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Money doesn’t bring happiness

Ecclesiastes: An honest look at life – Session 3i To show that if we take an honest look at life, money really doesn’t buy happiness – but we need a bit of convincing to really believe this. If we do find some enjoyment in what we have, then that’s a gift - from Ecclesiastes 2:18-26, 5:10-20.

Q1. Do you believe that money doesn’t bring happiness? The story so far…the book of Ecclesiastes is part of the “Wisdom Literature” of the Old Testament. The “Wisdom Literature” is all about understanding how we can live wisely in our world. The book of “Ecclesiastes” is all about how we make sense of life and find meaning and purpose. The book is called “Ecclesiastes” because it’s the words of the Teacher to the assembly (“Ecclesia” in Greek). The Teacher could be Solomon, King David’s son, legendary for his wisdom. That would date the book to about 1000 BC. (Alternatively the author could be another teacher writing through the eyes of Solomon.) The Teacher is a believer in God, but interested in working out things from his observations of life. In this session, the Teacher reflects in two passages on work, wealth and possessions. Ecclesiastes 2:18-26 – 1000 years before Jesus 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? 23 All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless. 24 A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26 To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

“All I ask is the chance to prove money can’t make me happy” – Spike Milligan

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The word translated as “meaningless” in the original language (Hebrew) is “hebel”. “Hebel” means vapour or mist – something that is fleeting or temporary and doesn’t last. (Some versions of the Bible use the word “vanity of vanities” in the sense of everything being in vain). “Under the sun” is an expression that means: “from what you can observe”. Ecclesiastes 5:10-20 10 Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. 11 As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them? 12 The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep. 13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners, 14 or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when they have children there is nothing left for them to inherit. 15 Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands. 16 This too is a grievous evil: As everyone comes, so they depart, and what do they gain, since they toil for the wind? 17 All their days they eat in darkness, with great frustration, affliction and anger. 18 This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. 19 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. 20 They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart. Q2. From these two passages, can you work out 8 reasons why wealth and possessions are fleeting? Reason #1: 2:18, 21 end up leaving it to someone else (who may be a fool or an opportunist)

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Reason #2: 2:23 gives you anxiety at night (worry and stress about losing wealth) Reason #3: 5:10 never satisfied and always want more (luxuries become necessities become invisible) Reason #4: 5:11 excess stuff doesn’t get used and just sits around (if you have 10 cars, you can only drive one at a time) Reason #5: 5:11 wealth brings out the parasites (family members, charities, tax man) Reason #6: 5:12 gives sleepless nights because of over-indulgence (context is eating and sleep) Reason #7: 5:13-14 wealth can be lost (through economic downturns, fraud) Reason #8: 5:15-16 you can’t take it with you Q3. What do you think of the Teacher’s reasons? • With a little observation, any thoughtful reflective human being can work these out. The Teacher is not all doom and gloom. There are some who find satisfaction in their work, wealth and possessions. Q4. What do we learn about those who are able to find satisfaction? (hint: see Ecclesiastes 2:24-25, 5:18-19) • It’s the gift of God (Ecclesiastes 2:24,5:19) • They may as well enjoy it (Ecclesiastes 5:18). There’s something attractive in enjoying and not just owning. • When they do it stops them from reflecting on the bigger questions of life – pleasure is a bit like an anesthetic (Ecclesiastes 5:20) Note: Ecclesiastes 2:26 is a very tricky verse! It sounds like the good person who pleases God gets good things, and the bad (“sinner”) get bad things. Yet how can this be meaningless? However the word translated “sinner” can also mean “offensive one” (rather than “sinner” being a moral category). We’re not told why God has decided to enable some to enjoy their wealth, and others not. It all looks a bit arbitrary, and in that sense it’s meaningless. Does the rest of the Bible agree with the Teacher’s analysis, that money doesn’t bring happiness? Interestingly, Jesus talks more about money that anything else (including more interesting topics like sex!). The words of Jesus Mark 8:34-37

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34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? Q5. What does Jesus have to say when it comes to the accumulation of wealth? • That even if you could gain the whole world, it’s not worth the price of your soul. • Friendship with God (being a disciple of Jesus) is worth more than the whole world. Note that Jesus is introducing a new element here. The Teacher worked out from observation that money doesn’t buy happiness. His reasons are what any thoughtful human being can work out. Jesus is introducing the idea of accountability/judgement. He is introducing a concept from the supernatural world (we can’t look at the world and conclude that God is there and there is accountability for what we do/how we treat Jesus). Q6. Is it possible to believe that money doesn’t bring happiness but also leave God out of the picture? • Yes, and in a sense this is a wise way to live “under the sun”. But it is ignoring a larger reality – the existence of God, and the way he has stepped into human history in the person of his Son, Jesus (this is how we can know about the “supernatural world”, because God has stepped into our human world and revealed things to us). To believe that money doesn’t buy you happiness but leave God out of the picture the Bible would stop short of calling this wisdom, because “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (to quote another wisdom book, Proverbs). In other words, to really live well requires the acknowledgement of God. Q7. Going back to our original question (question one). While we might be quick to say “money doesn’t bring happiness” what evidence can you see in your own life that might suggest that at one level you don’t really quite believe this? • The answer really depends on people’s thinking and motivations. It might be worth asking ourselves:

- What’s driving our need for the latest gear, gadgets and technology? - How important is the renumeration package in accepting a new job? - Why do we so many of us live for the experiences we can have on weekends/holidays? - Why do some of us find it hard to be really financially generous? - Why do we enter competitions and dream of winning prizes?

• In other words, lack of contentment and greed can be an indication that at a functional level, we’re not quite convinced that money doesn’t bring happiness. Remember that the Teacher is operating “under the sun” – working out what he can deduce from observation. He concludes that money doesn’t bring happiness. However if you are able to enjoy what you have, do so, because that’s a gift. How God fits in to all of this is still to be addressed. i COPYRIGHT City Bible Forum (www.citybibleforum.org) a ministry of Evangelising Commerce Inc (NSW), 2013. This material may be reproduced free-of-charge for non-profit use only as long as this copyright notice appears, and the study is not modified in any way. For any other use, or to modify the material, please contact us to arrange copyright permission, which may involve a small fee to help finance the production of such resources by the staff of City Bible Forum. Contact info@citybibleforum.org or tel: (02) 9251 1166 or GPO Box 3266, Sydney NSW 2001.