Advantages of Wisdom

Eccles. 7:11-12

11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance,
an advantage to those who see the sun.
12 For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money,
and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.

• Which is more important: wisdom or inheritance? Why?
  - Which appears to be more important to those under the sun?
  
• How is wisdom protection?
  - How is money protection?
  - How does wisdom preserve its owner's life?
  - How effective is money at preserving its owner's life?
  
• Which do you find your self striving for more often: Wisdom or money?

Harold's Musings:
Being sick is not fun. How's that for an obvious piece of wisdom? For the past week, I've had a very bad cold. So bad that I stayed home from work Friday and Monday. People at work thought I had to be in the hospital to miss two days of work. When I'm sick, I am not very wise. I cannot think straight or my thinking is as least fuzzy. I hope this is clear enough. Maybe I'll be more clear tomorrow.

God doesn't always give enjoyment

Ecces. 6:1-2

6:1 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: 2 a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil.

• What is the evil under the sun that Solomon has seen?
  - Who does Solomon seem to attribute this "evil" to?
  - The Hebrew word means evil, misery, distress, or injury. How do the other translations help you grasp the passage?
  - Why is this misery so prevalent among men?
  - Why would God do this?
  
• What is a possible relationship between the man's soul and God's withholding joy?
  - What does the man's soul desire?
  - How is accepting your lot (Eccles. 5:19) different from having your soul's desires (v 2)?
  - How does this passage flesh out Eccles. 5:10?
  
• How frequently do you not enjoy life because your desires are misplaced?
  - Why would God not empower the full enjoyment of life to someone whose soul desires something other than God?
  - Is this a truth for today? Why or why not?

Harold's Musings:
Eccles. 5:10 - 6:10 describe our world in ways that are rather amazing. We see the same quest for our desires that results in discontent and disappointment. We are a nation of discontented people fueled by a media system that shows us what is wrong and advertises what could be better. No one is saying that God provides enjoyment in our lot in life. We are too often driven to advance ourselves rather than simply do the best job we can. We apparently love to watch reality TV shows where scheming, dishonesty, and selfishness are rewarded. And we wonder why we have so many unhappy, hurt people in the world. God told us thousands of years ago. It is vanity.

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.

Who has the good seats?

James 2:1-6

2:1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?

• Which would you prefer sitting next to you in a church assembly: a well-dressed person or a shabby, dirty person?
• What are some ways you show favoritism between Christians?
• What are some areas where you internally make distinctions between Christians?
• Which are you more drawn to: a rich person or a poor person? Why?
• How do circumstances change how we show our partiality? For example, how do your friends influence your judging others?
• How is your partiality influenced by knowing that God loved the person you judge just as much as he loves you?

Harold's Musings:
As humans, we appear to have a deep desire to be accepted by whatever "in-crowd" we are around. Our society seems to worship the popular. I suspect that if a celebrity entered your church assembly this Sunday morning, there would likely be a rush to greet them. The homeless woman who came in five minutes before could well have been ignored. God has a much different view. The hurting, poor, and unattractive by the world's standards are God's choice for honor. The rich and the popular frequently do not see that they need God; the poor and downtrodden do. Those of us in the middle have to choose whose values we will use. I have found this to be such a challenging passage because I judge people on much more subtle things, lke language, demeanor, likability, etc. While I'm doing better, I've still got a ways to go. Will you choose the (temporary) physical attributes and be partial judges? Will you use God's values and accept equally?

Misplaced Hope

1 Tim. 6:17
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

• By the standards of most of the world's population, how rich are you?
• How much hope do you put on your riches?
• On a daily basis, how frequently do you put your hope on your riches instead of on God?
• Why does the uncertainty of riches tempt us to worry about money?
• Why does the certainty of God keep us from worrying about Him?
• Where is your hope?

Comments:
I suspect that this is one of the biggest problems many Christians face today. We worry about investments, retirement accounts, and insurance plans while not worrying about our dependence on God. I find this passage interesting in that it does not state that having money, even a lot of money, is wrong. The problem is within the person with the money. Are they proud of their possessions? Are they dependent on their wealth? If you put your hope in your wealth, are you laying up possessions here or in heaven? If your hope is in your wealth, will you not worry about it? Perhaps to the point that it is not what you seek first (Matt. 6:33).