God has so many ways of frustrating our attempts to find satisfaction in this life. When we make an idol of something that we know brings us into head-on collision with his commandments, we can almost guarantee that he will intervene, indeed, our self-confidence invites him to intervene. Our simplistic ways of thinking are intensely foolish and we forget that ‘there’s many a slip twixt cup and lip’.
How could this happen? Solomon does not give particulars because there are so many paths to disaster. Perhaps a man’s wealth enables him to purchase a house in a certain place, and as a result, he is brought into contact with a neighbour with whom he quarrels and who finally does him great damage. Perhaps his riches bring him to the attention of a lady whom he falls in love with and marries, but the marriage turns out to be nothing but strife and sorrow, because she is after his money. Perhaps he is able to pay for the education of a beloved son who because of his exalted position in society is brought into contact with those who turn him against his own father. perhaps thieves hear of his riches and come to his house to do him harm; he now calculates that he would happily have forfeited everything to save himself from their violence. How many possible disasters there are, that are directly attributable to money!