“For who knows what is good for a man in life,

during the few and meaningless days he passes through like a shadow?

Who can tell him what will happen under the sun after he is gone?”

Chapter 6:12

It is as if the Teacher is questioning himself as to whether eternal life exists, in whatever form that may be. Chapter 6 is pure despair. His leaning is towards a thinking of we all end up going to the same place: “Do not all go to the same place?”

Even though he acknowledges that God gives a man wealth, possessions, and honour, he argues that God does not enable us to enjoy these things. It is as if God is playing a game with us. Here, you can have this; now I am taking it away. Round and round the game goes. The Teacher’s states: “This is meaningless, a grievous evil.”

Sad, very sad, but how true for so many of us. We feel frustrated that we are on a spinning wheel and have no idea how to get off. We develop a belief that God does not actually love us, that He is a tormentor. How incorrect are we in that thinking?

The Teacher makes some comments about wealth, which were prevalent then and are still very prevalent today: “Whoever loves money never has money enough [comment: yes, it is written as such]; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. … As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And to what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?” 5:10-11.

A comment that my brother made to me many years ago goes as follows: “A person spends what he earns.” It is this very thing that causes us to never have enough money. Most of us can live within our means; we simply choose not to. We need to have that extra gadget, a better car, a bigger house; the list is endless. We find no satisfaction in that which we have. The Teacher touches on a point in that when we have lots, we tend to show off, throw parties, entertain others, and then it is gone. Those so-called friends quickly disappear, leeching onto someone else.

A moment of revelation creeps into his thinking: “When God gives any man wealth and possessions and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work – this is a gift of God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart” 5:19-20. Read this again, and perhaps even again.

To end this off, we go back to the beginning of chapter 5. The Teacher knows it is important to have a reverent fear of God. He implores his listeners not to say rash things and not to make any silly promises to God. The Teacher gives us this warning: “God has no pleasure in fools”, so think twice about how you conduct yourself before God. He is Awesome, Almighty, All-Powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth, and the Redeemer. But He is also the All-Loving, All-Gracious, All-Merciful personal God.

The Teacher says: “Therefore stand in awe of God” 5:7.

It is better to humble yourself and to ask God to forgive you for chasing wealth and possessions. If the heart response is: “God it is all yours. What would You have me do with all of this?” He has given them to you to use, some for your benefit and some for the benefit of others. For when you have this attitude, you will find hope and meaning; you, not live in a place of despair.

GOD IS GOOD … ALL THE TIME