In our study of Ecclesiastes chapter five, we look at Solomon's conclusion about living a life without love.
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Watch your step when you go to the house of God. Offering to listen is better than fools offering sacrifices, because they don't discern whether or not they are doing evil.
Solomon continues his search for the meaning of life by pouring himself into religion. This verse speaks of going to God and doing all the talking instead of listening to Him in order to see what He wants from us. This speaks of a lack of love in that, in any good relationship, a conversation is a two way street. Going to God in prayer and not loving Him enough to let Him speak to you is a waste of time and effort.
Don't speak impulsively - don't be in a hurry to give voice to your words before God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth; so let your words be few. For nightmares come from worrying too much; and a fool, when he speaks, chatters too much.
Making idle vows (promises) to God should be avoided and this passage speaks of those who continue to make vows that they do not keep. If we love Him, we will not babble on with promises that we do not intend to keep and long prayers that do not come from the heart.
If you make a vow to God, don't delay in discharging it. For God takes no pleasure in fools, so discharge your vow! Better not to make a vow than to make a vow and not discharge it. Don't let your words make you guilty, and don't tell the temple official that you made the vow by mistake. Why give God reason to be angry at what you say and destroy what you have accomplished? For [this is what happens when there are too] many dreams, aimless activities and words. Instead, just fear God!
An unfulfilled vow is a lie and God does not like liars. If you love someone, you don't lie to them or make excuses for not doing what you promise. Solomon's conclusion about religion is that rituals without love are meaningless. They cannot substitute for love and respect.
If you see the poor oppressed, rights violated and justice perverted in the province, don't be surprised; for a high official has one higher watching him, and there are others above them. But the greatest advantage to the country is when the king makes himself a servant to the land.
Solomon not only sees the corruption of religion but also the government. We see, here, that the poor man does the work and the leaders and rich folks get all the increase. The religious system does not help the poor and the business and political systems use them as pawns and slaves. We have to remember that Solomon was a king and yet he still saw how wrong this is. When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus said that we are to love God and love our neighbors. How can we love God and not have compassion on the poor and the oppressed?
The lover of money never has enough money; the lover of luxury never has enough income. This too is pointless. When the quantity of goods increases, so does the number of parasites consuming them; so the only advantage to the owner is that he gets to watch them do it.
Solomon was probably the richest man the world has ever seen and yet this is what he found out about the pursuit of wealth. After you have what you need to survive, the rest is usually just put on display as he says here. In the end, those things are not going with you (whether you go to heaven or hell).
The sleep of a working man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the overfullness of the rich won't let them sleep at all.
Since the fall of man (Genesis 3), Adam and his descendants (all of us) have had to work for our food. Solomon found that the man that works for what he has sleeps better than the rich man. It seems that the rich man becomes a hostage to his wealth and constantly worries about someone stealing from him or how he can get more.
Here is a gross evil which I have seen under the sun: the owner of wealth hoards it to his own hurt. Due to some misfortune, the wealth turns to loss; and then if he has fathered a son, he has nothing to leave him. Just as he came from his mother's womb, so he will go back naked as he came, and for his efforts he will take nothing that he can carry away in his hand.
Wealth is fleeting and Solomon came to realize that we do not create anything and are not taking anything with us when we die. How sad it is to see someone who seemingly has everything that this world has to offer but they do not have what is important and eternal. When they stand before the Judge, they will not have anything in their hands and, without the love of God in their hearts, they will be doomed.
This too is a gross evil, that in every respect as he came, so will he go; thus what profit does he have after toiling to earn the wind? All his life he eats in darkness, in frustration, in sickness and in anger.
Solomon describes the fact that we all want to have a purpose in life. Those that chase after the things of this world do not understand (are in darkness) that they cannot take them with them when they die. Others get frustrated and hopeless when they cannot see the fact that God loves us so much that He wants us to accept Him and to follow His plan for our lives.
This is what I have seen to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, drink and enjoy the good that results from all his work that he engages in under the sun for all the days of his life that God has given him, for this is his allotted portion. Also, everyone to whom God has given riches and wealth, along with the power to enjoy it, so that he takes his allotted portion and finds pleasure in his work - this is a gift of God; for he will not brood over the fact that his life is short, since God keeps him occupied with what will bring him joy.
We see from this passage that our wealth or our job is not the important thing. Solomon found that what is important is realizing that whatever we have is a gift from God. If we stay focused on the fact that every day and everything is a gift from God, we will love Him and be glad.
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