Ecclesiastes is probably my favorite book in the Bible because it is a little bit cynical, and at the same time full of hope and faith. It’s a book that matches my personality very well and it has quite a few acute observations about human nature and wealth. Whenever I feel discontent about my career or wealth I read this book and it really puts things in perspective. Here I will highlight some timeless verses from the book, with my comments on how they relate to me.
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This is the main topic of Ecclesiastes. What do we gain from working and living? In other words, why are we here? What do we get for working for most of our lives? I think everyone asks this question once or twice.

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cheap viagra online canada Ecc 1:10-11

This verse can be interpreted to mean that history repeats itself and we only think that something is new because we no longer remember that it happened or existed before. For me, it means that there is no point for me to participate in fads and fashions and purchase the most popular and flashy thing. This verse is especially true for technology products, because people are trying to reinvent the wheel all the time, and many companies and products are very quickly forgotten.

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The entire second chapter of Ecclesiastes is great reading because it shows that rich people aren’t necessarily happy. The author (who is usually believed to be King Solomon) set out to accumulate great wealth and he successfully gathered a fortune that was above all who were before him in Jerusalem. (Ecc 2:9) Yet he says cheap viagra online canada Ecc 2:17-19 In these verses the author realizes that he can’t take his wealth with him when he dies, and he has collected so much just to give it to others. This is true of anyone with too much wealth. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are great examples. They’ve worked their entire lives just to give their enormous wealth to others. Additionally when people make too much money they also pay large amounts of taxes, which is also distributed to others. I don’t think leaving your wealth to others is necessarily a bad thing, but what really struck a chord with me is verse 19 when the author questions whether the receiver of his hard earned fortune is a “wise man or a fool”. At this very moment my tax dollars are being spent on mortgage bailouts, the war in Iraq, and probably ten thousand other issues that I consider foolish, but what can I do about it? Some hope and answers are offered in chapter 3.

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cheap viagra online canada. – Ecc 3:1-11

These chapter offers encouragement that God has a plan for everything, but God is eternal and timeless so that we don’t know what he has already done for us. It also encourages me to have patience, because eventually I will experience God’s work.

Chapter 3 also has this verse, which is a good verse for those who hate their jobs:

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These chapters are mostly about all the people that are not satisfied with what they have. It’s a little comical in some parts.

cheap viagra online canada Ecc 4:4-6

Verse 4 sums up what we call today “keeping up with the Joneses”, and basically says that labor driven by envy is pretty pointless. Verse 5 is sometimes also translated as “The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh”, which means that some people are so lazy that they don’t work at all and end up eating themselves. I thought that was funny because my mom told me of a story once of an extremely lazy child who died from starvation even when his mom put a giant pie on his head. This verse reminded me of that story. The opposite of these fools are people are those who work for a lot more than they need, and they’re the ones who have “two handfuls” in verse 6. This brings to mind of those people who bought “McMansions” only to work two jobs to keep their homes. So it is best to be at the middle ground which is work and earn the “handful” I need and be happy with it.

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I have met people like this who really have way more money they can spend, but still isn’t satisfied. A good example is my company’s CEO whose networth is probably a few hundred million, but he is single and still works to 2am sometimes. I can’t say if he finds it miserable, but I probably would find it fairly depressing if all I had in my life was work. For me, two are definitely better than one, and I wouldn’t trade my hubby for a few hundred million dollars.

cheap viagra online canada Ecc 5:10-13

I think these verses give the answer to why people are always pursuing more money. When I first read this I also thought that he meant those who have more to eat got fatter (increased), and that’s harmful to the wealthy. Then again, not all rich people are fat. I think mostly it means that when you have more money it also becomes harder to manage and there is a fear of losing that wealth. Thus the “abundance” sometimes makes the rich lose sleep. Instead of sleeping they could be working to get more money, or managing their money. So wealth produces more work and stress. I have felt that in my life when I am really afraid that the stock market will tank or maybe someone will just steal everything I own, but what I should really be doing is to enjoy what I have been given. So I am still working on this, so that what I have been given does not become harmful to me.

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The author speaks of a common affliction of the wealthy. There are many who are blessed with all the riches they desire, but are still depressed and conflicted. Just walk into a supermarket and you’ll see tabloids plastered with pictures of celebrities who could buy everything but happiness. Basically, wealth without the power to enjoy it is worthless, and “an alien” would enjoy it instead. I think the alien here means someone you’re unfamiliar with. For example, there are often stories of people who win lotteries and then suddenly random relatives pop out of the woodworks to befriend them. Money sometimes attracts people who aren’t really your friends, and they may enjoy your wealth more than you. If that happens then there is no point to having all that money.

There are a lot more great verses in this book, and I feel grounded when I read it. Ultimately the book says that God gives people all that they have, and if we enjoy what we’re given it is a gift from God. Also, without some sort of afterlife or eternity every bit of wealth we collect here on earth is meaningless and empty.

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