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Ecclesiastes 6

Ecclesiastes 6 deals with the futility of wealth, honor, and unfulfilled desires. The Preacher reflects on how, even if someone has great riches, they may not be able to enjoy them. He laments the empty pursuit of satisfaction through material possessions, pointing out that death comes to all and that human desires are never truly satisfied. The chapter highlights the idea that earthly achievements without God’s blessing are meaningless.

Ecclesiastes 6:1-2 (NKJV)
1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:
2 A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction.

The Preacher observes a common tragedy: a man blessed with wealth, honor, and all that he desires but unable to enjoy it. Someone else, a stranger, enjoys the fruits of his labor instead. This highlights the futility of accumulating wealth if one cannot experience it personally, and the sorrow that comes when life’s blessings are unfulfilled. The idea that even blessings can turn into a curse is central to this verse.

Ecclesiastes 6:3-6 (NKJV)
3 If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with goodness, or indeed he has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better than he—
4 for it comes in vanity and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness.
5 Though it has not seen the sun or known anything, this has more rest than that man,
6 even if he lives a thousand years twice—but has not seen goodness. Do not all go to one place?

The Preacher argues that even a man with many children and a long life, if his soul is unsatisfied, is worse off than a stillborn child. The stillborn child, who never experiences life’s suffering, has more rest than someone who lives a long but empty life. Regardless of how long a person lives, without satisfaction or meaning, life itself becomes a burden. Both the rich and poor, the content and discontent, end up in the same place—death.

Ecclesiastes 6:7-9 (NKJV)
7 All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the 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 also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

Human effort is often focused on satisfying physical needs, but true satisfaction remains elusive. Whether wise or foolish, rich or poor, no one can escape this reality. The wandering of desire—constantly seeking more—is futile. It is better to appreciate what one has rather than chasing endless wants, as the pursuit of desire leads to nothing but frustration and emptiness.

Ecclesiastes 6:10 (NKJV)
10 Whatever one is, he has been named already, for it is known that he is man; and he cannot contend with Him who is mightier than he.

This verse reflects the understanding that human existence is predetermined. God is in control, and human beings cannot argue or contend with their Maker. Life’s circumstances are set, and there is little point in trying to resist the will of God. Man’s limitations are emphasized here, underscoring the futility of human striving against divine sovereignty.

Ecclesiastes 6:11-12 (NKJV)
11 Since there are many things that increase vanity, how is man the better?
12 For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?

The accumulation of more things only adds to the vanity of life. It does not improve one’s situation. The Preacher questions who can truly know what is good for a person during their fleeting existence. Life passes quickly, like a shadow, and no one can predict what will come after them. The uncertainty of life and the mystery of the future underscore the futility of material pursuits and human ambition.

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