Ecclesiastes 5 - Fulfilling those vows to God, and meaningless riches

So here we are at the 5th chapter in this study on the book of Ecclesiastes, let's look at the chapter...

Ecclesiastes 5 New International Version (NIV)

Fulfill Your Vow to God

5 [a]Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

2 Do not be quick with your mouth,
    do not be hasty in your heart
    to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven
    and you are on earth,
    so let your words be few.
3 A dream comes when there are many cares,
    and many words mark the speech of a fool.

4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. 5 It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. 6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? 7 Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.

Riches Are Meaningless

8 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 by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. 9 The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.

10 Whoever loves money never has enough;
    whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
    This too is meaningless.

11 As goods increase,
    so do those who consume them.
And what benefit are they to the owners
    except to feast their eyes on them?

12 The sleep of a laborer is sweet,
    whether they eat little or much,
but as for the rich, their abundance
    permits them no sleep.

13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:

wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,
14     or wealth lost through some misfortune,
so that when they have children
    there is nothing left for them to inherit.
15 Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb,
    and as everyone comes, so they depart.
They take nothing from their toil
    that they can carry in their hands.

16 This too is a grievous evil:

As everyone comes, so they depart,
    and what do they gain,
    since they toil for the wind?
17 All their days they eat in darkness,
    with great frustration, affliction and anger.

18 This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot.19 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. 20 They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.

So two sections, verses 1 - 7 is all about one thing - fulfilling your vows to God. We all make those big promises to God right? "If you bless me with this job I promise I will..." "If you help me get a great grade on that exam, I promise I will..." etc... Well verse 1 says we should go to the house of God, but more ready to listen rather than speak because you never know what silliness we might say. Reminds me of James 1:19, My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, Familiar theme right? See God does repeat Himself for effect! Consistent from the Old to New Testaments. Right after that the passage says to make our words few, not uttering/saying things before God as really someone who has too much to say shows they're a fool in God's eyes. Yikes!

God actually goes so far through the writer to say that He'd rather you didn't make a vow to Him at all than make one and not fulfill it! Those who don't fulfill their vows to Him He also calls fools! Ouch! So really, watch what we say, and don't make promises to God unless you intend to keep them and and actually keep them!

Wow, tough stuff. Our next section is no easier. Verses 8 - 20 says we see the poor getting poorer and the rich getting richer, injustice in the streets and so on - and that we should not be surprised by it. Why? Well the world is a place tainted by sin right? So in a fallen world why WOULDN'T we expect that? Yes, God will clean the Earth one day and set things right, but now isn't the time - He's still letting people have a chance to come to Him first. As we continue we see, Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. Too true. I don't usually like to quote secular artists, but the passed on "The Notorious B.I.G." had this as a song, "Mo Money Mo Problems." It's true. The rich have more money yes, but also more problems. Imagine getting rich and so you buy the latest house, car, and toys, then discover you have to pay for them! Then the market crashes and you have to go bankrupt to pay for everything! Or because you're rich everyone expects you to help them out because "after all, you can afford it - you're rich!" False friends. people wanting to know your business because you're rich... yeah they can afford more, but the rich have their own problems too. How many stories do we hear of rich people who have OD'd because they couldn't take life anymore? Having riches helps, but it is not the be all and end all. If you think it is, the Bible warns that it's meaningless and your priorities are out of whack.

The writer wrote how he saw the wealth hoarded to the person and not shared even with family, kids and so on so that they still suffer while the rich person spends it all on themselves, and I have heard of myself of rich people spending so much that when they die instead of being able to pay all debts at once, their families have to try and pay off their debts for them because they kept their failings a secret. 16 This too is a grievous evil: God uses this phrases a number of time in different wordings but it still remains the same, As everyone comes, so they depart so we see that no one can bring it with them. Everything stays when we die. Billy Graham once said, "There is nothing wrong with men possessing riches. The wrong comes when riches possess men." So no matter whether we're rich or poor it all stays, and how we have let it control our lives or not will be the testimony of where our hearts were. How have we spent our resources God has given us? At times I have spent perhaps recklessly, but usually pretty responsibly. This is a lesson for all of us to not depend on our riches to get us through life, but God alone who (as Psalm 50:10 says), the cattle on a thousand hills.