Whoever loves money never has enough
Ecclesiastes 5:10 - Ecclesiastes explores the purpose of life and points to one conclusion: Ultimate fulfillment is found only in a relationship with God.
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“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.”
Ecclesiastes 5:10 NIV
Ahhh, back to Ecclesiastes, the book of the Bible that really hammers home the fact that paying too much attention to earthly matters “is meaningless”. In today’s verse, The Teacher (Solomon) expounds on the love of money.
Money (and having it) is not an evil thing. The love of money is, as 1 Timothy 6:10 reminds us, “is a root of all kinds of evil.” The human desire for wealth can be insatiable and leads to dissatisfaction, since material possessions are no way to satisfy our inherent need for spiritual fulfillment.
Things are different now; in cultures like ancient Israel, wealth was measured by how much land and livestock one possessed, and the quantity of grains, fruits, and vegetables one’s land, trees and vines could produce. Today’s culture values things like a big bank account and profitable investments, cars, boats, recreational vehicles of all sorts, world travel, and trying to look younger than you really are…
The warning provided by Solomon here is timeless — material wealth cannot bring true contentment or happiness, because you’ll always want more. The next stanza of the verse — whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income — repeats this theme. Although wealth is often seen in the Bible as a sign of God’s blessings, scripture always cautions against placing trust in riches. Proverbs 11:28 is a perfect example: “Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.”
I have to admit that during our careers before we retired, both Barb and I were always seeking more income. Being self-employed for the last 17 years of my work life, I worked ridiculous hours trying to make more money, and although I enjoyed my work, I felt the pressure — which did not make me happy. With Barb being in corporate life, raises depended on performance reviews that were sometimes completely unrelated to actual performance — which did not make her happy!
We should have both been paying more attention to the words of Jesus as recorded in Luke 12:15, where He said “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
The Teacher concludes the verse with the words “This too is meaningless,” reflecting the main theme of Ecclesiastes — life is vain and meaningless when pursued apart from God. The Hebrew word used many times in Ecclesiastes for “futile”, “meaningless”, and “vain” is הֶבֶל (heḇel), which means “vapor” or “breath” — a symbol for emptiness and impermanence.
Ecclesiastes explores the purpose of life and points to one conclusion: Ultimate fulfillment is found only in a relationship with God.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Heavenly Father, You have shown us that the love of money never satisfies and that chasing wealth leaves our souls empty and wanting. Teach us to seek contentment not in riches, but in You alone. Remind us daily that true fulfillment comes from walking in Your ways, trusting in Your provision, and storing up treasures in heaven. Free our hearts from greed, and fill them instead with gratitude and peace. In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN.
Amen
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