A Waste of Riches

What happens when you lose it all? Let’s plunge into the Deeper Waters and find out.

Today, we’re looking at Ecclesiastes 5:13-17.

¹³ There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, ¹⁴ and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. ¹⁵ 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. ¹⁶ 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? ¹⁷ Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.

As I wrote, the problem the Teacher sees is not what many people today would think it is.

In 5:13, The Teacher speaks about an evil under the sun in a rich person hoarding wealth. Critics of a modern capitalist society could read into this a condemnation of greed, but Enns disagrees. The Teacher does not have in mind greed, but rather pointlessness. A rich person goes and amasses all this wealth for himself and holds it close and then he dies and his wealth cannot benefit him The rich person could lose it all in a misfortune, much like Job did, and have nothing left for his children to inherit. As shown in chapter 2 eventually, the kids could inherit everything and waste it all anyway. In other words, why bother? The rich man did all the work and death becomes the great equalizer. Rich and poor will die the same way, taking nothing with them.[1]

[1] Enns, 72.

The Teacher is not condemning greed. He is condemning waste. This man had everything and he used it foolishly. Now he has nothing to give to his son. In the end, he still dies, but before he dies, he gets to live with the knowledge of how he has shamed his ancestors who came before him and what impact this will have on his son in the future.

What was the point? Why do all the work if you are not going to take the time to enjoy the benefits of your work? The laboring man spoken of before actually gets to sleep and enjoy rest at least. The foolish rich man who loses everything gets nothing.

Today, we can consider that while we should store up for our children and grandchildren, we should also take the time to enjoy what we have. Yes. We should use our money to serve others, but there is no sin if you also just enjoy some of what you have. God provides richly for our enjoyment. The rich man in this story did not do so. He was a fool when it came to the managing of his finances and when his time comes, he will have nothing positive to show for all that he did.

Next time, we will be more joyous.

In Christ,
Nick Peters
(And I affirm the virgin birth)