Ecclesiastes 5
Chuck Smith on Ecclesiastes 5
Verse by verse, taught on Sunday nights: the C2000 series, 1979 to 1985, and the C3000 series, 1985 to 1999. Permission granted by The Word For Today.
Sunday Nights, 1979 to 1985 (C2000)
Verse 1
Keep your foot when you go to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they do not consider the evil that they do (5:1).
When you go into the house of God, listen. Be more ready to hear.
Verse 2
Don't be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and you are upon the earth: therefore let your words be few (5:2).
And now he's talking about going in the house of God and making all kinds of promises and vows to God. "Oh, God, I'm going to serve You. Oh, God, I'm going to put you first in my life. Oh, God," and making all these promises. He said, "Keep your mouth shut. Don't do a lot of talking. Listen. For God is there. He's in heaven. He hears what you're saying. So don't be hasty to utter anything."
Verses 3–6
For a dream comes through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by the multitude of his words. Now when you vow a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools: pay what you have vowed. It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay. Don't allow your mouth to cause your flesh to sin (5:3-6);
All of the broken promises that we have made to God because we didn't have enough sense to just listen and keep our mouth shut when we came into the house of God. And so we make these rash promises. These vows before the Lord. And then we break them. Better not to vow. You see, the vow always makes me feel better. Because I get sort of satisfied, I promised God I'm going to give Him everything, you know. All I have belongs to God. God, you can have it all. And I feel relieved of my guilt of amassing things, because after all, it all belongs to God. I gave it to Him. Now He never has a chance to use it. But when I die, who is it going to go to? "Suffer not your mouth to cause your flesh to sin."
Verse 6
neither say you before the angel, that it was an error (5:6):
Oh, I didn't really mean that.
Verses 6–7
wherefore why should God become angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of your hands? For in the multitude of dreams and in many words there is also divers vanities: but reverence God (5:6-7).
Respect Him.
Verse 8
For if you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent perverting of judgment and the justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regards; and there be higher than they (5:8).
God is higher than man. If you see these things, just know that there is one who is higher.
Verses 9–10
Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: and the king himself is served by the field. Now he that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loves abundance with increase: this also is vanity (5:9-10).
Jesus said a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things that he possesses. If you love silver, you'll never be satisfied. If you love abundance, you'll never be satisfied by the abundance.
Verse 11
When goods increase, they are increased that eat them (5:11):
So Solomon had more goods, but he had more people eating them.
and what good is it to the owners thereof, except that you get to watch them eat? (5:11)
I mean, I've got all of these goods, but it takes so many servants to keep all of these cattle. Takes so many shepherds to watch over all these. I got to feed them all. So I've got all these, but what good is it? You get to watch everybody eat it up, you know. All my wives and all my kids sitting there eating, and all the servants, all eating, so. So you have a lot, so what? You know. What good is it to you? You can only eat so much. You can only sleep in one bed. I mean, you know, you can only take care of your own needs, and after that, whatever you have, you just watch others eat it up.
Verse 12
The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much: but the abundance of the rich won't allow him to sleep (5:12).
The guy is out there laboring hard, he really sleeps sound. But yet this guy has so many riches he's lying there in the pillow, "Now tomorrow I better take the stock out of that one, looks like it's going down. Better invest in this, oh, I wonder, would that be wise?" And all night long he's mulling over what he's going to be doing tomorrow to get more riches. And the abundance of his possessions won't allow him to sleep. He lies there pounding the pillow all night. Figuring out. So how sweet is the sleep of the laboring man.
Verses 13–15
There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, there is nothing in his hand. And as he came forth out of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, he shall take nothing of his labor, which he may carry away in his hand (5:13-15).
Man, when you die, you're not going to take anything with you. You're going to leave it all.
Verses 16–18
And this also is a sore evil, in all the points as he came, so he's going to go: so what profit has he of all that which he labored for to the wind? For all of the days he eats in darkness, and he has much sorrow and wrath in his sickness. Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all of his labor that he has taken under the sun all of the days of his life, which God gives him: for it is his portion (5:16-18).
In other words, enjoy it now, because, man, that's your portion. That's it. Now, how different this is than what Jesus said concerning our riches. He said, "Lay not up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt and decay, thieves break through and steal. Lay up for yourself treasures in heaven" (Matthew 6:19-20). There is a way by which you can transfer your treaures into eternal treasures. And Jesus encourages us towards that. You can exchange your currency for that which is current in heaven.
Verses 19–20
Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God. For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answers him in the joy of his heart (5:19-20).
Sunday Nights, 1985 to 1999 (C3000)
Verse 1
KEEP thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, (5:1).
Probably keep your foot out of your mouth is what he is saying.
and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil (5:1).
As Romaine always points out, “God gave you two ears and one mouth. That should tell you something”.
The sacrifice of fools. When Saul disobeyed God in the command to utterly destroy the Amalekites and he brought back some of the finer cattle and sheep when faced by the profit Samuel, for the sin, he said, “I brought them back to sacrifice them to the Lord” the sacrifice of fools. Samuel responded, “To obey is better than to sacrifice and to hearken is better than the fat of rams”. David, when he was in that sin with Bathsheba in the unconfessed state, he spoke of his not bringing sacrifices to God, “sacrifices and offerings thou its not”. It would have been the sacrifice of fools while in a sinful state sought to appease God with a sacrifice, when he was continuing in that sinful state.
God, through the profit Isaiah, to the nation of Israel in their state of having turned away from God said that “he hated and abhorred their sacrifices,” their celebrating of their holy days, their sabbaths and their new moons. They were still going through the motions. They were still offering sacrifices, but there was sin, unrepentant sin. Thus it was the sacrifice of fools. It was not accepted by God, God said, “When you lift your hands in prayer I will not hear you for your hands are filled with blood”. The sacrifice that God desires is a repentant heart that he’ll not turn away.
They were going through religious ostentatious kind of demonstrations. One of the things to show a great religious kind of a fervor and feeling was to tear your clothes. It showed a great remorse and grief to tear your clothes. God says to tear your hearts and not your garments; I’d rather see a broken heart than your shredded clothes. God’s interested in what’s going on in your heart and if your heart really isn’t right and honest before God than your sacrifices become an abomination. He says, “I have observed them”.
Verses 2–4
Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words. When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools; pay that which thou hast vowed (5:2-4).
When you come into the house of God don’t be quick to speak and to make promises to God. Usually when a person makes a vow to God, it is seeking to drive a bargain with God; “God if you’ll do this for me then this is what I’ll do for you”. The vow is usually to strike a deal with God. So he is warning us not to be hasty and making vows, making promises.
Through the years I’ve learned a few things. One of the things I have learned is not to make vows. I had a period in my life, in my early Christian experience, where I was promising God every week that I would do better. Next week is going to be better, I am going to be more faithful in my devotions and I’m going to pray more. This week is going to be better. I was constantly promising God I was going to do better. It was an acknowledgment that this past week wasn’t too good, I’ve failed on several occasions but next week don’t give up on me, I’m going to do better. I was constantly making promises to God.
I came to the place in my understanding of God’s grace for me where I quit making vows, quit making promises to God. To promise to be better is really to trust in my flesh. In my flesh there dwells no good thing. Thus my promises were not kept. I wanted to do better and I wanted to be better but I failed to realize that God excepted me as I was. God accepts you as you are in Christ and to promise to be better is only to trust in the flesh. So I quit promising. I just began to see myself complete in Jesus Christ and let God work in me.
Verse 5
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not sin
Verses 5–6
Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? (5:5-6).
You misunderstood me God, that’s not what I really meant.
Verses 7–8
For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear [reverence] God. If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they (5:7-8).
This is something that I really need to take because I do see oppression of the poor, I do see a violent perverting of judgement. I think that we have some classical instances of it at the present time as the courts have taken such a firm stand against those who went out to protest abortions and the unjust sentences that are being given to these people. I compare that with the sentences that were giving out against the gay activists that went into Saint Peter’s Cathedral and maliciously destroyed things and upset the services and had suspended sentences, fifteen dollar fines. Yet I see the kind of sentences the judicial system is giving out against those who have been involved of trying to save the lives of the unborn infants. I see that violent perverting of just judgement and justice in this province.
He said, “he that is higher than the highest takes note of it,” God sees. There is a higher judgement than they and so they themselves will one day stand before the judge of all the earth.
Verse 9
Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: (5:9).
“The earth is the Lord’s the fullest thereof and they that dwell therein” and God has intended that the earth produce for all men.
the king himself is served by the field (5:9).
God has made the fields to bring forth food; the profit of the earth is for everyone.
Verse 10
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity [emptiness] (5:10).
If to be rich is your goal in life, you’ll never have a place of satisfaction, you’ll never have enough riches, and you’ll always be after more. “He that loveth silver will not be satisfied with silver” (5:10), Donald Trump. With all the real estate holdings the fellow wouldn’t have to lift a finger, he wouldn’t have to be in debt and he wouldn’t have to be going through all of this cash flow problems. He could have just kicked back a long time ago and lived on the interest. Have you ever figured what the interest would be on a billion dollars? Surely you could be satisfied living off the interest of a billion dollars. Don’t touch your principles, just live on the interest. You should be able to get by. It doesn’t work that way. When money is your god you are never satisfied, there is never enough, its empty.
Verse 11
When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: (5:11).
Here was Solomon, a rich man, but he had that many more servants to feed. It took ten prime beef and twenty commercial beef and a hundred sheep to feed the servants everyday plus the three hundred bushels of fine flower and the six hundred bushels of meal. This is not counting all of the deer and chickens for a single day, for everyday. The more you’ve got, the more you have to feed, the more mouths there are.
and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes? (5:11).
You’ve got a lot of money but you’ve got a lot of debts. You’ve got a lot of people now really depending on you for their food. So the only benefit the owner has is you get to see them eat it all.
Verse 12
The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, (5:12).
You work hard and the sleep as soon as you hit the bed you’re gone, you’ve been working hard, laboring, it’s a sweet rest.
whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer [allow] him to sleep (5:12).
I have a friend who was one of the neatest easy going fellows you could ever run across. He was fun, always joking, and just a great guy. He owned a manufacturing plant and his business started picking up, had to buy bigger equipment and got a bigger plant and things kept growing. He got so much money, so much business, that he started worrying about all of his money, worrying about bank failures, worrying about business orders and things of this nature. You get all of that investment and you got to make all those payments. This fellow who was such an easy going great jovial fellow ended up walking the streets at night. He couldn’t sleep. You’d find him at three or four o’clock in the morning just walking the streets worried. Finally died of a heart attack. It was tragic. “The sleep of a laboring man is sweet but the abundance of the rich man will not allow him to sleep” (5:12).
Verse 13
There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt (5:13).
Those that keep their riches and are hurt by it. It is a tragic thing; this man’s riches drove him to a heart attack.
Verse 14
But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand (5:14).
When you are born in this world you don’t have anything in your hand, you come into the world empty.
Verse 15
As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand (5:15).
When you were born there was nothing in your hand and when you leave there will be nothing in your hand unless someone puts a Bible in your hand in the casket or something. You go out empty. All of your labour, all of that sore travail to get rich, when you go you go empty. You don’t take anything with you.
Verse 16
And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind? (5:16).
You leave it, it’s empty.
Verses 17–18
All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness. Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely [beautiful] for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion (5:17-18).
Enjoy what you have.
Verse 19
Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God (5:19).
I saw a beautiful motor home going down the street a while back and it had a little sign it “We are enjoying our kids inheritance”. That is pretty much what Solomon is saying here. You worked hard; you might as well enjoy it. Who knows what they’ll do with it when you’re gone. God has given you the power to eat, take your portion and rejoice in your labour. This is the gift of God.
Verse 20
For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart (5:20).
Observations of life by this rich jaded king. An empty life that is lived for self and apart from God. In contrast, how rich is that life that is lived in Christ? How rich the reward of our labour for Jesus Christ. So the whole thing is living for now or living forever, living for the present or living for the eternal. Paul the apostle said, “We look not at the things which are seen for the things which are seen are temporal But we look at those things that are not seen for the things which are not seen are eternal”. How tragic is the man who lives only for the temporal material things, how empty is his life that comes to the end of the road. On the other hand how full and rich that life is lived for Christ. What richness and fullness as you come to the end of the road because as you come to the end of the road is the beginning of the eternal inheritance for the saints of God in Christ.