Sermon Tone Analysis

Ecclesiastes 6:1-9

Enjoy What You Have

 

There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honour, 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.

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.

For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered.

Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he.

Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good—do not all go to the one place?

All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.

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?

Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.[1]

A favourite uncle, a widower, phoned to tell me that he was quite ill and also to inform me that because of the illness he anticipated that he would soon die.

He was serene as he contemplated his impending death, knowing that he had long before placed his faith in the Living Son of God.

However, he sought to ensure that the final distribution of his earthly goods would be to those whom he loved.

He told me that his will named me as heir of his few earthly goods.

He specifically told me that he had a sizeable bank account, naming the sum then in the bank.

It was a generous remembrance, for which I was—and am—extremely grateful.

Within days, I received the inevitable phone call informing me that he had died, passing into the presence of God.

Within a few weeks, I received an official communication from a lawyer probating his estate.

The letter informed me that the will was being probated and that I was named as the sole heir.

Months passed, and I heard no more from the lawyer.

After quite a long period, I phoned the lawyer to inquire about the progress of probate and disposition of the estate.

The lawyer accepted my call, and then informed me that there was nothing in the estate except for an old car, a small amount of furniture, a few books and some clothing.

Upon investigation, I found that a nephew of his wife had gained signing authority over my uncle’s affairs, and consequently, there was no money left in the account at his death.

This disappointing turn of events served as a reminder for me that wealth is temporary.

Wealth must one day be surrendered to another, and we have no power over the distribution of what we now hold.

It is ours only as long as we are alive.

Moreover, our wealth may only be used as a tool; it cannot be hoarded against eternity.

It has value only as we employ it wisely and to the glory of the Eternal God.

The Bible has a great deal to say about wealth, and about the responsibility of all who possess wealth to see that what is held is entrusted to them for their own pleasure, and also for the benefit of others.

Above all else, wealth is entrusted to mankind so that we can honour God, though we have forgotten this truth in too many instances.

There is a strain of Christianity that believes that we should not enjoy ourselves in this world.

In this distorted view of the Faith, Christians are taught that we dare not rejoice in the wealth God has provided.

This concept has often been parodied as the inevitable conclusion of Christian orthodoxy.

Parody or not, it is a tragic fact that some Christians and certain forms of Christian belief and practice have often presented true Christianity as a way to deny all enjoyment of the things of this world.

Fear of a good time has too often distorted Christian self-denial and biblical mortification of sin into a denial of the good creation and of the principle of pleasure that God has built into it.[2]

I hesitate to make this point, since we are creatures of extremes.

I recognise that someone could attempt to distort my words to say something that was never intended.

Throughout the majority of my life as a follower of Christ the Lord, I have observed an exaggerated search for personal pleasure that has dominated much of Christendom.

Nevertheless, that people by nature tend to become lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God [*2 Timothy 3:4*] does not negate the fact that pleasure is inherent in the world as God created it and that pleasure in many realms is His gift.

Those who pervert the truth of God must not be permitted to become our teachers.

Sin inclines us human beings to worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator [*Romans 1:25*].

Most of mankind can be classed as lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God [*2 Timothy 3:4*], and so we are challenged to discover how as Christians we can live in the world and use the world in a spirit of joyful thanks to God, the Creator.

The answer to this challenge lies in part in the words Solomon recorded in Ecclesiastes.

Throughout the book, the Wise Man repeats a theme calling for balance in life, and especially does he call for balance in handling what God entrusts to each individual.

God is the Source of Wealth — There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honour, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires…  Solomon affirms that God gives wealth, possessions and honour.

Though I should not need to state the obvious, I know that some still need to hear it.

Recognition that God is the source of our blessing must not be permitted to become either an excuse to avoid hard work or an effort to excuse sloth.

The individual who lazily waits for money to drop into his lap, or who invests her few goods in Lotto 649 tickets, will find scant comfort in the words of the Wise Man.

Solomon clearly states that it is God who blesses individuals with wealth.

Solomon spoke with considerable authority in attesting that *wealth*, *possessions* and *honour* come from God.

You will recall that Solomon prayed for wisdom at Gibeon, and God appeared to Him as he prayed.

God is generous [*James 1:5*], and when Solomon sought wisdom permitting him to rule God’s people instead of seeking personal aggrandisement, God responded with divine generosity.

Because … you have not asked *possessions*, *wealth*, *honour*, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked long life, but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you.

I will also give you *riches*, *possessions*, and *honour*, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like [*2 Chronicles 1:11, 12*].

God always gives more than we request.

Wealth has sometimes received a bad rap among the professed people of God.

Nevertheless, if we will understand the divine intention, we will remember that God made all things for people to enjoy [*1 Timothy 6:17*].

That is why being rich is a matter for thanksgiving, not embarrassment.

Every possession that a person can possibly own comes from the Creator [*Psalm 24:1*], so all wealth can rightly be counted as a blessing from God.

It was in recognition of this truth that David was motivated to pray to God, Riches and honour come from you [*1 Chronicles 29:12*].

Even when wealth is earned through hard work, the Bible reminds its readers that both their talents and their resources are God-given.

Jesus illustrates this important lesson in the parables of the ten talents [*Matthew 25:14–30*] and the ten minas [*Luke 19:11–26*].

Nowhere, then, does the Bible say that having possessions and becoming wealthy are wrong in themselves.

There would be no point in the Ten Commandments’ ban on stealing and envy if it were wrong for God’s people to own anything at all.

Private property and possessions are supported by Scripture.

Jesus Himself never taught that it was sinful to be rich.

However, He did instruct His people to be responsible in administering all that is entrusted to their oversight.

Though you probably do not think of yourself as rich, we Canadians are nevertheless a wealthy people, especially when viewed against the sweeping backdrop of history and when measured against the personal wealth of almost every other nation in our world today.

Christians, especially, should understand that God has entrusted all that is held as a stewardship.

Christians are called to be administrators of the grace of God and all that we hold is evidence of His grace.

The Faith of Christ the Lord demands that we accept responsibility for wisely administering all that we possess.

We bear responsibility not only to wisely use everything we hold to honour God, but we are also responsible to recognise that it is God who blesses us with possessions—and also with the power to enjoy possessions.

On one occasion, Jesus told a parable in response to a lawyer’s self-serving question, “Who is my neighbour?”

In the parable Jesus told, a Samaritan, detested by pious Jews as an adherent of a “mongrel” religion, demonstrated that he had more understanding of the mind of God than did professed servants of God.

The Samaritan demonstrated that all that he held had been entrusted to him so that he could honour God.

He demonstrated this understanding through providing for a Jewish man who had been beaten and robbed, and left to die in his agony [see *Luke 10:25-37*].

In the same way, whatever I hold is not mine to be consumed on my pleasure only.

Neither may I imagine that what I have acquired is possessed independently of God.

We have perhaps heard someone spoken of to as a “self-made man,” or perhaps you have heard of those who “pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps.”

Such a view is superficial at best and utterly errant at worst.

In reality, even “self-made” people and those with the amazing ability “to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps” are utterly dependent upon God, whether they acknowledge His mercies or not.

Paul asks, What do you have that you did not receive [*1 Corinthians 4:7*]?

The anticipated answer is, “Nothing.”

If you contend that your strength or your mental prowess is the means by which you have gained your wealth, I would only ask you, “Who gave you strength?”

“Who gave you the ability to think, to reason, to plan?”  God gives life and opportunity.

I will agree that we are responsible to seize the opportunities God gives, but we dare not forget that ultimately, God gives all that we have.

Isn’t it interesting that when we receive wealth and possessions, initially we have no problem seeing that all we receive came from the hand of God?

However, as time passes, our appreciation begins to drift and we begin to imagine that these things are the product of our own effort and our own ability rather than a gift from the hand of God.

We will do well to remember the warning Moses gave to Israel after announcing God’s future blessings.

Beware lest you say in your heart, “My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.”

You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day [*Deuteronomy 8:17, 18*].

Enjoyment of Wealth is Not Assured by the Possession of Wealth — The point that I am now making is too important to pass over quickly—enjoyment of what you own is not assured by mere possession.

In *verse two*, Solomon speaks of an individual—perhaps it was someone he knew—who was blessed in such a way that he lacked nothing.

Yet, he was incapable of enjoying what he had received.

How fortunate a person would be to lack nothing, but how miserable if he or she could not enjoy the blessings of what was possessed.

In the Proverbs, Agur son of Jakeh pens a prayer that should become our own.

Two things I ask of you;

deny them not to me before I die: