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Text from Ecclesiastes 5:8-6:9
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Text from Ecclesiastes 5:8-6:9
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Solomon discusses the pursuit of wealth and its inability to bring true satisfaction. He highlights the oppressive nature of government and the insatiable craving for wealth. Solomon also points out the anxiety and emptiness that comes with hoarding wealth and the inability to enjoy it. He concludes that all human efforts are ultimately meaningless and a chasing after the wind. However, he also offers a glimmer of hope, stating that true joy and satisfaction can be found in embracing the blessings of God. Solomon reminds us that contentment in this fallen world is fleeting, but God's provision of compassion and hope is available to all his children. 9, our ongoing study, it's a privilege for us to study God's Word and to hear these ancient words of wisdom from Solomon, from God's Word. Please, he asks you chapter 5, starting with verse 8. And this is God's Word. 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 still others higher still. Increase from the land is taken by all. The king himself profits from the fields. 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? The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep. I have seen a grievous evil under the sun, wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when he has a son, there is nothing left for him. 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. This too is a grievous evil. As a man comes, so he departs, and what does he gain since he toils for the wind? All his days he eats in darkness with great frustration, affliction, and anger. Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him, for this is his lot. Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, it enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot, and be happy in his work. This is a gift of God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart. I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on men. God gives a man wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires, but God does not enable him to enjoy them, and a stranger enjoys them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil. A man may have a hundred children and live many years, yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. It comes without meaning. It departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it is more rest than does that man, even if he lives a thousand years twice over, but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place. All man's efforts are for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied. What advantage has a wise man over a fool? What does a poor man gain by knowing how to conduct himself before others? Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Please be seated. So our sermon series, Ecclesiastes, How to Embrace the Fallen World in Chapters 5 and 6, certainly present us with a bit of a challenge. Solomon here revisits some familiar themes, he introduces some new concepts, and our study is compounded by the fact that the Bible presents Solomon's arguments in a manner which doesn't follow our contemporary chapter and paragraph divisions. It's kind of difficult for us to read this text because the order is wrong. Of course, Solomon's original edition of Ecclesiastes would have been written on one long scroll as one continual stream of thought, with our chapter and paragraph structure coming centuries later. So that's our text today, it begins with chapter 5 and verse 8, and it ends in chapter 6 and verse 9. The challenge today also presents itself through our comprehension of the structure of Solomon's argument. Throughout our studies in the Old Testament, we have often arrived at a passage that is organized in a manner that is different from the way we organize an argument or discussion in our day in time. An argument written for an ancient Near Eastern audience would often place the main statement, the statement to be emphasized, in the middle of a passage. So when you and I construct a paragraph or make a statement, an argument of some sort, we might put the opening line as kind of the main thing we want to say, and then we'll say some things and then we'll kind of conclude at the end, kind of focusing on that same statement again. Ancient Near Eastern literature does it the opposite, where the main thing is in the middle of the paragraph, it's in the middle of the passage. Solomon here begins in chapter 5 and verse 8 with a very broad concept, and then he works inward to the main thing he wants to communicate, and in this passage, that primary statement is found in chapter 5 and verses 18 through 20. We'll see this here in a little bit. And then from there, Solomon reiterates his broader discussion, and he concludes at chapter 6 and verse 9. So it's really confusing when we, now in our culture and in our time, are digging into something that was written 3,000 years ago, and we're trying to figure out what it means. So bear with me here, I'm going to attempt today to reorganize Solomon's argument, to fit it into a more contemporary structure. And so here's how I propose that we read this particular text today. First we're going to consider chapter 5, verses 8 through 12, and chapter 6, verses 7 through 9. Those are kind of the beginning and ending things, and we're going to look at those first. This is pursuit which offers no satisfaction, that's how these are tied together. And then next we'll focus in a little bit on the text further, we'll look at chapter 5, verses 13 through 17, chapter 6, verses 1 through 6. We'll see together that they talk about the sin of misery, and then we'll arrive in the middle of the text, it's chapter 5, verses 18 through 20, and we title that, and yet there is joy to be found. And then we'll conclude with Jesus and Ecclesiastes. I know that's a lot of explanation. I'm sure you weren't taking notes. There won't be a test on this afterwards. I'm just trying to give you a picture of how we're going to get to the thing that is the main thing about this text today. And if this isn't enough of a challenge, of course, the subject matter isn't helping any. Throughout this book, Solomon has exposed us, exposed all of us, to the brutal truth concerning this world and concerning man's inability to find satisfaction. Search where you will under the sun and you will find that contentment is fleeting, that joy is missing, that peace within is absent. At the beginning of our study, we said that Ecclesiastes would describe for us the reality of life in this fallen world, and so far this is precisely what Solomon has done. This is what he has described for us. And yet, throughout the text, Solomon offers these glimmers of hope, which shine in the midst of the darkness. So today's message is entitled, Discovering the Joy of the Blessings of God. Now, this sounds very simplistic. It sounds kind of like something a televangelist will tell you at night before he wants to hold his hand out for your money. I know that's what it kind of sounds like to me, too. Nevertheless, Solomon speaks truth for all time, truth for us today, that in the midst of the darkness of this world, and despite the weariness of our own lives, and despite the sin that remains in our own lives, God's gracious and merciful provision of compassion and hope is available, and it's available for all the children of God. So today, let's look at the beginning of this text. We have here waded into six chapters of Ecclesiastes. We have found that these are rough waters indeed. Solomon here describing his lifelong pursuit of wisdom, a pursuit which has only resulted in disappointment and emptiness. Solomon says, folks, I've tried it all, I've tried it all, and nothing works. Everything under the sun is meaningless. Everything under the sun is vanity. Ours is a fallen world. Sin's corruption has taken its toll, and the pursuit in which man engages is pursuit which offers no satisfaction. We come to verses, we come to chapter 5, verses 8 through 12. Here Solomon opens his argument with a truth that all people over all time can comprehend. It's the overbearing, heavy-handedness of an oppressive government and a bureaucracy. Notice verse 8. If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things. So apparently, corruption in government has always existed, ever since man began to exercise authority over other men, and not just at the national level. We read here that evil has filtered down from the top level, down into the bureaucracy, into the more local levels of government. Every mid-level officeholder is looking up to see if the next level is monitoring their work. Notice the text. One official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. And verse 9 tells us the results of such oppression. Solomon apparently has his hand in the till. Everyone takes his cut. Look at the text. The increase in the land is taken by all, even the king himself profits from the fields. It appears that kickbacks and corruption existed in Solomon's day, just as they do today, accompanied by injustice and inefficiency, found at all levels of human government. And we would sense that our attitude is perhaps a bit too negative, or maybe somewhat disrespectful. We notice Solomon's pointed little phrase. Solomon is considering all this, and he says, folks, do not be surprised at such things. Certainly there are some public officials who truly desire to be servants of the people. There are some. We know that. But Solomon says, not a lot. And also the Bible is clear as to God's command for our commitment to our civil officials. This is the difficult part. We know that corruption in government exists, yet as believers we're required to be submissive to and supportive of government. Listen to what Paul says to the Christians living in Rome in the first century. Paul says this, Romans chapter 13. He says, everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there's no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. And of course in the New Testament, both Titus and Peter make similar statements. Solomon here never suggests that we throw off our government to be replaced by some form of anarchy, nor does he advocate the kind of failed socialist utopia that's found in our American big cities or in the nations around the world. But Solomon's sober judgment reminds us, reminds us that human government is only as capable and as effective as the sinful individuals who aspire to administer it. And from here Solomon returns to his thinking concerning wealth and its accumulation. Three unbearable truths about the accumulation of wealth that Solomon lists for us. First, notice verse 10. The unsatisfied craving that wealth creates within us. Look what the text says. Whoever loves money never has money enough. Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. And then second we read in verse 11 that wealth also attracts those who would rather enjoy other people's gain than work to achieve their own. Notice Solomon's observation in verse 11. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And then third in verses 11 and 12, Solomon offers a glimpse into the anxiety that robs the wealthy man of rest. Notice the text. The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep. So it sounds like the lottery ticket buying gambler and the opportunity seeking investor are most certainly driven by the same desire. Even if the scale of dollars at play might be a little different. And for both, Solomon could conclude as he does here. How would he conclude? These two is meaningless. One commentator here offers this observation. He says, if anything is worse than the addiction money brings, it is the emptiness it leaves. Man with eternity in his heart needs better nourishment than this. Now let's jump down to chapter 6 and verse 7 through 9. Here we'll see the continuation of Solomon's argument, this view of pursuit which offers no satisfaction. The rich or poor, every person's victim to this truth, found in verse 7 of chapter 6. It says, all man's efforts are for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied. Just as we might enjoy a meal, so also we might enjoy the fruits of our labor, and yet we know that satisfaction gained only lasts until the pangs of hunger return. Now we might be tempted to push back here. Certainly man is better than this, certainly capable to comprehend that we live to seek and to find better things. Then we come to verse 8, and Solomon's logic stands. He asks the question, what advantage is the wise man over a fool? Solomon's question hurts, and yet its rhetoric stands as a stark truth. Recall how the apostle Paul instructs the young pastor Timothy. This is 1 Timothy chapter 6. We know this verse, for the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, and some people eager for money have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Solomon concludes the text with verse 9. He says, better what the eye sees than the raving of the appetite. And the word here rendered to the NIV as appetite doesn't really convey the depth of Solomon's message. The verses in English should read more like, better what the eye sees than the wandering of the soul. In these verses, the words like mouth and appetite, they make reference to our need for food but our hunger for it, and yet we understand that mouth and appetite also provide metaphor for anything which man might consume, with anything which man might desire. Solomon's words here portray the daydreamer who is never satisfied and therefore never quite comfortable in what he's been given. His very soul always yearns for more. And to this, Solomon concludes, this too is meaningless, and it's a chasing after the wind. Alright, so we've considered the broader picture that Solomon has painted for us, the picture of pursuit which offers no satisfaction. And it's something that we can all identify with, certainly we can. So with wisdom that is under the sun, is there anything that it does present? If it provides no satisfaction, is there anything that it does present, that it does provide? Solomon says yes, there is, and he presents it here, in chapter 5 verses 13 through 17. And then again in chapter 6 verses 1 through 6, notice a phrase that Solomon uses in this portion of the text, and he repeats it three times. Chapter 5 verse 13 he says, I have seen a grievous evil under the sun. And then in verse 16 he says, this too is a grievous evil. And then chapter 6, the end of verse 2, this is meaningless, it's a grievous evil. Notice this term that Solomon uses, a grievous evil. Solomon only uses it three times, he only uses it here, it's not used by anyone else anywhere else in the Old Testament. The word we render as grievous here refers to illness or sickness or injury, so the person feels pain and exhaustion, so it has to be rendered incapable of function, which then causes the person to further feel regret or anxiety for their condition. So a person who is weighed down by such a grievous evil experiences what we might call the incapacity of misery, the incapacity of misery. So let's look at Solomon's three uses of this phrase and let's see how he bears this out. Look at chapter 5 starting with verse 13. Notice the first grievous evil. Solomon says, I have seen a grievous evil under the sun, wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when he has a son there's nothing left for him. Solomon here points to the sin of those who hoard their riches so as not to enjoy them and not to employ them in some form of business or development or investment. Here we might recall the parable that Jesus taught concerning the rich fool. This is found in Luke's Gospel, chapter 12 starting with verse 15. Remember this parable that Jesus taught about the rich fool. And he said to them, Jesus said to them, watch out, be on your guard against all kinds of greed. A man's life does not consist of the abundance of his possessions. And he told them this parable. The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop and he thought to himself, what shall I do? I have no place to store my crops. Then he said, this is what I'll do. I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and then I'll store all my grain and all my goods and I'll say to myself, you have plenty of good things laid out for many years. Make life easy, eat, drink and be merry. But God said to him, you fool, this very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God. Solomon tells us of people who have hoarded their wealth only to lose it later in some venture gone bad and in an instant they have become poor. One works over the span of his life and yet has nothing to show for it. And he's doubly cursed because he has nothing to pass on to future generations. Now notice the second grievous evil. This is found in verse 15 through 17. He says, 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. As a man comes, so he departs. This man hoarded his wealth only to lose it all. And Solomon asked him, what does he gain since he toils from the wind? With no family as heirs, we notice that the man even dines alone. Verse 17, all his days he eats in darkness with great frustration, affliction and anger. No wonder these things are called a grievous evil because they're horrible. Now we jump down to chapter 6, starting with verse 1, if we thought that the first two grievous evils were bad, then this third grievous evil is just horrendous. It's really bad. Look at what the text says. Chapter 6, verse 1. It says, I've seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on men. God gives a man wealth, possessions and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires, but God does not enable him to enjoy them, and a stronger enjoys them instead. Verse 3, a man may have a hundred children and he may live many years, no matter how long he lives, he cannot enjoy his prosperity. Wealth is exalted, prosperity celebrated, but there's a glaring problem, and Solomon here argues that God has not enabled this man to experience this joy. This existence is so miserable that here God's word compares this wealthy yet lonely man with a stillborn child. At the end of his life, this wealthy man finds that his pain and his exhaustion and his incapacity and his regret and his anxiety is all for God's. Notice the rhetorical question at the end of verse 6, do not all go to the same place? Of course, the answer is yes, all go to the same place. This man has lived a long life, he's seen an immense amount of success, he's achieved great wealth, and yet he cannot enjoy the gifts he's been given, and the wealthiest of men and the poorest of men will both go to the grave, and they will both go with nothing in their hands, and this is the incapacity of ministry. Alright, let's recap then what we've covered here so far with Solomon's argument for today. Solomon began this passage with a very broad view, reminding us that human pursuit in the end offers no satisfaction, and then as he brings his argument more into focus, Solomon has uncovered the truth that there is a misery which exists when a man is incapable of enjoying the gifts he's been given. So now we come to the middle of the passage, chapter 5, verses 18 through 20. Here we find the crux of Solomon's argument. This is why Solomon had to tell us those horrible stories of the grievous evil that was seen under the sun. This is the crux of Solomon's argument. And yet, there is joy to be found. In stark contrast to meaninglessness and a chasing after the wind and a grievous evil, Solomon makes this bold statement, and it's found at the beginning of verse 18. You see what it says? It says, In the midst of all that, then I realized that there is good. Solomon is looking through the darkness of this world and the sin that abounds and the vanity of life, and in the midst of it all, Solomon knows that God is at work, that God is indeed at work. Notice here in these verses, 18 through 20, the ways in which God is at work in the lives of His children. Notice that here in the text. Verse 18, the days of one's life are given by God. Verse 19, God not only gives gifts to His children, but He also enables His children to enjoy these gifts. Also in verse 19, one of the gifts God gives is that a child of God can find happiness in His work. Or then in verse 20, another gift that God gives His children is gladness of heart so that the child of God need not fret over the days gone by. So why has Solomon taken us through this lesson? Why do we have to do all that to get to this point? And what can we learn from this, from this particular text in Ecclesiastes? For me, it's this, maybe, just maybe, instead of pursuing wealth, man should pursue joy. Maybe instead of pursuing wealth, man should pursue joy, discovering the joy of the blessings of God. We recall that in Paul's letter to the Galatians where he lists the fruit of the Spirit given to the children of God, and the second fruit listed is joy. Joy comes from God. Joy doesn't just fall out of the sky, doesn't just happen by osmosis. It comes from God. It's a gift from God. Now Solomon does not give a precise definition of joy. We don't find it here in Ecclesiastes, but Solomon gives us pieces. And maybe if we put the piece together, we could arrive at something, something close. So just glancing again through verses 18 through 20, let's consider what we find and let's see if we can find a definition of the joy that comes from God. Here's what we see. God's gifts, good and proper, satisfaction in work, a recognition that the days of our lives are given by God, enjoyment of possessions, occupied with gladness of heart. Sounds like a good definition. Wisdom that is under the sun focuses on the trial of life and the regrets and says that everything is meaningless. And wisdom that is under heaven finds true joy not in ignorance of the darkness all around and the challenges and the sin that yet remains within, but rather it finds true joy amidst the darkness all around and the challenges and the sin yet remains within. Perhaps, and this is difficult because we don't want to think this way, but perhaps this is true. Perhaps true joy is only found when darkness abounds. Perhaps true joy is only found in the trials and the circumstances and the difficulties around us and in our own lives. Recall how James began his letter. James says this. He says, Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds. Joy existing in the middle of the difficulty, in the middle of the trial. We don't want to face those trials, but maybe they're gifts to us because God places joy in the middle of them that we can find and we can rely on, we can lean on. So I don't know what struggle or circumstance or trial you might be facing this day, and I don't. And I get it when the trial is difficult and the challenge is rough and the weight is unbearable. And someone comes to you and says, I know how you feel, and they don't know how you feel because no one else knows how you feel because the experience and the circumstances you're facing are yours. They're the ones that God has brought to you, and no one else knows how you feel because the weight is that heavy. And the difficulty and the challenges and the complexities of those situations render it yours and yours alone except God is working in the midst of it, and there's joy in the midst of it. So I don't know what the struggle or the circumstance or the trial is that you're facing this day, but thanks to Solomon, we know that God's Word promises that He bestows upon His children joy in the midst of the struggle. Solomon ponders again the goodness and the mercy of God, and from this God's truth is known and is reaffirmed, and yet there is joy to be found. So my friends, whatever the trial is this day, whatever the difficulty that you're facing, whatever the circumstance is that's coming your way, when it's a light at the end of the tunnel, is it a light at the end of the tunnel or is it a speeding locomotive coming at you? Sometimes it looks like both, but whatever the circumstance or situation is, know this, that in the midst of the difficulty and the circumstance, God provides joy. There is joy yet to be found. There is true joy for the believer who rests and relies upon God. That's what Solomon is telling us in his very complicated and ancient way. That's what Solomon is communicating to us today in this passage. So let's talk about Jesus, seeing Jesus in Ecclesiastes. So we fast forward 900 plus years, and Jesus is teaching the people in the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew, and in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talks about true satisfaction and blessing that comes to man. Solomon and Jesus, as we see, are giving the same word. They're speaking the same truth. Listen to what Jesus says. This is Matthew chapter 6, starting with verse 25. This is in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, and this is a great text. Many of you know this text. You rely on this text. You lean on it. Listen to what Jesus says. He says to the people, therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you, by worrying, can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes, seeing how the lilies of the field grow? They neither labor nor spin. And I tell you, that not even Solomon, in all his splendor, was dressed like one of these. And if that is how God clothed the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow stood under the fire, how much will he not clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear? For it's the pagans who run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. Jesus is tracking with Solomon throughout this teaching. Solomon could have given this statement here in the Sermon on the Mount, but Jesus then offers the conclusion, and it's the answer, and it's the prescription that Solomon simply can't provide. Notice verse 33. Jesus says this, but seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. The promise of Christ is that we can and we must trust him and rely on him for all things. And even in the middle of the struggle, we seek Christ there, and you will find him there, right in the midst of the struggle, there. God will never fail nor forsake his children. There's an old hymn that we sing, and it reminds us of the commitment, this covenant that God has established with his children, the reliance that all who trust in Jesus, the hope and the peace and the joy that we find from Christ. God has established his truth with his children. Listen to what the old hymn says. It says, the soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, I will not, I will not desert to his foes. That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake. Let's bow our heads and pray, shall we? Heavenly Father, we are grateful this day, for we are reminded that in the very midst of the darkness and the struggle and the circumstance of our lives and of this world, you are present and working, working on our behalf, working to bring resolution. And through this, you give us hope, and so through this, we can rely on you in joyful expectation of the resolution of the circumstance, because we know that you love your children. We know that you will never fail nor forsake your children. We know that you will cause us to continue to survive and thrive and live in the midst of the circumstance, because you're not affected by the circumstance. It doesn't cause you to stop. It doesn't hinder you. The situations of our life doesn't restrain you or doesn't cause you to have to give out only a portion, some of your love or some of your blessing. No, we see from your Word that you are lavish in your love and your compassion to your children. And for this, we are grateful. Forgive us for every time we've doubted. We give you thanks for every time you have shown yourself glorious and you have demonstrated your love and your power in the midst of our circumstances. And so today, Father, we give you the challenges and the trials and the anxieties and the fears. We lay them at the cross. Lord Jesus, would you minister on our behalf this day? Would you demonstrate your victory over the things going on in our life? And in the meantime, would you give us hope, reminding us that there is glory that rests on the other side of the trial? And would you give us joy? We can rest secure in you and on you, knowing you are working on our behalf. And there's nothing that can stop you from doing the will of your Father. Lord Jesus, we praise you for this truth. We rest and we rely on the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our salvation and is our hope for this day and for eternity. For this, we praise you and we give you glory. It's in Christ's name we pray, amen.
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