ECCLESIASTES

Chapter 5

Introduction

Ecclesiastes is a book of joy. Exhortations to rejoice run through the entire book:

Ecclesiastes 2:24 Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.

Ecclesiastes 3:12 I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, Ecclesiastes 3:13 and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor; it is the gift of God.

Ecclesiastes 5:18 Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage.

Ecclesiastes 5:19 As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.

Ecclesiastes 5:20 For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.

Ecclesiastes 8:15 So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 9:7 Go, eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry heart; For God has already accepted your works.

Over and over again Solomon emphasizes "enjoy," "rejoice," "joy," "be merry," "a merry heart." And to make sure you don’t misunderstand him and think he is being fleshly or worldly, over and over again he says that life is to be enjoyed "from the hand of God," and as the "gift of God."

You are exhorted to "rejoice" even though your life may not be enjoyable. Solomon is brutally honest about the hardships of life under the sun. He calls life "vanity" and points out its many perplexities and pains. Joy is to be derived from your relationship with God despite your circumstances.

If you are not able to rejoice, there are two possibilities:

1. One is that you do not have a personal relationship with God from which to derive your joy.
2. If you do have a personal relationship with God but are not rejoicing, then you need an attitude adjustment.

In chapter five Solomon discusses three areas you may need to analyze in order to adjust your attitude: Your relationship to God, your recourse to government, and your reliance on goods. We’ll take a look at each of them.

#1 If You’re Not Rejoicing In Your Life Under The Sun,

Analyze Your Relationship With God

Joy and rejoicing can only come to your heart if you know God, if you have a personal relationship with Him.

Do you? It’s not enough to believe there is a God; you must commit your life to Him, surrender your heart to Him.

Let’s say you have given your life to Jesus. Solomon has some advice for you in verses one through seven. He tells you two things: Draw near to hear God, and Go forth in the fear of God.

In verses one through three you are told to draw near to hear God:

Ecclesiastes 5:1 Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.

Solomon assumes you regularly visit "the house of God." In the Old Testament that was the Tabernacle in the wilderness, and later the Temple in Jerusalem. Today we don’t consider church buildings "the house of God." God dwells within believers; their bodies are said to be the temple the Holy Spirit. This gives rise to the common feeling that we don’t really need to gather together in order to worship God. While it is certainly true that you can and should worship God anywhere, you are nevertheless exhorted to gather together for worship.

Here is the simple point: God promises to be present in a gathering of believers in a special, powerful way. If you are not there, you will miss out on the work God desires to do in your heart. It’s no wonder you are not able to rejoice!

This is part of what Solomon means when he says you "hear" from God. God ministers to you, by His Spirit, when and while you are gathered together. He can certainly minister to you if you’re not in church; but He has chosen to do so while you are gathered together.

If you want joy in your heart, listen to what Solomon says next:

Ecclesiastes 5:2 Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.

Ecclesiastes 5:3 For a dream comes through much activity, And a fool's voice is known by his many words.

In other words, listen to God’s Word to get God’s perspective on your life. Don’t tell Him what you want Him to do. Instead, realize that He "is in heaven" – realize that He has your life under the sun under control. It’s your attitude that needs to change, not your circumstances.

Verse three seems to describe someone who is restless and worried and anxious. As a result, they even "dream" about their problems while sleeping. A person who tells God what He ought to do rather than listening to God's Word will remain restless and worried and anxious. They will not rejoice.

You draw near to hear God, then go forth in the fear of God:

Ecclesiastes 5:4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed;

Ecclesiastes 5:5 Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.

Ecclesiastes 5:6 Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands?

Ecclesiastes 5:7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But fear God.

In Solomon’s day it was common for worshippers to make vows before God. They normally involved a monetary commitment. They were strictly voluntary; but once made they were binding. They would be collected by the "messenger of God," the priest from the Temple. It was sin to vow and not pay, sin that brought as its consequence a lack of fruitfulness in your life.

We still do this today. It is common for people in the midst of a crisis to make a commitment to God if He will help them. Those commitments are often forgotten.

Again he compares it to the dreams that arise from restlessness, worry, and anxiety. The multitude of words only adds to your restlessness, worry, and anxiety. You need to hear God’s Word rather than tell Him your words.

Solomon’s advice is to realize such bargaining is unnecessary. Instead, "fear God," which in this case means to trust Him to have your best interests in mind regardless your assessment of your circumstances.

Analyze your relationship with God. You should be looking for His perspective, trusting His oversight of your life – walking by faith despite your circumstances. Then you will rejoice.

#2 If You’re Not Rejoicing In Your Life Under The Sun,

Analyze Your Recourse To Government

We live in a wonderful country; I would not want to live anywhere else that I can think of. We enjoy marvelous government and its many advantages. One of them is recourse. Recourse is the ability to appeal for aid and help. In other words, you have the right to appeal to the authorities for what is fair and for your rights. For this we all should be thankful.

But we should also be realistic! Government and its authorities are not always fair, and you do not always get your rights respected. Solomon admits the same:

Ecclesiastes 5:8 If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent perversion of justice and righteousness in a province, do not marvel at the matter; for high official watches over high official, and higher officials are over them.

What is amazing about Solomon’s admission about government is that he was the king and had ultimate authority! There is just something about man that breeds incompetence at best, and injustice at worst, at all levels of human government. What it is, of course, is his sin nature.

Nevertheless, Solomon says in verse nine:

Ecclesiastes 5:9 Moreover the profit of the land is for all; even the king is served from the field.

The New American Standard Bible gives the better sense of what Solomon means:

Ecclesiastes 5:9 After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land.

What Solomon means is that even bad government is better than no government. "After all" is said, government still has "advantages" over anarchy. You should maintain a respect for government because it has been ordained by God.

What does this have to do with our discussion of rejoicing in life under the sun? You sometimes look to government as your recourse to solve your problems or change your circumstances. Nothing wrong with that; government and its authorities should help people. But because men are inherently evil, you can’t trust government to ultimately solve your problems or change your circumstances.

By "government" I mean all those in authority over you, not just the United States government. Whether it’s a city councilman or a school official, while it’s good to go to them, you cannot expect them to resolve every issue to your satisfaction.

A lot of Christians believe that a radical change in government is the solution; but it isn’t. If you are depending on your recourse to government, you will be disappointed. You will not be rejoicing. While it is great to work within the system to change things for the better, you can rejoice regardless the system of government – regardless its incompetence or even injustice.

#3 If You’re Not Rejoicing In Your Life Under The Sun,

Analyze Your Reliance On Goods

Solomon speaks of the "increase" of "goods" in verse eleven. These verses are about "goods," "riches," "abundance," and "profit." More specifically, they are about your tendency to rely on those things to bring rejoicing to your heart. They do not and cannot.

Solomon exposes the myths about money:

Myth #1 is that Money Can Bring Satisfaction

Ecclesiastes 5:10 He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.

The truth of the matter is, the more you have, the more you want; and once you’ve acquired all you can, you’re still not satisfied. You can never be satisfied with goods because they do not minister to your deepest, spiritual needs.

Myth #2 is that Money Can Bring Serenity

Ecclesiastes 5:11 When goods increase, They increase who eat them; So what profit have the owners Except to see them with their eyes?

Ecclesiastes 5:12 The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, Whether he eats little or much; But the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep.

You think more money will bring peace of mind, but instead it leads to more worry and anxiety. Solomon gives two reasons:

1. When you have more money coming in, "they increase who eat them." People come out of the woodwork, so to speak, in order to benefit from your resources.
2. "The abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep." Wealthy people must constantly oversee the investment of their money. While a "laboring man" rests, the wealthy man is restless to maintain his wealth.

Myth #3 is that Money Can Bring Security

Ecclesiastes 5:13 There is a severe evil which I have seen under the sun: Riches kept for their owner to his hurt.

Ecclesiastes 5:14 But those riches perish through misfortune; When he begets a son, there is nothing in his hand.

Ecclesiastes 5:15 As he came from his mother's womb, naked shall he return, To go as he came; And he shall take nothing from his labor Which he may carry away in his hand.

Ecclesiastes 5:16 And this also is a severe evil; Just exactly as he came, so shall he go. And what profit has he who has labored for the wind?

Ecclesiastes 5:17 All his days he also eats in darkness, And he has much sorrow and sickness and anger.

First, in verses thirteen and fourteen you are reminded that your money can be easily "lost."

Second, in verses fifteen and sixteen you are reminded that rich people die. What profit is it to gain the whole world and lose your soul?

Third, in verse seventeen you are reminded that money and increased goods must be protected. The rich "eats in darkness" in the sense of having to guard his possessions from robbery.

Fourth, again in verse seventeen you are reminded that money cannot guarantee either physical or emotional health.

What’s the point? Goods, money, and abundance must be kept in their proper perspective. If you rely on goods, you will not rejoice in your life under the sun. You can never rejoice based on material things. Rejoicing is a spiritual quality, arrived at through a relationship with God.

Conclusion

You can and should rejoice:

Ecclesiastes 5:18 Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage.

Ecclesiastes 5:19 As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.

Ecclesiastes 5:20 For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.

You are exhorted to "rejoice" even though your life may not be enjoyable. Solomon is brutally honest about the hardships of life under the sun. He calls life "vanity" and points out its many perplexities and pains. Joy is to be derived from your relationship with God despite your circumstances.

Focus on verse twenty:

Ecclesiastes 5:20 For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.

This is the bottom line. Occupy yourself with knowing God and He will "keep" you "busy" with the "joy of [your] heart." The psalmist said it like this:

Psalms 16:11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Seek after God and you will see things on the earth differently. You will "not dwell unduly on the days of [your] life."

Turn to Second Corinthians 4:16. Here is how the apostle Paul says this same thing:

2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

2 Corinthians 4:18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Your "outward man is perishing." This encompasses all the hardships of your life under the sun – all the perplexities and all the pains. Outwardly, things are bad, and getting worse! But inwardly, in your heart, in your relationship with God, there is a daily renewal of spiritual strength.

Not only that, but God actually uses your "afflictions" for your good and His glory! It might be severe from an earthly perspective; but you are not earthly, you are eternal. Don’t dwell on the things of earth, but on your treasure in heaven.

If you are not saved, you cannot begin to accomplish this…

If you are saved, and are not rejoicing due to some perplexity or pain, this is God’s Word for you…