”There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind (to introduce a discussion on the value of riches with the statement, “there is an evil,” ought to help us understand the context of wealth in God’s world. And we again read, under the sun. This means that we’re talking about men who put their trust and confidence in earthly possessions.)
: a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. (It is God who gives all gifts. No one may rightly say, “I did this.” For we can do nothing unless it’s granted to us from above).
(Furthermore, it is God alone who gives us the power to enjoy things and this is directly related to those who seek Him in spirit and in truth. Why? Because this is His world and the pursuit of happiness on our own terms is both irrational and sinful. We’re not prone to looking at it that way – as irrational. But all sin is illogical).
This is vanity; it is a grievous evil. If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life’s good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. (A subtle distortion of materialism and, therefore, rebellion against God, is the pursuit of happiness in the name of family. This is dealt with by the Preacher. What good is a large family “under the sun?” It is God who brings joy and peace. It is sin that makes men miserable. All forms of self-soteriology are an abomination. Good health and a large family are not in and of themselves good things if, in fact, they’re acquired to be used for happiness and not in the Lord. Furthermore, one’s devotion to family must not supersede devotion and fidelity to the Lord or else the former is in vain. In Matthew 12:48-50, as His embarrassed disciples try and get Him away from a dust-up with critics in the name of family, Jesus tells us that doing His will makes one true family. We must beware the subtle temptation to replace Christ with anything else…especially something so good as family. See Luke 14:26 for more on this.)
For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he. (A stillborn baby hasn’t seen life’s many sorrows and is indeed better – yes, better – than such a sinner who dies without Christ. There is unspeakable agony and grief in having one’s life end upon a sea of miserable circumstances and general unhappiness.)
Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good—do not all go to the one place? (Once again the Preacher reminds us of the BIG truth. Even if our death is delayed many years it is still there. We must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.)
All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. (An interesting thing here. The word appetite may be translated “soul” here. Either way, there’s no getting away from the fact, Leopold says, from the fact that it is the soul which has the appetite. There is something seriously wrong. Our souls have been damaged by sin and departed from their true functioning. We crave satisfaction but can’t find it, and the Preacher would use this, if we’ll listen, to show us that we’re made for God, not things.
It’s seen quite a bit in the struggle that artists have with business. There’s a desire in the true artist for a purity of expression…an innocence and love of their craft. The needs of the flesh – that is, for money and food and shelter – very often complicate and frustrate their pursuit of this alleged purity. Only in Christ do we have true reconciliation of all matters.)
For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind. (Who really knows how to conduct themselves before the world? The covenant people of Israel who were given God’s statutes! And yet even they would be enticed by the wandering of the appetite. Greed and envy are, indeed, alive in the hearts of even God’s children so we are warned. We cannot serve God and money. Where our treasure is, there is our heart also. Godliness with contentment is the goal of Christian living; to be content with the Lord and to work/toil with a decided focus on Him rather than riches.)
Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he. (Job wanted to debate the Lord. As Dr. Phil would say, “how did that work out for him?” Grumbling and complaining against God’s sovereignty is man’s pastime. Man is a cosmic rebel against his Creator God…that’s what is known. And this is a very nice way to say that he will indubitably lose that war unless he repents and turns to Christ.)
The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? (This is a point to ponder. In our sin we have no weapons upon which we may retake that great gate back to Eden. The cherubim with the flaming sword is more than enough to stop us. Our response? Talk. Lots of it. The great deceivers are the great destroyers. Look at Lenin. How many died because of his political philosophy? Or Hitler? How about Mao? Are you a Keynesian? A Marxist? Did Plato’s Republic solve mankind’s problems? Where oh where are the “new atheists” who were railing against God just a few decades ago? The graveyards are full of men who talked a lot against God only to finally fall silent in the grave. Make no mistake: their argument with the Almighty One is over. What advantage was it all? Do you think that Lenin looks back at his atheism with happy pride or with tears and gnashing teeth?)
For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?“ (the few days! The Preacher doesn’t mince words. Our lives are brutally short, so we should take stock. All of us must give an account some day before the Lord. Whether we live, or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. It’s all passing like a shadow, so don’t be lazy nor presumptive. Who can tell what will happen, not long after we’re dead, but even tomorrow?)
Ecclesiastes 6:1-12 ESV
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