Ecclesiastes 5:18 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Ecclesiastes 5:18

Comments

What is Solomon’s solution? Everything in moderation? Conquer your inner greed? No, this verse assumes that the profound change in our relationship to this world and its pleasures that is required, is impossible without the work of the Spirit of God in our hearts, a work which only he can do and no other can do in his place. Man is a slave to his lusts and he cannot by an act of his own will set himself free or alter himself. We must be born again so that we receive all things in this world as the gifts of God. We must receive all from his hand, recognising he is the source of every good and perfect gift. With God comes the power to enjoy life, but we have to explain why. Sins are forgiven and life is given and higher aims come into that person’s heart. Power to enjoy the good things of this life only comes with seeking after the Lord. We are secure, not because we have obtained the whole world in our larder, but because we have a faithful heavenly Father who provides for our needs. This new relationship with the world comes because we have a new relationship with God. It takes away our desire to hoard earthly riches. It takes away many causes of jealousy. If others have more than we have, what does that matter; it does nothing to alter God’s love to us, and we do not measure his love by our abundance in this life. We see this world as a place which we are passing through, while the true riches belong to the world to come.

Application

Earthly goods were made by God to be enjoyed and there is no evil in appreciating them, but the secret of happiness on earth does not consist in making an idol of them or thinking that they have more power to grant happiness than they do, for that is the way to ensure that they decay in our hands before we can obtain any pleasure from them. It is not wrong to enjoy sensual pleasure: to appreciate good food and skilful cooking and to eat in moderation guided by body weight, to enjoy beautiful music and skilful composition, to appreciate art and form, and to work for earthly gain and to see increase in riches and to be pleased with this. But never must these things be substituted for God himself, who is the giver of every gift we receive. To impress this on our own minds and to avoid forgetting where all our good comes from, we must give thanks continually to him for even the basic provisions of life. They must not be served for their own sake or regarded as if they had power to give ultimate happiness or to grant security in this life; we must not think that they can provide peace for the soul. We must recognise that we cannot take them with us into the next life and this will temper the reliance we place on them. Nevertheless, they are our portion in this life which God distributes according to his sovereign will.

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Ecclesiastes 5:18 Commentary and Bible Study