Mortality and Riches

Eccles. 5:13-17

13 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. 16 This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? 17 Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.

• What is the purpose of hoarding riches?
  - What can happen to riches?
  - How effective is hoarding riches?
  - Why are riches a flimsy foundation to build an entire life on?
  - What are some specific ways that hoarding riches can hurt the owner?
  
• How often does your mortality come to mind?
  - How often does your mortality affect your daily actions?
  - How does your awareness of your mortality affect how your look at possessions? [v.15]
  
• What advantage is there in striving for riches under the sun?
  - How does a miserly attitude affect a person's enjoyment of life?
  - Who comes to mind when you read v. 17? (real or fictional)
  
• How do you approach your riches?
  - What riches do you have?
  - How might this passage apply to spiritual riches?
  - How can a person hoard their spiritual riches?
  - How happy is a person who hoards spiritual riches?
  - How happy is a person who shares his/her spiritual riches?

Harold's Musings:
This passage is a continuation from yesterday's, but this passage focuses on the hoarding of what you have. While money is the most obvious thing we can hoard, we have other riches that we keep to ourselves. If we have the joy of being in Christ and we hide it and keep it from others, what happens to the joy? We have every spiritual blessing but most of us keep them hidden and safely tucked away. What things like love, a smile, or a gracious word do you have that you are reluctant to share?

Money is empty

Eccles. 5:10-12

10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? 12 Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.

• When has this passage been realized in your life?
  - When have you wanted just a bit more income?
  - How soon afterwards did you want just a bit more income?
  
• Compare the amount of money "left over" at your first job to what is "left over" now?
  - What consumes your income?
  
• Why is love of money and abundance so dangerous spiritually?
  - Why is love of money and abundance a waste of time?
  - What things do you have that are valuable only to look at?
  - What wonderful, "gotta have it" things are setting in your garage, attic, basement, etc.?
  
• Why do riches cause loss of sleep?
  - What else might be involved beyond eating too much?
  - What does a rich person worry about that the working man does not?
  - How does the life of the working man encourage sleep?
  - How does the life of the rich man interfere with sleep?
  
• How do you rate yourself as a lover of money and abundance?
  - How would others rate you as a lover of money and abundance?
  - How would God rate you as a lover of money and abundance?

Harold's Musings:
Seems like a great passage to consider at this time of year. Enough said.

Why Work?

Eccles. 4:7-8

7 Again, I saw vanity under the sun: 8 one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business.

• How does your commitment to family motivate you to work?
  
• Why do people work and accumulate wealth?
  - How often do you hear people mention plans to leave an inheritance for their children?
  - How often do you hear people just wanting things to have things?
  - Why is it common to not be satisfied by riches?
  
• How likely are you to work hard and not stop to enjoy life?
  - How often do you ask the question "For whom are I laboring?"
  - When is your labor vanity and chasing the wind?

Harold's Musings:
Here Solomon talks of a man with no dependents and has apparently put work into that void. Some of us have been guilty of putting work into the family's space, even when we have family. Solomon is pointing out that work for works sake is not worth it. Money for money's sake is not worth it. Neither is truly satisfying in the long run.

Woe to the Rich

James 5:1-6

5:1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

• Why would James include this passage in a book to Christians?
  
• Do you consider yourself rich?
  
• How much of your energy and thought goes toward your possessions?
  (Consider getting, maintaining, enjoying, etc)
  
• How much of your energy and thought goes toward your pleasure?
  
• When have you mistreated someone in order to make or keep money?
  
• When have you hurt a relationship over money?

Harold's Musings:
There was obviously some rich Christians among James' readers else he would not have included this. James comments are much like Jesus' in Matthew 6:19-21. This passage comes immediately after he addressed quarrels with others over desired things, warnings about being friends with the world, pride and judging others, and making plans to make money. The lead-in for this passage indicates just how dangerous our wealth can be. One of the major areas of conflict in marriages is money. Worries about money are probably among the most common worries of people in the US. So who is your god? The everlasting God or temporary stuff? That is a lot to think about.

You Started It!

James 4:1-3

4:1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions [1] are at war within you? [2] 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

Footnotes
[1] 4:1 Greek pleasures; also verse 3
[2] 4:1 Greek in your members

• What are you most likely to quarrel or have conflicts about?
  
• Which pleasures wage war within you and result in conflict?
  
• What sort of murder is he talking about here? (look at Mat 5:21-22)
  
• What are the reasons you might not have the things you desire?
  
• What portion of your prayers are requests for physical things for you?
  
• What portion are requests for physical things for others?
  
• How might the tongue play a role here?

Harold's Musings:
Pretty condemning passage. Definitely boot camp material. One of the first things that jumps out is the concept of passions/pleasures within us. Very reminiscent of James 1:12-15. Our selfish nature is the root of most of our spiritual problems. Small wonder Jesus taught so much about dying to self. We do not have because we do not ask and when we do we ask for the things that are causing quarrel, i.e. our pleasures. In the heat of a quarrel, we say things with the tongue that kill relationships or at least wound them because we want to win. We want the stuff we want more than we want what is best for others. Our prayers are more focused on our physical wants than on our spritual needs. Ouch! I thank God for His mercy and grace, because reading this makes me realize just how far I have to go in my walk.

Opposite View

James 1:9-11

9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

• What is the danger of being rich?
• How often do you want to be rich?
• How often do you consider yourself to be rich?
• What happens to the things you work so hard to acquire?
• What happens to the rich man who is striving to acquire?
• Why is there glory in a humble or low circumstances?
• Which would you rather have: the glory of a low position or fading riches?

Harold's Musings:
Sometimes it is tough being surrounded by the world. Our view of how things are and how things should be are so often tainted by how the world views things. When we see someone with very few possessions, we feel sorry for them. When we see someone with a "reasonable" amount of possessions, we think that they are in good shape. If we are honest, we look at those with more possessions than we have with just a bit of envy. God says we have things upside down. He says we should look at the permanence of our possessions. The world's stuff is just as permanence as that paper napkin you used and threw away at the fast food restaurant. God challenges us to see with His eyes. Hmmmm.... need to find my God-correction glasses.

How does God's Word hit you? In the rough

Matthew 13:22

22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

Mark 4:18-19

18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

Luke 8:14

14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.

• How do the worries, riches, and desires choke God's word?
• What image comes to mind when you read "choke the word"?
• What is the result of God's word being choked? How is this different from the falling away due to temptation or persecution?
• How does worry keep you from obeying God's word? In what other ways does worry keep God's word from being fruitful in your life?
• How do riches keep you from obeying God's word? In what other ways does riches keep God's word from being fruitful in your life?
• How do the desires and pleasures of life keep you from obeying God's word? In what other ways do desires and pleasures keep God's word from being fruitful in your life?
• What percentage of your life is hard path? What percent is rocky soil? What percent is weed infested?
• What fruit is God expecting from his Word? What does immature fruit look like?