Introduction
What is your greatest need?
Think about that for a minute.
Now, what do you think will fix that great need?
Have you thought something like, “If I had a little more money I could pay these bills and enjoy life more.”
Maybe you thought, “If I just had more money I could afford the better medicine and get over this illness.”
Maybe it was, “If I could just move up and get that promotion I would have joy.”
But I am here to tell you that none of that will fix the need or give satisfaction. Yes, money does pay bills and help us live but it is not the fix.
In a movie I watched recently at the end after this firm just sold all this stock they had that was awful and got free from a massive bankruptcy the big boss said to another guy, “What is money? Money is nothing. It is pieces of paper with someones picture on it. We have it so we can eat and not have to kill each other to do so. Money is nothing.”
This is so true yet we tend to chase it and chase what it can give us for satisfaction.
We all know the famed song from the Rolling Stones called “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”
In the song we hear lyrics such as, “I try and I try and I try and I try I can’t get no, I can’t get no.”
And such as, “When I’m ridin’ round the world And I’m doin’ this and I’m signin’ that…Can’t you see I’m on a losing streak”
We see many common threads with this song and the words of Ecclesiastes that we have been studying.
The man is trying to gain satisfaction through what he does and chases after.
He is looking everywhere and cannot find it in anything.
That is what this song is saying to us too.
He is trying to find satisfaction in the things he does, buys, travels to, or through physical encounters with women.
Too often this is what we do too. We try and find satisfaction through things other than where we can only find it at.
As this section we will examine in a moment tells us, and as we have been looking at for the last few weeks is that money, property, power, and taking things from others does not bring satisfaction.
It only brings grief, and dissatisfaction. So in other words we can’t get no satisfaction through these things.
No, satisfaction is found in something other than what we have here and now and that is what we will see at the end of this section of Scripture.
In Eccl. 5:8-6:12 we read,
8 If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. 9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields. 10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? 12 Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep. 13 There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, 14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. 15 As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. 16 This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? 17 Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.
18 Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. 19 Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. 20 For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart. 1 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: 2 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. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil. 3 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. 4 For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. 5 Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he. 6 Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good—do not all go to the one place? 7 All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. 8 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? 9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind. 10 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. 11 The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? 12 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?
Ecclesiastes 5:8–6:12 (ESV)
Man Solomon is a depressing writer isn’t he?
He just keeps dropping the truth on us and man it is sometimes hard to hear. He is repetitive in this book because we are prone to forget. So he has talked about money before and will again, but he wants us to get it. God wants us to get it and realize that there is nothing in this world that will satisfy us. It is only something out of this world that can. It is He and only He who can.
So, the first thing we see in this text is that…
Where Money Abounds, Grief is Found
Looking at verses 8-12 we see that there is much grief in money and wealth and the desire to have more.
We see that with wealth there is corruption from the bottom to the top. Passion for money and more makes people do things that are not healthy for them or their families or their work. We will not rest or anything because we are not able to do so because we want more.
So we have a few observations in this section.
1. Wealth Corrupts All Levels (5:8-9)
2. Many Take What They Want (5:8-9)
3. The Wealthy Always Want More (5:10-11)
4. No Rest For The Greedy (5:12)
In 8-9 we see a few things. Wealth corrupts all levels, and makes many take what they want.
We see this all over. Big businesses pushing out the little man.
The government taking things that they should not.
Bosses not paying their employees as they should.
But in this we also see that even these corrupt do some good.
In verse nine we see that in the corruption there is still good because in the field is gain for all.
The big business that pushes out the little man has things we need.
The government still gives some form of protection from foreign powers even in their corruption.
And the bad boss still pays you even if it is not right.
Not great but good, but in all of this we still do not see satisfaction.
The big business wants more, the government wants more, the boss wants more, and we all want more.
There is no satisfaction in any of this. This can never satisfy.
As we see with the next two verses the wealthy always want more and more and well, so do we if we are honest.
But we seek to gain more. We grumble about the boss, they grumble about the person they work for, in turn that person grumbles about all those below him not doing the job right.
It is like the cowboy who blames his horse and rope when he can’t rope good enough. He is not satisfied and he blames the issue on another rather than himself and his dissatisfaction.
That is why the sleep of the one who is satisfied is explained as sweet but the rich is said to not come.
When you are bitter or mad or worried you do not sleep well. That is because you are not satisfied and without satisfaction we have no rest. This is true because…
Where Money Abounds Dissatisfaction is Found
You may be saying now this is not true.
You may be saying if I only had some money like that I would show how satisfied I could be.
But in that statement you betray the fact that you would not be satisfied because you would then say if i only had a little more. If I only had this much then I would be good.
it is a never ending cycle of reaching and grabbing.
We are like Rockefeller when he was asked, “Which was your favorite million to make? Which million did you enjoy making most?” He answered, “My next million.”
That is what happens when we say if i only had a little more, or if i only had this much, then I would be happy.
it is a lie and one we must leave behind if we are to ever be truly happy and satisfied.
Why? Because of these few observations in this section.
- More Money Makes You Anxious (5:13)
- Anxiety Causes you to do Foolish Things (5:14)
- Passion for More is Futility (5:15-17)
Money makes us anxious. We get it then we worry and fuss over it. We fret that we will lose it or that someone will take it or the government will tax it all away from us.
Then we make foolish mistakes and blow it on stupid ventures.
Like the casino.
Yeah, the casino. We go and say “I am going to double this.”
Or we say, ‘I will make some then leave and not spend anymore.”
Then all too often, we lose it all and go hit up the ATM and blow more and more.
Then we are broke and guess what, we fret and worry over money because we just blew it all.
Or we take the money and find one of these get rich quick schemes and invest it all and lose it all. We then fret and worry about what to do because we are broke.
Then we do something to earn quick money and maybe do some shady things for it and then we get arrested and go to jail. Or we lose everything and are in a horrible bind. All because we had anxiety over our money and wanted to make more so we could be comfortable. Have satisfaction.
Money makes us mad and foolish, at least the love thereof money anyway.
What is interesting is that in our dissatisfaction with money and desire for more, we fail to realize that it is futile.
When you were born you came in naked. When you die, you will leave the same.
Now, this is not necessarily about being without clothes, but about being without anything.
Alistair Begg said it best I believe,
Naked in, naked out. You didn’t come down the birth canal wearing Adidas sneakers or Nikes or whatever it was. You didn’t come down the birth canal holding little Nordstrom packages on your fingers. Naked in, naked out. And unless you invest in the bank of heaven, the Bible says, it’s a zero-balance budget. Zero in, zero out. Read the obits tomorrow about the next wealthy man that died. And as you sit there reading them, sipping your coffee, remind yourself, “I am now richer than him,” ’cause he’s got nothing. His heirs may have picked it up, but he has nothing. Zero in, zero out.
It is in futility that we chase all this wealth and property. Why do we want to waste our days chasing the wind when we can have satisfaction with what we have?
Solomon tells us in no uncertain terms that it is stupid to continuously chase this wealth and prosperity. It is foolish to waste your life going after these things.
We need not do this because…
Where God Abounds Satisfaction Is Found
In this last section we see that with the Lord there can be satisfaction. When He is abounding in your life, then you will be satisfied because you know who you are and who it is who has you.
You are resting in Him and you enjoy all He has blessed you with. As we look at the observations from this section just know that in the Lord you have all you need because if you are in Christ you have eternal life, forever salvation and your place is secure with Him.
He is that awesome and amazing that all the gold and riches of this planet are but a refuse pile compared to Him. look to Him and see that He is good and glorious and in Him you have great blessings.
- Know That God is the Provider (5:18-6:2)
- You Can Enjoy the Blessings You Have Before They are Gone (6:3-6)
- You Can Focus on Your Blessings: And Not Look at Others (6:7-9)
- You Can Trust God’s Sovereignty (6:10-12)
This is exactly what our first observation tells us.
All that there is and all that we have are because of Him. God has provided it all. He made it and gave us the abilities to do what we do and we have because of His generosity.
It is our lot as Solomon says that we enjoy what we have.
Now, if you are forever going out trying to get more or looking to double what you have, are you enjoying what God has given you?
No, you are not because you are not stopping to rest with it and relax with it and spend time with it.
Think about your marriages if married. Do you ever just stop and rest with your spouse. Like sit and enjoy a sunrise together over a cup of coffee with no plans for the day but to just be together?
Or is every day a day to go and get something done so much that you cannot enjoy anything God has given.
Enjoy what you have because you are not promised forever.
This is the next observation. Enjoy what you have before it is gone because you can enjoy what you have before it is gone.
Take time to relax and stop and enjoy the blessings you have been blessed with.
It is okay to not work every day. It is okay to sit on the couch, chair, kitchen table, porch, or wherever and just enjoy the amazing creation we have.
Sit and just look in awe at the place you live and praise God for it.
But what is the point to always work and then try and enjoy life when you have retired and are so broke up you can’t enjoy anything.
Like a Facebook post I saw the other day. It showed a woman who had to be near a hundred sitting in a car and it said, ‘When you can finally enjoy all you have worked for.”
This is how we are when we spend all of our life chasing that almighty dollar and other passions rather than enjoying what we have now because what we have now is what we have been blessed with.
How we do this is answered in the last two observations. Focus on what you have and stop looking at others.
That green grass of the neighbors may be from a septic leak. So, stop looking over the fence, Fix your nose problem by looking to the Lord and what He has given you, namely salvation through Jesus Christ.
If you are depressed with what you have, remember that you have the Risen Christ as your savior and with Him you need nothing else because He is the all-in-all and He will in time give you everything. You will be with Him in glory and have treasures like no other and that will be a glorious day. But until then keep your focus on what He has blessed you with and what you do have.
Increase your positive thoughts about what Jesus has blessed you with and the negative will fade. It will because we can rest in the sovereignty of God.
This is the final observation.
In the last verse, verse 12, we see that “who knows what is good for man.”
What this means is that we may think we know what is good for us when in truth we have no clue.
God knows exactly what is good.
If you are struggling stop trying to get out and seek God in that struggle and what He is doing in and through you.
We can’t break anything alone we need Him in it all.
He will break us out of whatever we are in but we are to seek Him in every situation because He knows what is best and right and He will get us through. Trust in the Lord and you can make it through anything because in Him is joy, rest, peace, and perfect satisfaction.
Conclusion
Think about it this way, if we could find perfect satisfaction in this life and world then we would never look to Jesus for anything.
This world is fallen and depraved and we need something other than it.
That is where the Lord Jesus Christ comes into play.
He is other than here and in Him is where we find true satisfaction.
When we do this we will be standing “on the sovereignty of God” and have “contentment no matter the circumstances.” We will “have a patience of spirit, and an acceptance of our lot in life.” Currid, Ecclesiastes, 88.
We can have true contentment which has been defined as, “that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious, frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.” (Jeremiah Burroughs).
We can have this when we recognize that it is because of God we have anything and that money and desire for more only causes grief and dissatisfaction.
Satisfaction is found in one place alone and that place is in Christ. Until you know Christ as your savior and have rested in Him to guide and do what is right and best in your life, you will have restlessness and dissatisfaction.
But in Christ alone You Can Have Satisfaction.
