Ecclesiastes 5

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Ecclesiastes 5:1-20 (KJV) 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.

 

The purpose of gathering to go into the house of the Lord is to hear the Word of God.   Some people treat God's house as a runway or social club or even a place to take care of business.  If we are not ready to hear, we will offer God an offering that shows we are clueless about what He expects from us.

The Philistines (1 Samuel 5) made an offering of gold tumors (hemorrhoids) and mice.  When  I read that I was taken back and thrown for a loop.  The Philistines showed that they had no idea what to offer because they did not know God's expectations.

Fools think they know God, but in reality, God shows us who He is by  His mercy Himself.  The only way to know God is by His Word.

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. 

Lord, help me to think before I speak.  Help me to talk less.

3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice [is known] by multitude of words. 

If you talk too much you sound like a fool.

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.

Don't make promises you can't keep.  Anytime you speak to God remember to keep your word.

 5 Better [is it] that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. 

 Be careful making promises if you do not plan to keep them.

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? 

Your mouth can cause your whole body to be in trouble.  Angels do not adhere to excuses: why should you anger God with your voice and He

 destroys the things you made.

7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words [there are] also [divers] vanities: but fear thou God. 

People use dreams to say how God is speaking or has spoken to them about life's changes.  People talk too much about things that God has not supported by His Word.  Make sure God's Word backs up anything you say when speaking on His behalf.

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. 

Don't be shocked at what people do bad or good, God says  do waste time giving time to these people, stay focus on your assignment.  God is paying attention to every purpose.

9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king [himself] is served by the field. 

What the earth produces is for everybody even the king's food comes from what the earth produces.

It is not the people's job to give to the king when the king can gather food for himself if need be.  In other words, don't give leaders everything and you yourself go hungry.  The kings food is no different from yours.

10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this [is] also vanity. 

If you love money, you will never have enough of it.

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 say look at what I own.  What good is that?  You work hard only to look at the stuff you have accumulated.

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.

Hard work is good and you will sleep well, but wanting to be rich will not allow good sleep. 

13 There is a sore evil [which] I have seen under the sun, [namely], riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. 

Trying to protect your riches on your own is dangerous.

Example:  Micheal Jackon's lifestyle.

14 But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and [there is] nothing in his hand. 

Evil takes your money and you have nothing to leave your child.

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.

We enter with nothing and we will leave with nothing.

 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?

Why did you waste time trying to be rich?

 17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and [he hath] much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.

Living in the dark has many problems and the judgment of God in his sickness.

 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. 

Enjoy eating and drinking and working.  It is a gift from God. 

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. 

God provides all we need.  It is His gift to us.

20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth [him] in the joy of his heart.

Because God is so good you cannot keep up with all he is doing in you because He is so busy giving you something every day.