Overview:
Ecclesiastes 6
In our previous message, we gave serious consideration to the subject of money. We realized again that material things cannot satisfy; neither can an abundance of money. Those things are unable to provide some of our most essential needs: security, happiness, satisfaction, and contentment. The chapter we are looking at in this message builds on all those thoughts by carrying the subject to its logical conclusion. These twelve verses frame a painfully realistic portrait . . . another in a long line of “under-the-sun” scenes. It’s the tragic picture of a man, old and weary, who has come to the sunset years of his life. Long shadows fall across his memory as he stares out the window on his past. As we shall discover, the word-painting could be called simply futility.
Message Summary:
In this message, Pastor Chuck Swindoll explores the sobering reality of “life under the sun” as described in Ecclesiastes 6. Solomon examines a tragic irony: it is possible to have everything—wealth, honor, and a long life—and yet possess no ability to enjoy them. Chuck highlights that while the world chases the “American Dream” of accumulation, true satisfaction is a gift from God, not a result of our bank accounts. This sermon serves as a wake-up call to stop pursuing the “futile” and start finding contentment in the Sovereign Provider.
Message Key Facts:
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The Difference Between Having and Enjoying: Possession does not guarantee satisfaction. Solomon points out that God may give a person wealth but not the “empowerment to eat from it” (Ecclesiastes 6:2).
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The Vanity of Longevity Without Joy: Solomon argues that even if a man lives two thousand years and has a hundred children, his life is worse than a stillborn child’s if he never finds satisfaction in God (Ecclesiastes 6:3–6).
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The “Appetite” Trap: Human labor is often driven by a physical or emotional appetite that can never be fully satisfied. No matter how much we achieve, the soul remains hungry without a vertical relationship with the Creator.
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Accepting Reality: Chuck emphasizes the importance of “seeing” (contentment with what is present) over the “roving of the appetite” (constantly dreaming of what we don’t have).
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The Limits of Human Wisdom: The message concludes by reminding us that no human knows what is best for them in this “shadow-like” life, nor can they see the future. Therefore, trust in God’s sovereignty is the only antidote to futility.
Message References:
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Ecclesiastes 6:1–2: The tragedy of having wealth and honor but being unable to enjoy them.
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Ecclesiastes 6:3: The comparison between a long, empty life and a stillborn child.
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Ecclesiastes 6:7: The cycle of labor and the never-ending hunger of the human appetite.
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Ecclesiastes 6:9: The wisdom of choosing “what the eyes see” (reality) over the “roving of the appetite” (fantasies).
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Ecclesiastes 6:12: The rhetorical question of who knows what is good for a person during their few, futile days.
