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.

Ecclesiastes 4 - Oppression, Achievement, and other meaningless things

Hi there, back again with chapter 4 of the 12 BLOG study of Eccesiastes 4. Today we're on chapter 4, here's the passage:

Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness

4 Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun:

I saw the tears of the oppressed—
    and they have no comforter;
power was on the side of their oppressors—
    and they have no comforter.
2 And I declared that the dead,
    who had already died,
are happier than the living,
    who are still alive.
3 But better than both
    is the one who has never been born,
who has not seen the evil
    that is done under the sun.

4 And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

5 Fools fold their hands
    and ruin themselves.
6 Better one handful with tranquillity
    than two handfuls with toil
    and chasing after the wind.

7 Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:

8 There was a man all alone;
    he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
    yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
    “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is meaningless—
    a miserable business!

9 Two are better than one,
    because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down,
    one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
    and has no one to help them up.
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
    But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
    two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Advancement Is Meaningless

13 Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. 14 The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. 15 I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. 16 There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

So let's break it down...

Verses 1 - 3 talks about how life is really oppressing and that in that time there was no comforter. Unlike the believers from Jesus' time and following, these people did not have the presence of the Holy Spirit living in them. They would have times where the power of the Holy Spirit "came upon" them, but not the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. I am so glad that for us we have the Comforter living in us to help us through the struggles of life. I can't imagine life without God in my life, living within me to help me through the struggles I have faced over my lifetime.

Verses 4 - 12 talks about how the rat race this world is obsessed with is meaningless. How many people get to the end of their lives and say, "I wish I had worked less and spent more time with family and friends, enjoying life. I have yet to hear of someone who said they wished they spent more time working. Verse 8 shows how the more things change, the more they stay the same. A man worked so hard he had no family and even though he was wealthy, there was no one to share it with or to leave it to. How sad. Too many people today do that as well. Solomon was right, it's meaningless. He continues from verses 9 - 12 talking about how it's good to have someone else working with you, striving with you, and is a support as one person can easily be broken in body, mind and spirit. This is why the church is such an important part of the believer's life. Yes we will have squabbles at times - what family doesn't? And we're the family of God, so yes in our imperfect state we will argue from time to time and get things wrong. BUT... having the family of God universal is an amazing thing. You can travel anywhere in the world, and if you're alone, all you have to do is find someone who is a believer and suddenly you're not alone anymore! Solomon went to great lengths to share the importance of having someone ready to be there for you. Maybe we need to work on that more?

Lastly the passage from verses 13 - 16 Solomon focuses on how you could have the world's riches but if you're foolish it's meaningless. He got personal in verse 15, 15 I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. Solomon had it all. He had the wealth, and he had wisdom, but he didn't always use it. He tried it all and saw the meaningless pursuits of life and once he evaluated it all, he decided it was worthless. King David's successor, the wisest of all men, seeing life as fruitless, vain, worthless, and meaningless outside of God. Wow. We're not even half way through the book yet, and lots to identify with, and lots to learn from. 

Ecclesiastes 3 - for the Byrds...

The passage that made song history with the Byrds...

1 There is a time for everything,

    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
4     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.

15 Whatever is has already been,
    and what will be has been before;
    and God will call the past to account.[b]

16 And I saw something else under the sun:

In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
    in the place of justice—wickedness was there.

17 I said to myself,

“God will bring into judgment
    both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
    a time to judge every deed.”

18 I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. 19 Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath[c]; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”

22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

When we examine this passage, we see that there is a time for every event in our lives -both good and bad. That we will find ourselves going through them at some point. We were all born, we will all die. We all move, we all have times for anger and times for embracing. As Matthew Henry's Commentary tells us, Solomon here in the first 14 verses tells all this as a warning to us even today, that time is short so make the best of it for Christ while we're here. If we look back at verse 11 it tells us how no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Think about this. 

In verses 15 - 22 Solomon dives into the fact that even with all our advanced technology there is nothing new under the sun. So true. When you can find ancient brothel houses in Pompeii that have graphic images of what each woman did still able to be seen thousands of years later, it shows us that indeed, nothing is new. Sin hasn't changed, just technology. We're all still sinful people in need of a Saviour. Also, what we see is that without the fear of the Lord guiding us and leading us in our judgments, we will fail. Solomon seems defeated when he talks about humans and animals, how we humans have no advantage over the animals? Sure we both die, but animals don't have the hope of salvation - we do! If we were nothing but like the animals then Solomon was right in saying we might as well do what we want, just enjoy our work and other things. But thank God he wasn't right. We are made in the image of God as we saw in the Garden of Eden! We're hand-crafted in our mothers' wombs by His hand! Jesus came to save us by his death! Solomon didn't have the advantage of that when he wrote, but looking back we can see how his words are so true, that life without God IS meaningless or as some versions put it, vanity! It really is all about us and nothing more if God does not exist. But he DOES so we have a responsibility to seek Him out and serve Him, so serve well! 

Ecclesiastes 2 - Wisdom is folly?

Ecclesiastes 2 (NIV)

1 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. 2 “Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” 3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.

4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem[a] as well—the delights of a man’s heart. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
    I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labor,
    and this was the reward for all my toil.
11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
    and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
    nothing was gained under the sun.

12 Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom,
    and also madness and folly.
What more can the king’s successor do
    than what has already been done?
13 I saw that wisdom is better than folly,
    just as light is better than darkness.
14 The wise have eyes in their heads,
    while the fool walks in the darkness;
but I came to realize
    that the same fate overtakes them both.

15 Then I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will overtake me also.
    What then do I gain by being wise?”
I said to myself,
    “This too is meaningless.”
16 For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered;
    the days have already come when both have been forgotten.
Like the fool, the wise too must die!

17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun.21 For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? 23 All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.

24 A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26 To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Another passage filled with lots to unpack, so let's begin...

Verses 1 - 3 has Solomon trying all the pleasure of life... yet through his slide downward one might ask where was his wisdom that God gave him? He tells us in verse 3 - my mind still guiding me with wisdom. So even though he slid away, God was still merciful in allowing the wisdom he gave to Solomon to guide him - keeping him safe through everything he experienced. And from what we see form this passage - he tried it all. The pleasures of the world, the latest house and gardens, lots of land and water, slaves, silver and gold, harems, the works. He was the Donald Trump of his day and then some. What did Solomon find out? It was all useless and worthless. Tell that to the guys off Dragon's Den like Kevin O'Leary!

Verses 4 and onward Solomon shares exactly what he did. He denied himself nothing, he indulged, he worked and toiled and got rewards for what he did, but verse 11 says, Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun. Wow. He felt the emptiness of life itself. In verses 17 and 18 he says, 17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun,... He found no satisfaction like that old Rolling Stones song. His wisdom came shining through as he realized everything in life is temporal and we can't take it with us when we die. Someone else inherits whatever we leave behind and does whatever they want with it. That is sad when you hear it that way.

In the last section of this passage, we see this, 24 A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26 To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness,... Now some would make the mistake of saying "As long as we follow God we'll be happy healthy and wealthy and wise! Well God MAY give you that but it's not guaranteed. All that is promised here is wisdom, knowledge and happiness. A happiness that comes from knowing God and not from accumulating things or positions or whatever life experience you can have. In the Matthew Henry's Commentary it says, Solomon found that knowledge and prudence were preferable to ignorance and folly, though human wisdom and knowledge will not make a man happy. So true. Even being wise and knowledgeable can't make us happy, there are a lot of unhappy scientists and mathematicians out there. 

So to close, find your worth in God. Work here yes, but don't put stock in it.

Only God makes us happy and fulfilled, nothing else can.