Ecclesiastes Chapter Six, The Burden Of Having

Ecclesiastes 6:7 All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet his soul is not satisfied. [8] For what more has the wise man than the fool? What does the poor man have, who knows how to walk before the living? [9] Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire. This is also vanity and grasping for the wind.

The NASB renders the Hebrew word “soul” for “appetite” for clarity. The literal translation is soul, however, but both could be applicable here. The labor of man is to sate his appetite, whatever that appetite is. We work to achieve what we desire, but when we achieve it gratification is fleeting, and the soul, or one’s appetite, is stricken with fresh desire, or a new pursuit.

In other words, the preacher believes that man’s work is for nought, because we pursue things that will, at best, only momentarily please and satisfy us. Sadly, if this proves to be true, then using the word satisfy is inappropriate, since satisfaction would indicate that one may halt one’s pursuit. Not to wax overly philosophical, but temporary satisfaction in procuring one’s desire reveals that it is not the specific item one acquires, but the idea it represents, and that truly is like chasing after the wind. Whatever it is that we chase after, something our appetite compels us to apprehend, it will not satisfy in the way we hope it will. Material acquisition is a poor substitute for genuine contentment.

For instance, I previously mentioned that I collect comic books. As a hobbyist collector I recognize the danger of pursuing this interest to a degree that outstrips its importance or place in my life. Do I enjoy the stories, the art and simply adding one more addition to the ongoing serial? Yes. Should I work specifically for this goal or obsess over it and allow it to kindle my appetite? No. It is a hobby, purchased with spare money as I have it. We all “devour” what we enjoy just as the preacher describes. Our work translates into money; we are paid for services rendered. Our money is bartered to further feed our interests. I am currently not talking about food, clothing and shelter, which are the God-recognized basic (and only?) human needs on earth, apart from believing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Although even these essential material things can be obsessed over. One can fill their closet with shirts and shoes they will seldom, or ever, wear. One can fill the pantry with more food than they hope to eat, and one may build a lavish home far beyond what necessity dictates, or own multiple homes as wealth permits. I do not seek to accuse or ashame anyone in this matter; my purpose here is to attempt to point out that what is needed differs greatly from what is wanted. And what is wanted is often inflamed by the appetite of men. There are sports fanatics, car enthusiasts, movie buffs, et al. The list is legion. We are all, without exception, prone to and victim of this perverse view of things.

Verse 8 asks the question once more of how the wise benefits over the fool. In this instance the preacher inquires what the wise possesses more than the fool. The Tanakh translates this as “what advantage,” has the wise over the fool; a translation the NASB agrees with. There is a perverse equality between the two parties that the preacher finds exasperating. He also considers the poor man, and what advantage he has. He states in his inquiry that the poor man knows how to walk before the living, which means that he knows how to get by in day to day life. He knows how to be abased, suffer loss, deal with little, and continue on. These two questions pose a problem for the preacher. He genuinely seeks an answer for whether the wise man does have something more than the fool, or if the poor man, made wise through hardship, truly gains anything through his hard won experiences.

Finally, the preacher weighs what man has (the sight of the eyes) against what man wants (the wandering of desire), and terms one superior to the other. He does not necessarily say one is good and the other bad. He merely states that better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire. “Desire,” in verse 9 is the Hebrew word for “soul,” once again employed in this passage. If the soul is unsatisfied with continual accumulation, the preacher asserts, perhaps it is better for man to enjoy what is right in front of him instead of pining for more. This seemingly juvenile counsel could save all of us time, energy, money and grief in the long run. Paul wrote, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain,” and, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out,” 1 Timothy 6:6, 7. Elsewhere the apostle wrote, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content,” Philippians 4:12. These lessons are truly hard ones. The apostle isn’t saying that having things is evil; what he warns against is that one’s contentment cannot be found in material comforts and pursuits. If contentment can only be found through external validation, then it is a fickle condition to achieve. Rather, both the preacher and Paul, through different means, propose that contentment is something that worldly things (fill in the blank with your personal “things”) cannot satisfy. If you do have things, you may be content with them, but not in them. The preacher warns not to let the soul wander, seeking what it does not have. The cliche saying, “the grass is always greener on the other side,” applies well here.

The preacher concludes that this state man finds himself in, with a lack of contentment, and the urges that drive him to work to accumulate what his appetite demands, rather than appreciate what he already has before him and learn contentment is vanity, or futility, and grasping for the wind. If our pursuit is some nebulous thing, represented by one small facet we already have, then we do truly chase the wind. Unfettered, my own hobby could financially ruin me and lead me deep into obsessive compulsion, always wanting that next big thing, no matter the cost. If this is what drives me, it reveals what my heart truly fixates on: namely the world and its allure rather than Christ and His kingdom. It is a trap that will never satisfy the hungry soul.