Ecclesiastes 5:8-20 – a verse-by-verse devotional commentary

Main Reading: Ecclesiastes 5:8-20

v. 8-9 — “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. But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.”

In this life, which can so often feel meaningless, you can’t count on much…Almost nothing is guaranteed. But nothing is off the table either. However, a couple things you can always count on are: oppression of the poor and violations of justice. Solomon does not want us to be surprised by abusers in authority or the sins in the street. Now, this is not an attempt to minimize how awful those things are…He’s not saying: “this stuff happens every day, deal with it” Instead, he’s honestly preparing you for what’s going on in the world.

There is suffering and suppression, and we shouldn’t be shocked. Not when it happens to others, and even when it happens to us! "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you" (1 Peter 4:12).

Now, part of why there’s oppression in the world is that everyone has a boss, a master.

Everyone has to work for someone else. And some bosses are better than others. Some supervisors start to stretch their authority too far…They force their own ambitions onto the person below them who puts that pressure onto the next guy, and onto the next one, until everyone is stressed out about making the guy at the top more money, so we can all end up with more money and have all the things and happiness we want—or so we think.

In other words, everyone is working to fulfill the desires of someone above them. Everyone is trying to move up in the world, and many people don’t mind pushing others down so they can move themselves toward the top. There will always be a ruler, a boss, or a king of some sort, and Solomon says: “Just hope that your leader has enough of a heart to make sure the fields are producing.” Just pray you’re under a leader who cares that everyone has the bare essentials for life, like food.

v. 10 — “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.”

As for those rulers or regular people who set their eyes on money, all their chasing money and wheeling-and-dealing won’t be worth it. So often, people who chase money, or success, or status never achieve it. But, even worse, many people achieve those things only to realize that they still aren’t satisfied.

Wealth makes big promises that appeal to our greediness and pride. We think we’ll be rich, famous, comfortable, popular, and free…but we only end up with more anxiety and more things to take care of. We think, at the top of the ladder, we’ll have more to enjoy and consume, but instead, we are being consumed by our stuff.

Here’s one of the worst drawbacks to chasing after money: Getting the thing you desire will not put an end to your covetousness. Sin doesn’t stop whenever it gets what it craves…

And this is really because money isn’t the problem, your sinful desire—your greed—is the problem. Success isn’t a problem—your pride is. Women aren’t a problem—your lust is.

v. 11-12 — “When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? 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”

If you think getting more of what you crave will take away the complications of life, check this out. Solomon says the more you have, the more people will come to take their slice of the pie. Now...I first read this as: If you keep eating, you’ll get bigger and have to fill your stomach more and more...But it’s really saying, the more money you have, the more people will come to you to get some of it.

In other words, an increase of property always results in an increase of expense. Or, in a more slang way of speaking, mo’ money, mo’ problems. In tax season terminology, the more dollars you make, the more dependents you’ll have. If you have a nice mansion, a garage full of cars, and a safe full of money, now you have to pay for a state-of-the-art alarm system or hire a security team to protect it.

But gaining a bunch of money also does something else…it robs you of your sleep! I don’t care what kind of money you spend, if you’re anxious enough, you won’t sleep…You can’t sleep with one eye open. You can’t rest and guard your stuff or manage your business. You can have the nicest bed, the best linens, and a silent house, but if you’re consumed by stuff,

you will never sleep as good as the normal guy down the road who wore himself out at work. Wouldn’t you rather be fatigued and fast asleep than wealthy and wide awake?

v. 13-17 — “There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. 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. 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? Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.”

There are some cases, though, when the worried people do get the wealth they wanted.

But, almost immediately, they wake up to a harsh realization…Whatever they gained can just as easily be lost! When you have money, you’re still not satisfied, so you do what it takes to get more of it. Maybe you invest in a company or place a bet at a casino–no matter what, losing it is always a possibility! Whether you store up plenty of savings and have some to leave to your children, or you lose everything, every person will have the same amount of stuff when they die.

"And he said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return . The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD'" (Job 1:21).

Reading through Job, I’m amazed to see his response to losing everything. It’s not pretty by any means, but he does a better job than I would!

"For when he dies he will carry nothing away ; his glory will not go down after him" (Psalm 49:17).

One thing I always found interesting in history class was how the Pharaohs of Egypt

were buried with their prized possessions, so they could have some stuff in the afterlife…

"But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world" (1 Timothy 6:6-7).

While losing all of your stuff sounds like a bad ending, the day-to-day for those who chase riches isn’t much better…Solomon says every day they eat in darkness. Now, we think eating in the dark as something that poor people do when they can’t pay the electric bill. But this is something much worse than having no lights on in the house…

This is talking about being angry, frustrated, and sick every day. If money has become your ultimate prize, these traits will inevitably define you. Because greed is not just an innocent desire to have more stuff…Greed is like mold or acid or something else that spreads, kills, and corrodes everything in its path. If you covet what others have around you, you’ll be sad that you don’t have what you want. You’ll resent the people who do have what you want. You’ll be dissatisfied with your own life. And all these feelings will turn into anger with God for putting you in this position. This is how dollars can be so deceiving that we actually end up rejecting God! "As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word , and it proves unfruitful" (Matthew 13:22).

v. 18-20 — “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. 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. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart”

So, Solomon’s conclusion is basically: “Enjoy what you have! Play the cards you’ve been dealt!

Don’t live your life expecting to get everything you want. Just live in the moment but not for the moment.” Don’t focus on getting ahead, don’t manipulate others to try and get what you want, don’t focus on understanding every time & season…instead, focus on the work God has for you to do.

And what does that look like? Well, Solomon describes it as being so occupied with joy that we don’t even remember the days of our lives. Wow! Wouldn’t you like to be so occupied with joy that you forget the anxieties of each day?

I hear some similar language between these words and the story of Jacob. He worked for 14 years before his father-in-law would give away his daughter for him to marry…But, because someone he loved who was involved, listen to how that time is described. "So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her" (Genesis 29:20).

And Paul is another good example of this: "I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:12-13).

That said, once again, Ecclesiastes has done a good job of crushing our hopes and dreams.

The people at the bottom are oppressed and if you somehow make it to the top, you risk becoming one of those corrupt, unhappy, anxious people with nothing of true meaning…

That’s the way it is in this world…the government sucks and so do the people in it.
We, very obviously, need a different kind of king and a different kind of authority. And in the Gospel—the Good News about Jesus Christ—that’s exactly what we have!

"And Jesus called them to him and said to them, 'You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many'" (Mark 10:42-45).

So, as we look at this section, the point is not just: “Be content, man! Stop complaining!”

Today, I can tell you: “We have a better king!” And you know how Solomon says there’s one guy in power, who works for another, who works for another? Well, you know who outranks all of those guys? Jesus is the top power—all rulers answer to Him (Col. 2:10)!

And He is the complete opposite of the rulers we see in the world today. They spend the people’s money to celebrate themselves and their closest friends, getting rich and fat and happy while you foot the bill! But, oh no, Jesus does the opposite! He spent everything He had to benefit a world of sinners! "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Jesus paid it all, He gave it all, and He’s above it all and knows it all! And you know what else? Unlike the wealthy people in the world who can’t sleep, Jesus could! Knowing everything there is to know, Jesus still slept! There’s even a story about Him taking a nap on a boat in the middle of a storm. And He’s not asleep, meaning that He’s taking a break from the world or from you…But He’s so in control and so not worried about being able

to accomplish what He’s going to do, that He can lay down in peace!

And because we have a God who is not worried, we can go to work, take care of our business, and focus on what really matters. "Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you" (John 6:27).