Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 Religion versus Wisdom
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Solomon has been warning us about what is valuable – but more about what is not. Anything we expect to provide meaning for our lives under the sun is going to disappoint us in the end if we are honest about it. He’s tried it all and told us not to waste our time on vanity – hebel – vapour…
Against this the alternative presented is the sovereign God, in whose capable hands we should wholeheartedly place our lives if we want anything we do to last and bring true joy.
Nevertheless, even concerning our approach to this God, Solomon has some further warnings. It seems even our worship has the potential to become as vain as the hedonism, worldly wisdom, meaningless toil and apparent injustice of the first four chapters.
There is big difference between a) vain religion and b) eternal wisdom (which begins with the fear of God: Proverbs 9:10). To avoid a) and embrace b) follow Solomon’s three pieces of advice:
Watch Your Step
When writing this, he had the act of temple worship in mind. The temple at Jerusalem was the most important building on planet earth and it was understood as God’s dwelling place on planet earth. God had given a list of specifications on how to do worship in the tabernacle (the precursor to the temple) and now that was applied here. The list is called Leviticus. It is a very serious book. Solomon’s first concern is that we take God seriously – not casually: Guard your Steps… (Ecclesiastes 5:1). Is there a reverence about our approach? If not our worship is suspect and we are playing with fire (Hebrews 12:28-29)
There are enough instances of God judging ‘worshippers’ to warn us here (Leviticus 10:1-20 is maybe the most dramatic). God’s concern is the focus of our devotion. If our hearts are not directed toward him no amount of outward activity matters (Mark 7:6-7). Problem is: without grace our hearts are far from him – in fact they are dead and stony (Ezekiel 36:26; Ephesians 2:1). We must recognise that our hearts need his life pulsing through them and our prayer should be create in me a clean heart (Psalm 51:10).
Don’t allow your heart to be untouched in God’s presence. Don’t ever approach God expecting him to rubber stamp your life. It just doesn’t go like that. If you have not been unsettled by the preaching of the word in ages; if your consistent heart response to preaching is ‘you tell them…’; if you can stand and sing a few rows along from someone with whom you have unresolved ‘issues’; if you haven’t ached with love and gratitude for the saviour – or at least longed for times when you will feel him close to you again – well, something is very wrong.
You are walking clumsily in God’s house.
Hold Your Tongue
Solomon warns us against vain talk (Ecclesiastes 5:2) having already put the emphasis on listening (Ecclesiastes 5:1). God’s first command to the human race has always been to listen – Hear O Israel (Deuteronomy 5:1; Deuteronomy 6:3). There is something dangerous about human talk when it comes to knowing God. Not that we shouldn’t do it – we must! – but words mustn’t become a hideout for folly, pride, false zeal, emotionalism and rashness.
People say talk is cheap. I disagree. That’s like saying wine is cheap. There is cheap talk and valuable talk. And the more the cheap junk floods the market the more suspicious we become of good vintage speech. The best talk comes from people who do a lot of listening to God.
It doesn’t pour itself out with gushing unrealistic claims. It doesn’t overpromise. It delivers.
No one does this in the end. Our performance just won’t meet our religious claims. This is more serious than we realise but one man has fulfilled every vow made in God’s house; kept every promise and completed his covenant – and he offers us his righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 3:6)
Stand in Awe
Our final instruction from Solomon is to fear God (5:7) – or stand in awe (NIV). Close your mouths and take a good look. This protects us from idolatry of all kinds. If what we worship does not create awe within us we need to check what kind of god he/she/it is. You were created to be awestruck, but it’s common to settle for a God who leaves us with no awe – merely a sense of cosiness, or even a sense of our own greatness and worth…
True worship is a response to a revelation of real God – even those aspects of God we cannot get used to. Any God we can’t fear is not to be worshipped.
This concept of a fear of God gets lost on us. We are told we should never be motivated by fear – but even the way people say it betrays a fear of being motivated by fear... One way or another we are going to be afraid of something! if we claim we are not we are showing a fear of people thinking us afraid. What are you afraid of? Losing out financially? Losing your reputation? Losing your independent lifestyle? Losing a loved one? Jesus said I shall tell you who you must fear (Luke 12:5). Replace all those fears with the fear of God – who comforts and forgives us through his son, to the point where our fear is cast out (1 John 4:18).
To meet God is to feel the need for a Saviour – and then to find one.
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