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…God is the one you must fear. – Eccl. 5:1,7b

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. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart. – Eccl. 5:19-20

As the Teacher continues the wider portion of his message (Ch. 3:1-12:8), he transitions from discussing the importance of human relationships to consider the nature of worship (5:1-7) as well as how it is to impact our lives (5:8-20). Israelite worship in the days of Solomon was centered around the temple that he had constructed and dedicated to the Lord (1 Kings 5-8). It was here that the presence of God dwelt among His people and it was here that they could approach in worship. This imagery should be in mind as the teacher instructs us to guard our steps as we go to the “house of God.” God must not be approached in a flippant way and he specifically warns us to be quick to listen rather than speak, recognizing that God is our Creator and that we are His creation (5:2). To truly approach God, therefore, is to do so from a position of humility. He then references the making and keeping of vows in order to further emphasize that true worship involves both speaking truthfully and acting in accordance with that truth. He sums up all his commands regarding worship by calling on people to fear God. This is the proper attitude and posture of mankind to His Creator. He is to reverence God and live his life as a worshiper of God. This is exceedingly important in light of the warnings that the Teacher will now offer. 

First, he states that those in power often seek to oppress the poor and violate justice and that this should not be of surprise to us. Although societies have levels of authority, many times corruption goes all the way to the top (5:8). This situation occurs when those officials in authority fail to recognize the ultimate authority of God. The failure of people to truly worship God will frequently lead them to use and abuse one another, something the Teacher has referenced already in 4:1.

Second, he warns that people are at times prone to love money and wealth. The reality, however, is that the love of these things does not lead to satisfaction because, the more one acquires, the more people and things come along to consume them (5:10-11). Although there is some tangible benefit to wealth, he states that much of it is simply the awareness of possessing it. In the end, this is vanity…it is temporary…it produces no lasting gain. Also, the person who is consumed with seeking security in what he has is often filled with anxiety. In contrast, the laborer’s sleep is sweet. When a person does not fear the Lord, they are prone to love the things of this life as ultimate things. The reality, however, is they know those things to be temporary and their blessings to be tentative. As a result, the love of these things produces anxiety rather than satisfaction.

Third, wealth itself can bring hurt rather than blessing. The Teacher gives to us an example of someone who once possessed wealth but lost it in a bad venture. This wealth was the sum total of his legacy and so he was utterly ruined and destroyed by this. Having lost the source of his hope, joy, and identity, this man spent the rest of his life in misery; his condition being described as darkness, vexation, sickness, and anger. The reality for this man, which is really true of all people, is that a person leaves the world in the same way that he came, with nothing in his hands. The failure to fear the Lord will mean that our hopes are invested in the things of this life such as our wealth. Whether we lose it in a bad venture or simply lose it at our death, lose it we will.

Rather than leaving us simply with instructions and warnings about life, the Teacher once again exhorts us to enjoy it! It is good, he states, to eat and drink and find enjoyment during the days that God has given to us. Moreover, wealth, possessions, and power are not to be avoided as evil, but are instead to be enjoyed under the authority of God. This is why properly reverencing and worshiping God is so vital; it places these things in their proper place. The one who pleases God deals with the complicated realities of these things, but does so with joy in his heart because he knows and worships God.

The fullest expression of worship comes in knowing Christ as Savior and Lord. We have all at times failed to properly reverence God as our Creator. We have all, at times, used or taken advantage of others. We have all, at times, loved possessions and sought identity and happiness in them. We have all, at times, found ourselves frustrated and disappointed because one or more of these idols failed us or was taken from us. All of these things are to remind us once again that true gain cannot be found in this life, but is found only in the God who made us. In Christ, we see the one who truly loved God with all His heart, soul, mind, and strength and demonstrated contentment in times of plenty and in times of want. It is in Him and by His Spirit that we ourselves can truly worship the Lord our God and find enjoyment in the gifts that He gives to us.

Join us this Sunday as we worship our risen Savior together and consider what it means to live as His people!

Soli Deo Gloria.

-Thomas