Ecclesiastes - Chapter 5
Critics are not among the most admired people we see in society, but they do indeed make a valuable contribution to social life. It was just this kind of contribution that the preacher and Ecclesiastes tried to make. His society needed to hear what he had to say.
They had overvalued wisdom, almost using it to try and control God on their terms. They had overvalued pleasure hoping that through it life's true meaning might be found.
They had perverted justice by diminishing the rights of the poor and the oppressed. And they had overestimated their own freedom to make life changing decisions by ignoring the mystery of God's ways and the manner in which death is unchanging.
The preacher, through these factors, has accused them of living hollow, shallow, and vain lives. Then he gave them profound thoughts of how to find real meaning, that there was joy in God's simple gifts of food, drink, and work.
Worship gone stale (1-7):
The religious practice of Solomon's countrymen did not escape his sharp eye. Usually wise men left these matters of prayers, sacrifices, vows, and ritual to the temple priests. But not Solomon. Fake religion or stale practice distressed him as much as proud wisdom, vain pleasure, abused justice, or hollow freedom.
His people had come to show a mechanical attitude toward the sacrifices God had commanded. They were offering them in huge volume with great attention to detail but they were missing the deeper meaning and key purpose of these animal offerings. Solomon tells them that listening to God is better than sacrifice.
He called this missed opportunity of his people a sacrifice of fools. He reveals to them in the two words “walk prudently” the requirement of reverent obedience and humble repentance.
What were they doing wrong? They were treating sacrifices to God like magic. They thought blood and smoke were what God wanted. They forgot that spirit and heart were the essentials of true sacrifice. Psalm 51 (David's repentant Psalm) was so clear on this matter:
“You do not delight in burnt offerings, The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and contrite heart...”
What Samuel had told Saul needed to be repeated:
“Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice...” (1st Samuel 15:22)
His second criticism was that brief prayer truly prayed is better than fancy long prayers. God sees through fancy words and looks into the heart.
His last criticism was that people were offering vows to God in shallow promise and were not fulfilling vows given:
“...better not to vow than to vow and not pay...”
We can surely understand this portion of our preacher's message. He has been saying to us that God must be taken to heart with strong seriousness. These shallow & hollow efforts are without value. God knows better and deserves better when we worship.
Government is corrupt (8-9):
Learning to live with bad governments was something the Jews certainly had mastered. They had suffered the tyranny of foreign domination for almost 400 years before Solomon preached. Assyrians had ruled the land for 130 years. Babylonians had ruled it for 65 years. Persians had ruled for over 200 years. Later the Romans arrived and ruled for about 350 years and they were followed by the Byzantines who ruled Palestine until Islam arrived in the seventh century A.D. Among all these ruling nations, the Jews tried to rule themselves with kings who were in many cases corrupt and not God fearing.
Solomon teaches of high and higher and still higher officials who allow oppression and perversion of justice and righteousness. He is strongly condemning a long history before and one to come later as corrupt.
Greed is empty (10-12):
From the specific form of greed found in governments, Solomon now turns to the general problem of greed that seems to reside in those who have enough already but seem always to want more.
His words are aimed at those who are richer than they are wise. Long after they have the security of life they seek, they strive for more. He comments on a condition we still see today in our wealthy but greed based system inside our own nation.
Jesus spoke clearly on this matter in Mark 12 when he told all to render to Caesar that which he was due BUT to also render to God that which was His. Empty greed was seen by Solomon to accumulate abundance but never seemed to reward those receiving it to properly pay the Lord His due in providing it.
Risk of the wealthy (13-14):
The wealthy lead risky lives. Our preacher labored over this point. His main point was that with money, gain is usually related to risk. As more risk is taken more can be lost. One can lose all if one is not prudent. When wealthy people assume too much risk to accumulate more, all can be lost, leaving emptiness, futility and grief.
Failed circumstance rots the spirit of the broken man. Wealth lost can be life shattered. Lives based only upon money and not based upon dwelling closer to God means that when money is gone, nothing else remains.
A suggestion to the wealthy (18-20):
The best answer the preacher gives is to enjoy what we have, whether little or much, and not try to hoard it. What we have is a gift from God , provided by Him, sustained by Him, and that like His creation, gifts He bestows are good. We are to value them and learn to be thankfully grateful to Him for all He allows.