Presents
Pamphlet #1735
Ecclesiastes Chapter 5
Imagine you're really not happy in life, you really don't have much peace of mind, and you have some of what you consider to be major personal problems. What do you do? Go see a $60/hr. shrink? Well, ask around and you'll get plenty of advice and recommendations to do just that.
But how would you like an opportunity to go see the wisest man who ever walked under the sun, for free? No fee! Well, guess what? By reading and understanding what Solomon wrote to us in the Book of the Preacher, we can absorb his wisdom, which we documented was directly given to him by God, and heed his advice on "How to be Happy While Living in a Flesh Body?" And it's free! It is a gift from our Father.
We are now going to receive some sound advice about going to church, making vows, the perversion of judgment, and some more on riches, respectively.
Watch your step when you go to church! Why? So that you don't SLIP and FALL. Be ready to HEAR truth intelligently and be willing to obey His Word, rather than be like the "fat heads" who just plop some loot in the collection plate and go forth continuing in sin. They are not even aware how much they displease our Father, which is the evil they do. How can that be?Eccles. 5:1
Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
Why do people go to church anyway? For some it's the thing to do, even a tradition. Perhaps their church is a prestigious church and the social benefits are great. Perhaps their church has a really cool pastor or nice friendly people attending (Ever been to one where they don't greet you and smile and display how wonderful everything is? Could be that your greeter just a few minutes ago was yelling and screaming at his wife and kids to hurry the "h" up so he's not late for his appointment to be nice and friendly to you and display how wonderful everything is.)
Hey, and perhaps there really is a God. Going to church, we are told, is like making premium payments on an Eternal Life Insurance Policy. All you have to do is keep making the payments and the policy remains in force. Miss a payment (there is definitely a play on words here) and you could be in big trouble. Wrong! Watch your step!
So it is true that some people step into a house of God for less than the desire to hear. Then they give funds to support a work that perpetuates traditions of men such as Rapture theories, and everyone except a Jew is a gentile, and God will torture you with fire forever and ever and ever if you're not saved, which salvation of course must be continuously demonstrated by making premium payments.
Do you think our Father likes all that? Watch your step! You may think you're on solid ground when you're standing on sand. It might be Time #14, a "time to gather stones together".
Now it is time to watch your mouth! That would be Time #23 of the 28 times in chapter 3, "a time to keep silent".1 Cor. 10:12
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
Let's get one thing straight: God, the Creator of the Universe, who owns all of it and sits on His throne in authority over all of it, is in heaven, and we are tiny, mortal, flesh men, here on the earth. Got the perspective? So we better consider carefully what we say before we "spout off" to Him, especially if we think we have some good ideas for God.Eccles. 5:2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
Busy bodies dream up all sorts of things, even about God and His word. But a wise person, the man or woman of few words as in verse 5, can easily spot a blabbermouth who "spouts off" but says very little.[3] For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.
Now since we are talking about watching our step in the house of God, what do you suppose these blabbermouths, fools, are "spouting off" about the most? Answer: Give or Send Money! "Make a vow today, my dear child, and we'll send you this free locket and then God will pour out His blessings upon you." Why? For being stupid and getting conned by a rip-off artist?
So once they get you to slip and fall one time and commit to $20, $30 or $50 a month (depending of course on how much you want to be blessed, they say) then they will bombard you with guilt and use this verse to "lay it on you"![4] When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
To "vow a vow" is to make a solemn promise! So don't make them hastily because as we will see, it can be costly.
But what if you have made a vow already to a con man? Should you pay it? Well, certainly not to the con man who ripped you off. Your vow was to God so put it where it will benefit others, and not where it will help the con man rip off still others. He needs put out of business!
Obviously it would have been better to keep your mouth shut, right? That's the point here![5] Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
Though the vows we are talking about here are specifically vows to God, the same principle applies to every aspect of our lives. When we make a promise and give our word, we must keep it. Here's what Jesus has to say about making a vow:
Keep your promises, otherwise you'll be practicing damage control!Matthew 5:36-37
Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. [37] But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
We have many sayings for the first part of this verse, like "Don't open your mouth without first putting your brain in gear", etc. But don't make a vow or take an oath and then try to say it was unintentional and you really didn't mean it, when you know better! (That's what modern day politicians do.) And that's not repentance!Eccles. 5:6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
So who do you think you are trying to "pull one over" on, God. He knows! Remember the perspective? And when He hears us try to con Him, He's likely to become angry with our foolishness and dishonesty and attach our wages and make us pay for it! You see, the word "destroy" in Hebrew means to "confiscate".
Watch your mouth, says Solomon!
Dreaming instead of doing and talking the talk without walking the walk is also foolishness. Want some sound advice? Love God and His Word.[7] For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
We can see all the violent perverting of judgment and justice in the land we want today. Just pick up the paper or turn on the network news and watch the criminals go free! Watch them get caught again and watch them go free again. The song played in our courts today is Turn! Turn! Turn 'em Loose! This was once the land where the people were free, but it is becoming the land where the criminals are free and the people are locked up in their homes, afraid to go out. Then of course we see a person who kills a spotted owl serve 20 years in prison while a person who commits premeditated murder is not convicted at all.[8] If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.
But not to worry. Justice will ultimately prevail, for even as Thomas Jefferson wrote in our beloved Declaration of Independence, there is a "Supreme Judge of the World".
Not only that, but the profit of the earth is for everyone. The king couldn't very well have a kingdom and collect revenue without someone to plough the field and harvest the crop, could he? So actually the king should realize that he needs the farmers and the workers more than they need him. Of course today the little kings, called senators and congressmen, have somehow lost sight of this and are busy practicing oppression. There will be a change of season soon![9] Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
Time #7 is "a time to destroy", and so at the 7th Trump, there will be a time of great destruction of the evil ways built by man and Satan.
[10] He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
Where is your treasure? Most everybody has heard the following words of Christ:"He who loves money never has money enough, he who loves wealth never has enough profit." (Jerusalem Bible)
These words are really easy to understand. It means that if your true love is money, then your heart is located in the First Federal Savings and Loan building, located in the smoggy financial district of your city. Boy, you're real smart!Matthew 6:21
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Check out this translation from the Jerusalem Bible!Eccles. 5:11 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?
You gotta love it. Parasites! Yes, and they can eat holes in your pockets.Eccles. 5:11 Where goods abound, parasites abound." (J.B.)
So what are you going to do after supper, since you can't eat any more than the middle class man? Sit around and look at your Franklin Mint collection? I know, you could use your computer and log on to your bank and see how much interest you earned today.
"My goodness, the Dow Jones index lost 183 points today! I wonder how my mutual funds did in my 401k? Maybe I ought to switch to a safer investment, like a money market account." Sweet dreams![12] The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
Here's a real sorry tale. There's this guy, you see, who accumulates a big pile of dough! We would say he has lots of bread. (Do you understand figures of speech, or do you do think we're talking about a baker?)[13] There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
But he loses it all and there's nothing left for his son. Hey, it happens all the time! Easy come, easy go![14] But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
You can't take it with you. How come you're stacking it so high? I like how Paul says it:[15] As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
You are going to take as much Microsoft stock with you when you die as Bill Gates will take when he dies. You can only use it here, under the sun! It's not convertible into spiritual dollars. But here's the point: God is eternal and your treasure laid up with Him will last forever. Therefore, Love God.1 Tim. 6:7
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
Love of money is not only a spiritual and mental sickness but it will make you physically sick as well. It's the stuff ulcers are made of.Eccles. 5:16 And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?"... what profit can he show after toiling to earn the wind, as he spends the rest of his days in darkness, grief, worry, sickness and resentment?" (vs. 16-17, J.B.)
[17] All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
"What does he gain by all his futile toil, spending his days in gloominess, privations, deep anxieties, distress, and fits of anger?" (Moffat)
Enjoy what you've earned. It is your portion. You cannot pass along your enjoyment to the next generation. It is your fair share which God has given to you to enjoy while you are here under the sun! Take it and enjoy it![18] Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.
A lot of money and wealth doesn't have to make you sick! Yes, you can enjoy it if you don't let it consume you. God gives riches and wealth and if you are blessed by Him then it is a good thing. It is a gift from God. Why would you then want to give it away to someone else to enjoy and not enjoy it yourself. Do you do that with other gifts that people give you? I wonder how they would feel if they knew?[19] Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.
You see, if we recognize, i.e. remember, where our portion comes from and we enjoy it then we will not have any regrets about our lives. We will say "I'd do it all over again", not "I wish I would have done that". That's peace of mind.[20] For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
What a great chapter this chapter 5 is. I know I enjoyed it. What did we learn?
(1) Watch your step!
(2) Watch your mouth!
(3) Love God and enjoy His blessings!
To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits;
to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy
Spirit, you accomplish both.
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