Eccleiastes 5:1-2
1Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the
sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. 2Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not
thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth:
therefore let thy words be few.
Be careful in God‘s presence. This is a more stern warning now that we are the House of God, we
are His Temple. Let your words be few.
Vanity of sounding religious
Ecclesiastes 5:3-7
For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of
words. 4When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay
that which thou hast vowed. 5Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow
and not pay. 6Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it
was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
7For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
Sounding religious may win points with people, only setting you up for disaster with God. The best
religious activity a guy can do is shut up and listen. Be still and know that He is God. Knock off your
wisdom, your visions and dreams. Just listen.
Overview of Ecclesiastes--His whole point was to observe life and pontificate on it. He uses “I” all
over the place.
1:13--I gave my heart to seek and search
1:14--I have seen all the works
1:16--I communed with mine own heart
1:17--I gave my heart to know wisdom, I perceived
2:1--I said in mine heart, I will prove
2:2--I said of laughter
2:3--I sought in mine heart
2:4-6--I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: I made me gardens and
orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: I made me pools of water
2:7--I got me servants and maidens
2:8--I gathered me also silver and gold
2:9--I was great
2:10--I withheld not my heart
2:11--I looked on all the works
2:12--I turned myself to behold wisdom
2:13--I saw that wisdom excelleth folly
2:14--I myself perceived also
2:15--Then said I in my heart, I said in my heart
2:17--I hated life
2:18--I hated all my labour
2:20--I went about to cause my heart to despair
2:24--This also I saw
3:10--I have seen the travail
3:12--I know that there is
3:14--I know that
3:16--I saw under the sun
3:17--I said in mine heart
3:18--I said in mine heart
3:22--Wherefore I perceive
4:1--So I returned
4:2--I praised the dead
4:4--I considered all travail
4:7--Then I returned, and I saw vanity
4:15--I considered
5:18--I have seen
6:1--I have seen
7:15--All things have I seen
7:23--All this have I proved by wisdom
7:25--I applied mine heart
7:26--And I find
7:27--this have I found
7:28--I find not
7:29--this only have I found
8:2--I counsel thee
8:9--All this have I seen
8:10--I saw the wicked
8:12--surely I know
8:14--I said
8:15--I commended mirth
8:16--I applied mine heart
8:17--I beheld all the work
9:1--I considered in my heart
9:11--I returned, and saw
9:13--have I seen
9:16--Then said I
10:5--I have seen
10:7--I have seen
12:9-14
And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave
good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. 10The preacher sought to find out
acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. 11The words of the
wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one
shepherd. 12And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end;
and much study is a weariness of the flesh. 13Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear
God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14For God shall bring every
work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
As long as the guy is talking about what he’s seen he can’t shut up! It’s self-centered, self-obsessed
and unending. But when he comes to God’s word, silence results. Nothing left to be said. When you
finally see the vanity of life you will shut up and hear God.
He switches from all these passages about “I” to one verse about “us” What do the “us” do? Find out
stuff and talk about it? Nope, HEAR! The point is to hear what God has to say not what we have to
say.
Finding Christ changes your mouth.
Romans 10:8-21--faith comes by hearing. You have to be quiet to hear. The only thing worth talking
about after hearing God’s Word is God’s Word. People need to hear this. A man who believes it will
speak it. There’s only one thing worth talking about in this world, the only thing that lasts for eternity.
Ephesians 4:20-29--if you hear Jesus you will do what He says. It will change us because Jesus said
believers would be changed by rebirth. One of the primary things that changes is our mouth. Let it be
so.