Ecclesiastes 5 - Wealth

Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers! – Ecclesiastes 5:10‭-‬11 NLT

What is being materially wealthy? Is it really worth it? I’m not talking about being a good steward that has managed money well. I’m talking about being someone who is rich with the goal of only becoming richer. Is there really any point in such a life?

There will never be “enough” for that person. As the adage goes, how much more do you need? Just a little bit more.

Solomon knew this life of wealth very well. He is considered one of the richest and wisest kings ever. Yet, here he is saying how meaningless it is to think wealth will bring true happiness. He’s saying the wealthier you become, the more people you have in your life who are eager to spend your wealth. In fact, wealth is only good for watching it slip away. That’s coming from the wisest man to live outside of Jesus.

The thing about this observation is that it wasn’t like Solomon went bankrupt. He’s not speaking as someone who was wealthy and is now in poverty. He was speaking from a wealthy perspective and still had that to say.

In the end, when you die, you leave this world as empty as you came into it (v. 15). Wealth has its purposes, but it shouldn’t be our life purpose. He wasn’t saying wealth was meaningless. He was saying chasing wealth as a means for your life purpose and happiness is, however, meaningless.