Get Ready
Have you ever received an unexpected financial windfall? How did you feel about it? How did you decide what to do with the money? Did you put it toward the past (pay off bills)? To the present (take a cruise, buy something)? Or toward the future (invest it)?
The Word
5Guard your steps when you go to the house of God; to draw near to listen is better than the sacrifice offered by fools; for they do not know how to keep from doing evil.
2 Never be rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be quick to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven, and you upon earth; therefore let your words be few.
3 For dreams come with many cares, and a fool’s voice with many words.
4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay fulfilling it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill what you vow. 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not fulfill it. 6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake; why should God be angry at your words, and destroy the work of your hands?
7 With many dreams come meaninglessness and a multitude of words; but fear God.
8 If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and right, 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 all things considered, this is an advantage for a land: a king for a plowed field.
10 The lover of money will not be satisfied with money; nor the lover of wealth, with gain. This also is meaningless.
11 When goods increase, those who eat them increase; and what gain has their owner but to see them with his eyes?
12 Sweet is the sleep of laborers, whether they eat little or much; but the surfeit of the rich will not let them sleep.
13 There is a grievous ill that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owners to their hurt, 14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture; though they are parents of children, they have nothing in their hands. 15 As they came from their mother’s womb, so they shall go again, naked as they came; they shall take nothing for their toil, which they may carry away with their hands. 16 This also is a grievous ill: just as they came, so shall they go; and what gain do they have from toiling for the wind? 17 Besides, all their days they eat in darkness, in much vexation and sickness and resentment.
18 This is what I have seen to be good: it is fitting to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of the life God gives us; for this is our lot. 19 Likewise all to whom God gives wealth and possessions and whom he enables to enjoy them, and to accept their lot and find enjoyment in their toil—this is the gift of God. 20 For they will scarcely brood over the days of their lives, because God keeps them occupied with the joy of their hearts. NRSV
Get into the Word
1. How does the author begin this chapter? Why do you think he started here? How does this relate to the subject of the last chapter?
2. What does the writer advise about approaching God? Why is this important? What does he say about making vows? What does God say, [see notes]? How do you feel about this topic?
3. What subject does the author move to? How does he describe it? How does he feel about it? How do you feel about it?
4. What does the writer say about wealth? What are the problems that come from working only for the money? Which problem do you feel is the most difficult? Do you think these problems still exist? What is the final value of wealth, according to the author? Do you agree?
5. What does Solomon say about work and wealth at the end? Why do you think he feels this way?
Get Personal
How would you describe your current financial situation: “enough,” “not enough,” or “more than enough”? How do you feel about this? How has God helped you understand the value of your achievements?
Notes . . .
5:1. When you go . . . — the opening is almost an echo of Proverbs; Solomon seems to be giving advice about approaching God, but he’s also talking about losing what a person has achieved.
5:4. When you make — Solomon is paraphrasing the Law: if you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not postpone fulfilling it; for the Lord your God will surely require it of you and you would incur guilt. But if you refrain from vowing, you will not incur guilt. Whatever your lips utter you must diligently perform, just as you have vowed to the Lord your God with your own mouth, [Deut 23:21-23].
5:6. The messenger — probably a reference to the priest: “The li[s of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts, [Mal 2:7].
5:7. Fear God — know who God really is [see v. 2] and act appropriately, an echo of Proverbs 1:7.
5:8. Do not be amazed — Solomon was probably familiar with the corruption possible in a hierarchy or bureaucracy because he headed the largest one at the time, [you can check out his government in 1 Kings 4; you should also look at the prophet Samuel’s warnings about kings, 1 Sam 8:10-18].
5:9. Plowed field — most taxation at the time was in produce, rather than money, and a good share of it supported the king: Solomon also had twelve officials over all Israel, who provided food for the king and
his household; each one had to make provision for one month in the year, [1 Kings 4:7-8]. Solomon’s provision for one day was 150 bushels of choice flour and 300 bushels of meal; 10 fat oxen and 20 pasture-fed cattle, 100 sheep besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowl, [1 Kings 4:22-23].
5:10. Lover of money — a person who has made money an idol will “never have enough,” and never have the happiness he or she desires.
5:11. See them with his eyes — the Hebrew actually implies just looking at it, but the worry over losing it will certainly affect a person’s sleep, [v. 12].
5:14. Bad venture — the Hebrew actually refers only to “some misfortune,” even though this translation certainly applies to the period before 2007 as well as the time before 1929.
5:15. Take nothing for their toil — somebody once noted that you never see a “U-Haul” trailer hooked up to the back of a hearse.
5:16. Grievous ill — the Hebrew is even stronger: literally the phrase means “a sick disaster,” [for instance, check Job 1:13-19].
5:18. This is what I have seen to be good — Solomon concludes this part of his argument (as he did in Chapter 2) by noting that enjoying work and life and wealth is a gift from God.
5:20. Brood over the days — the Hebrew actually means “worry about the days of our lives,” as in the “few days” in v. 18.
Memory Verse
This is what I have seen to be good: it is fitting to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun, [Eccl 5:18]
Next Lesson
Frustration of desires — Ecclesiastes 6