Day 143: Ecclesiastes 5- The Lost Worship of listening

​Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2  Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. 3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words.
4 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.6 Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.
 
The Vanity of Wealth and Honor
8 If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. 9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.
 
10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? 12 Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.
 
13 There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, 14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. 15 As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. 16 This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? 17 Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.
 
18 Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. 19 Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. 20 For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.
 
Meditation
Would you rather have a child say, “Yes!” when you asked them to do something and not do it OR have them sit quietly, paying attention to what you request, and then obey the request?

The preacher of Ecclesiastes is aiming at people who worship God in ceremony with singing, self-centered sacrifices, and speaking but do not remember what God has to say when they leave. Wisdom compels us to be a people who worship God with our lives through listening and obeying our Creator and His design for life.

“To Listen” in Hebrew has a double meaning, both to pay attention and to obey. Our culture’s reflex is to be quick to speak, contrary to heavenly wisdom (James 1:19). Lots of language under the sun is folly, leading to empty vows and a vain existence (4-7). We should close our mouths and open the ears of our hearts.

Paying attention to and obeying money will not bring personal satisfaction or rest (10-12). Listening to fear and storing money for security can injure us (13) because materialism can discourage humility that listens to the Lord. No profit is gained when we do not listen to our Creator (13-17).  Paying attention and obeying leads to joy in our hearts and gratefulness for what God has given (18-20).

God has no pleasure in fools who open their mouths and close the ears of their hearts before their Creator (4).  May we be a people who draw near to the Lord to listen.


Richly Dwelling
-Laboring to listen requires humility- God is God and I am not. Is your worship of God marked more with listening OR talking? Obeying or offering self-justifying sacrifices?

-Often Christians do not listen because we are lost in lots of words or looking for lots of money, two traps the preacher of Ecclesiastes compels us to avoid. What hinders you from listening to our Creator?

-Listening to our Creator should involve discovery and expectation. What do you discover about God when you listen? What do you expect God to do when you learn about Him?

Key Verse
1b “…To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. “
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