“For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits”
For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes.
After the burning sun falls on the flower, it is now an ugly stem. Wealth will lose its luster and appearance. There will come a day when wealth will lose its attraction. Wealth is a withering thing.
So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits
All the pursuit of wealth will ultimately come to nothing. It will count for nothing when God finally tallies the final and ultimate assessment of worth.
“In his pursuits” can mean “in his journeys” (4:13-15). The idea is that even with the plans and projections, the way a rich man manages his wealth will pass away. Wealthy people need to give special attention to this. The crucial issue is to keep a proper perspective on wealth – personal wealth, in the final analysis, does not amount to much in the eternal perspective. Spiritual wealth is important in God’s eyes. All personal possessions fall under that umbrella.
Principle:
The end-goal of life to get rich is short-term thinking.
Application:
Riches kept for ourselves do not make us better. The wealthier some people become, the more selfish they are. There is a great danger to self in this.
“There is a severe evil which I have seen under the sun:
Riches kept for their owner to his hurt” (Ecclesiastes 5:13).
The great goal of life with many people in North America is to get rich. However, the day of their death will come. If they lose their health, they cannot enjoy their wealth. A money-oriented goal for life is short-term thinking. Wealth is a withering thing. All the feverish travels to make money will ultimately come to nothing.
