“I Wanna Be Rich - part 2”
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Karl Marx.
Money Money Money. Mo Money Mo Money without using Yo Money. Pink Floyd sang...”Money, it's a gas, Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.” It is all about the Benjamins. What is it about money that gets us to do the unthinkable? To do the immoral. Many will say it is that way of the world. Many believe that our society is built on it. Many say that it is the end of it all. It is our precious. Even in modern evangelicalism we even have a prosperity gospel. And the problem with prosperity is that it is never enough. We always want more. Not only does it not satisfy, many times it just slips through our fingers. Ecclesiastes show us this. Money continues to be a problem, we see it we all know it, but it continues more than ever. Today we will get a better perspective on it seeing that our God is a much better master than money.
There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver. Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one’s children. We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us.
And this, too, is a very serious problem. People leave this world no better off than when they came. All their hard work is for nothing—like working for the wind. Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud—frustrated, discouraged, and angry.
Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.
Ecclesiastes 5:13-20
Fleeting Prosperity
Power to Enjoy
Power for Life
The first thing we will look at today is the temporal nature of prosperity and how it seems to slip through our fingers. Finally we will see that the only way to enjoy things is when we are given power to by the word and work of our Lord Jesus. He brings life and life more abundant.
Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world cause us to chase things that will simply slip through our fingers, it is our Lord Jesus who is the water that will so satisfy that we will never thirst again.
I. Fleeting Prosperity
- Watching it all slip through our fingers.
A. Thus far Qoheleth has been talking about the vanity of having a lot of money. In verses 13–14 he talks about the vanity of losing it.
Thus far Qoheleth has been talking about the vanity of having a lot of money. In verses 13–14 he talks about the vanity of losing it.
There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver. Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one’s children.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 133). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
B. So here we come to the third reason why money can be a problem... it may be here today, but it will be gone tomorrow. The Preacher calls this ra ah holah “a serious problem,” or “a grievous evil,” which literally means that it makes him sick even to think about it.
C. To illustrate this awful thing, Solomon gives us an example. He tells a story concerning a wealthy man who tried to hoard his wealth, yet lost it all in some kind of risky investment. We still see this today right? Today people lose their money in places like the stock market. In those days their ships were lost or sunk at sea or their camel trains were attacked in the wilderness. But whatever the reason, this man took a gamble and ended up with nothing.
The Preacher calls this “a grievous evil,” which literally means that it makes him sick even to think about it.
This is a third reason why living for money and loving money is meaningless: it may be here today, but it will be gone tomorrow.
D. To make matters 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 and children’s children.
He tells a story concerning a wealthy man who tried to hoard his wealth, yet lost it all in some risky investment. 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.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 134). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 134). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 134). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
Proverbs
Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren,
but the sinner’s wealth passes to the godly.
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
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 134). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
E. In financial planning for the future, we should think not only of ourselves, but also about what we can give to our families. Fathers and mothers have a duty to save and sacrifice for their sons and daughters. Yet this does not mean that getting and keeping more money should be our primary focus. Just the opposite: the whole point of this story is that counting on money is vanity and striving after the wind.
F. Now we get a fourth reason.
In financial planning for the future, we should think not only of ourselves, but also about what we can give to our families, including our spiritual family in the church. Fathers and mothers have a duty to save and sacrifice for their sons and daughters. Yet this does not mean that getting and keeping more money should be our primary focus. Just the opposite: the whole point of this story is that counting on money is vanity and striving after the wind.
Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one’s children. We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 134). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us.
And this, too, is a very serious problem. People leave this world no better off than when they came. All their hard work is for nothing—like working for the wind.
Ecclesiastes 5:14-15
G. The reason this time is that we can’t take it with us. Here is how the story of the man who lost his money continues. Any of us today who are familiar with the story of Job hears something very familiar when Job lost it all.
He said,
“I came naked from my mother’s womb,
and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had,
and the Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord!”
The reason this time is that we can’t take it with us. Here is how the story of the man who lost his money continues:
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 134). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
H. The Apostle Paul even expressed this truth.
After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.
I. What does this mean? 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.
- At the end of one of his most profitable years on the European Tour, someone asked the English golfer Simon Dyson if there was anything that he was afraid of. “Death,” Dyson replied. “I’m in a position now where I can pretty much do as I want.… Dying wouldn’t be good right now.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 134). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
J. Whether or not we make as much money as a professional golfer, like it or not, the day will come when we have to leave it all behind. So what gain is there in living for money? Some people wait until their deathbed to think about that—if then!—but if we are wise like the Solomon of Ecclesiastes, we will think about it now.
K. Martin Luther said, “As I shall forsake my riches when I die, so I forsake them while I am living.”
Whether or not we make as much money as a professional golfer, like it or not, the day will come when we have to leave it all behind. So what gain is there in living for money? Some people wait until their deathbed to think about that—if then!—but if we are wise like the Solomon of Ecclesiastes, we will think about it now. Martin Luther said, “As I shall forsake my riches when I die, so I forsake them while I am living.”
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (pp. 134–135). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
L. One way to forsake our wealth is simply to look around at what we have and say to ourselves, “Now here is something that God has given me to enjoy for the time being, or maybe to give away for the work of his kingdom, but I need to remember that I will never be able to take it with me when I die.” This is a good thing for girls to say about their dolls and for boys to say about their video games. It is a good thing for teenagers to say about their clothes and their music. It is a good thing for men and women to say about their homes and automobiles, if they have them. We are headed for eternity! Therefore, we should travel light.
M. Everything that Solomon says about money is beautifully paraphrased by Randy Alcorn in his book The Treasure Principle, under the heading “Chasing the Wind.” Alcorn quotes each of Solomon’s insights in , and then adds his own paraphrase:
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 135). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
Everything that Solomon says about money is beautifully paraphrased by Randy Alcorn in his book The Treasure Principle, under the heading “Chasing the Wind.” Alcorn quotes each of Solomon’s insights in , and then adds his own paraphrase:
• “Whoever loves money never has money enough” (v. 10). The more you have, the more you want.
• “Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income” (v. 10). The more you have, the less you’re satisfied.
• “As goods increase, so do those who consume them” (v. 11). The more you have, the more people (including the government) will come after it.
• “And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?” (v. 11). The more you have, the more you realize it does you no good.
• “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). The more you have, the more you have to worry about.
• “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.
• “Or wealth lost through some misfortune” (v. 14). The more you have, the more you have to lose.
• “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). The more you have, the more you’ll leave behind.
N. Solomon now summarizes the many reasons not to live for money.
Solomon now summarizes the many reasons not to live for money
Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud—frustrated, discouraged, and angry.
O. This verse gives us a pathetic picture of where greed will lead.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 135). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
- Derek Kidner - “If anything is worse than the addiction money brings, it is the emptiness it leaves.”
P. The miser will end up alone in his misery. Because he lives in spiritual darkness, his soul will be vexed with many anxieties. The ungodly pursuit of wealth will take its physical toll, leaving him in poor health. He will also be very angry—a bitter old man—for who has ever heard of a happy miser? People who live for money try to hold on to as much of it as they can, but when they have to let it go—as everyone does eventually—it makes them angry with everyone and everything.
Q. This gives us a helpful question to ask about our own anger, some of which may well be caused by excessive love for the things of this world. When we get angry, what is the reason? When husbands and wives have arguments about how much to spend, for example, and what to spend it on, are they disagreeing about the principles of Biblical stewardship, or are they really just fighting for what they want to have? The unsatisfied desire for worldly possessions is one powerful producer of anger.
II. Power to Enjoy
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 136). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
- There has got to be a better way to live.
A. Is there a better way to live? Yes there is.
Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God.
Ecclesiastes
B. The Bible tells us not to put our “hope in wealth, which is so uncertain,” but to put our “hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”
Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.
The Bible tells us not to put our “hope in wealth, which is so uncertain,” but to put our “hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment”
Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 136). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
C. Seem kinda contradictory? 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. He has talked about these blessings before, in the so-called “enjoyment passages” of Ecclesiastes.
D. 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.
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. He has talked about these blessings before, in the so-called “enjoyment passages” of Ecclesiastes
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (pp. 136–137). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
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.
E. 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.
F. To understand this, we need to pay attention to the phrasing of verse 19. Earlier the Preacher listed some of the many reasons why accumulating money is vanity. 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.
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.
To understand this, we need to pay attention to the phrasing of verse 19. Earlier the Preacher listed some of the many reasons why accumulating money is vanity. 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.
G. 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. Satisfaction is sold separately. So the God-centered verses at the end of call us back to a joy that we can only find in God. The person who finds the greatest enjoyment in life is the one who knows God and has a relationship with him through Jesus Christ.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 137). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
H. Have you turned away from the weariness of wealth to find your joy in God? This is part of the Preacher’s answer to the problem of life’s vanity. He is teaching us to depend on God for our enjoyment rather than depending on one of his many gifts. The person who learns this lesson well “will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart” (). Although some scholars have misread this verse as a desperate attempt to forget the troubles of life, here the Preacher uses positive words to make a positive point about the joy that God alone can bring to the human heart. When we learn to enjoy God, we experience so much joy that life’s short vanity is all but forgotten.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 137). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
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. Satisfaction is sold separately. So the God-centered verses at the end of call us back to a joy that we can only find in God. The person who finds the greatest enjoyment in life is the one who knows God and has a relationship with him through Jesus Christ.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 137). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
Have you turned away from the weariness of wealth to find your joy in God? This is part of the Preacher’s answer to the problem of life’s vanity. He is teaching us to depend on God for our enjoyment rather than depending on one of his many gifts. The person who learns this lesson well “will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart” (). Although some scholars have misread this verse as a desperate attempt to forget the troubles of life, here the Preacher uses positive words to make a positive point about the joy that God alone can bring to the human heart. When we learn to enjoy God, we experience so much joy that life’s short vanity is all but forgotten.
I. Quentin Massys appears to have learned this spiritual lesson. We know this from a striking detail in The Moneylender and His Wife. Remember that in this masterpiece both husband and wife turn away from God to focus on their money. On the table between them, Massys cleverly painted a small round mirror, which reflects a little scene that is taking place just outside the frame of the painting. If we look at the image in the mirror closely, we see the dark lines of a window frame intersecting to make the form of a cross. We also see a small figure reaching out for the frame, as if to hold on to the cross. His face is familiar to art historians: it is Massys himself.
J. The artist—like the Preacher-King who wrote Ecclesiastes—is reminding us not to look for money to give us any satisfaction in life. Instead we are invited to reach out for the cross where Jesus gave his life for all our greedy sins, to hold on to Jesus and to find our full satisfaction in him.