Ecclesiastes 5:8-20--The Realities of Wealth

Ecclesiastes 5:8-20
​Christian Standard Bible

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 them. 9 The profit from the land is taken by all; the king is served by the field.

10 The one who loves silver is never satisfied with silver, and whoever loves wealth is never satisfied 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. 15 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. 16 This too is a sickening tragedy: exactly as he comes, so he will go. What does the one gain who struggles for the wind? 17 What is more, he eats in darkness all his days, with much frustration, sickness, and anger.

​18 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. 19 Furthermore, everyone to whom God has given riches and wealth, he has also allowed him to enjoy them, take his reward, and rejoice in his labor. This is a gift of God, 20 for he does not often consider the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.

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Solomon tells us we should not be surprised when we see abuses of power, miscarriages of justice, oppression of the poor, and all kinds of unrighteousness that go unchallenged by the government officials (or maybe even at the hands of government officials).  It does not escape the notice of the officials or their superiors, but it is common for such officials to protect one another, especially if bribes are or trading of favors is involved.  They see it the same way as how the king and all of his officials eat of the produce of the fields that the "common people" worked--it's just one of the perks of their position in their minds.

A lover of money is never satisfied.  Rockefeller had a quote when asked "How much money is enough?" and he replied, "Just one more dollar."  Solomon finds the hording of money futile because the more you have, the more lavish a lifestyle you adopt and the faster you spend the money.  Rarely do people with lots of money live like people with little money so that they can save money.  The worker goes to bed at night having finished his work and not having to worry about investments and opportunities, but the wealthy man tosses and turns at night wondering what will happen to his great wealth.

Solomon says that he has seen too often that a person gets rich, makes poor business decisions, loses it all and ends up bankrupt--literally naked and homeless because he had had to sell everything. Solomon speaks other places about making wise investments and diversifying your investments and not putting all your eggs in one basket.  It is one thing to invest money that you don't need--it is quite another to gamble away all the money that you and your family had so that if you lose big that you and your family end up in slaver with no possessions to call their own.

Solomon has said it is good for a man to have just enough so that he neither believes that he doesn't need God's provision nor covets what another has.  He should focus instead of using what God has provided to him and his family to meet their needs and to get the most out of the life God has given them.  Enjoy the good work that God has given to you to do.  If you focus on your work and the pleasure that God intends for it to bring you, then you will not be busy looking at everyone else and coveting what they have.  "Godliness with contentment is great gain."