Ecclesiastes #8

Introduction:

Connection:

Have you ever seen a beautiful and breath-taking view that brings an awesome feeling of deep reverence—it’s glorious—but it can be easily spoiled by fleeting-words that ruin the moment. As we flew down to California, over the mountain ranges, we saw the finger of God and a sight of His creative-power—but a crying baby might have sucked a bit of the awe out of our hearts in that moment. Sometimes we are not properly affected with wonder and awe like we should, and it can very quickly be spoiled.

To the contrary, C.S. Lewis says that “there is a kind of happiness and wonder that makes you serious. It is too good to waste on jokes”. It is too good to waste on fleeting-words. This godly wonder and awe should not be spoiled by vain words.

And so we come this morning, with our hearts humbled before the sight of the infinite, eternal, and unchangeable One—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—Yahweh our Creator and Redeemer—the Thrice Holy God of Heaven—we come before Him with a godly happiness and wonder and fear that makes us serious.

Theme:

Fearing the God of Heaven

Need:

We need to tame our tongues, and teach our hearts to fear the Lord our God. Daniel Corey, has said, ‘worship is the most dangerous thing you do in the course of a week”. If that sentence doesn’t make sense to you, maybe you have learned to tremble in the presence of our dreadfully delightful God. Oh do we ever need to be gripped with the holiness of God, and to never take another step into the house of God without rejoicing and trembling!

Purpose:

To solemnly exhort the church of God to attend to the worship of God with reverence and awe; to warn the saints about failing to pay our vows to God; to comfort the people of God in the blessings on the house of Jesus Christ; and to instill the fear of the Lord in our hearts and souls.

Recap:

Last Lord’s Day we looked at the pains of oppression under the sun, the foolishness of being a workaholic or a lazy man, the sadness of the lonely life, the blessings of godly relationships, and the good, but fleeting nature of human politics. Here we take a stride away from the horizontal life of hebel into the vertical life of hebel. Looking at how we relate to the God of Heaven during our sojourn here on Earth.

Open your Bibles:

Eccl. 5:1-7 ESV

PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY

(1) Few Words in the House of God Draws us Near to the Word of God - v. 1-3

Ecclesiastes 5:1–3 ESV

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. 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. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words.

(1) Few Words in the House of God Draws us Near to the Word of God - v. 1-3

Solomon has unravelled the vanity and vapor of the world, he has lamented the wickedness and brokenness around him, and here we come to a mid-way stop in the Book of Ecclesiastes to re-orient ourselves in our relationship with God, to instill in us the apex of holiness, the key to happiness, and the secret to humility—the fear of God. Let’s unpack this one verse at a time:

“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 (V. 1).

Just as we are to guard our hearts, for from them flow the springs of life (Prov. 4:23), so too are we to guard our steps, for they lead us into the presence of God Almighty.

We are to keep watch over our steps. We are not to stumble our way into church. We are not to trip our way into the temple.

We are to guard our steps as we come to the house of God. We are to prepare our hearts, we are to renew our minds, and devote our wills—we are to consecrate ourselves to our great and Triune God, to meet with him, to hear from him, to be transformed by him, to worship him, to glorify him, to enjoy him, to be changed by him, and to live for him—in the splendour of holiness (Ps. 29:1). We are to take off our sandals, as it were, for the place on which we are standing is Holy Ground, for our God is a consuming fire (Ex. 3:5). How do you approach the Lord’s Day, in the Lord’s House, with the Lord’s People?

What do you do on Saturday nights? On preparation day? What do you do as you prepare for the Sabbath? What do you do when you wake up on Sunday? How do you orient your week and lives around the house of God? Do you guard your feet, your heart, and your lives so that you are coming with soft and sensitive hearts to come and hear the Word of God read and preached?

These are all searching questions—do we guard our steps when we go to the house of God? Or do we come flippantly, clumsily, and half-heartedly? Do we come bathed in prayer, hungering and thirsting after righteousness? Do we come bathed in biblical mediation, pleading with God to teach us from His statues? Do we come rejoicing over the Word, eagerly expecting a blessing from the Lord? Do we come to confess our sins and find a renewed assurance of pardon? Do we come to sing with joy and gladness unto the Lord? Do we come to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ? Do we come with the fear of the Lord, rejoicing and trembling with a contrite heart before the Word of the Lord? Do we come with knees that are bruised and with hungry hearts to know God deeper through Christ and in the Spirit?

Oh we must guard our steps, lest our steps take us in the presence of the living God with hearts that are unprepared, un-tilled, un-plowed—with hearts that are cold, hard, and fallow. Oh we must be consecrated in Spirit and Truth as we come to the House of God, the Church of the Living God, which is the Pillar and Buttress of the Truth.

“Bridges: How important therefore is the Divine rule to maintain the vital sacredness of the worship service—Keep thy Foot—as with Sabbath consecration. Let it not be a careless step, as into an ordinary house. Begin the holy exercise when you leave your home. See that your heart is engaged—not in the trifles of the moment, but in the [realities] of eternity—not in company with thy friend, but in communion with thy Lord. Oh! It is awful to trifle at the church door. Our business is with the High and Holy One. He is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all [his people]. Holiness becometh thine house, O God, forever. Utterly revolting therefore is that service, which is not imbued with a reverential spirit. Worship in Spirit and in Truth must mellow the heart, and dispose it to hear with profit; otherwise God’s Spirit is grieved and withdrawn. The preacher may be praised; but the soul will not be profited.

Psalm 96:9 ESV

Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!

When does the Spirit of God bring the most power through the Word of God? When the people of God guard their steps on the way to the House of God.

Oh that there would be a greater earnestness for the worship of the living God—that the house of God would overflow with men and women who long to live by every Word that comes from the mouth of God. We must draw near to listen! Hear O Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is One (Deut. 6:4). The beginning of worship is hearing from God. Listen to me, says the Lord! Hear O Israel! Oh that we would heed the call to listen to Yahweh—that we would draw near to listen attentively to the voice of our covenant-God as the Word is explained in teaching, and exclaimed in preaching—as the Scripture is rightly divided in doctrine and practice, in law and gospel, in repentance and faith. Oh to listen to our Creator and Redeemer—to be silent and to thirst for the living waters.

We must not be like those fools who come in babbling, who come in to talk about sports, who come in to make a show, who come in to feel good, who come in to check the box, who come in to find entertainment, who come in to watch a performance, who come in to be an observer, who come in to go through the motions—such is the sacrifice of fools, says Solomon.

These people are so ignorant of the holiness of God, are so ignorant of the majesty of God, are so ignorant of the grace of God—that they sit in the presence of God with unaffected hearts of stone—offering the sacrifice of fools, and they do not even know that they are doing evil.

I can’t help but think of most modern worship services where all that seems to matter is a seeker-sensitive, people-pleasing, entertainment-filled, soft-and-watered-down, light-and-easy, loud-and-bright, feel-good-experience. No body cares if the holy God is being worshipped according to his precepts. No body cares if the living God is pleased with such worship. No body cares about the fear of the Lord. No body cares about the rich preaching of the Scriptures. No body cares about the prayers and praises, about the sermons and sacraments—all that matters is what pleases the consumer.

Oh the sacrifice of fools—that which is devoid of the truth and is transgressing the Word, offering up unauthorized and unsanctified sacrifices—which the Lord our God rejects and despises, because it was not according to that which is Written in Scripture. We must worship in Truth.

But I also can’t help but think of more conservative worship services where the regulative principle is observed, where the Elders would never include something in their service that is not found in the Word of God, where the focus is on the Triune God and His Revelation, where the elements of worship are right, the liturgy is biblical, the music is rich, the order is fitting, the sermon is nourishing, the prayers are devout, and the sacrament is esteemed—yet the hearts of the saints are cold, dry, numb, far from God, low in affection, stoic in posture, external in form, distant in soul, low in power, and superficial in the motions.

Oh the sacrifice of fools—that which is devoid of the Spirit and is grieving our God, offering up unspiritual and insincere sacrifices—which the Lord our God rejects and despises, becuase it was not according to true love and joy. We must worship in Spirit.

How do we do both such things? Worshipping in Spirit and in Truth? We must guard our steps—and draw near with a hearty expectation to hear, believe, obey, rejoice, and tremble before our beautiful and glorious God. Let us not become dull of hearing—but rather let us eagerly and affectionately hear Christ who speaks to us in the reading and preaching of the Scriptures!

James 1:19–22 ESV

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Which means that we must be silent, be still, be quiet; which means that we must close our mouths—so that the focus can be away from me and my wants—so that the focus can be away from the piano and guitar—so that the focus can be away from the pastor and preacher—so that the focus can be directed to the Lord and His Prophetic Word in Scripture. Solomon adds:

“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 word be few” (V. 2).

We must guard our steps so that we can guard our mouths—taming our tongues—being slow to speak, slow to anger, and quick to listen: quick to listen to the Lord our God—whose voice is easily drowned out with the vain voices of men. We must not be rash with our mouth, or hasty with our lips. We must not let our words overcome the thunder of God. We must not let our opinions and preferences supersede the trumpet of God. We must not let our ideas and methods trump the blueprints of God.

Our obligation, beloved, is to hold fast to the word of truth—to the Scriptures—which are authoritative in all they say, and sufficient for all that we must believer, and all that we must do. We must let His Word be the first and last—the highest and best—the Supreme Judge and Sovereign Voice that causes us to be silent!

Why should we speak when we can hear the Lord our Maker? Oh that our worship services would be saturated with the Word above all earthly power, that Word which is effectually working in us by His Spirit (1 Thess. 1; 3).

We must remember that God reigns and rules from heaven above, and we run and roam on earth below. God is the Most High! God is the King of kings. God is the Lord of lords. God is the God of gods. There is no one like him! There is no one beside him! There is no one else that we should listen to, beloved. Let His Word be the meditation of our hearts, oh Lord our Rock and our Redeemer. In order to be filled with the Word of God, we must be emptied of the words of men. Let our words be few—so that God’s Words can be frutiful. Let us feeble men of earth close our lips, so that we can hear the High God of Heaven who reigns over all. Let us be like those who truly hear, accept, and bear fruit through the Word of God:

Mark 4:20 ESV

But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

As we must be silent in hearing God’s Word—we must also be solemn in our prayers to the God of the Word. Solomon says, we must not be hasty to utter a word before God (v. 2). We must not be babbling around with meaningless, foolish, and fleeting prayers. Our prayers must not be half-hearted. Our prayers must not simply fill the silence, to impress those who are in the room. Our prayers must not simply be verbal sounds to God that are divorced from a heart of love to God.

Charles Bridges says: “It is a great offence to God to continue speaking to Him, when we have stopped praying from the heart”.

Our prayers must be hearty, sincere, fervent, biblical, affectionate, solemn, reverent, bold, humble, and Spirit-led. Yet too often we spew out words in prayer that are not from the heart—but just pour forth out of routine, or pour forth to get the praise of men.

Jude 20–21 ESV

But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

Oh to be slow to utter a word before God, to come boldly and biblically to the throne of grace, and to pour forth our souls, not merely our many words, in the help of the Spirit of Christ. True prayer is not recognized simply by it’s length—but by its Spirit-led fruition from the heart.

O’Donnel: In prayer, the number of words counts for nothing. D. L. Moody memorably said it this way: “Some men’s prayers need to be cut short on both ends and set on fire in the middle.” Augustine put it like this: “Remove from prayer much speaking, not much praying.” And Martin Luther, with his usual blend of bluntness and humor, said that prayers should be “brief, frequent, and intense” because “God has no need of such everlasting twaddle.”

Let our words be few—and those that must be said—let them be biblical, heart-felt, and fervent. Let them be directed to our Father. Let them be fueled by the love of Christ. Let them be anointed with the Spirit. Let them be offered in the fear of our Triune God.

“For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words (V. 3).

The sacrifice of the fool is based upon supposed dreams, false visions, false prophecies, feelings and experiences—which leads the fool’s voice to spill over with many vain and futile words.

Let us not be people who live by dreams—but who live by the Final and Complete Word of God. Let us not be fools who speak rashly—but who pray sincerely and affectionately. Let us not be flippant about the worship of God—but those who praise Him in Spirit and in Truth. Let us not forget to hide ourselves in the Cleft of the Rock of Christ, when we are in the presence of the God of glory and grace. Let us not forget to tune our hearts in fear, to silence our lips in love, and to open our ears in hope of hearing the voice of voice of God in the temple of God.

(1) Few Words in the House of God Draws us Near to the Word of God - v. 1-3

This brings us to our second and final point:

(2) Paying Vows in the Sight of God Keeps us Far from the Anger of God- v. 4-7

Ecclesiastes 5:4–7 ESV

When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 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? For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.

(2) Paying Vows in the Sight of God Keeps us Far from the Anger of God - v. 4-7

Before unpacking this, we must remind ourselves what oaths and vows are. The 1689, in Chapter 23, on Lawful Oaths and Vows, has a helpful summary for us:

Paragraph 1. A lawful oath is a part of religious worship, wherein the person swearing in truth, righteousness, and judgment, solemnly calls God to witness what he swears, and to judge him according to the truth or falseness thereof.

So, an oath or vow is a solemn-promise/commitment whereby we call on the living God as our witness, to reward or judge us according to our actions and deeds. It is only to be down in the name of the God of the Bible—and it is to be done in godly fear and holy reverence—God will hold us to our word.

Deuteronomy 10:20 ESV

You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear.

Who shall ascend unto the hill of the Lord? He who does not swear deceitfully—but if he swears, if he makes an oath, if he makes a vow—he does so biblically, and fulfills it faithfully. And so Solomon picks up:

“When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow (V. 4). “It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay (V. 5).

Solomon doesn’t command you to vow to God—but says if you do vow to God—you must know what you have just done. You have just called the infinite God to bring judgment on your own head for despising his holy name if you break your holy commitment.

2 Chronicles 6:22–23 ESV

“If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath and comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house, then hear from heaven and act and judge your servants, repaying the guilty by bringing his conduct on his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness.

That makes our marriage vows a little bit more weighty, doesn’t it? This makes our spiritual vows a little bit more serious, doesn’t it? The biblical perspective on swearing oaths, in promising vows in the name of God—if we do it—is that we are held to our word by the God of truth and covenant.

When we vow to God, we must not delay—we must not hesitate—we must speedily, promptly, heartily, and faithfully fulfill what we have solemnly sworn in the name of God. Why? For God has no pleasure in fools. Those who break their vows and oaths, who break their covenant and contracts, who break their promises and pledges—they are fools in God’s sight. Such things displease our Creator. Such things grieve our Father. Jesus himself said that such things come from the evil one (Matt. 5:37).

In fact, Solomon, and Jesus, and James—are in agreement. It is better to not vow at all, than to vow and fail to pay our vows. This was what the Pharisees of the 1st century were infamous for. They were breaking oaths, they were breaching promises, they were slandering God’s name, they were despising vows, and they were doing it all in the name of righteousness. In light of this Solomon, Jesus, and James all say—it is better to not swear an oath at all, but let your yes be yes and your no be no. In Matt. 23 Jesus has strong woes to the vow-breaking-Pharisees. God help us to pay our vows from Zion, to pay what we commit to, lest the anger of God falls upon us in justly deserved discipline.

Numbers 30:2 ESV

If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

Borgman: God takes no pleasure in fools who spout an abundance of words. ‘Bless me Lord, and I will pitch a little extra in the offering. Bless me Lord and I will serve in the nursery or at least 5th and 6th grade boys Sunday School’ Don’t play games with God. Instant readiness is the best proof of sincerity. It is better to not make resolutions, promises, covenants, or vows, than to make such commitments and then not follow through … To [then] say to the priest, when he shows up to collect, ‘it was a mistake’, is indeed a big mistake.

Solomon knows very well that many rash vows are made, and may rash lies are given to cover up for our breach of trust and sinful actions:

“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? (V. 6).

So Solomon warns us, to not let our mouth led us into sin—through rash vows and sinful breaches—and when the messenger of the temple, the priest or pastors come to us expecting us to fulfill our vows, to make due on our words—let us not say that it was a mistake. Let us not say that it was an accident. Let us not say that it was a trip-up. Oh let us be warned, for Jesus himself said:

Matthew 12:33–37 ESV

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Such vow-breaking leads to the anger and wrath and judgement of the Holy God of Glory, who will be no means clear the guilty, they who take the name of the Lord their God in vain. Oh why should God be anger and destroy the work of our hands? Solomon says—do not be rash with your lips—or the anger of God might fall upon you now, and if not now, judgement will come when Christ returns.

“For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear” (V. 7).

False dreams, visions, and prophecies—leads to vanity. Fleeting and empty words—leads to vanity. Sinful vapor. Fleeting wickedness. So what shall we do? We must fear the living God—which is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom—which is the chief duty of man—which is the only way to biblical sanity—which is the only way to both rejoice and tremble before God.

The holy dread, and godly fear—what is it? It is a trembling trust in the living God—a childlike desire to please our Father in all things—a soul-gripping devotion serve the Lord our God—a dreadful delight in our Father. It is not the fear of eternal punishment for the saints—for perfect love casts out such fear. It is the fear of displeasing the God who has redeemed us by his goodness in Jesus Christ, and who reigns over us in grace and truth—it is the fear of dishonoring our great and glorious God of radiant holiness and purity. It is driven by love, and is the fruit of faith—it is the essence of godliness.

Philippians 2:12 ESV

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,

O’Donnel: Ecclesiastes 5:1–7 is the antidote for such cultural and religious rubbish. It especially protests against this new Protestantism. It gives us a sorely needed vision of God and picture of wise worship. It moves us beyond God as “the Big Guy upstairs” and Jesus as our “homeboy.” Instead, it takes us to the feet of “the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy” (Isa. 57:15), and of his Son, Jesus Christ, “the firstborn of the dead, … the ruler of kings on earth” (Rev. 1:5), the One whose eyes are a flame of fire, whose voice is like the roar of many waters, and whose face is like the sun shining in full strength (vv. 14–16), and the One who nevertheless “loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood” (v. 5). In view of such a God, it compels us to take our sandals off, keep our mouths shut, and … listen first. [AMEN].

We must cast ourselves upon the mercy of Jesus Christ as he is freely offered to us in the Gospel (Jn. 3:16). We must find our souls cleansed by his precious blood (1 Peter. 1:19). We must find our souls covered by his perfect obedience (Rom. 5:18-21). We must find our eternal life in his resurrected life (Jn. 11:25-26). We must repent of our sins and trust in Him—we must cling to Him as our only hope in life and in death (Acts 20:21). We must cling to His mercy, and then fear His glory (Ex. 20:20). We must rejoice in His grace, and then fear His greatness (Ps. 130:3-4). We must delight ourselves in His love, and then fear His holiness (Heb. 11:7).

Solomon says: God is the one you must fear—this is the only way we can guard our steps when we go to the house of God, this is the only way we can listen attentively to the Word of God, this is the only way we can pray sincerely in the presence of God, this is the only way we can faithfully pay our oaths and vows, this is the only way we can walk humbly with our God in Christ Jesus.

Those who love God without any fear have neither; but those who love God with holy fear have both. Not a fear of punishment—but a fear of displeasing the God who has saved you by grace alone.

Revelation 14:6–7 ESV

Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

Because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, his life, death, and resurrection—for us and for our salvation—we can know enjoy God by fearing Him, giving Him glory, living holy and happy lives, worshipping Him who made all things, hoping in the 2nd Coming, and longing for the New Jersualem.

God is the one you must fear—so be it. May our church, the temple of God, the house of God—be a place that is marked by godly joy, and holy reverence.

May God help us to fear your holy name, and to pay our vows and oaths, with solemn humility and haste. And to cry out for your blessings in our midst. God help us to not quench the Spirit through our grip on sin—but to be shown the presence of God and the blessings of the covenant for those who fear your holy name (Ps. 25:14).

(2) Paying Vows in the Sight of God Keeps us Far from the Anger of God - v. 4-7

This brings us to our conclusion:

(C) The Fear of God is the Antidote for Foolishness and the Answer for Faithfulness.

Isaiah 8:12–13 ESV

“Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

Bridges: Fear God. Here is the grand fundamental of godliness—inseparably linked with every Christian grace—not impulse, but principle—the bit and bridle to repress the rashness of the flesh—the bait of holy discipline to frame the spiritual service of God—sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. Let him be your fear; and let him be your dread. Let him have the best—not the dregs. Let him have the whole confidence—the whole heart.

2 Corinthians 7:1 ESV

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

(C) The Fear of God is the Antidote for Foolishness and the Answer for Faithfulness.

Amen, let’s pray.

Discussion Questions:

(1) Why is it so crucial to guard our steps and hearts as we go to the house of God?

(2) Why must we draw near to listen to God’s Word and not offer the sacrifice of fools with many words?

(3) What are biblically warranted oaths and vows? And why is it so serious for us to pay what we vow to God?

(4) Why is the Gospel of Jesus Christ the only way to biblically fear the Lord our God?

(5) Why is the Fear of God the Antidote for Foolishness and the Answer for Faithfulness?