What does it teach about wealth?
What does "as he came, so he will go" teach about material wealth?

Setting the Verse

“As he came from his mother’s womb, naked he will depart as he came; he takes nothing for his labor to carry in his hands.” (Ecclesiastes 5:15)


Core Observations

• The verse speaks of every person’s literal entry and exit from earthly life.

• It states an unchanging fact: possessions stay behind when life ends.

• God Himself, through Solomon, frames this truth as a warning against trusting wealth.


What the Phrase Means

• “As he came” = birth: helpless, unclothed, owning nothing.

• “So he will go” = death: the same condition, regardless of riches acquired.

• The language is straightforward and literal—no poetic loophole allows us to smuggle assets past the grave.


Implications for Material Wealth

• Wealth is temporary stewardship, not permanent ownership.

• Labor’s profits can bless others now but cannot accompany us later.

• Accumulation without eternal perspective leads to futility (Ecclesiastes 5:10-11).

• Security must rest in the Giver, not the gifts (Proverbs 11:28).


Echoes Across Scripture

Job 1:21 — “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.”

Psalm 49:16-17 — “When a man grows rich… he will take nothing with him.”

1 Timothy 6:7 — “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.”

Luke 12:15-21 — Parable of the rich fool who stored up earthly grain but lost his soul.

Matthew 6:19-21 — Command to lay up treasures in heaven, where moth and rust cannot destroy.


Practical Takeaways

• Hold possessions with open hands; God owns it all (Psalm 24:1).

• Measure success by faithfulness, not net worth.

• Invest resources in eternal purposes—gospel work, mercy, discipleship.

• Contentment springs from trusting Christ, not accumulating more (Hebrews 13:5).

How does Ecclesiastes 5:16 illustrate the futility of earthly pursuits?
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