Photo by Benjamin Disinger on Unsplash
Whoever loves money will never be satisfied with money. Whoever loves wealth will never be satisfied with more income. Even this is pointless.
The sleep of working people is sweet, whether they eat a little or a lot. But the full stomachs that rich people have will not allow them to sleep.
(Eccl 5:10, 12 GW) [context– Eccl 5:8-17]
Poverty and Redistribution of Wealth
Redistribution of wealth is a popular scheme to help solve the problem of poverty. But it won’t. Poverty cannot be solved with money. Poverty is an issue too deep for money to solve.
The idea of redistributing wealth is rooted in resentment towards the wealthy and an idealized philosophy. The resentment is for good reason. Throughout history, the wealthy have wielded power and oppressed people to maintain their power and wealth.
This is just as true in America’s history, especially during the peak of the Industrial Revolution with wealthy magnates such as JD Rockefeller, JP Morgan, A Carnegie, and C Vanderbilt.
But why do so many people resent the rich and wealthy? They envy them.
But Solomon tells us this envy of the rich is foolish. Riches and wealth never satisfy and bring problems the poor will never know. If anyone should know this, Solomon did.
There is a biblical basis for redistribution of wealth, but it’s a far cry from socialism or marxism. It’s not based on envy, nor on ideology. It’s based on love and contentment.
The early church redistributed their own wealth but it was motivated by their love and concern for one another. As needs arose among them, they would sell what they had for the common good (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-35).
But it didn’t last. Selfishness filled the hearts of a few and favoritism seemed to creep in. Poverty is more of a mindset than pure circumstance, and selfishness is at the heart of oppression and injustice.
When Jesus said there would always be those in poverty, it wasn’t callousness. He knew the heart of humanity is selfish at its core (Mark 14:7-10; John 12:4-6).
The problem with wealth or the redistribution of wealth is this—there will never be enough money to satisfy the heart of any person.
Insights
Solomon tells us we should not be surprised by the existence of oppression and injustice. He understood the nature of humanity to be selfish at its best and evil at its worst.
He understood wealth and power for he knew what it was to have it and yet be unsatisfied. This is the underlying reason for saying life under the sun was pointless.
All these verses in the middle of Chapter 5 focus on the problems of having wealth or lacking it. But Solomon reveals certain things about wealth that’s misunderstood by those who don’t have it.
Solomon’s observation of oppression and injustice is just that—an observation. It’s an age-old reality. Those in power over the poor and the laborers in the fields use their power to their own advantage.
But as unjust as this may be, Solomon acknowledges how dependent those in power are upon the labor of the poor. Even the king’s food is a product of those who labor in the field.
This is not a justification of oppression and injustice but an observation.
In a sense, the laboring poor are blessed with “sweet” sleep because of their honest labor. And yet, even though the powerful and wealthy seem to have all one could want, this “sweet” sleep eludes them.
Solomon gives some insight into this baffling reality. Those who have riches can’t take it with them when they die, just as righteous Job realized (Job 1:21). And the rich never seem to have enough.
The wealthy who hoard their riches are consumed by worry about all they have and how it could be lost. As Solomon observed before, they also have to pass their wealth onto others whether they choose to do so or not, or because misfortune takes it from them.
Existential Reflections
I’m thankful I grew up in a beautiful area where many wealthy people lived. Our family was middle class. We weren’t poor nor rich. I remember trying to appear as if we were wealthy but I had to work for whatever I wanted, unlike most of my friends.
This gave me an opportunity to see the emptiness and futility of chasing after or having wealth. Even though our home life had its own problems, we were a close-knit family.
Many of my wealthy friends were envious of the stability of my family and home life. Though I thought I wanted what they had, they wanted what we had in our home. What irony!
John D Rockefeller owned 90% of the oil and gas industry in America at one point. When asked how much money would be enough, he said, “just a little bit more.”
Although many in the world think they’d be satisfied with a little more money, the reality is this—no one will be. This is what Solomon is trying to tell us in these verses.
What about a little bit of wealth redistribution?
Having come of age in the ‘60s then becoming a follower of Jesus in the early ‘70s, I’ve had some experience with communal living. I spent enough time in a few communal communities during the age of love-ins to see the reality beyond the rhetoric.
Communal communities only work with good, fair-minded leadership, equitable organization, and cooperation. But this is rare. When it does exist, it only lasts for a season.
What about the early church?
The communal life of the early church only lasted for a short time. The early chapters of the Book of Acts reveal this. There were some internal problems, but ultimately, external influences in the form of persecution disrupted the early church community.
But here’s the good news about this—even selfishness and persecution couldn’t disrupt the genuine love true followers of Christ had in their hearts towards each other, the poor, and those who oppressed them.
This was the earmark of true Christian believers as the church grew under persecution, politics, and, pandemics. Though many were poor, they were known for their love, mercy, and grace.
Susan and I also had experience with a Christian communal community during the mid-’70s. It wasn’t heaven on earth, it was hard work and had its share of problems. But God worked in us through it all.
What we endured and learned in that season of life was immeasurably valuable. It was the Kingdom of God on earth in many ways.
This experience prepared us for the ministry God called us to in the following years as church planters and missionaries. We’ve drawn upon what God poured into us during that season of life over and over the past thirty years.
Thankfully, what God poured into us overflowed into the lives of others and bore fruit that honored God.
Though we worked hard, our sleep was sweet. Even though we had little wealth in the eyes of others, we lacked nothing and experienced blessing after blessing.
What about you? Are you looking for “just a little bit more”?
Or, have you learned to be content with what you have?
Oppression and injustice will continue because of selfishness, greed, and pride. But God blesses and honors those who trust in Him.
This is an excerpt from my newest book available on Amazon! Glimmers of Light in the Darkness of Life
The Scripture text for this devotional study can be found by clicking the blue button link– “Ecclesiastes Chap 5” [I’ve used God’s Word Translation (GW) for ease of reading but the button link will take you to the text in a parallel version with the NKJV text.]
Also, for further commentary, I recommend Enduring Word by Ptr David Guzik.
