When Goods Increase, They are Increased that Eat Them - Ecclesiastes 5:11

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon said, “He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loves abundance with increase: this is also vanity”, and in chapter five and verse eleven of his book Solomon said, “when goods increase, they are increased that eat them” where we read,

When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: 

and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?

The verse reads, “When goods increase, they are increased that eat them:” Solomon began with the words, “when goods increase” or “at the time and moment pleasant, agreeable, excellent and valuable things become numerous and multiply”, “they are increased” which means “they, people, become numerous and multiply” “that eat them” or “who consume and devour them, the pleasant, agreeable, excellent and valuables”. Solomon said at the time and moment valuable become more numerous, so do the people who consume them.

The verse goes on to say, “and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?” Solomon continued with the words, “and what good is there” or “and whatsoever pleasantness, agreeableness, excellence and value exists” “to the owners thereof” which means “to the lords, masters and rulers over the goods”, “saving the beholding of them” or “except to see and observe them, the pleasant, agreeable, excellent and valuable things” “with their eyes” which means “by the use of their physical eyes used for vision and sight”? Solomon asked what profit there was in the valuables to the people who ruled over them except to observe them as they slip away.

When we think through the words in this verse, we learn through Solomon what he thought about the multiplication of temporary pleasant and agreeable valuables. He said along with the growth of them, more people arrive to consume them. He certainly knew this because his household consumed many valuables. (See 1 Kings 4:22-23) God owns everything, and He lends what belongs to Him to people in different measures for a time. Everything we own and possess will be left on the earth when we leave through death, and this is one of the reasons God gave His Son Jesus to the world to be crucified on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was raised from the dead after three days. When we yield to Him, we will be forgiven of our sins, granted everlasting life and shown by His Holy Spirit how we are to use what He gives us for eternal purposes which shall never pass away.

Next time Solomon says, “the sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".