Life's Mysteries - Wrestling with Stuff - Ecclesiastes 2 and 5 - January 24, 2010

Bible Study – Life’s Mysteries – Wrestling with Stuff – January 24, 2010

This is study four (4) in our series entitled “Life’s Mysteries.”

Our scripture is Ecclesiastes 2:4-8; 5:10-16.

“Wrestling with Stuff”, what a statement because most of us have stuff. We all work to get stuff because stuff is supposed to make us happy. But most of us have lived long enough to know that the excitement of getting stuff soon fades. Many of us know the joy of getting a boat only to find that getting rid of that boat brings greater joy. Often a new car offers the same pain, especially when we get a lemon. Stuff has to be maintained and often becomes a burden.

Solomon was king and he had stuff on top of stuff. Let’s explore his conclusion about having stuff. Again, the underlying theme is that most of us think that our ability to earn the stuff we have comes for us and therefore it belongs to us. GOD provides the opportunity and the increase. How we use the ability GOD gives us is our choice. HIS desire is for us to use it according to HIS plan and purpose, as HE leads us. This requires an intimate relationship with HIM through CHRIST.

Let’s read Ecclesiastes 2:4-8:

The Emptiness of Possessions

4 I increased my achievements. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5 I made gardens and parks for myself and planted every kind of fruit tree in them. 6 I constructed reservoirs of water for myself from which to irrigate a grove of flourishing trees. 7 I acquired male and female servants and had slaves who were born in my house. I also owned many herds of cattle and flocks, more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. 8 I also amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered male and female singers for myself, and many concubines, the delights of men.[3] LXX, Theod, Syr read and male cupbearers and female cupbearers; Aq, Tg, Vg read a cup and cups; Hb obscure

Solomon had houses, vineyards, fruit trees, servants and slaves to take care of the things. His slaves reproduced and produced more slaves. He had cattle, flocks, silver, gold, singers and concubines. What more can a man ask for? But did all this bring satisfaction? No.

Solomon had staggering wealth but his conclusion was it was all meaningless. Stuff does not bring fulfillment and satisfaction. Only GOD can fill the true void in our lives.

1 Kings 7:1: (Chapter 7 gives some of the details of the palace-complex and the opulence of Solomon.)

1 Solomon completed his entire palace-complex after 13 years of construction.

1 Kings 10:14-29: (Gives details of Solomon’s massive wealth.)

Solomon’s Wealth

14 The weight of gold that came to Solomon annually was 25 tons,[5] Lit 666 talents 15 besides what came from merchants, traders’ merchandise, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land. 16 King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold; 15 pounds[6] Lit 600 (shekels) of gold went into each shield. 17 He made 300 small shields[7] 2 Sm 1:21; 2 Kg 19:32; Isa 21:5 of hammered gold; about four pounds[8] Lit three minas of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.[9] 1 Kg 7:2–5 18 The king also made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with fine gold. 19 The throne had six steps; there was a rounded top at the back of the throne, armrests on either side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests. 20 Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps, one at each end. Nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom. 21 All of King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, since it was considered as nothing in Solomon’s time, 22 for the king had ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.[10] Or baboons [11] 2 Ch 9:13–21 23 King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the world in riches and in wisdom. 24 The whole world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart. 25 Every man would bring his annual tribute: items[12] Or vessels, or weapons of silver and gold, clothing, weapons,[13] Or fragrant balsam spices, and horses and mules.[14] 2 Ch 9:22–24 26 Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen[15] 1 Kg 4:26 and stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills. 28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue.[16] = Cilicia (modern Turkey) The king’s traders bought them from Kue at the going price. 29 A chariot was imported from Egypt for 15 pounds[17] Lit 600 shekels [of silver]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. , and a horse for about four pounds.[18] Lit 150 shekels In the same way, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram through their agents.[19] Dt 17:16; 2 Ch 1:14–17; 9:25–28

GOD not only gave Solomon wisdom but also great wealth. Why did GOD allow Solomon to accumulate such great wealth? Solomon had the opportunity to use his wealth for good or to use it for himself. I believe it is a message for us. Most of us struggle to accumulate. Solomon topped the list for accumulating stuff. He was richer than all the kings but did it bring him joy? No. He wanted to build and accumulate more until he began observing things “under the sun.” We know that his final conclusion of what really brings joy into a person’s life is to obediently serve GOD. Life is not about gaining stuff but what we do with the stuff our LORD allows us to accumulate.

I know many of us have suffered economic loss in these difficult economic times. I know we took an economic hit. I realized that what we have kept was what we had given away.

Let’s read Ecclesiastes 5:8-14:

The Realities of Wealth

8 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]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. them. 9 The profit from the land is taken by all; the king is served by the field.[5] Or An advantage for the land in every respect is a king for a cultivated field; Hb obscure 10 The one who loves money is never satisfied with money, and whoever loves wealth [is]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. never [satisfied]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. with income. This too is futile. 11 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? 12 The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich permits him no sleep. 13 There is a sickening tragedy I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm. 14 That wealth was lost in a bad venture, so when he fathered a son, he was empty-handed.

Wealth results in oppression and the perversion of justice and righteousness. Those who have the wealth usually have friends in high places that have friends in higher places that can skew the system to work to their favor. Money talks – even the king profits from a cultivated field. Not much has changed in 3,000 years.

Solomon zeros in on the love of money in verse 10. The word “love” as used in the
Hebrew text carried the idea of an ongoing, continuous action. It was not a temporary action or desire. The Apostle Paul writes in 1Timothy 6:10:

10 For the love of money is a root[5] Or is the root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

Hebrews 13:5-6:

5 Your life should be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.[3] Dt 31:6 6 Therefore, we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?[4] Ps 118:6

It is the “love of money” that is the problem, not having money or wealth. Believers must focus on the fact that GOD is the provider of material wealth. How they use it is their decision. HIS desire is that all will use their material wealth and spiritual wealth as HE desires.

Solomon had observed that the wealthy or those who love their money or the stuff they have accumulated are never satisfied. Whether the increase was money or harvest, those who love to accumulate want to accumulate just a little bit more.

Verse 11 – Those who have wealth discover they have many so-called friends. The wealthy can watch their so-called friends enjoy their wealth, as long as it lasts. We know of a number of people who have won the lottery and all of a sudden they have many people wanting them to share their wealth with them.

Verse 12 – Those who work for a living sleep well at night whether or not they eat little or much. But those who have abundance and love it cannot sleep because of fear of losing it.

Verses 13-14 – Solomon had observed that certain wealthy people watched over their assets to make certain they do not lose them. It seems that the wealthy person was so fearful of losing their assets that it occupied all his time. The use of the words “sickening tragedy” in Hebrew carried the idea of ongoing, continuous action. That was all a person could think about. When the wealthy invest their wealth to earn more, it can vanish in a bad venture. A person or couple can accumulate an estate with the intent of passing it on to their child or children and it can vanish. The most important thing that a person or people can pass on to their loved ones is a relationship with GOD. That is secure and eternal.

People and especially believers must keep in mind WHO provides the opportunity to have possessions. GOD urged the Israelites, through Moses, to be careful when they began enjoying the bounty from the Promised Land as recorded in Deuteronomy 8:7-20:

7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with streams of water, springs, and deep water sources, flowing in both valleys and hills; 8 a land of wheat, barley, vines, figs, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey; 9 a land where you will eat food without shortage, where you will lack nothing; a land whose rocks are iron and from whose hills you will mine copper. 10 When you eat and are full, you will praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you. 11 “Be careful that you don’t forget the Lord your God by failing to keep His command—the ordinances and statutes—I am giving you today. 12 When you eat and are full, and build beautiful houses to live in, 13 and your herds and flocks grow large, and your silver and gold multiply, and everything else you have increases, 14 [be careful]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. that your heart doesn’t become proud and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 15 He led you through the great and terrible wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, a thirsty land where there was no water. He brought water out of the flintlike rock for you. 16 He fed you in the wilderness with manna[3] Ex 16:4 that your fathers had not known, in order to humble and test you, so that in the end He might cause you to prosper. 17 You may say to yourself, ‘My power and my own ability have gained this wealth for me,’ 18 but remember that the Lord your God gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm His covenant He swore to your fathers, as it is today. 19 If you ever forget the Lord your God and go after other gods to worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will perish. 20 Like the nations the Lord is about to destroy before you, you will perish if you do not obey the Lord your God.

The underlying idea is that those who hold wealth in such high esteem are missing the point. Wealth can vanish in a heartbeat. True wealth is in obeying and serving GOD. So do not focus on that which can be taken away so quickly but focus upon that which will last eternally. Always keep in mind that GOD gives the increase both physically and spiritually.

JESUS had several things to say about true wealth in Mark 12:41 and Matthew 6:19-21:

Mark 12:41-44:

41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. 42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. 43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: 44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

In GOD’S eyes it is not the size of the gift but the attitude of the heart. Give as GOD leads you to give. Our attitude toward possessions can be a great barrier to obediently serving GOD.

Matthew 6:19-21:

God and Possessions (JESUS is speaking)

19 “Don’t collect for yourselves treasures[14] Or valuables on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The most valuable thing a parent can pass on to their children is eternal life through faith in JESUS CHRIST. The most valuable investment a believer can make is to obediently serve GOD with his/her possessions, time, a kind word, a helping hand or a cup of cold water. All things, money, time, possessions come from HIM for us to obediently use as we serve HIM.

Ecclesiastes 5:15-16:

15 As he came from his mother’s womb, so he will go again, naked as he came;[6] Jb 1:21 he will take nothing for his efforts that he can carry in his hands. 16 This too is a sickening tragedy: exactly as he comes, so he will go. What does he gain who struggles for the wind?

This is where the rubber hits the road. Bottom line, every one of us came into this world naked, empty handed and without anything and we will all leave this world empty handed. Only what we have invested in GOD’S treasury will be waiting for us in heaven.

Solomon used the word “sickening” which is the Hebrew word for ongoing, continuous action. To Solomon accumulating wealth at the expense of neglecting GOD was indeed a tragedy. Just as a person tries to capture the wind, it is futile for a person to foolishly pursue accumulating wealth believing he/she can hang on to it. It can be gone in a flash, whereas, those who seek to build a dynamic relationship with GOD carry their wealth into eternity.

When the world conqueror Napoleon died, he had requested that his hands be displayed for all to see that even though he led armies to conquer the world, he took nothing with him.

Solomon concluded there was no point in trying to argue or defeat GOD. Death is the great equalizer for all people. Lay up treasure in heaven by obediently serving GOD.