"GUARD YOUR STEPS AS YOU GO TO THE HOUSE OF GOD, AND DRAW NEAR TO LISTEN RATHER THAN TO OFFER THE SACRIFICE OF FOOLS; FOR THEY DO NOT KNOW THEY ARE DOING EVIL." "Guard your steps" -to exercise great care over, "Never enter God's House carelessly" (Mof). The house of God in the time of Solomon was th... [ Continue Reading ]
"DO NOT BE HASTY IN WORD OR IMPULSIVE IN THOUGHT TO BRING UP. MATTER IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. FOR GOD IS IN HEAVEN AND YOU ARE ON THE EARTH; THEREFORE LET YOUR WORDS BE FEW."DO NOT BE HASTY IN WORD" -(James 1:19), which would include insincere and careless prayers. Prayers which are more rote than. g... [ Continue Reading ]
"FOR THE DREAM COMES THROUGH MUCH EFFORT, AND THE VOICE OF. FOOL THROUGH MANY WORDS". There seems to be. comparison here. Just like. dream or nightmare often results from excess effort (too many earthly cares), folly is often the result of too many words. "by its very quantity, an excess of talk is... [ Continue Reading ]
"WHEN YOU MAKE. VOW TO GOD, DO NOT BE LATE IN PAYING IT, FOR HE TAKES NO DELIGHT IN FOOLS. PAY WHAT YOU VOW!"DO NOT BE LATE IN PAYING IT" -God expects us to keep our word (Deut. Ecclesiastes 23:21-23). For security against vows which were made irresponsibility or rashly, fathers were allowed to over... [ Continue Reading ]
"IT IS BETTER THAT YOU SHOULD NOT VOW THAN THAT YOU SHOULD VOW AND NOT PAY." Vows weren't mandatory in the Old Testament (Deut. Ecclesiastes 23:22), but once made they were binding. Before you promise anything to God are you sure you can keep that promise? God has. very dim view of those who start... [ Continue Reading ]
"DO NOT LET YOUR SPEECH CAUSE YOU TO SIN AND DO NOT SAY IN THE PRESENCE OF THE MESSENGER OF GOD THAT IT WAS. MISTAKE. WHY SHOULD GOD BE ANGRY ON ACCOUNT OF YOUR VOICE AND DESTROY THE WORK OF YOUR HANDS?"CAUSE YOU TO SIN" -Yes, despite the claims of some, our words can be sinful. But we have. choice... [ Continue Reading ]
"FOR IN MANY DREAMS AND IN MANY WORDS THERE IS EMPTINESS. RATHER, FEAR GOD." It appears that this verse is similar in thought to Ecclesiastes 5:3. Excessive talk, like daydreams or all dreams are nothing more than vanity. Dreaming doesn't really accomplish anything, and neither does mere talk. The... [ Continue Reading ]
"IF YOU SEE OPPRESSION OF THE POOR AND DENIAL OF JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS IN THE PROVINCE, DO NOT BE SHOCKED AT THE SIGHT, FOR ONE OFFICIAL WATCHES OVER ANOTHER OFFICIAL, AND THERE ARE HIGHER OFFICIALS OVER THEM."DO NOT BE SHOCKED AT THE SIGHT" -Corruption in government, red-tape and bureaucracy is... [ Continue Reading ]
"AFTER ALL,. KING WHO CULTIVATES THE FIELD IS AN ADVANTAGE TO THE LAND." Points To Note: 1 Solomon was well acquainted with political intrigue (1 Kings 1-2). The whole system is one of corruption, and the weaker always suffers. The only comfort is that your local corrupt official is being oppressed... [ Continue Reading ]
"HE WHO LOVES MONEY WILL NOT BE SATISFIED WITH MONEY, NOR HE WHO LOVES ABUNDANCE WITH ITS INCOME. THIS TOO IS VANITY." One of the great passages on the lack of real satisfaction which every greedy person will eventually face. "The unappeased craving it creates is very obvious in the gambler, the ty... [ Continue Reading ]
"WHEN GOOD THINGS INCREASE, THOSE WHO CONSUME THEM INCREASE. SO WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE OF THEIR OWNERS EXCEPT TO LOOK ON?"THOSE WHO CONSUME THEM INCREASE" -Solomon was well aware of the complex establishment that grows with growing wealth. Typically the wealthy man is surrounded by. group of hangers-... [ Continue Reading ]
"THE SLEEP OF THE WORKING MAN IS PLEASANT, WHETHER HE EATS LITTLE OR MUCH. BUT THE FULL STOMACH OF THE RICH MAN DOES NOT ALLOW HIM TO SLEEP." Points To Note: 1 Riches also bring anxiety. Those who have nothing to lose aren't going to be anxious about losing it. So the man who lives from paycheck to... [ Continue Reading ]
"THERE IS. GRIEVOUS EVIL WHICH. HAVE SEEN UNDER THE SUN: RICHES BEING HOARDED BY THEIR OWNER TO HIS HURT.... [ Continue Reading ]
"WHEN THOSE RICHES WERE LOST THROUGH. BAD INVESTMENT AND HE HAD FATHERED. SON, THEN THERE WAS NOTHING TO SUPPORT HIM." "Here, then, is. man who loses all his money at. single blow, leaving his family destitute" (Kidner p. 57). In fact, is appears that this is the same man who worried about his money... [ Continue Reading ]
"AS HE HAD COME NAKED FROM HIS MOTHER'S WOMB, SO WILL HE RETURN AS HE CAME. HE WILL TAKE NOTHING FROM THE FRUIT OF HIS LABOR THAT HE CAN CARRY IN HIS HAND." Even if the above wealth hadn't been lost, it would still be lost at death. Such, greed, trusting in wealth is always. bad investment. Note th... [ Continue Reading ]
"AND THIS ALSO IS. GRIEVOUS EVIL---EXACTLY AS. MAN IS BORN, THUS WILL HE DIE. SO, WHAT ADVANTAGE TO HIM WHO TOILS FOR THE WIND?"THIS IS ALSO. GRIEVOUS EVIL" -One can almost hear the exclamation, "It isn't fair!" We shall go out as naked as we arrived. The expression "grievous evil" implies trouble t... [ Continue Reading ]
"THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE HE ALSO EATS IN DARKNESS WITH GREAT VEXATION, SICKNESS AND ANGER."THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE" -That is, throughout the life of the man intent upon finding happiness in possessions. "HE ALSO EATS IN DARKNESS" -"passes his life in gloom and cheerlessness" (P.P. Comm. p. 117), "eateth in... [ Continue Reading ]
"HERE IS WHAT. HAVE SEEN TO BE GOOD AND FITTING: TO EAT, TO DRINK AND ENJOY ONESELF IN ALL ONE'S LABOR IN WHICH HE TOILS UNDER THE SUN DURING THE FEW YEARS OF HIS LIFE WHICH GOD HAS GIVEN HIM; FOR THIS IS HIS REWARD."WHICH GOD HAS GIVEN HIM" -"At first sight this may look like the mere praise of sim... [ Continue Reading ]
"FURTHERMORE, AS FOR EVERY MAN TO WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN RICHES AND WEALTH, HE HAS ALSO EMPOWERED HIM TO EAT FROM THEM AND TO RECEIVE HIS REWARD AND REJOICE IN HIS LABOR; THIS IS THE GIFT OF GOD."WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN" -The man or woman who really enjoys the things of this life, is the person who realizes... [ Continue Reading ]
"FOR HE WILL NOT OFTEN CONSIDER THE YEARS OF HIS LIFE, BECAUSE GOD KEEPS HIM OCCUPIED WITH THE GLADNESS OF HIS HEART."HE WILL NOT OFTEN CONSIDER THE YEARS OF HIS LIFE" -the years of his life are the few days already mentioned. The righteous person will not fret over the brevity, uncertainty or possi... [ Continue Reading ]