Thursday, November 9, 2017
Daily reading assignment – Ecclesiastes 5-6
When I was young and with a lifetime ahead of me, reading the Book of Ecclesiastes was a chore. I confess; I read its verses, but did not relish its truths. The ponderings of Solomon, his youth spent and his heart laden with the weight of sin, was depressing.
Solomon’s counsel in his old age stands out in sad contrast to the proverbs of wisdom he taught his sons when they were young. Rather than exhortations of wisdom and cautions to walk in the way of the LORD, Ecclesiastes calls to mind the counsel of foolish parents who say, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Such is the counsel of too many fathers and mothers in our day.
Ecclesiastes, the Book I found discouraging in my youth, has become a challenge for me to examine my walk with the LORD and walk in wisdom. I hope you will find today’s reading, Ecclesiastes 5-6, will be the same for you.
Solomon stated his counsels in Ecclesiastes 5 so clearly there is little commentary you need from this country parson to grasp and apply them to your life. Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 instructs us regarding the preparations of our heart and attitude when worshipping the LORD.
Permit me to suggest four ways we offend God when we worship Him.
The first, we offend the LORD when we open our checkbook before we open our heart to Him (5:1).
Ecclesiastes 5:1 – “Keep [guard; watch] thy foot [i.e. be careful] when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear [listen; obey], than to give the sacrifice of fools [silliness]: for they [fools] consider not that they do [commit] evil [sin; wickedness].
The definition and practice of “worship” in American churches has changed dramatically in the past 30 years. What was once a deliberate act of solemnity, conscious a holy God “looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7b) and knows our thoughts and motives (Jeremiah 17:10), has become raucous entertainment with “worshippers” dancing to the beat of drums and the blare of deafening music. Oh how far we have strayed from the call to, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
Secondly, we offend the LORD when we speak before we think (5:2).
Ecclesiastes 5:2 – “Be not rash [hasty; eager] with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty [swift; quick] to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.”
God may seem distant; however, He hears every word! Too many of us are so busy making requests and “doing ministry” we fail to take time to be quiet and listen to the soft voice of God’s Spirit.
Saying one thing and doing another is a third offence committed by those who worship the LORD in haste with little thought of heart preparation (5:4-7a).
Ecclesiastes 5:4-7 – “When thou vowest [promise] a vow unto God, defer not [don’t be slack] to pay [perform] it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay [render] that which thou hast vowed.
5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
6 Suffer not [do not allow or permit] thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel [i.e. a messenger or servant of God], that it was an error [mistake]: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work [labor] of thine hands? 7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities [meaningless; no purpose]: but fear thou God.”
God remembers every prayer, every vow, and every thought. Before you open your mouth and make a vow, remember, God will not forget the vows you make. Jesus taught His disciples:
Matthew 12:36-37 – But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Finally, we offend God when we fail to revere and worship Him in humility and sincerity. We read, “but fear thou God” (5:7b).
When you come before the LORD to worship Him, whether in the quietness of your daily devotions or in the congregation of His saints on Sunday, slow down, take time to be quiet, weigh every word, and humble yourself before Him.
Psalm 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Copyright 2017 – Travis D. Smith
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