How does Ecclesiastes 5:17 relate to Jesus' teachings on contentment? Setting the Scene • Ecclesiastes 5 surveys the futility of piling up wealth apart from God. • Verse 17 crystallizes the outcome: “All his days he eats in darkness, with great frustration, affliction, and anger”. • Solomon pictures a person who has resources to “eat,” yet enjoys none of it—life is wrapped in gloom rather than gratitude. The Sting of Discontent in Ecclesiastes 5:17 • “Eats in darkness” – material success can’t dispel spiritual emptiness. • “Great frustration” – the Hebrew word points to irritation and anxiety that money cannot soothe. • “Affliction and anger” – physical and emotional fallout accompany a restless heart. • Key idea: possessions without a posture of trust in God create an internal night that no abundance can brighten. Echoes in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:25-34) • “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink… Is not life more than food?” (v. 25). – Jesus addresses the same preoccupation Ecclesiastes exposes. • “Look at the birds of the air… your heavenly Father feeds them” (v. 26). – Contentment flows from confidence in the Father’s care, the antidote to “darkness.” • “Seek first the kingdom of God… and all these things will be added to you” (v. 33). – Kingdom-first living replaces frustration with purposeful peace. Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:15-21) • Jesus warns, “Guard yourselves against every form of greed; life does not consist in the abundance of possessions” (v. 15). • Like the man of Ecclesiastes 5:17, the rich fool hoards wealth but neglects his soul. • God’s verdict, “You fool! This very night your life will be required of you” (v. 20), exposes the ultimate darkness awaiting those who trust riches over God. The Heart Issue: Darkness vs. Light • Ecclesiastes 5:17 paints darkness as the setting of discontent; Jesus calls Himself “the light of the world” (John 8:12). • Walking with Christ replaces inner night with light: – Philippians 4:11-13: Paul “learned to be content” through the strength Christ supplies. – 1 Timothy 6:6-8: “Godliness with contentment is great gain… if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.” • Contentment, then, is not circumstantial; it is relational—anchored in Christ. Living Contentedly in Christ Today • Treasure Christ above treasures. Regularly rehearse Matthew 6:33, aligning priorities with His kingdom. • Practice gratitude. Thank God aloud for daily bread to push back the “darkness” of entitlement. • Hold possessions loosely. Give generously (2 Corinthians 9:7-8) to declare freedom from frustration and anger. • Rest in God’s providence. Remember Hebrews 13:5: “Be content with what you have, for He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” When Solomon shows the misery of a life centered on gain, Jesus shows the joy of a life centered on God. Contentment is found not in fuller barns but in a fuller trust—turning the lights on where once we ate in darkness. |
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