Community & Discipleship

The Purpose of Power and Wealth (Ecc. 5:8-6:9)

2013.06.02Rev. Eddie Byun

Power and wealth are gifts from God meant to establish justice and righteousness for the weak and to bless others; when they become our treasure, greed takes hold, but when we surrender everything to God as owner and use them as tools for His kingdom, they bring blessing.

Power and wealth are meant for justice and righteousness (8-9)

Solomon tells us not to be surprised when the poor are oppressed and justice is violated, because this world is fallen and corruption rises as power rises. Power and wealth were given so that we might protect the weak and provide for those in need. Ecclesiastes 5:9 says that a land gains everything when leaders are committed to caring for those under them. Ancient law protected the land of the fatherless because land was their security and inheritance. Proverbs 14:31 says that whoever oppresses the poor insults their Maker, while whoever is generous to the needy honors him. Power and wealth are therefore given to us to serve the vulnerable.

Greed is the root of corruption and the idol of money (10-12)

The one who loves money will never be satisfied with it, and the more we have, the more we want and the more we spend and worry. Greed is hard to see in our own hearts because we compare ourselves only with those in our own economic circle. Like any idol, money is loved, trusted, and obeyed, and it promises a security it cannot keep. Once a new car brought more anxiety than an old one did, and John D. Rockefeller found that his health only improved when he began giving his money away. Ecclesiastes 5:12 contrasts the sleep of a laborer with the restless nights of the rich.

Hoarding always harms, and wealth cannot be taken along (13-17)

Ecclesiastes describes a man who hoarded his wealth, lost it in a bad investment, and had nothing to leave his son. Hoarding always harms others, because the resources God meant to bless them stay locked up. Like everyone, the man came into the world with nothing and will leave with nothing. Jerry White observed that Christians have never worn the clothes of affluence very well. The message is not against money but against greed, and God increases our wealth not to raise our standard of living but to raise our standard of giving.

Joyful surrender is the answer to greed (18-20)

God's solution to our selfish and greedy hearts is joyful surrender. Enjoying the gifts of God, accepting our portion, and rejoicing in our work is itself a gift from God. Surrender begins by giving up ownership, because God is the owner of our life, our work, our ability, and all our wealth, so all is from Him and all is for Him. Acts teaches that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Only when Christ sits on the throne of our hearts can money be dethroned, and our identity and security return to where they belong.

Ecclesiastes 6 shows that a life without God's purpose is empty (6:1-9)

Ecclesiastes 6 describes a man who receives wealth, possessions, and honor, yet cannot enjoy them, while a stranger enjoys them instead. Even a man with a hundred children and a long life is not blessed if he does not know why God gave him life. The question is not how long we live but whether we have truly lived, with thanksgiving and joy in each moment. Jesus is worth more than anything we could buy. Seeing life as a gift from God and enjoying it is the key to true happiness, and joyful surrender means giving on behalf of the Owner. Grace transforms both how we live and how we give.

Apply to Life

  • Let us check whether we use our power to protect the weak and oppressed.
  • Let us examine our hearts for greed and the anxiety it brings, and surrender our money to Christ.
  • Let us give generously to kingdom causes and to the poor, since God increases our wealth to increase our giving.
  • Let us remember that all we have is God's gift, and let us thank Him and enjoy it in the present moment.
  • Let us treat power and wealth as tools for God's glory and not as treasures for ourselves.

This summary was made automatically from the sermon's captions and may differ from the sermon.

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