To all members of PaRD.
Grace and peace to you from CPK001. Tonight is the sixth series of the book of Ecclesiastes that we are studying at Church. I have been taking notes and I am going to try and portray what I heard at Church onto here.
When we think of the book of Ecclesiastes what do we think it is about? "Vanity of vanities/everything is meaningless". We shall look into this book and ask: What's the point of WEALTH?
We'll start off with an example using Chocolate since life is a box of chocolates. Take a block of Dairy Milk chocolate. Let's say that, that Dairy Milk of chocolate represents everything that you ever strived to work towards and you achieved it. What are you going to do with that? Are you going to share it with family/friends or keep it all to yourself? Are you going to be generous or greedy? While you ponder that, let's get into it.
Ecclesiastes 5:8-20 ESV
The Vanity of Wealth and Honor
8 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. 9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.[g]
10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? 12 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.
13 There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, 14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. 15 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. 16 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? 17 Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.
18 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.
Greed behind wealth is bad
Ecclesiastes 5:8-9
8 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. 9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.
We live in a world of hierarchy today just like they did back then. There is you who has a boss and your boss has a boss and they have a boss and so on. Each person is more powerful than the last and there is a form of greed on all levels of the hierarchy. They all want a piece of the pie. This is true in the hierarchy of the Government.
Wealth is taxed.
Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 ESV
10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes?
There are those who have achieved the dream and attained $1million. When interviewed they said they are not satisfied with this amount of money. They want to go for another million dollars. Whoever loves money never has enough. This is true with the Billionaires as well.
Wealth will always be insufficient. There will never be enough.
Ecclesiastes 5:12 ESV
12 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.
Wealth instead will bring anxiety. You will see this simply driving down a few wealthy neighbourhoods. Look at the fences, the warning signs of the dogs and the security cameras. Doesn't that in itself show anxiety, having to put up all that security in the first place?
Ecclesiastes 5:13-14 ESV
13 There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, 14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand.
The wealth we attain can actually bring harm. The wealth is so fragile - interest rate goes up and so the mortgage takes a beating. Or one suffers from a reversal of fortune and lose it all. One day they are on top of the mountain and the next day everything is gone.
Fortunes come and go.
There are those who strive to gain wealth in order to pass it into their children but what if you lose everything? What will become of your great goal now?
All that wealth you attain is worthless when you are in the grave - you can't access your hard earned wealth.
Ecclesiastes 5:15-17 ESV
15 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. 16 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? 17 Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.
You can spend your life accumulating things but then you will die. There is a box that makes life meaningless. It's a big box and it's our final destination.
Try to find purpose in wealth and it will not deliver the happiness that was promised.
Ecclesiastes 6:1-2 ESV
There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: 2 a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil.
In the end the stranger will receive the wealth and enjoy them.
Ecclesiastes 6:3-6 ESV
3 If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life's good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. 4 For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. 5 Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he. 6 Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good—do not all go to the one place?
Look at that box if you try to find meaning in wealth. What will that wealth be worth to you?
Ecclesiastes 6:7-9 ESV
7 All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. 8 For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? 9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
You must learn to enjoy what you have.
How to ads work? Ads will try to make you feel discontented with what you currently have.
Ecclesiastes 6:10-11 ESV
10 Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he. 11 The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man?
The world in itself is in a cycle of futility
Ecclesiastes 6:12 ESV
12 For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?
Even though this sounds bleak this is something we must hear.
1 Timothy 6:10
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.
I bring before you two words: Contentment & Generosity.
Ecclesiastes 5:18 ESV
18 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.
You must find satisfaction and be content with what you have.
Ecclesiastes 5:19-20 ESV
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.
Contentment is where the Scriptures take us.
Philippians 4:12-13 ESV
12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Do not take verse 13 out of context. This means that God is giving the strength o be content in any and every situation.
Philippians 4:19 ESV
19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
God is good all the time. God's good provision is so abundant we can be content in him.
Does this mean we are glorifying poverty? No. Instead, contentment leads to generosity because it isn't dependant on my bank balance. Our security is found in God and not in our bank balance.
Keep God's goodness and provision.
Hebrews 13:5 ESV
5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Money is a part of our world but it is a poor master. Value God's goodness and feel free to give away your time and talents.
Next week we will explore and ask: What's the point of WISDOM?