Enjoy Life

Enjoy Life - Ecclesiastes 5:8 – 6:9

Pastor Grant van Boeschoten

The Structure of this passage

This is style of writing called a Chiasm. This is not a popular writing style today, so I will show you how it works.

A

B

MAIN POINT

B

A

Here is how this Passage Divides up

A - The Pursuit of Wealth will not satisfy

B - Riches, Honour & Wealth do not equal enjoyment

MAIN POINT - God gives the ability to Enjoy Life

B - Riches, Honour & Wealth do not equal enjoyment

A The Pursuit of Wealth will not satisfy

So because we are not used to this style of writing, we are going to explore it in a style that we are used to.

A, B, MAIN POINT

That means that we will do the first and last section together, then the second and second last section together, and then the climax.

The Pursuit of Wealth will not Satisfy

Ecc 5:8-12 & Ecc 6:7-9

Ecclesiastes 5:8–10 HCSB

If you see oppression of the poor and perversion of justice and righteousness in the province, don’t be astonished at the situation, because one official protects another official, and higher officials protect them. The profit from the land is taken by all; the king is served by the field. The one who loves money is never satisfied with money, and whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with income. This too is futile.

Dilemma: Profit can be taken by others

Don’t be shocked at governments and officials who take more than they should from the people that they govern.

That’s what verse 8 says. It would be a mistake for us to think that government corruption is a new thing. And we can be thankful for the many people in government who are upholding righteousness.

But the point is, your profit can be taken by others. And there will be nothing that you can do about it.

This is quite frustrating for many people? We feel like we have earned the profit, and we should get to control the profit. If so, get used to disappointment, profit can be taken by others.

It doesn’t happen every time, but every time that it does happen we feel it in our hearts. It hurts. “That’s not fair” is what we say, and of course it isn’t.

But here is the truth.

Those who love money are never satisfied with money.

The teacher isn’t saying that money and wealth are bad. He’s just pointing out that if you want satisfaction and enjoyment in life, then don’t make money and wealth your first love. Don’t let the pursuit of money be your top priority in life. For if you do, you will not be content.

Ecclesiastes 5:11–12 HCSB

When good things increase, the ones who consume them multiply; what, then, is the profit to the owner, except to gaze at them with his eyes? The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich permits him no sleep.

We could look at this in the terms of a company. Somebody out there had a great idea, maybe it was to make chocolate in a new chocolate bar and they called it, “Hawkwood Chocolate”.

Hawkwood Chocolate.

It was a great chocolate bar, people loved it, and the person with the great idea ended up hiring a whole staff to produce the chocolate bar.

But then, it wasn’t doing that well in the eastern side of North America, and so more employees were hired to market Hawkwood Chocolate.

Then, the demand was so high that a factory needed to be bought and converted to a high production model.

And on and on it goes. According to Ecclesiastes 5, its the workers who are the ones who are going to sleep well at night. All that they need to worry about is doing their particular task.

But the person with the great idea has become the one with the great responsibility. They look at all the people whose livelihood depends on them, all of the loans that need satisfied, all of the orders that need filled, all of the work that needs done, and are they satisfied.

It’s the worker having the great sleep at night and the owner who lies awake, trying to think of ways to solve the many new problems that Hawkwood Chocolate has made.

Is The Teacher of Ecclesiastes against business and making a profit? Not necessarily. But he does understand the weight of responsibility that accompanies great wealth. It’s not all fun and games.

And if the reason why you are working so hard is a love of money and a desire for wealth, you will find no lasting satisfaction.

Ecclesiastes 6:7–9 HCSB

All man’s labor is for his stomach, yet the appetite is never satisfied. What advantage then does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage is there for the poor person who knows how to conduct himself before others? Better what the eyes see than wandering desire. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

Question: Was anybody hungry yesterday? Did you eat some food to satisfy that hunger? Will that satisfaction extend to today?

Of course not. We work hard for the food that we eat, but we’ve got to keep on working because we want to keep on eating. The Teacher is not only talking about our appetite for food, he is also talking about our appetite for wealth. It will never be satisfied.

What advantage then does the wise one have over the fool?

In terms of satisfying hunger and wealth. There is no advantage. Wether you are rich or poor, if love money you will never be satisfied.

But, is there an advantage to be found for those who don’t have an insatiable desire for money and wealth?

Better what the eyes see than a wandering desire?

I really want a new car. I wish I could afford that house. Too bad I don’t have enough money for that vacation.

Wandering Desire. Seeing what we have and wanting more.

That want for more will never lead to satisfaction. It is like chasing the wind, a futile pursuit.

It is better to be content with what your eyes can see, what is right in front of you, what God has already graciously provided for you.

The first point that Teacher has made is clear,

The Pursuit of Wealth will not satisfy.

Maybe the question is starting to form in your mind. What will satisfy. Maybe you are saying, I want for my life to be enjoyable, I can’t spend all my time chasing the wind.

Keep listening, there is hope. But first a second point will be made.

Riches, Wealth and Honour do not equal Enjoyment

Ecc 5:13-17 & Ecc 6:1-6

This is counterintuitive. Should those that we honour have great enjoyment in life? SHouldn’t those who have made a great fortune be enjoying all the fruits of their labour?

Ecclesiastes 5:13–17 HCSB

There is a sickening tragedy I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm. That wealth was lost in a bad venture, so when he fathered a son, he was empty-handed. As he came from his mother’s womb, so he will go again, naked as he came; he will take nothing for his efforts that he can carry in his hands. This too is a sickening tragedy: exactly as he comes, so he will go. What does the one gain who struggles for the wind? What is more, he eats in darkness all his days, with much sorrow, sickness, and anger.

Is the point of wealth simply to keep it?

Jesus tells a parable about a rich fool who has a massive bumper crop one year. And what does he do with his wealth, he build bigger barns. He makes a way to keep it. Here is how the parable ends...

Luke 12:20–21 HCSB

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’ “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Keeping wealth, hoarding wealth, assuming that it has been granted to us solely for our use and enjoyment, is a grievous error and a sickening tragedy.

The teacher gives a vivid picture of this.

Wealth in those days was generational, passed down as an inheritance so that the next generation could build on the foundation of the previous one.

When Wealth that was kept is lost.

Its a tragedy, when through an unfortunate event, that entire wealth is lost. What can the Father pass down? His son will have to start from scratch.

What shame, what heartache. All the wealth is gone, everything that was worked for our kept, in a moment, gone.

What follows is a darkness, a depression. The father is filled with sorrow, he spends his days grieving this loss.

That does not need to be our reaction when a great loss happens. But when the love of your heart is money, when you do so much to keep your wealth and it is gone in a moment, you might soon find yourself a broken person.

Job is the example how to respond when tragedy hits. Job was an exceedingly wealthy man, known throughout the land for his generosity, wisdom and devotion to God.

Then, in a day, it all went away. But his first love was God and not wealth. How does Job respond?

Job 1:21 HCSB

saying: Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will leave this life. The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away. Praise the name of Yahweh.

Job found his identity in God, not in his money, not in his family and not in his status.

Can you say with Job, “The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Praise the name of Yahweh?

The contrast is given by The Teacher at the start of Ecc 6. Here we see one who has riches, wealth and honour, yet is unable to enjoy any of it.

Ecclesiastes 6:1–6 HCSB

Here is a tragedy I have observed under the sun, and it weighs heavily on humanity: God gives a man riches, wealth, and honor so that he lacks nothing of all he desires for himself, but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is futile and a sickening tragedy. A man may father a hundred children and live many years. No matter how long he lives, if he is not satisfied by good things and does not even have a proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. For he comes in futility and he goes in darkness, and his name is shrouded in darkness. Though a stillborn child does not see the sun and is not conscious, it has more rest than he. And if he lives a thousand years twice, but does not experience happiness, do not both go to the same place?

What is the point of having riches, wealth and honour if you don’t enjoy your life?

There is a contrast between these two stories.

FIRST STORY - A wealthy man with one son

SECOND STORY - A wealthy man with one hundred children

FIRST STORY - The rich person lived relatively few years

SECOND STORY - The rich person lives many years

The Israelite culture highly valued having many children and a long life. This one seems to have it all.

FIRST STORY - there was a bad venture that caused the lack of wealth, and the lack wealth resulted in the sorrow.

SECOND STORY - God does not allow him to enjoy the wealth, honour and riches.

SIDE NOTE - If you are able to enjoy the good in your life, then stop right now and thank God for that enjoyment, for He is the one that makes you able to enjoy goodness.

No comes the extreme comparison, the troubling comparison.

Comparison

However long that a person lives, if that person finds no joy in life, a stillborn baby is better off than him.

The stillborn child never experiences life outside of the womb. Never experiences any of the loss, pain or sorrow of this world. And so, the stillborn is better off.

Now, this is, a very extreme comparison. A stillborn child I would not wish on anyone. The comparison is extreme to drive home a main point,

A long life with no enjoyment is worse than no life at all.

But there is a secondary point that I want to look at as well.

That is that the stillborn child, is still a child. The stillborn has every bit of value and purpose that you or I have. That baby is still made in the image of God.

Throughout the entirety of Scripture, we see the value that God places on life, even life in the womb. Every life is sacred, every person has value. Life begins at conception, that is a person even nine months before birth. God our creator, creates us in our mother’s womb.

Back to the main point, this contrast. Consider the hyperbole employed by the Teacher to show what a great life by Israelite standards this character has.

He lives a thousand years, twice over. What an amazing thought to live for two thousand years. But it is a terrifying reality if every one of those years is lived without happiness.

A long life with no enjoyment is worse than no life at all.

Life does not need to be a tragic series of sorrows. When God created people, He had joy in mind for us. The question is,

How can we have joy in life?

Ecclesiastes 5:18–20 HCSB

Here is what I have seen to be good: it is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him, because that is his reward. God has also given riches and wealth to every man, and He has allowed him to enjoy them, take his reward, and rejoice in his labor. This is a gift of God, for he does not often consider the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.

Enjoy Life.

The emphasis of these 3 verses is enjoyment in life. It is the whole point of this section of Ecclesiastes, life is to be enjoyed.

We will start with verse 20. The gift of enjoyment comes from God. When we are living our lives with God’s joy, it really changes how we see the world. It changes how the world sees us as well.

Joy is rarely accompanied by grumbling or arguing. Joy is not’ known as a gossip or as an adversary. Joy marks people in life with goodness.

And you can’t fabricate it on your own. So what are we being taught here?

Fact: Our days on earth are limitted. We don’t get to decide to live forever. What we do have some control over is how we will live these days that we have on this earth.

You could choose to use your time to pursue wealth, riches and honor. But if that is your love, at the end of it all you won’t be satisfied, there is never enough. Just as each day you wake up with a fresh appetite that needs once again to be satisfied, you will never satisfy the desire for more riches, honour or wealth.

Instead, see each day as a gift from God. See the tasks laid out before you as an opportunity to be blessed by God with enjoyment.

Each day that you live, is a day where you can have the goal to enjoy what God is giving you.

Start with the common things, the obvious things. Find the joy in spending time with the people you love. Find the joy in the food you eat, and the places you go each day. All of this enjoyment is a gift from God, so ask him to help you enjoy the days you have, and thank him for what he does.

We don’t need to be rich to enjoy our lives. We need God’s help to enjoy our lives.

But what about the rich, are they doomed to a life of sorrow? Not at all. For God can give enjoyment of life wherever he would please.

In fact, from this passage we see that wealth is a gift from God. But can you receive it as a gift? Or will you see your wealth as what you have rightfully earned and what belongs to you. Will you take the approaching of hoarding it and keeping it safe from others?

I hope not. I hope that you will see you wealth as a gift from God that can be used by God for his glory.

Jesus teaches us that we cannot serve God and Money at the same time. It is one or the other? Who gets the final say in our decisions, God or Money?

Two Paths

The teacher has laid a choice before us all. There are two paths and we all must choose one, we cannot be on both at the same time.

We can spend the time that we have on this earth pursuing wealth, riches and honour, or we can focus on enjoying God’s gifts every day.

Jesus agrees with this teaching.

Matthew 6:32–33 HCSB

For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

God knows what you need and God can provide. So serve him with all of your heart, live for his glory, seek first his Kingdom. How blessed is the person who knows God’s commands and abides by them by his power and work in their life.

Spending our lives pursing wealth is not only a waste of time, it will lead to disaster.

Instead, put your life into God’s hands, trust him for what you need, and live according to his words.

Joy is found in God alone, for Joy is a gift from God that enables us to enjoy what we have before us today. Therefore, Enjoy Life.