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"When goods increase"

Text: Ecclesiastes 5:11

THE INCREASE OF WEALTH

Solomon went on to describe, almost satirically, how wealth never seems to increase without accompanying challenges. His observation was quite astute!

“When goods increase,
They increase who eat them;
So what profit have the owners
Except to see them with their eyes?”
Ecclesiastes 5:11

1. “When goods increase”

a) How did the increase come about?

b) This is the question that must be raised.

c) The process of increasing wealth:

i) More workers are hired to increase output.

ii) Only when one expands would increase be possible.

d) If a person only has a small plot of land to cultivate, he would have limited returns.

e) If he increases the size of his fields, he could increase his profits.

2. “They increase who eat them”

a) But with more workers, more money has to be spent.

b) The person who is miserly, finds this reality irksome.

c) The miserly owner finds that he now has more mouths to feed as well.

3. “So what profit have the owners except to see them with their eyes?”

a) “What profit”?

i) This is a reference to “satisfaction” or “joy”.

ii) What joy do the miserly owners have when they see their profits increase?

iii) They find no joy in spending money, only in the increase of their wealth.

b) “To see them with their eyes”

i) In ancient days, wealth was put into caskets or pouches.

ii) These treasures were locked away in a safe place.

iii) The miserly owners take pleasure in seeing their bags of silver and gold.

iv) But they are unhappy if they have to spend any of it.