Ecclesiastes 6

Ecclesiastes 6:1

The Rich Poor Man and the Poor Rich Man

People can pretend to be different than they are (Proverbs 13:7). That is hypocrisy or stage acting, living behind a mask. It is being someone you are not in reality. The instruction in this is to be honest, without posturing. This is possible only if both the rich and the poor see themselves in God’s light. James points out to both the poor and the rich what attitude each should have before God (James 1:9-10). Paul did not want anyone to think more highly of him than what was seen or heard of him (2 Corinthians 12:6b).

Here it is about people pretending to be rich while they are poor and people pretending to be poor while they are rich. Pretending to be rich can be done to avoid losing face. For example, a person who has lost everything may want to hold up the status of wealth and, therefore, prestige among people, his neighbors or colleagues. He who pretends anything is living in falsehood.

He who “pretends to be poor, but has great wealth” may do so out of fear of being killed for stealing their wealth. It may also be out of fear of having to give something away, having to perform an act of mercy. He who pretends to be poor for this reason does so to evade his obligation to be good to the poor and open his hand wide to them (Deuteronomy 15:11). The motive then is avarice.

What applies to wealth can also be applied to power and prestige and also to spiritual gifts. The church at Laodicea pretended to be spiritually rich, but it possessed nothing (Revelation 3:17; cf. Hosea 12:9). Christ, Who stood outside, confronted them with this. You can also say that you are nothing and can do nothing, although you are rich in Christ, but have no desire to take responsibility. People who say something of themselves should not be believed without question. In phrases like ‘I am very good at this’, or ‘I really can’t do that’, it is about one’s own ‘self’. In both cases, the Lord as the Giver is denied.

Paul was poor but made many rich (2 Corinthians 6:10) both by preaching the gospel to unbelievers and by teaching the church (cf. Acts 3:6). Above all, the Lord Jesus, Who was rich and became poor for our sake, made us rich through His poverty (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Proverbs 13:8 connects to Proverbs 13:7. There are disadvantages to having wealth. A person who is rich can become the prey of a kidnapper. Then he must give all his wealth as a ransom to stay alive. A poor person does not face such danger. He is not even threatened, because there is nothing to be taken from him. He cannot be blackmailed and in this respect he lives without worry.

We see here that wealth creates difficulties for the rich, while a poor person does not suffer from them. Poverty has this advantage over wealth. The poor person can go to sleep peacefully, so to speak, without locking the door, because he has nothing that a burglar could be after.

Ecclesiastes 6:2

A Rejoicing Light or a Lamp That Goes Out

The life of “righteous” radiate “light”. This “rejoices” them and also those around them. The good things in their life benefit others and give joy. What benefits the wicked have do not result in lasting joy, for in those benefits there is nothing of God, Who is light (cf. Job 18:5-6; Job 21:17). They have no light from God, the only Source of light. Therefore, their lamp, a symbol of the light of life, is extinguished (Proverbs 20:20; 27; Proverbs 24:20).

Light and joy belong together (Esther 8:16). The light of the righteous is the Word of God (Psalms 119:105), which is a source of joy (Psalms 119:24; 77; 92; 143; 174).

Light is an independent source of light, whereas a lamp derives light from something. The lamp can also be a picture of the Word of God (Psalms 119:105), but here it is not. The lamp is artificial light, like the light of a candlestick in the past, or in our time also electric light. It represents the artificial light of man’s darkened mind without God. He who walks in that light, and the wicked do, ends up in complete darkness (cf. Matthew 6:22-23).

Ecclesiastes 6:3

Insolence or to Receive Counsel

Insolence – he arrogance of ‘I know everything’ – proves itself in glorying in one’s own wisdom and contemptuously rejecting advice. The result is strife. By the way, in a strife two carnal natures are involved. He who accepts counsel acknowledges the need for counsel and accepts those who give it to him. He shows wisdom, resulting in harmony rather than strife.

Strife is avoided by seeking good, Scriptural counsel from others who are spiritual, not from unspiritual people. It is especially important to seek counsel from God. The truly teachable is he who acknowledges that what he does not know is infinitely more than what he does know.

Strife, discord, arises from elevating oneself above others and not wanting to know about correction. That happened in Corinth. Paul came with counsel to correct that.

Ecclesiastes 6:4

Easy Come, Easy Go

This verse is about here and now, about immediate owning and enjoying. It is a warning against wild speculation. It is the spirit of our time. Everything must be immediately available for enjoyment. Quick money, quick enjoyment. Therefore, many people participate in lotteries or speculations. If you win prizes, you can become wealthy overnight. It can also be about possession by theft. The happiness of that ebbs away in time. There is no lasting pleasure in earthly things. Here the proverb ‘easy come, easy go’ applies, meaning that what you have easily gained, you can easily lose again. A person who lives from ‘easy’ money is also not careful with it.

The patient worker who “gathers by labor” works for the future. His possession does not diminish, but increases. His satisfaction does not diminish, but increases. This is also and especially true spiritually.

God does not use lottery or gambling or theft to make someone rich. He wants us to work hard and honestly for our possessions. Ways that God can use to make someone rich without working for it are an inheritance and a donation.

Ecclesiastes 6:5

Hope Deferred or Desire Fulfilled

What the “hope deferred” is not mentioned here. It is general. The idea is that the time during which one must cherish his hope is lengthening, that the fulfillment is being repeatedly postponed. One thinks that now fulfillment is almost coming, but it turns out not to be so. Each time there is disappointment or even disillusionment. Such hope makes the heart sick. One becomes despondent and languishes under it.

A “desire fulfilled” is something different from a particular hope with which a person is repeatedly deceived. Fulfilled desire speaks of a longing for something God has promised and which He also fulfills. Such a fulfilled desire “is a tree of life”. As a result, the heart is not made sick, but filled with fellowship with God which is eternal and fully satisfying.

The deepest desire of the righteous is the desire for the coming of Christ. When He comes, that desire is fulfilled. Simeon experienced His coming (Luke 2:25-30; Haggai 2:7). All believers will experience His coming. They persistently look forward to it. Therefore, a deferred desire is quite different from expecting something with perseverance.

The disciples had a hurt or pained heart because their hope for the reign of the Messiah was postponed. The two disciples going to Emmaus had a hurt or sorrowful heart because of a disappointed hope. We are disappointed in our hope when we base our hope on our own desires and not on what God’s Word says.

Ecclesiastes 6:6

Despise or Fear

The first line of verse is a warning against despising “the word”, which is the Word of God. Whoever despises the Word of God will not stand, but “will be in debt to it” (Hebrews 10:26-31). His whole house of life will be destroyed. King Saul is an example of this (1 Samuel 15:17-23). The second line of verse is a motivation to fear the Word as “the commandment”. Those who are obedient to the Word will be rewarded by God for it.

The opposites are “despise” and “fear”, and “be in debt to it” and “be rewarded”. They are about “the word” and “the commandment”, which is the Word of God and the commandment of God, and obedience to it or rejecting it. “The word” refers to teaching in general, while “the commandment” implies a command and points to powerful instruction.

Ecclesiastes 6:7

Wisdom or Folly

From “the teaching of the wise” comes life for all who listen to it (Proverbs 13:14). This teaching “is a fountain of life” that quenches the thirst of the righteous for fellowship with God. Fellowship with God is true life. That is what all the teaching of the wise is directed to.

However, there are forces at work that seek to kill the righteous. Death is everything that is not in fellowship with God. The second line of verse gives the motive for the first line of verse. The teaching of the wise not only gives life, but also ensures that as long as we make our way on earth, we will “turn aside from the snares of death” and remain in fellowship with God. “The snares of death” suggests that death is a hunter or fowler lurking on its prey.

The world through which we must pass is described as a place teeming with snares of death. A snare is stretched to catch and kill. The means of getting someone into the snare is bait. Bait looks like something edible and tasty, but in reality it is a means of killing. The Word of God reveals the true nature of bait and serves as a guide to avoid snares and traps. Then we stay alive. Judas, the betrayer of the Lord Jesus, did not accept the teaching and fell into the snares of death.

As we go through the minefields of life on earth, the Word of God shows us how to avoid stepping on a landmine and being blown up. It gives us the hope of escape and a safe arrival.

“Good understanding” (Proverbs 13:15) is not only understanding the teaching of Pro 13:14, but also applying it. That gives or works favor with God and people (Luke 2:52). Good understanding works good dealings with one’s fellow man, one’s neighbor, thereby gaining his favor. It is about the mind enlightened by the Spirit by which a person knows and does the will of God and he goes the way of wisdom. Those who follow God’s teachings experience the favor of men.

In contrast, “the way of the treacherous is hard”. It is not a difficult way, but an impassable way. The treacherous go that way and perish. They lack good sense and cannot be trusted. They dream of a way that goes over roses, but their way is paved with thorns. They are hard people you cannot trust and live with. They do not think life is hard, but they make it hard for others.

By “the way” are meant the doings and dealings. The idea is that while good understanding produces favor, the conduct of the treacherous does not produce any lasting results.

“Every prudent man” will study the facts and then decide (Proverbs 13:16). “Every” means “all”, without exception. He who is prudent will not take his feelings as the basis of action. He knows the dangers and pitfalls of circumstances. This makes him cautious. The fool proceeds very differently. He follows his hunches. The fool is reminiscent of a peddler displaying his wares. Just as a peddler displays his goods to recommend them, so the fool does with his follies.

Here we see the contrast between the thoughtfulness that characterizes the prudent and the fool’s recklessness who blurts out foolishness. The fool displays foolishness. He spreads it like a peacock does with its feathers.

“Knowledge” is more than just having information in one’s head. It is proficiency in the use of knowledge; it is understanding the art of applying acquired knowledge. In the context of the verse, it means that the prudent one knows how to hide something and succeeds in doing so, while the fool lacks this ability and spreads around him what is foolishness. Every prudent person first assures himself that he knows what he is doing or saying before he goes to work or says anything. If he does not, he displays folly.

Valuable knowledge is sometimes wasted by a lack of prudent action. If a person’s actions show that he has knowledge and understanding, he is prudent. It is demonstrated by the way he acts in the family, in society and in the church. We must deal with each one in a prudent manner. The Lord Jesus acted with perfect knowledge of things. Therefore, He always knew exactly what to say and not to say.

Ecclesiastes 6:8

Wisdom or Folly

From “the teaching of the wise” comes life for all who listen to it (Proverbs 13:14). This teaching “is a fountain of life” that quenches the thirst of the righteous for fellowship with God. Fellowship with God is true life. That is what all the teaching of the wise is directed to.

However, there are forces at work that seek to kill the righteous. Death is everything that is not in fellowship with God. The second line of verse gives the motive for the first line of verse. The teaching of the wise not only gives life, but also ensures that as long as we make our way on earth, we will “turn aside from the snares of death” and remain in fellowship with God. “The snares of death” suggests that death is a hunter or fowler lurking on its prey.

The world through which we must pass is described as a place teeming with snares of death. A snare is stretched to catch and kill. The means of getting someone into the snare is bait. Bait looks like something edible and tasty, but in reality it is a means of killing. The Word of God reveals the true nature of bait and serves as a guide to avoid snares and traps. Then we stay alive. Judas, the betrayer of the Lord Jesus, did not accept the teaching and fell into the snares of death.

As we go through the minefields of life on earth, the Word of God shows us how to avoid stepping on a landmine and being blown up. It gives us the hope of escape and a safe arrival.

“Good understanding” (Proverbs 13:15) is not only understanding the teaching of Pro 13:14, but also applying it. That gives or works favor with God and people (Luke 2:52). Good understanding works good dealings with one’s fellow man, one’s neighbor, thereby gaining his favor. It is about the mind enlightened by the Spirit by which a person knows and does the will of God and he goes the way of wisdom. Those who follow God’s teachings experience the favor of men.

In contrast, “the way of the treacherous is hard”. It is not a difficult way, but an impassable way. The treacherous go that way and perish. They lack good sense and cannot be trusted. They dream of a way that goes over roses, but their way is paved with thorns. They are hard people you cannot trust and live with. They do not think life is hard, but they make it hard for others.

By “the way” are meant the doings and dealings. The idea is that while good understanding produces favor, the conduct of the treacherous does not produce any lasting results.

“Every prudent man” will study the facts and then decide (Proverbs 13:16). “Every” means “all”, without exception. He who is prudent will not take his feelings as the basis of action. He knows the dangers and pitfalls of circumstances. This makes him cautious. The fool proceeds very differently. He follows his hunches. The fool is reminiscent of a peddler displaying his wares. Just as a peddler displays his goods to recommend them, so the fool does with his follies.

Here we see the contrast between the thoughtfulness that characterizes the prudent and the fool’s recklessness who blurts out foolishness. The fool displays foolishness. He spreads it like a peacock does with its feathers.

“Knowledge” is more than just having information in one’s head. It is proficiency in the use of knowledge; it is understanding the art of applying acquired knowledge. In the context of the verse, it means that the prudent one knows how to hide something and succeeds in doing so, while the fool lacks this ability and spreads around him what is foolishness. Every prudent person first assures himself that he knows what he is doing or saying before he goes to work or says anything. If he does not, he displays folly.

Valuable knowledge is sometimes wasted by a lack of prudent action. If a person’s actions show that he has knowledge and understanding, he is prudent. It is demonstrated by the way he acts in the family, in society and in the church. We must deal with each one in a prudent manner. The Lord Jesus acted with perfect knowledge of things. Therefore, He always knew exactly what to say and not to say.

Ecclesiastes 6:9

Wisdom or Folly

From “the teaching of the wise” comes life for all who listen to it (Proverbs 13:14). This teaching “is a fountain of life” that quenches the thirst of the righteous for fellowship with God. Fellowship with God is true life. That is what all the teaching of the wise is directed to.

However, there are forces at work that seek to kill the righteous. Death is everything that is not in fellowship with God. The second line of verse gives the motive for the first line of verse. The teaching of the wise not only gives life, but also ensures that as long as we make our way on earth, we will “turn aside from the snares of death” and remain in fellowship with God. “The snares of death” suggests that death is a hunter or fowler lurking on its prey.

The world through which we must pass is described as a place teeming with snares of death. A snare is stretched to catch and kill. The means of getting someone into the snare is bait. Bait looks like something edible and tasty, but in reality it is a means of killing. The Word of God reveals the true nature of bait and serves as a guide to avoid snares and traps. Then we stay alive. Judas, the betrayer of the Lord Jesus, did not accept the teaching and fell into the snares of death.

As we go through the minefields of life on earth, the Word of God shows us how to avoid stepping on a landmine and being blown up. It gives us the hope of escape and a safe arrival.

“Good understanding” (Proverbs 13:15) is not only understanding the teaching of Pro 13:14, but also applying it. That gives or works favor with God and people (Luke 2:52). Good understanding works good dealings with one’s fellow man, one’s neighbor, thereby gaining his favor. It is about the mind enlightened by the Spirit by which a person knows and does the will of God and he goes the way of wisdom. Those who follow God’s teachings experience the favor of men.

In contrast, “the way of the treacherous is hard”. It is not a difficult way, but an impassable way. The treacherous go that way and perish. They lack good sense and cannot be trusted. They dream of a way that goes over roses, but their way is paved with thorns. They are hard people you cannot trust and live with. They do not think life is hard, but they make it hard for others.

By “the way” are meant the doings and dealings. The idea is that while good understanding produces favor, the conduct of the treacherous does not produce any lasting results.

“Every prudent man” will study the facts and then decide (Proverbs 13:16). “Every” means “all”, without exception. He who is prudent will not take his feelings as the basis of action. He knows the dangers and pitfalls of circumstances. This makes him cautious. The fool proceeds very differently. He follows his hunches. The fool is reminiscent of a peddler displaying his wares. Just as a peddler displays his goods to recommend them, so the fool does with his follies.

Here we see the contrast between the thoughtfulness that characterizes the prudent and the fool’s recklessness who blurts out foolishness. The fool displays foolishness. He spreads it like a peacock does with its feathers.

“Knowledge” is more than just having information in one’s head. It is proficiency in the use of knowledge; it is understanding the art of applying acquired knowledge. In the context of the verse, it means that the prudent one knows how to hide something and succeeds in doing so, while the fool lacks this ability and spreads around him what is foolishness. Every prudent person first assures himself that he knows what he is doing or saying before he goes to work or says anything. If he does not, he displays folly.

Valuable knowledge is sometimes wasted by a lack of prudent action. If a person’s actions show that he has knowledge and understanding, he is prudent. It is demonstrated by the way he acts in the family, in society and in the church. We must deal with each one in a prudent manner. The Lord Jesus acted with perfect knowledge of things. Therefore, He always knew exactly what to say and not to say.

Ecclesiastes 6:10

A Wicked Messenger or a Faithful Envoy

The contrast between the two lines of verse is “a wicked messenger” and “a faithful messenger” and “adversity” and “healing”. This is about the bringer of God’s message. A wicked messenger distorts God’s message, he brings false doctrine and gives false teaching. He causes confusion among the hearers and disrupts or sours relationships. The faithful messenger speaks of reconciliation with God and the neighbor. Paul and the apostles were trusted ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). Their message means healing of broken relationships, first with God and then with others.

When we think of contemporary messengers, we can mention journalists, for example. Many of them deliver the news every day. We can read it in newspapers and on the Internet. Their messages are mostly wicked and evil in content. They are messengers of the devil, because they want readers to believe that what God calls sin in His Word is not sin.

Ecclesiastes 6:11

To Neglect Discipline or Regard Reproof

This verse is about how to respond to “discipline” and “reproof”. Those who consider it beneath their dignity to accept discipline and neglect it will live in poverty and shame. These are two kinds of evil that afflict such a person. Poverty affects the body; shame affects the spirit. He who willingly and humbly observes and accepts reproof for his wrong attributes and conduct, listens to it and acts accordingly, will be honored.

We need discipline and reproof because sin is still within us. He who observes reproof does so because he is aware of its necessity. To his surprise, he is honored for it, too, by God.

Ecclesiastes 6:12

Sweet or an Abomination

It “is sweet to the soul” to desire something and then see that desire realized. The soul here is the seat of desires, the place where something is desired, considered and enjoyed beforehand. This is about the desires of a wise person.

“Fools” do not want such desires at all. The thought of desiring something good and its realization does not attract them at all. The thought of “turning away from evil” is “an abomination” to them. What to God is an abomination to behold is to fools their lust and life. Despite the sweetness of the realization of good desires, fools will not turn their back on evil, for their concern is to experience the realization of their wicked desires.

A realized desire regarding good, the ultimate satisfaction, is incompatible with doing evil. It is impossible to be happy while living in sin. Only fools live in sin. Realized desires belong to the righteous and the wise. Only they will desire what is truly satisfying, and that is fellowship with God.