the gifts themselves. This is why it is always useless to worship the gifts instead of the Giver. The ability to enjoy wealth or family or friendship or food or work or sex or any other good gift comes only from God.

GOD WANTS YOU TO EXPERIENCE CONTENTMENT

1 Timothy 6: 2 Teach and urge these things.3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness,4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions,5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.6 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment,7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.

GOD WANTS YOU TO EXPERIENCE FULFILLMENT

9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Replace personal temporary values with eternal values.

11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Fix your eyes on things above, the eternal God Himself

13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession,14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Remember the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ and the end of the age.

15 which he will display at the proper time---he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

How much land can a man own? 6' x 3' x 6'

GOD WANTS YOU TO EXPERIENCE ENJOYMENT

17As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

J.C. Penney, having built a flourishing business, became filled with despair, checked himself into a hospital, and waited to die. No doctor could do a thing for him. One evening, the certainty of impending death flooded across Penney's troubled soul. He was writing farewell notes to his wife and his loved ones when he heard the singing of nurses in a chapel down the hall. "No matter what may be the test," they sang, "God will take care of you." To Penney these were the voices of white-clad angels. Something was suddenly born within his soul: an absolute assurance that the old faith was true—that he was completely in the loving hands of Jesus, and need fear no more. J. C. Penney climbed out of his bed immediately—fully cured physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He was a brand-new creation. He left the hospital immediately, rebuilt his sagging business empire to unprecedented heights, and served God magnificently all his days. We need not disappear into the golden quicksand of our wealth, as Solomon did, and as countless other lost souls have done.

We could talk in Australia of David Jones, Fletcher Jones, Short the founder of the AMP society. Or the Sydney Morning Herald. Did you know John Fairfax created his newspaper empire as a vessel for presenting Christian viewpoints and news?