Ecclesiastes 5:1

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 5:1-3, “Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.[2] Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.[3] For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.” The “house of God” in the Old Testament was the temple. Solomon knew something about the temple since he designed it and was responsible for having it built. After he built the temple, Solomon noticed that some people would come there but would not be “ready to hear.” There is a time for everything. There is a time to listen and a time to speak. Some Christians have the gift to teach God’s Word. It says about Jesus in Ephesians 4:10-11, “He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)[11] And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;” There are not many teachers from God, but if the Lord has given one to you, make sure that you listen to him. That was the issue in First Corinthians 14:34, “Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.” That is good advice for women, that is good advice for men, and that is good advice for children. When it is time to listen to the Word of God, then listen. It says in James 1:19, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”

Did you notice at the end of Ecclesiastes 5:3 the way that Solomon described how to recognize a fool? One would think that it would be by the content of what a fool says. But he can also be recognized by how many words that he says, “a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.”

Solomon has more to say about the mis-use of the tongue. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 5:4-7, “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] Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.[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?[7] For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.” In verse 4 Solomon wrote about making a vow to God, which is similar in our age to making a promise. No man is any better than his word. If you are a Christian, you want to be known as someone who keeps his word. In verse six we are told to do such a thing is a sin. It is a sin to promise God that you will do something, and then not do it. When you say that you will do something, you just gave an assignment for yourself. Now, finish the job. It is easy to raise your hand and say you will do something just when emotions have run high. But as the days and weeks go by, what will distinguish you as a person of your word, is that you fulfill what you promised. There might be one exception to keeping your word, such as when a young person promises a group of peers that he or she will perform some crazy stunt. On further reflection they should say, “I promised something that I should not have promised, and therefore I am not doing that crazy stunt.”

Solomon has one more thing to say about the possibility of using of too many words. He said in Ecclesiastes 5:7, “For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities.” What is it about a “multitude of dreams” and “many words” that makes them similar in “vanity?” We know about many words: that is how to recognize a fool. The more you speak, the more you will sin. Dreams have nothing to do with reality. Dreams are the thoughts that you have when you do not have control of your mind, and those thoughts can wander anywhere, and so they are meaningless.

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 5:8, “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.”

Solomon turns to the subject of material possessions, probably flowing from the previous statement about the poor being oppressed. It says in Ecclesiastes 5:9-20, “Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.[10] He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.[11] When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?[12] The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.[13] There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.[14] But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.[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.[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?[17] All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.[18] 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 his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.[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.[20] For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.”

In thinking about the rich and the poor, it is good to start with the principle that is mentioned in the first part of Ecclesiastes 5:9, “Moreover the profit of the earth is for all.” In other words there should be plenty on this earth for everyone. There is something terribly wrong when you have a few super rich individuals and many extremely poor individuals. How does this happen? It happens through greed. It happens no matter what is the prevailing politics in place. It happens with communism and capitalism and everything in between. More people need to get saved through faith in Christ so that their hearts of stone get changed to hearts of compassion and fairness. It is not fair when the bankers and CIOs and heads of the communist party get paid effectively hundreds of millions of dollars and everyone else can barely survive.

Solomon noticed that even though these rich people are massively motivated by their lust for wealth, all of their money will never bring them satisfaction. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 5:10, “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver.” I do not think that the government should be taking from the rich. That is not what the Bible advocates, although everyone should pay their taxes. But the rich have too much. They have more than their fair share. They have so much that they cannot use what they have anyway. What practical use is an unlimited number of properties, and homes, and automobiles? It says in verse 11, “what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?” One human being does not have time to use all those possessions. By the way, this is a hint at how to enjoy life: enjoy the beauty and wonder of what you see. You do not need to own it to enjoy it.

The most important things in life money cannot buy. In verse 12 we are told just one of the things that riches cannot buy. It says, “The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.” Money cannot but rest or sleep. A hard working poor man just might sleep much better then a rich man. Who has the better life? Money cannot buy sleep, money cannot buy love, money cannot buy happiness, money cannot buy joy, and money cannot buy entrance into the kingdom of Christ.

Notice carefully the last part of verse 13. It says, “riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.” There is nothing wrong with acquiring riches, but there is something wrong with saving the riches and doing nothing with them. The more that God has put into your hand, the more that is required of you to use what He has put into your hand to help others. This same theme is found in James 5:1-6, “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.[2] Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.[3] Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.[4] Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.[5] Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.[6] Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.”

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 5:15, “As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came.” This is true of the rich man and the poor man. Both came naked into the world, and both will take nothing out of it. Therefore, what profit is there in the acquiring of riches? There is no profit whatsoever unless they were used for good. Both the rich man and the poor man will be judged for how they used the resources that God put into their hands.

Notice that Ecclesiastes 5:17 calls the greed for riches a “sickness.” It says, “All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.” Why would greed be called a sickness? Greed is called a sickness because of the effect that it has on a human being. A sickness brings you down. A sickness causes you suffering. A sickness keeps you from doing what you otherwise would have done. Those who would be rich just might be piercing themselves through with many sorrows. Strange is it not that the very thing that some people seek after so resolutely is what destroys them.

But we must always remember that it is not a sin to be rich. Riches are not evil, only the misuse of riches is evil. The love of money is the root of all evil, but money itself is not evil. You can be rich and still love God as long as you do not love money. The way that you prove that you do not love money is that you are not hoarding it. You are seeking God’s leading on how to use your money for the glory of Christ the Savior. He gave it to you, so you should use it for Him. That is why it says about riches in Ecclesiastes 5:19, “This is the gift of God.” Everything that you have comes from God. Just make sure that you recognize that fact and are thankful to God. It says in James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” Also, it says about Jesus in Ephesians 4:8, “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.”

Notice that it says at the end of Ecclesiastes 5:19, “and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.” One of the sources of true joy on this earth is to accomplish something. Walk with Christ and you will reach your highest level of accomplishment whether you are rich or poor.

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