Ecclesiastes Part 8

This message was spoken on June 24, 2018.
Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 Watch Your Words
Teaching Pastor: Lloyd Shadrach

How do we live and enjoy life with or without God on a fallen planet.  For all to be good we need to live in the absence of judgment, the absence of oppression and the absence of death).

We cannot separate life with God from life with each other. 
We are all called to walk this life in community.  We are all ONE body in Christ.  Everyone is essential and serves a purpose.

Listening is the key to living life on this planet.

vs. 1"Guard your steps when you go to the house of God.  Better to approach in obedience than to offer the sacrifice as fools do, for they ignorantly do wrong."

In speaking of the House of God, Solomon is referring tot he church.  In his time, perhaps the temple, but regardless, the House of God.  Guard your step is a caution.  He is caution us to come to listen to God.  The word for listen is Shamah.  our priority in coming to church should be to Shamah or listen to God.  All to often I can find a million other reasons to go to church.  While none of my reasons are bad, Solomon cautions that I should go to listen to God. 

Interestingly enough, the word Shamah translates to listen, but also to obey.  In Hebrew culture, listening implied obedience. 

Solomon cautions because once heard, the word of the Lord must be obeyed.  There is NO separate Hebrew word for obey.  Listening and Obeying are one and the same in the original text.

To listen and NOT obey is evil.  The two cannot be separated.

"Sacrifice of fools" - When Solomon refers to offering the sacrifice of fools, he is referencing careless observance of religion.  "Acting Christian."  As someone who grew up in the deep south, this is very prevalent.  It is socially acceptable and often socially demanded that we look the part of a Christian.  Solomon is calling us to be Christian in our hearts and souls...Not just for the appearance of men. 

vs. 2-3 "Do not be hasty to speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech before God..  God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.  Just as dreams accompany much labor, so a fool's voice comes with many words." 

We should let our words be few because God is God and we are not.  We are to freely come before the God of all, but we need to come with deep reverence and awe of what he has done and will do.  But honestly, just because of what he has done...That is enough, even if it is al he does do.

vs. 4-6 "When you make a vow to God, don't delay fulfilling it, because he does not delight in fools.  Fulfill what you vow.  Better that you do not vow than that you vow and not fulfill it.  Do not let your mouth bring guilt on you, and do not say in the presence of the messenger that it was a mistake.  Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands?"

Vows:  We must keep our vows.  If we make them, they are to be kept, regardless of the cost.  Hannah, Samuel's mother, kept her vow despite it costing her dearly.  God takes our promises as seriously as He takes His own.  He's never made a promise he hasn't kept. 

To hear God is to Obey God

3 PRINCIPLES
1. To listen is to obey
2. To listen is to say less
3. To listen is to keep my promises
                       Therefore to obey is to keep promises

My prayer is to let my words be few, so that every word has a purpose and matters.