The Joy of Glory

Ecclesiastes 5 (click here)
He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. (Ecclesiastes 5:10)

There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, 14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. 15 As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. (Ecclesiastes 5:13-15)

Reflection
“He who dies with the most toys wins!” Has there every been a larger lie than that? Solomon is right to point out that he who dies with the most toys loses…for he literally loses everything! Even if one doesn’t lose their wealth in a “bad venture” death takes it from them. We came into the world empty handed and that is how we will leave.

Wealth doesn’t satisfy our hearts in life or in death. The eternal answer to the question, “How much money does a person need?”…is always…just a little bit more. Like everything else Solomon has encountered so far, he knows that riches cannot ultimately satisfy because they are not ultimate…eternal. If we don’t lose our wealth in life, then we will in death.

Again, we see that we were made to be satisfied with the eternal, and eternal joy can only be found in one place…one person. Psalm 16:11, “…in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Only in Christ do we find eternal, unfading satisfaction. He is the only source of eternal wealth. He who dies with the most JOY wins…and eternal joy is found in Jesus.

*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.