The Gift of Wealth or Enjoyment? Which is Best?
(Ecclesiastes 5:8-6:9)
1. Sam goes to the doctor for his yearly checkup. “Everything is fine”, said the doctor, “You’re doing OK for your age.” “For my age?” questioned Sam, “I’m only 75, do you think I’ll make it to 80? “Well” said the doctor, “do you like to go to social events, have people over and play games?” “No” Sam replied. “Do you eat fatty meat or sweets?” “No” said Sam “I am very careful about what I eat.” “How about your activities? Do you engage in thrilling behaviors like speeding or skiing? “No” said Sam taken aback, “I would never engage in dangerous activities.” “Well,” said the doctor, “then why in the world would you want to live to be 80? [greatcleanjokes.com, altered]
2. Some people make it through life, but don’t really enjoy life. They may endure it, or they may feel like they are doing their duty, being responsible, or paying bills, but they don’t enjoy life.
3. God gives us gifts and abilities besides the grace gifts we label “spiritual gifts,” which are a special category. Every breath is a gift. Our genes are a gift. In today’s text, when I speak about gifts, it refers to these sort of things.
4. There are two types of gifts in this section. We find the gift of being good at making money, and we find the gift of satisfaction or enjoyment. The gift of satisfaction is distinct from the gift of making money.
Main Idea: A rich life doesn’t come from riches, but from your ability to enjoy God’s blessings.
I. The Front Part: The Disappointment of WEALTH (8-17)
A. Government corruption should not SHOCK us (8-9).
According to CNBC, the most corrupt countries in the world are: Somalia: South Sudan
North Korea, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, Afghanistan, Guinea-Bissau, and Venezuela
The least corrupt countries are: Denmark, New Zealand, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway,
Singapore, Netherlands, Canada, Germany.
B. Seeing the poor suffering injustice should be no SURPRISE (8-9).
C. The rich are not necessarily HAPPIER than the poor (10-12)
1. Many studies have shown that once you get beyond a certain income level, happiness is not increased by getting more money. The most important factor: relationships.
2. In ancient times, some people made a simply living by day labor, shepherding, or a trade.
3. Others made more money as farmers, traders, merchants and businessmen. The first career choice provided the most steady income; the second provided a potential for wealth, but also a higher level of risk.
4. There is a difference between planning ahead to train for a career to make good money and being covetous or money hungry. Making money is no sin, it is the love of money that is a sin.
5. Paul’s teaching in I Timothy 6:10 might be a midrash on this text:“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
6. People who love money:
• Are not satisfied; they think they are looking for money, but they are really looking for security and importance. They also cannot believe others do not love money (rationalizing failure).
• As their enterprise grows, so do the number of employees (11)
• They end up stressed and suffer insomnia (12)
D. The rich are at risk of LOSING their riches (14-16)
• Jesus’ parable of the rich farmer, got all situated and died.
II. The End Part: The Wealthy Often Succeed in Business but FAIL at Life (6:1-8)
A. A better gift from God above wealth is the gift of ENJOYMENT (1-2)
A vacationing American businessman standing on the pier of a quaint coastal fishing village in southern Mexico watched as a small boat with just one young Mexican fisherman pulled into the dock. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. "How long did it take you to catch them?" the American casually asked.
"Oh, a few hours," the Mexican fisherman replied.
"Why don't you stay out longer and catch more fish?" the American businessman then asked.
The Mexican warmly replied, "With this I have more than enough to meet my family's needs."
The businessman then became serious, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
The fisherman answered, "I sleep late, play with my children, watch ball games, take a siesta, stroll into the village to see my friends, play the guitar, sing a few songs..."
The American businessman interrupted, "Look, I can help you to be more profitable. You can start by fishing several hours longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra money, you can buy a bigger boat. With the additional income that larger boat will bring, before long you can buy a second boat, then a third one, and so on, until you have an entire fleet of fishing boats."
“You could leave this tiny coastal village and move to Mexico City, or possibly even Los Angeles or New York City, where you could even further expand your enterprise."
The Mexican fisherman asked, "But how long will all this take?"
The businessman answered, "Probably about 15-20 years, maybe less if you work really hard."
"And then what, señor?" asked the fisherman.
"Then you would sell your company and happily retire with all the money you've made. You could move to a quaint coastal fishing village where you could sleep late, play with your grandchildren, watch ball games, and take a siesta. You could stroll to the village in the evenings where you could play the guitar and sing with your friends all you want."
“But sir,” the fisherman replied, “That is what I am doing now.”
The businessman had the gift of making money, and the fishermen had the gift of enjoyment. Ecclesiastes suggest that some people have both.
B. A large, powerful posterity and long life or the gift of SATISFACTION (3-6)?
Do you want to be rich or live a satisfying life? In the New Testament, Jesus gives us a path to personal satisfaction that is rich: “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39).
III. The Middle and Finale: ENJOY What God Has Already Given You Rather than Longing for More (5:18-20, 9)
God’s Word encourages us to plan ahead and think of the long term. But we need to enjoy the normal routines of life, not just the big moments or special events.
A. Try to enjoy the DAILY routine (18)
• In contrast to hating what you do and living for a cruise, enjoy daily life (Everyday a Party)
• The Talmud states says: “In the future, we will all have to answer to God for all that our eyes saw of God’s wonderful world but did not partake of.” Kidushim 4:12
• I Timothy 6:17b, “…God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.”
B. Don’t allow CRAVING for more rob you of enjoying what God has given you (19)
• Relative deprivation.
• The 10th commandment, you shall not covet. The difference between coveting and wanting is a matter of intensity — and the delusion that getting what we covet will make life wonderful.
• Prime example: Ahab and Naboth’s vineyard. Judas Iscariot craving power and notoriety.
C. The sign of an enjoyable life: it seems to pass QUICKLY (20)
• How quickly does time pass when you are on vacation, having fun? How quickly does time pass in a dentist’s chair?
D. Rather that spend your life always traveling but never arriving, BLOOM where you are planted (9)
1. Happiness is not a location.
2. Generally speaking, people with the gift of enjoyment enjoy life in less than ideal circumstances, and those without the gift of enjoyment are unhappy even in the best of circumstances.
