Laboring for the Wind (Ecclesiastes 5:10-16)
This lesson deals with the subject of riches and gives warnings to those that are pursuing after them. Paul gives us a similar warning in 1 Timothy 6:5-10. By using these two passage we will look at some of the dangers of riches and also learn a life lesson to help us avoid the dangers of riches.
Warnings Solomon gave trying to get rich:
Solomon was not only a man of great wealth but also a man of great wisdom. It was the fact that he desired wisdom and understanding to judge God’s people first that God gave him the riches along with his wisdom. In the book of Proverbs Solomon gave three warning about desiring to be rich. Let us look at those
Proverbs 23:4 ; Proverbs 28:20 ; Proverbs 28:22
The Dangers of Riches:
If we look at our passage from the book of Ecclesiastes and 1 Timothy 6:5-10 we can see the dangers of riches that brought about Solomon’s warnings.
1) There is only so much one man needs (Ecclesiastes 5:11)
- Riches may bring you friends to help share in your riches, but they are only there for you money (Proverbs 14:20)
2) Affects your health (Ecclesiastes 5:12)
- Sleep is one of the greatest things that affects our overall health. Riches keep us from it.
3) Riches can cause us pain and hurt (Ecclesiastes 5:13-14)
- Ananias and Sapphria are a great example of this statement (Acts 5:1-5).
4) They are only temporal (Ecclesiastes 5:15-16)
- You simply cannot take it with you and who knows what will be done with it after you are gone.
5) Riches cause many temptations and snares (1 Timothy 6:9)
- The downfall of Solomon shows us an example of this (1 Kings 11:1-11)
- Money provides opportunity to be involved in many things we simply have no need of being involved in.
6) Messes with your faith (1 Timothy 6:10)
- Riches can keep us from relying on God which is not always what God wants.
Life Lesson:
The problem is not necessarily the riches or money by itself. The problem is the place it takes up in our hearts. Note 1 Timothy 6:10 and Ecclesiastes 5:10, they both speak of love. The life lesson is this, what you love you are never satisfied with. Let us use an object lesson to illustrate the point. (Pull out items to represent the following things)
Loving the wrong things: (Technology, money, clothes, shoes, hunting, fishing, golf, video games, cars, etc.) These things never satisfy.
Loving the right things: (The Word of God; Prayer; Giving to the Lord; Witnessing; Doing good for others, etc.
The goal is contentment (1 Timothy 6:6). It will be by loving the right things that we truly find contentment in this life.
With this in mind let us strive to serve and please God which can yield riches in both this life and the next instead of Laboring for the wind that is here today and gone tomorrow.