(“A Prevalent Evil”)

Ecclesiastes 6:1-6 (NASU)

1“There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men – 2a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner enjoys them. This is vanity and a severe affliction.” (Ecclesiastes 6:1-2)

(A) OUR GOD DOES WHAT HE PLEASES! (1) Psalm One Hundred and Fifteen says: “our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases” (c.f. Psalm 115:3). Normally we resent people who do whatever they please – in part, because they are often inconsiderate, self-centered and/or lacking in compassion. Indeed, when someone like Sadaam Hussein or Fidel Castro does “whatever he pleases”, it usually results in innocent people suffering and dying.

(2) In another Psalm, God corrects the errant thinking of the wicked by saying: “You thought … I was just like you” (c.f. Psalm 50:21b), (which He’s clearly not!). Hence, when “our God” exercises His sovereignty by “do(ing) whatever He pleases” (c.f. Psalm 115:3), His actions are always tempered (if you will) by other attributes – like His goodness, mercy, and slowness to anger (c.f. Exodus 34:6) – and/or His justice, omniscience, and the fact He always does what’s right (Genesis 18:25). In practical terms this means God often delays carrying out justice on those who are guilty of sinning against Him, thereby giving them time to repent (see Romans 2:3-4) – and/or that He often gives good gifts to those who don’t deserve them (c.f. Luke 6:35c).

(3) One of the things it “pleases God to do” is extend something we call His “common grace” to whomever He wishes, including both Christians and non-Christians.¹ Hence, Scripture says that, “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (c.f. Matthew 5:45) – and again (speaking of God): “The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing” (c.f. Psalm 145:15-16) – and once more (this time Paul speaking to a gathering of idol worshippers): “In the generations gone by (God) permitted all the nations to go their own ways; and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness” (c.f. Acts 14:16-17).

(4) One of the areas of life into which it “pleases God” to extend His “common grace” is that of “riches and wealth” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 5:19a). Hence, as the children of Israel were preparing to take possession of the land of promise, one of the things Moses told them was: “(When you begin to prosper in the land God gives you, do not) say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’ But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers” (c.f. Deuteronomy 8:17-18).

Nor is the ability to gather wealth confined to God’s redeemed people (some of whom are actually poor) – for Scripture says the ruler who came to Jesus, asking: “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (c.f. Luke 18:18), and then refused to do it, was “extremely rich” (c.f. Luke 18:18-23) – as was the man Jesus spoke of in Luke chapter sixteen who, before he died and “awoke” in hell, “habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, (and) joyously liv(ed) in splendor every day” (c.f. Luke 16:19-31).

(5) If we have any doubts regarding whether or not God gives non-Christians the ability to gather wealth, David’s comment in Psalm Seventeen should put them to rest – for there he prays (in part): “Deliver my soul from the wicked … O Lord, from men of the world, whose portion is in this life, and whose belly You fill with Your treasure; they are satisfied with children, and leave their abundance to their babes” (c.f. Psalm 17:13b-14).

(6) In the passage before us this evening we find that the ability to gather wealth and the ability to enjoy it do not necessarily go hand-in-hand (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:1-6) – that just because God extends His common grace to one area doesn’t automatically mean He also extends it to the other. Indeed, one of the vanities of wealth – especially for an “under the sun” man (c.f. Ecclesiastes 5:13) who has little or no regard for God or His commands” (see Ecclesiastes 12:13) – is that God often grants wealth without also granting the ability to enjoy it – at least not in any meaningful or long-term way.

(B) OUR GOD MAY GIVE A MAN WEALTH, BUT

NOT THE ABILITY TO ENJOY IT

(1) Tonight’s Scripture lesson opens, then, with these words: “There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men –” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:1).

(a) We said last time that Solomon uses the phrase “I have seen” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:1) to draw our attention to things God has enabled him to observe during the course of his life, and on which the Lord has given him an accurate perspective.⁴ Hence, what Solomon is about to tell us is not a matter of personal opinion, or the kind of cynicism that’s often brought on by old age – rather, it’s a matter of divine insight and revelation (c.f. I Kings 3:12; II Peter 1:20-21).

(b) The Hebrew word Solomon used here for “evil” (“raah”) often means just what we think it does – i.e. something “bad” or morally “wrong”² – something that’s contrary to God’s laws, which are described elsewhere as “holy and righteous and good” (c.f. Romans 7:12).

However, the word Solomon used can also refer to an action, event or circumstance that’s “evil” in the sense it causes people “misery”, or “adversity”, or “affliction”.²

Since the Book of James says: “God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust” (c.f. James 1:13b-14) – we can assume the “evil” Solomon had in mind in tonight’s text is not so much a moral issue as it is a matter of affliction or calamity (which are things for which God DOES take responsibility – see Micah 1:12) – i.e. that Solomon was describing a situation which causes men some measure of suffering, albeit always for reasons God judges to be good and/or just.

The notion we are dealing primarily with a matter of adversity (regardless of whatever moral issues on the part of men may be involved) is supported by the last phrase in verse two, where Solomon describes the idea that God gives some men wealth but not the ability to enjoy it, as “vanity and a severe affliction” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:2d).

(c) The Hebrew word for “prevalent” (“rab”) literally means “much, many, or great”³ – hence, something that is “abundant” or “numerous”.³ The NKJV captures the idea when it translates verse one as: “There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:1, NKJV). Hence, Solomon was saying that what he’s about to describe in verse two is not unusual in a fallen world – on the contrary, it’s far more widespread than most people think. Indeed, as hard as it may be for us to believe, the “evil affliction” he’s about to describe is the general rule in an “under the sun” world, rather than the exception – which makes the idolatrous pursuit of wealth all the more vain, and/or our envying those who have wealth a waste of valuable time and energy (c.f. Psalm 37:1-2; 73:3-7).

(2) In verse two Solomon tells us what this “prevalent evil affliction” is, saying it’s: “a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner enjoys them. This is vanity and a severe affliction” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:2).

(a) Once again our attention is drawn to the fact God gives people what they have, be it “riches and wealth”, or even “honor” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:2a). Elsewhere, a verse I’ve quoted many times before asks: “What do you have that you did not receive?” (c.f. I Corinthians 4:7b) – the obvious, but unspoken answer being, “not a thing”. All that we have – or as the Book of James puts it – “every good thing given and every perfect gift” (c.f. James 1:17a) comes from the hand of our heavenly Father.

Are we in a position of power or authority? Scripture says: “there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God” (c.f. Romans 13:1b).

Do we have a house full of children? Scripture says: “children are a gift of the Lord … How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them” (c.f. Psalm 127:3a, 5a).

Do we have food on our table and clothes on our back? The Scriptures, speaking of God, says: “The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due time” (c.f. Psalm 145:15) – and again: “if God … clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you?” (c.f. Matthew 6:30).

Have we been saved? Scripture says: “God has given us eternal life” (c.f. I John 5:11b) – and again, that: “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (c.f. Romans 3:23b).

Abraham’s servant praised God at one point, saying: “The Lord has greatly blessed my master, so that he has become rich; and He has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and maids, and camels and donkeys” (c.f. Genesis 24:35).

When Jacob saw Joseph’s sons, and asked: “Who are these?” Joseph told his father: “They are my sons, whom God has given me” (c.f. Genesis 48:8-9).

Elsewhere we’re told that, “faith … is the gift of God” (c.f. Ephesians 2:8) – that the gospel is a “gift of God’s grace” (c.f. Ephesians 3:7) – that the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit is a “gift” (c.f. Acts 2:38) – and that the various spiritual “gifts” of the Holy Spirit are just that, “gifts” (c.f. I Corinthians 12:4).

Hence, Paul once told the Athenians that the unknown god to whom they had built an altar, was the God who “gives to all people life and breath and all things” (c.f. Acts 17:25) – or, as John the Baptizer once said: “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven” (c.f. John 3:27).

Here in tonight’s text, Solomon is focused one specific gift God sovereignly gives certain people – namely, “riches and wealth and honor so that (their) soul lacks nothing of all that (they desire)” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:2).

(b) God gives these gifts to each person as He wills (c.f. I Corinthians 12:11b). Nor does He adhere to the man-made myth that He must treat everyone exactly the same – for there are some to whom He gives little, while others receive much (c.f. Matthew 25:15) – even to the point where they “(lack) nothing of all (their soul) desires” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:2) – at least as far as the “wealth and/or honors” of this world are concerned.

Some of the people to whom God gives wealth are numbered among His elect – like Abraham (c.f. Genesis 13:2) or Joseph of Arimathea (c.f. Matthew 27:57). Others, however, are numbered among the wicked, as Job correctly observed when he lamented: “Why do the wicked still live, continue on, also become very powerful? Their descendants are established with them in their sight, and their offspring before their eyes, their houses are safe from fear, and the rod of God is not on them. His ox mates without fail; his cow calves and does not abort. They send forth their little ones like the flock, and their children skip about. They sing to the timbrel and harp and rejoice at the sound of the flute. They spend their days in prosperity …” (c.f. Job 21:7-13a).

The fact is, God gives many people, who have no “fear of Him nor any desire to keep His commands”, the ability to accumulate “wealth and honor” – indeed, He gives them the desires of their heart – at least as far as the kind of wealth and/or fame the world has to offer is concerned. One example would be the exorbitant prosperity and/or lavish life-style of certain movie stars, business executives, professional athletes, as well as various radio and television personalities. Keep in mind, though, that what you and I have looks exorbitant and lavish to those people living on the outskirts of Juarez in huts made out of cardboard and pallets.

(c) One of life’s mysteries is that no one becomes wealthy unless God enables them to do so – no one gets the desires of their heart unless God chooses to give it to them, or at the very least sovereignly allows them to get it (c.f. Romans 1:28). At the same time, however, no one is able to enjoy what they have unless God enables them to enjoy it.⁵ Moreover, this is equally true for Christians and non-Christians.

This really gets to the heart of the “prevalent evil” Solomon had in mind in tonight’s text – hence, he talked about the man “to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has NOT empowered him to eat from them, (but) a foreigner (i.e. someone else) enjoys them (instead)” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:2).

(d) This can happen in a variety of ways. I think of the commercial where we’re given several “snapshots” of a man who appears to have it all – a large new house in an upscale part of town, complete with a swimming pool – a brand new SUV – a membership in the local country club – and a big riding lawn mower. “Do you know I did it?” he asks, with an unnatural smile on his face – “I’m in debt up to my eyeballs! I can barely keep up with my interest payments! Somebody help me!”

A good commercial – like a good joke – is often based on reality. In this case, the reality is that some people aren’t able to enjoy what they have because they’ve overextended themselves and are, therefore, constantly worried about loosing it all.

A man works years and years to climb to the top of his profession. So far he hasn’t had time to really enjoy what he has because he’s always been working. But now he’s ready to cut back and/or retire and start enjoying some of the fruits of his labor – only to suffer a heart attack, be diagnosed with cancer, or get into an accident that leaves him paralyzed – thereby depriving him of the ability to enjoy what he has to the fullest.

I mentioned Haman last time, who is one of the main characters in the Book of Esther. Chapter five says Haman: “recounted to (his family and friends) the glory of his riches, and the number of his sons, and every instance where the king had magnified him and how (the king) had promoted him above (all) the (other) princes and servants of the king” – but, he went to say: “all of this does not satisfy me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate” (c.f. Esther 5:11-13).

Haman had “riches and wealth and honor” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:2) – but he couldn’t enjoy any of it because he was consumed by his hatred for another individual.

Sometimes people can’t enjoy what they have because their mind or heart is filled with fear or hate – worry or discontent – jealousy or thoughts of revenge – envy or self-pity – resentment or greed – or some other evil thing. A person may have a comfortable home – a loving spouse – a beautiful view of the mountains – but not be able to really enjoy any of it, because they’re consumed with themselves and/or their emotions. Indeed, they can go through one day after another without ever “seeing” the good things God has given them, in the sense of appreciating them and/or being able to enjoy them.

(e) In the examples I’ve given, sin is obviously a major factor – but that’s not the whole story. Solomon says the ultimate reason people don’t enjoy what they have is because “God has not empowered” them to do so (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:2) – because God has chosen to withhold this aspect of His grace for reasons only He fully understands (c.f. Isaiah 55:8-9). It may be an act of judgment – an act of discipline or correction – or even an act of compassion and love. One thing we can be sure of, however, is that it will always be an act characterized by “holiness, righteousness and goodness” (c.f. Romans 7:12b).

Nevertheless, for an “under the sun man” – or for a Christian who has been living in an “under the sun” manner – wealth, without the God-given ability to enjoy it, is “vanity and a severe affliction” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:2). After all, what’s the point of having something if you aren’t able to enjoy it?!

(3) In verses three through six Solomon used a rather startling illustration to underscore the point he made in our text, saying: “If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper burial, then I say, ‘Better the miscarriage than he, for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity. It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; it is better off than he. Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice and does not enjoy good things – do not all go to one place?’” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:3-6).

(a) In Old Testament times numerous children, long life, and a proper burial were regarded as signs of God’s blessing⁶ – hence, the Scripture says, for example: “Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah …” (c.f. Genesis 25:8-9).

Solomon’s point, however, is that even if a man fathered “a hundred children”, and lived “a thousand years twice” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:3a, 6a) (i.e. twice the age of Methuselah, see Genesis 5:27) – if “his soul is not satisfied with good things” – if he “does not enjoy (the) good things (he has)” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:3c, 6b) – then, Solomon said: “better the miscarriage than he” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:3e). In other words, what good is long life, many children, and a proper burial if God doesn’t empower a man to enjoy what he has?

(b) Actually, Solomon means such a man would be “better off” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:5b) to have never been born – in this regard, that at least a stillborn child never has to go through the “evil” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:1a) of not being able to “enjoy” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:6b) what he has – at least the stillborn doesn’t have to experience the “severe affliction” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:2d) of never being able to be “satisfied” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:3b) with what God has given him, even though God has given him “the desires of his heart” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:2a).

Indeed, both the stillborn child and the man God has not empowered to enjoy his wealth “all go to one place” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:6c) – only the stillborn doesn’t have to go through a lifetime of “affliction” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:2d) and frustration to get there.

(c) One writer said: “Solomon’s argument is relentless and irrefutable. We all know that if this life is all there is – if the wealth and honors of this life are the best we can hope for – then it is undeniable that the billionaire and the stillborn baby ‘all go to one place’ (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:6c). Death is the great equalizer – death puts an end to whatever meaning there might have been.”⁷

(d) Is there any hope in this sea of negativity? If God has given us “riches and wealth and honor so that (our) soul lacks nothing of all that (it) desires”, but “has not empowered (us) to (enjoy what He’s given us)” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:2), is there anything we can do to change that? Even if God has NOT chosen to give us great “wealth and honor”, is there anything we can do that might cause Him to help us to enjoy what we DO have?

I said last time that God is sovereign – which means, among other things, that He will grant the ability to enjoy what one has (be it little or much) to whomever He chooses (c.f. Daniel 4:35). At the same time, however, I think its also true that He is more likely to grant that ability to those who “fear Him and keep His commands” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:13), rather than those who don’t.

I believe this is a general rule, rather than a wholesale promise – nevertheless, the Scripture does say that: “the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (c.f. Psalm 84:11) – and again: “O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! O fear the Lord, you His saints; for to those who fear Him there is no want. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; but they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing” (c.f. Psalm 34:9-10) – and once more, this time Jesus is speaking: “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (c.f. Matthew 6:33).

Whether what He “adds to us” is little or much is not the point – the point is being able to enjoy it – the point is being able to avoid, by His enabling grace, the prevalent evil Solomon described in tonight’s text.

#9567 and #7455.