In our Ecclesiastes Chapter 2 Study, Solomon is disappointed in the reality of death, and what that means to all the wise living he did, why should the things he worked so hard for go to someone who didn’t work for them? 

Ecc 2:21  When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil.

Such is the case with many “trust fund babies” rarely is a someone who comes into a large inheritance as diligent as the benefactor who slaved all their life for the wealth.  It is often squandered by the spoiled heirs who get the wealth that is handed down, when the fact is, they didn’t work for it.  

Solomon also declares the idea of passing wealth on to the next generation a great evil.  

Another truism in that these inheritances can often cause major problems in siblings who feel “cheated” out of their fair share.  We see this a lot with land disputes over right to property and titles.  Some families who grew up together end up becoming estranged from one another over inheritances.  As Solomon says, this is a great evil!  

Speaking of evil, most greed is rooted in evil.  Paul in the New Testament also speaks to this in his first letter to Timothy 6:17 — Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 

This ties into what we covered from Jesus yesterday, when we are instructed to put our treasures in heavens, not earthly treasures like money and power that mean nothing after we die.