Reflections on Ecclesiastes 5

 

Ecclesiastes 05 (Contemporary English Version)


1. Be careful what you do when you enter the house of God. Some fools go there to offer sacrifices, even though they haven't sinned. But it's best just to listen when you go to worship.
   
2. Don't talk before you think or make promises to God without thinking them through. God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so don't talk too much.
   
3. If you keep thinking about something, you will dream about it. If you talk too much, you will say the wrong thing.
   
4. God doesn't like fools. So don't be slow to keep your promises to God.
   
5. It's better not to make a promise at all than to make one and not keep it.
   
6. Don't let your mouth get you in trouble! And don't say to the worship leader, "I didn't mean what I said." God can destroy everything you have worked for, so don't say something that makes God angry.
   
7. Respect and obey God! Daydreaming leads to a lot of senseless talk.
   
8. Don't be surprised if the poor of your country are abused, and injustice takes the place of justice. After all, the lower officials must do what the higher ones order them to do.
   
9. And since the king is the highest official, he benefits most from the taxes paid on the land.
   
10. If you love money and wealth, you will never be satisfied with what you have. This doesn't make sense either.
    
11. The more you have, the more everyone expects from you. Your money won't do you any good--others will just spend it for you.
    
12. If you have to work hard for a living, you can rest well at night, even if you don't have much to eat. But if you are rich, you can't even sleep.
    
13. I have seen something terribly unfair. People get rich, but it does them no good.
    
14. Suddenly they lose everything in a bad business deal, then have nothing to leave for their children.
    
15. They came into this world naked, and when they die, they will be just as naked. They can't take anything with them, and they won't have anything to show for all their work.
    
16. That's terribly unfair. They leave the world just as they came into it. They gained nothing from running after the wind.
    
17. Besides all this, they are always gloomy at mealtime, and they are troubled, sick, and bitter.
    
18. What is the best thing to do in the short life that God has given us? I think we should enjoy eating, drinking, and working hard. This is what God intends for us to do.
    
19. Suppose you are very rich and able to enjoy everything you own. Then go ahead and enjoy working hard--this is God's gift to you.
    
20. God will keep you so happy that you won't have time to worry about each day.
    

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It is important to keep in mind as one reads Proverbs that the overarching question Solomon is addressing is this: "What does a man gain for all his efforts he labors at under the sun?" So it is fitting that chapter 5 is all about enjoying the fruit of one's labor, mentioning various ways that this fruit might not be enjoyed. This is of importance since Solomon's conclusion, mentioned in 3:22 and again here in the last verses of this chapter, is that man's reward in life is to be able to enjoy the fruit of his labor. Any other pursuit is futile.

So what might threaten this reward, the ability to enjoy the fruit of one's labor? First he mentions rash vows. Though the first verses of the chapter seem to be about proper devotion before God, the bottom line is about not losing the fruit of one's labor through rash vows. Verse 6 sums it up, "Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands?" In the midst of this discussion Solomon counsels not to speak too much when one is before God. "Let your words be few," he says. Also, he says, "When you make a vow to God, don't delay fulfilling it." He says further that it is better not to vow at all than to vow and not fulfill it.

Another way the fruit of one's labor might not be enjoyed is through the extortion of corrupt officials which could take it away. He says it should not surprise us if this happens. We can avoid losing the fruit of our labor through rash vows, but he offers no solution to avoid losing it to corrupt officials. In fact, he describes how they protect one another, "one official protects another official, and higher officials protect them." An unspoken 'buddy' system.

Furthermore, one may miss the enjoyment of his labor through covetousness. The covetous person accumulates wealth but never enjoys it. He must be constantly on guard to protect his wealth from those who would try to consume it. The only benefit he gains from his wealth is to watch it. Rather than bringing increased enjoyment, increased wealth brings increased anxiety.

Solomon concludes in verses 13-17 that too much striving to accumulate is futile since the fruit of our labor is so transitory. Too much striving keeps us from enjoying it and besides, it can so easily be lost. The way one comes into the world is the same way he will leave the world - naked. "What does he gain who struggles for the wind?" he asks.  What is good, he concludes, is to "experience good in all the labor one does under the sun." That is man's reward. He points out that God gives riches to every man and allows him to enjoy them. It is a gift of God. His point, as I understand it, is why worry too much over accumulating wealth. God will provide it if we will look to him instead of trying to do it on our own. What He gives can be enjoyed. What we try to accumulate on our own can easily be lost.