Ecclesiastes 5:1 – 6:12 You can spend your life for some worthless thing, like a “wooden nickel,” that has no value at all. Solomon continues to look for meaning in life and he discovers there are many “wooden nickels” that people are buying. 

WOODEN NICKEL OF WORTHLESS WORSHIP 

Many people offer to God the sacrifice of fools. They have just enough religion to get them into trouble. 

The first sacrifice of fools is their VOICE. What they call praying, is talking to God, but they do all the talking and never stop to listen. Why do we think that what we have to say is more important than what God has to say? We are not smarter than God. The main reason we should come to God’s house is to listen and learn, instead of talking. Ecclesiastes 5: 1-3 

The second sacrifice of fools is the VOWS they make. They are always promising God something. They try to bargain and play the game, “Let’s Make A Deal,” with God. But God is greater than you are, and His heart is perfectly good. He knows you better than you know yourself. To submit to His will for the best that this life can offer. Ecclesiastes 5:4-7 

WOODEN NICKEL OF BAD BUREAUCRACY 

The poor are the ones who suffer the most from bad government. Because of the sinful nature of mankind, when he is placed in a position of authority, many times he will oppress the people under him. But even though power tends to corrupt us, Solomon learns bad government is better than no government at all, as that would be anarchy and would totally destroy society. It is better to have a few dishonest officials in government profiting from their corrupt practices than to have no one in authority. The organized activity of government is a profit for everyone, from the king to the beggar. Ecclesiastes 5:8, 9 

WOODEN NICKEL OF MEANINGLESS MATERIALISM 

The person who loves money will never be happy with money and will fall into many hurtful temptations. I Timothy 6:9, 10 God loves to bless people; some of the most spiritual men who have ever lived were extremely wealthy. Consider men like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Job, David, Daniel, and even Solomon himself. The problem arises when we seek riches but leave God out of our lives. 

Money was never intended to take God’s place in our lives, and if we make money into a god, we become guilty of the sin of idolatry. Ecclesiastes 5: 10-17

• Money, Solomon discovers, cannot buy you lasting happiness. 
• Money attracts people who feed themselves from your riches.
• Money causes you so much worry that you cannot sleep.  
• Money can be gone tomorrow in a bad business venture. 
• Money can’t be taken with you when you die. 

WOODEN NICKEL OF EMPTY ENJOYMENT 

One of the best things for us to do in life is to enjoy the things God has given us. But remember, Solomon is writing about a life lived without God. When you leave God out of your life, you have also left out the ability to have lasting pleasure, because joy is a gift of God. Ecclesiastes 5: 19 Wealth in itself does not guarantee its own happiness. Enjoyment WITHOUT GOD is merely entertainment; it does not satisfy. But enjoyment lived WITH GOD is enrichment. I Timothy 6: 17 

For life to be truly satisfying, it has to make sense. Solomon has observed men who had great riches, wealth, and honor. Everything their heart could desire was theirs, but they lost it all to a stranger and did not get the pleasure of enjoying it. To us, this is absurd, because it doesn’t make any sense. It would have been better for them never to have been born. Ecclesiastes 6: 1-5 Matthew 26:24 

A life lived without God is lived without goodness. Ecclesiastes 6:6 

A life lived without God is without satisfaction. Ecclesiastes 6:7 A life lived without God is empty. Ecclesiastes 6:9 

There are so many mysteries in this “life under the sun” that is impossible for us to understand. When we leave God out of our lives, we have also left out any lasting meaning and purpose and are forced to live in confusion and frustration. 

Why do we want to quarrel with God? God is greater than we are and only He knows what is truly good for us. Ecclesiastes 6: 12 Our knowledge is too limited and our wisdom too corrupt with our own desires to know what is best for us. The best decision we will ever make is to submit our lives to God and allow Him to reveal His wise and good plan for our lives. 

Why Try To Add Years To Your Life, If You Do Not Add Life To Your Years?