Ecclesiastes 5:13-17

b. They may be harmful. Ecclesiastes 5:13-17

TEXT 5:13-17

13

There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to their hurt.

14

When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him.

15

As he had come naked from his mother's womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand.

16

And this also is a grievous evilexactly as a man is born, thus will he die. So, what is the advantage to him who toils for the wind?

17

Throughout his life he also eats in darkness with great vexation, sickness and anger.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 5:13-17

135.

Identify the two activities of life Solomon considers as a grievous evil.

136.

How were the riches lost? (Cf. Ecclesiastes 5:14)

137.

Why was it important that the man not lose his wealth?

138.

What fruit of his labor will the rich man take with him when he dies?

139.

List the four things which are descriptive of the rich man's life. (Cf. Ecclesiastes 5:17)

PARAPHRASE 5:13-17

I looked closely upon another situation under the sun, and I saw what was a painful misfortune for the rich man. He accumulated his riches and hoarded them, but this resulted in great damage to himself. In his attempt to increase his profits and accumulate more money, he made an unwise investment. Rather than compounding his money as he predicted, he lost his entire fortune! In the meantime he had fathered a son, and now nothing was left to be given the son for an inheritance.
This is life's lesson: one is born naked and empty handed, and when one dies he returns to the dust naked and empty handed. Men cannot carry any of the fruit of their labor in their hands when they return to the earth. And this also is a painful misfortunesince man goes exactly as he comes, what profit is there in gathering and collecting? Such a one actually labors for the wind!
I have clearly seen these things in my own mind. What does such a rich man gain? He eats his food in the midst of gloom, and lives out his life with frustration, sickness and anger.

COMMENT 5:13-17

In this section there are two additional descriptions of the futility of riches which lead the Preacher to the same conclusion. He states that both are a grievous evil. The reader should keep in mind that it is not riches that are evil but the improper attitude toward riches. In this instance, the man hoarded them to his own hurt. This simply means that rather than using them for good, he accumulated riches for the sake of riches.

Ecclesiastes 5:13 He once more qualifies the activity by the phrase under the sun. This time, however, he discovers that not only do the riches fail to satisfy and keep one from sweet sleep, they actually harm the owner. The owner once believed the added wealth was good and would be the answer to everything. He is to discover that they not only fail to produce peace of mind; they become the very source of sorrow and pain.

Ecclesiastes 5:14 It was suggested in Ecclesiastes 5:10 that money is generally invested for greater gain. But now some bad business investment has resulted in not only a failure to gain a profit, but the loss of the fortune as well. This of itself would be of grave consequence to one who had such a love for money. It is of a more serious nature, however, because the man who has lost the fortune has gained a son. He would naturally wish to instill in his son's mind the same desire and love for what is so important to him. He would demonstrate first-hand to the young man how to care for and increase the fortune and together they would share in promoting for even more gain. But it is not to be. Money is transitory just like other things that are attached to this world. The father has lost all he possessed and stands empty handed. He is unable to give his son a penny. The text offers that he had nothing in his hand. Is it the father or the son? It could be taken either way, and would be true in either instance.

Ecclesiastes 5:15 This verse speaks if death and contrasts it with birth. He is born with nothing and shall leave this life with nothing. The elusive riches one toils for in this life are actually called wind by Solomon. From the beginning of his message, he has underscored the truth that one may labor through knowledge, wisdom, and skill only to leave what he has to another. The tragedy of this situation is that the one to whom he wanted to give his fortune did not receive it; neither does the man who accumulated it take it with him. It is a universal truth to which Paul speaks when he says, For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either (1 Timothy 6:7).

Death terminates all wealth. This lesson is difficult for many to learn. Yet, it is close to the heart of Christianity. James admonishes when speaking of our new relationship in Christ: But let the brother of humble circumstances glory in his high position; and let the rich man glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away (James 1:10-11). The Preacher stands as it were, on the edge of the grave of the rich man looking at the freshly shaped mound of earth and asks, So, what is the advantage of him who toils for the wind?

Ecclesiastes 5:17 Darkness is a metaphor for gloominess and suggests that he lives his life in sorrow, dejection and heaviness of heart. Perhaps this is why James had written let the rich man glory. In other words, what riches cannot do, Christ can. But the man who eats in darkness, in this case at least, has had the privilege of riches. He is sorrowful the more because he has the memory of the temporary satisfaction they brought. He thinks back over his poor investment or the ones now who are enjoying what he had labored so hard to accumulate, and this adds to his darkness. His mind turns to view the son who should have inherited the fortune, but now has nothing in his hand. Such thoughts result in vexation, sickness and anger. These are mental maladies which could easily produce physical illness too. However, it is a troubled spirit that broods over what could have been. He placed his trust in material gain and when he lost it, he lost his joy and his life.

FACT QUESTIONS 5:13-17

253.

In what way do hoarded riches harm the one who hoards them?

254.

What adds to the rich man's sorrows since he lost his riches?

255.

Who stands empty handed? Discuss.

256.

Solomon equates wind with what?

257.

Darkness is a metaphor which stands for what?

258.

Name the past experiences of the rich man, which when remembered by him, adds to his sorrow.