Ecclesiastes 5:1-3

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Introduction to Chapter 5


J. Vernon McGee, in his commentary on Ecclesiastes, makes the following statement regarding chapter 5, verses 1-7.

"Religion has damned the world more than any other thing. Look what the pagan religions did for people in the past. Look at India, China. and the Moslem world. Look at the Roman Catholic world. Look at liberal Protestantism. Multitudes have joined churches since WW II that allow then to get away from God and to avoid a personal relationship with Jesus Christ .

"Solomon examines religion. Having repeatedly come to the conclusion that secular life holds no meaning, it is understandable that man would turn to religion. But so often that is it. They turn to a system rather than to the Saviour. To good feeling rather than God, to some legalism rather than the Lord, to justification of self rather than to Jesus.

"So Solomon will tell us what is wrong with our worship.

"In these verses Solomon observes how man worships God. While he sees Worship as good he knows that man often takes a good thing and makes it of no effect."

Solomon looks at worship in three chronological stages.
1. Before Worship, v 1a

2. During Worship, v 1b-3

3. After Worship, v 4-7

BEFORE WE WORSHIP we must check our Mental Attitude and Motive.

Ecclesiastes 5:1

Guard your steps as you go to the house of God.


The Hebrew word GUARD is SHA-MAR which has three implications.

1. To exercise great care over something: This meaning shows us the importance of preparation prior to worship.

2. To give careful attention to the paying of an obligation or the obeying of a law: This meaning shows us that worship is to be according to God's mandates and rules not our. And that we must take care to worship God as He desires.

3. To guard against intruders: This meaning shows us that there is a potential of intrusion and distraction that we must defend against as we prepare to worship.

The SHA-MAR is distinct from other verbs translated GUARD in that it sets the responsibility upon the subject. Hence, it is our decision and our discipline that will allow us to guard our steps as we approach the worship of God.

The decision is one faith in that we are recognizing that God is God and is to be worships and praised and that our worship must conform to Him, not expecting Him to conform to our worship.

The discipline comes from faith dependence upon the Holy Spirit who provides the ability, power, and means by which we can guard our steps.

Solomon had in mind the Temple in Jerusalem over which he administrated the building.

Yet he was not hung up with the building. Although it was a magnificent structure, Solomon saw a greater importance in the MENTAL ATTITUDE of the one who came to worship

Often we forget this when we are in the O.T.

I Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said (to Saul), Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.

Psalm 51:16-17 For Thou dost not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; Thou art not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.

Principle: Even in the O.T. when God's people had a system of worship that included specific place and practice, the MENTAL ATTITUDE was more important than anything else.

What are some of the things that we can do to guard our steps as we prepare to Worship God?

Anticipating the Time of Worship: We need to cultivate an attitude that looks forward to our time of Worship.

If we are developing a personal intimate relationship with God then times of Worship should mean more to us than anything else.

It is during times of worship that we take the Word that we have in our souls and direct it, in adoration and appreciation, to God.

While worship, the word comes from an old English word meaning to express the worthiness of God, includes certain mechanics, it more than just ritual.

Worship is a time in which we can intimately fellowship with God, we can express emotions in a structure that God has provided, we can be free in the Spirit as guided by the Word to adore God.

In anticipating the time of Worship we should pray regarding our Worship: Believers ought always to pray and should specifically pray regarding those times of worship.

Prayer prior to worship should include confession of sins, asking God to give us the concentration of the Spirit in us, praying that we can be edified and admonished during our Worship.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

We should also pray for and be prepared for the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit during our times of Worship.

Many times it has been during the worship of God that the Holy Spirit will strongly come against our flesh and convict us of sin and unfaithfulness.

Since times of worship are also times of concentration the Holy Spirit ill use these times to convict the believer. We can pray that God will do this as He sees there is need.

The third area of preparation is physical: Perhaps it is because of my vantage point that I notice many who are ill prepared to worship because of physical exhaustion of emotional distraction.

If I have a date, and I often do with my bride, I make sure I am not worn out from the day so as to not be able to enjoy the night. Often I will take a nap, rest up, so that I will be attentive to my date .


Introductin Ecclesiastes 5:1b-3

"Draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few. For the dream comes through much effort, and the voice of a fool through many words. "

DRAW NEAR TO LISTEN means to come with open and receptive hearts.

This shows us that worship includes something we need to listen to and learn.

It may be the words of a hymn, the reading of the Scriptures, the content of a prayer. We need to listen with attentive and open hearts.

The antithesis of this is to offer the sacrifice of fools.

Any sacrifice can only come from what is possessed by the individual.

In Eccl. 10:14 we are told what the fool has more than anything else: The fool is full of words...

Proverbs 10:8 and 10 echoes this same concept when it talks of the babbling fool full of words.

THEREFORE, the sacrifice of a fool is his empty words.

And rather than listen he talks, but his words are empty.

Job 35:16 Elihu's statement to Job: So Job opens his mouth emptily; He multiplies words without knowledge.

In doing this the fool goes from mere foolishness to evil which is the Hebrew RA' and is associated with Satan's plan that at all times opposes God's plan of grace.

Ecclesiastes 5:2

Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.


In this verse Solomon describes the fool.

Hasty in words: Speaks without prior thought

Impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God.

Now God wants us to spend time with Him in prayer and to open our whole hearts to Him.

Here, however, we have the person who does not recognize who God is and that He is good and just. So He has impulsive thoughts and speaks quick words regarding God.

Not remembering that God is in heaven and the fool is on earth

Not letting his words be few

Proverbs 29:11 A fool lets his whole mind be known.

Have you ever spoken to someone who is not listening to you? You know their concentration is a million miles away. And then if they do respond to you it is often an inappropriate response to an issue that is not even related to what you are talking about.

This is what Solomon is talking about. The one who comes to worship God, present in body but not in spirit.

Solomon compares this to a dream filled night.

Ecclesiastes 5:3

For the dream comes through much effort, and the voice of a fool through many words.


We have a comparison here. The dreams that come through much effort are the dreams of a restless person who has worked hard, hard effort.

It is very hard for me to go to sleep immediately after being out for the evening, see a good movie, or having attended some exciting sporting event.

I need time to wind down. If I have had a busy day, much effort, I cannot go to sleep and when I do I have a dreamed filled and restless night.

Just as much effort causes a dream filled night, the fool causes many words...but they have about as much substance to them as a dream

But FOOLS and MUCH WORDS go together. Where there is one there is the other. This thought is picked up again at verse 7.

For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness.

We must not play the fool in our worship of God.

ROMANS 15:8-11 The Link Between O.T. Worship and NT Worship

Verses 8 and 9 link the age of Israel to the Age of the Church as Jesus did in John 4.

Romans 15:8-11 For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, Therefore I will give praise to Thee among the Gentiles, And I will sing to Thy name. And again he says, Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people. And again, Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, And let all the peoples praise Him.

Worship, as in the O.T. still exists, but it is no longer according to a prescribed place, personnel, or legal procedure. No longer in an mountain or in Jerusalem but in Spirit and Truth.

John 4:23 But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.

God the Holy Spirit providing the power and the Truth (BD) providing the influence of procedure for the C.A., all that remains is your decision of faith to be led by the Spirit and depend upon the Spirit in worshipping God.

Romans 8:14-16 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, Abba! Father! The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

It is God the Holy Spirit who empowers our human spirits to be able to worship God.

And now Paul quotes from Psalm 18:49, II Samuel 22:50, Deuteronomy 32:43, Psalm 117:1.

Romans 15:10-11 And again he says, Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people. And again, Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, And let all the peoples praise (laud) Him.

He describes five Old Testament aspects of worship that are appropriate for churches today.
1. Confess to God in the presence of the World:

Worship is primarily public in sight of the world. As the world looks at the believer it should see the attitude of worship expressed. Our gathering together for the worship of God is a public testimony of our faith.

2. Sing praise to God's name.

The word NAME which is ONAMA looks at one's reputation and what is known of that reputation. So we sing praise unto God based upon what we know of Him.

3. We are to rejoice or be glad:

This is the MENTAL ATTITUDE of sharing the very happiness of God which comes as we have an accurate understanding of Him.

4. Praise the Lord: This is AINEW. Also mentioned in Acts 2:47 as one of the seven main elements of the L.C.

Praise is the enthusiastic response to God's person and performance. It is the logical and vocal response to the character and work of God.

5. Laud Him (translated praise in NASV): EPAINEW

Can mean to commend, praise, and applaud as in putting your hands together which is a normal reflex of the emotions in expressing appreciation.

By quoting these O.T. verses Paul makes a link between the procedure of worship in the age of Israel and in the Church Age. The place is not the same, the personnel is no longer limited to a specialized priesthood, and the procedure is different but the worship of God, the praising of God, the honoring of God is the same.



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