Eccl 5:10-6:1-6

Eccl 5:10-6:1-6
M. Kelly

Solomon has examined the vanity of riches.
To live for riches is vanity. We should be content with what ever God gives to us.

The acquiring of things does not gratify the coveting soul. They always want more. When abundance increases, then those who consume it increase. The bigger the business the more employees needed.

An abundance is to be used not hoarded. Saving for a specific future use is not hoarding. Just holding on to it for the sake of having it is hoarding. The hoarder does not use his riches.

It is a good thing to enjoy good things with a conscience toward God. We are to enjoy the God that gives us the good things. We are improve upon the talents that He has given us.

Those who want to get rich (love riches) fall into many temptations.

v. 20 if we spent our time enjoying God and the things He has given us we would not have time for discontent.
Discontent gets us into all sorts of troubles.

6:2 this person had riches,wealth and honor. Solomon is that person. He has everything that he desires. He also has an abundance of children. Abundance of years. It's all about abundance. He has everything but enjoyment! These things in themselves bring no peace or lasting joy under the sun. Solomon says it would be better to be a miscarriage than to be that person.

Lessons:
1. God wants His people to think!
Ecclesiastes is damaging to a rosy picture of this world!
People seem to enjoy good things. Solomon is speaking to people who think. The only way to enjoy this life without God in this word is to not think. But God wants us to think about this world and the vanity that is there. Solomon is never, not thinking about death in the under the sun perspective because everything has to be given up after death! When God converts people He returns our minds to usefulness to think! The Christian is called to think according to the truth. Ecclesiastes shows us a proper perspective of the world.

What is the meaning of life when everything ends at the grave? Job, Jeremiah, Jonah...all had the perspective that it would have been better to not be born! It's a wrong view of trials.

We are not mindlessly to love the gift that God gives us. We are to love the God who blesses us with them. We are to think and put those gifts in their proper perspective.

Rom. 13:12-14 Lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light! Put on a proper perspective!!!!

1 Cor. 15:54-
Solomon's under the sun perspective is the sting of death, but his under the heaven perspective is the same as Paul's.

Toil under the sun is vain, but toil with the under heaven perspective is not vain!

Eph. 4:17-24
See the under the sun and the under heaven views here.

Eph. 6:
Talks about the under the sun view and what we battle with. We need to stand firm with the armor of God.

LUke 9:23-25
Deny ourselves and take up our cross to follow Him.
What profit to gain the whole world and lose your own soul? See that in Eccl. 6

God's Word is our only armor against the battle that we must fight in the world!

LUke 4:5-8
Temptation of Jesus. Jesus answers Satan with "it is written" He uses the Word of God! Solomon says fear God!

Why do we have this revealed knowledge and struggle so much with this stuff? Because we neglect to come to the word of God to help us have the proper perspective of these things!

Ask yourself: Who is controlling my thinking? Is this idea God's idea? Is it someone else's idea? Where is the origin of that idea or thought? This is the beginning of doing battle with ourselves.

2 Cor. 4:16- renew our inner man by the truth

2. God gives wealth.
We must not think of this just in terms of money. It might be talents, skills, etc.
The intellect in its capacity is given by God. Institutions don't give you your intellect, they only give you knowledge.
v. 2 God has given this man in verse 2 riches and everything else.
Too many people congratulate themselves for all their accomplishments. God is the one who gives the abilities to do those things.
Of course we work but God gives the increase!
Notice how many people God gives wealth to but they are not satisfied. Which is better? To be content or discontent??
1 Cor. 4:7 Here is what our posture should be about our wealth and gifts.

3. Without God's blessings an abundance brings no peace!
5:19 The abundance is a gift of God to enjoy, but this man in chapter 6 was not given the ability to enjoy the gifts God has given him. God's blessing is the difference in viewing and enjoying God's gifts properly!

We often say if certain things would happen THEN we would be happy! We do not believe God. We believe that if we could do it our way we would be happy, but this is not the case!

Prov. 15:16-17 Better is a little where the fear of God is.

We need to seek God's blessing to enjoy what we have more....not so much to ask for more!

Without God no circumstance will bring us joy and comfort!

HOw do you define success? Contentment.

4. Life is disappointing under the sun.
One reason people dispute the existence of God because life is so disappointing. Surely life would be better than this if there was a God! They fail to think about the Fall.
About sin.

5. There is no rest under the sun or in the grave.
The mind set that says better off dead is so wrong! Everyone that dies has existed and misery starts at the grave without God. RIP~ there is no peace without God! If we have God then death will be the best time of our lives.

In our natural life we have distorted view of life and death. Death is just a taxi ride to the courthouse of God.
Only life with God is good and can be enjoyed.

Death is not the end for us. There is a resurrection and glorious future. This like is hell on earth for the Christian because this like is as bad as it's going to get for us!


🌹🌺🌻Marsha🌻🌺🌹

He is the Α and Ω and everything in between. έστιν ό Α Ω. (Revelation 22:13)