PM Home Bible Study Group; January 13, 2010
Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

Theme: Because of the vanity of our words, we need to speak carefully in the presence of God.

It would be easy to cast a lot of blame on ‘society’ for all its wrongs we see in the world (see Ecclesiastes 4:1-16). But the truth of the matter is that the problem is really us. No wonder Solomon advocates silence when we approach God (see also Matthew 12:31; 15:18). Great harm is brought into this world through words; and nowhere is the danger of our big mouths greater than when standing before the Holy One!

One way that the danger manifests itself is in daring to approach God without a careful awareness of who He is. True wisdom expresses itself—in part—in recognizing the true value of a thing; and to approach God strictly through the performance of outward religious actions, formalistic ceremonies, and ritualistic prayers, does not act in wisdom toward Him. It is to fail to recognize His majesty as a God who wants our worship to be from our hearts (see Deuteronomy 10:12-22).

Another way that it may manifest itself is through an attitude of arrogance in what we want to say to Him when approaching Him. It’s prideful to approach the almighty God in order to blather on in front of Him as if we had some information to give Him (see Micah 6:6-8; Matthew 6:5-8).

Still another way it may show itself is in a pretentious or rash approach toward God in which we don’t mean what we say to Him. We make promises to God in the heat of the moment that do not come from thoughtful, reverent reflection; but rather proceed from an undue focus on our own trials, perceived needs, or fleshly desires (Matthew 5:33-37).

Among the vanities that Solomon deals with in this book is the vanity of our own speech in our approach to God. If we believe what the Scriptures say about Him, then we’ll certainly show it in the way that we talk before His mighty throne!

Solomon advocates that we . . .

I. APPROACH GOD’S HOUSE PRUDENTLY (v. 1).

A. Solomon, who was responsible for building the temple in his day, urged that those who walk into it walk “prudently”. It’s as if we should ‘take off our sandals’ when we draw near to God (see Exodus 3:5). Such ‘prudence’ speaks of a sound judgment, thoughtfulness, and due caution in our approach—remembering that some who were not prudent in their approach to God in the past paid dearly for it (see 1 Samuel 6:19; Acts 5:1-11).

B. Prudence is demonstrated in our inclination to hear from God more than to speak before Him. This is always a wise policy (see James 1:19); but it is even more so before the Almighty. To do otherwise is “to give the sacrifice of fools”—either through careless speech in a general sense; or through an actual promise of an offering that is hastily given, and without true reverence of heart or without faithful follow-through.

C. Those who do not hear more before God than they speak “do not know that they do evil”. Many such ‘talkers’ think that the ‘religious’ outward acts they perform in God’s house are pleasing to Him—never realizing that such acts, without the right heart, can truly be an offense to a holy God (see Isaiah 1:10-17; Matthew 15:7-8). What a difference it would make if we gave careful, reverential thought and heart preparation to our actions and words before we dared to enter the house of God!

II. SPEAK IN GOD’S HOUSE JUDICIOUSLY (vv. 2-3).

A. In his first letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul dealt with the problem of everyone in the church being in love with the sound of their own voices. Each one had a psalm to sing, or a teaching to offer, or a tongue to speak, or a revelation to present, or an interpretation to give. All was done in a chaotic and utterly unedifying manner (1 Corinthians 14:26). Solomon advises that we “not be rash” with our mouths, or “utter anything hastily before God”. The reason he gives for this is the supreme position God holds over us; and of our lowly condition before Him. If only we truly understood to whom it is we spoke, we’d be more like Job and say, “Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth” (Job 40:3; see also 42:2-6).

B. Solomon, therefore, advocates not merely silence, but carefully refrained speech. “Therefore let your words be few.” It’s important to remember that Jesus’ model prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) doesn’t teach us to be silent. Rather, He teaches us to begin our prayer by recognizing that ours is the Father “in heaven”, whose very “name” is to be “hallowed”; and that our petitions to Him should carefully reflect a humble recognition that it is His will that is to be done. Verse three of Solomon’s words warns us that much harm can come through the multitude of our words—especially before God! Just as dreams come at night to a man who is very busy, foolishness proves itself through a multitude of words (see also Proverbs 10:19). The more the words, the greater the risk!

C. Given the danger that is inherent in our careless chatter before God, it may at times be best to keep to the words of Habakkuk 2:20; “But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.” But even better is to speak that which pleases Him and truly honors Him!

III. MAKE PROMISES BEFORE GOD CAREFULLY (vv. 4-6).

A. Solomon now takes up the matter of vows. Vows themselves are not necessarily wrong; but neither are they necessary. What the Bible says about them seems to be more to do with regulating them than commanding them (see Deuteronomy 23:21-23; Numbers 30:2-15; Matthew 5:33-37; 15:3-9; James 5:12). But because God takes the words we speak before Him very seriously—and especially so when they come in the form of a vow—then our promises before Him should be entered into only with a heartfelt intention to perform what is promised. As Psalm 15:4 tells us, the man who may abide in God’s temple, and dwell in His holy hill, is the man who “honors those who fear the LORD; he who swears to his own hurt and does not change.” There should not be even a hint of a hesitancy to do what we promise to do before God; because such a ‘delay’ demonstrates a double-mindedness in the making of the vow.

B. The reason given for such caution is because God “has no pleasure in fools”. The man who makes a promise before God with the intention of not doing what he says—or with a failure to have thought his promise through carefully—shows himself to be a fool in that he has not rightly valued God. He has acted like an atheist before God’s face in that he speaks before God and doesn’t believe God is there to hear him. The statement that God has “no pleasure” in such a man has a decidedly ominous sound to it; and warns of the fact that God will act to prove Himself to be what the foolish vow-maker thought He was not!

C. The course of action that Solomon advocates, then, is that it is “better not to vow than to vow and not pay” (see Matthew 19:10 in this respect!). Solomon expounds on this in verse 6:

1. To speak a vow before God, and then not pay, is to allow one’s mouth to cause one’s flesh to sin (see James 3:6). Better not to let the mouth speak at all; but even better still to let it only speak with great wisdom and restraint, and with the full intention of keeping one’s words before God.

2. The manifestation of such a sin comes when the priest who comes to receive what was promised (since the “messenger of God” can be taken to refer to the priest; see Malachi 2:7) is told that “it was an error”. True, it may well have been an error! But the error was not in the making of the vow, but in the making of a vow before God without the full intention of keeping it!

3. The folly of such a sin is shown in the fact that God will become angry at such a false vow-maker for his “excuse” (or literally, his “voice”); and will destroy the work of his hand. Thus, whatever he may have thought to gain by refusing to keep his promise will be lost to him.

IV. CONDUCT OURSELVES BEFORE GOD REVERENTIALLY (v. 7).

A. Again, Solomon refers to dreams. But here, dreams are presented as something to be compared with the vanity of words. Dreams are (ordinarily) things that are without content or substance; and even a great multitude of them produces nothing but vanity. Similarly, nothing is gained by even a multitude of our words. They have no more value than a multitude of dreams.

B. But someone can’t go wrong by truly “fearing” God (which, of course, is where this whole book is heading; see Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). If someone truly fears God, then he or she will keep in mind that every idle word will be brought into judgment; and that we will have to give an account for what we say. As Jesus said; “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37).

* * * * * * * * * *

When we approach God in worship, may we remember the wise words of the unknown poet who wrote;

The boneless tongue so small and weak,

Can crush and kill declared the Greek.

The tongue destroys a greater horde,

the Turk asserts, than does the sword.

The Persian proverb wisely saith,

A lengthy tongue – an early death.

Or sometimes takes this form instead,

Don’t let your tongue cut off your head.

The tongue can speak a word whose speed,

The Arab says, outstrips the steed.

While Chinese sages thus impart,

The tongue’s great storehouse is the heart.

From Hebrew wit the maxim’s sprung,

Tho’ foot may slip ne’er let the tongue.

The sacred writer crowns the whole,

Who keeps his tongue doth keep his soul.