More important than the blessings of wealth
[Ecclesiastes 5:19]
Is it wrong to ask God for the blessings of wealth? Is it a sin to ask God for the blessing of wealth while we are living in poverty in a world that is too hard to live? Won’t we be happy if we have abundant wealth?
What is happiness in the Bible? When I think about the word "happiness," two verses came into my mind. The first verse is Deuteronomy 33:29 – “Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will trample down their high places.” According to this verse, the happiness that the Bible talks about is saved by God, and God keeps and gives victory. We are like the people of Israel who are happy in the Lord because we are saved by God in Christ Jesus and are also protected and victorious by God. The second verse is Genesis 39:2-3 and verse 23: “The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered …” (v. 2), “When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did” (v. 3), and “The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did” (v. 23). The true happiness is that God is with us. Even though there are temptations, injustices, and sufferings, in God’s sight those whom God is with are happy people. In that perspective, we are happy people. The reason is because Immanuel God is with us.
When we look at Ecclesiastes 6:3 and 6:6, which is the context of today’s Scripture Ecclesiastes 5:19, the word "prosperity" comes out: “A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he” (v. 3), “even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?” (v. 6). Here the word “his prosperity” refers to God’s given wealth and riches (v. 2). In other words, the blessing of wealth and riches that God gives us is our happiness. We are happy people when we receive the blessings of wealth and riches from God. But what we must remember here is that there is more to it than the blessings of wealth and riches. It is a blessing to enjoy the blessing of wealth and riches. Look at Ecclesiastes 5:19: “Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work--this is a gift of God.” Here, King Solomon talks about four things: (1) God blesses us with wealth and riches; (2) God gives blessings of wealth and riches through our laboring; (3) God makes us to enjoy his blessing of wealth and riches, and (4) It is God's gift that we can enjoy the blessings of his wealth and riches. But in Ecclesiastes 6:1, King Solomon talks about “another evil” that weights heavily on men. And the “another evil” is that people are not able to see their own happiness and are not satisfied with their happiness. Who are the ones who are not see their own happiness and are not satisfied with their happiness? They are those who received the blessing of wealth and riches from God, but are not allowed to enjoy it (v. 2). Although we may have a hundred children (v. 3) and live a thousand years twice over (v. 6), how can we say that we are happy people if we can not enjoy the blessings of wealth and riches we have received from God? They are an unhappy people. Therefore, more important than the blessings of wealth and riches is the blessing of enjoying those blessings.