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In the Presence of God

Better watch your step here. Ecclesiastes 5.1

Ecclesiastes 5 (1)

Pray Psalm 25.1-3.
To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
O my God, I trust in You;
Let me not be ashamed;
Let not my enemies triumph over me.
Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed;
Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.

Read
Ecclesiastes 5.1.

Prepare.

1. What is the context for this verse? How does it counsel us?

2. Are there other times when we are in the Presence of God?

Meditate.
Solomon injects a brief interlude (vv. 1-7) of instructions concerning how one should comport himself in the presence of God (verse 1 is actually Ecclesiasts 4.17 in the Hebrew Bible). It is both good advice and a solemn warning against professing faith, but not living it.
 
This is an “under heaven” section, even though that familiar phrase is not employed. The context of this passage is worship (“when you go to the house of God”). But, since we always live before the eyes of God, the advice here is relevant at all times.

Solomon instructs us to “watch your step” (NKJV: “walk prudently”; the Hebrew is literally, “guard your feet”) as you come before the Lord. We – chasers of vanity and feeders on the wind – are coming before the eternal, holy, unchanging, and sovereign God. We should be more inclined to hear from God than to think that our silly lives add anything to Him.

The “fool” goes casually through the motions of worship, offering sacrifices, singing songs, nodding (or nodding off) at the preaching, and making a good show to everyone present. But he does not understand that his superficial and self-centered worship is evil in the sight of God (cf. Ps. 50.16-23). The point of this introductory verse is to explain that coming before God is serious business. Come as a seeker, a listener, a receiver of His instruction and correction; and don’t kid yourself by thinking you add anything to God. True religion is grounded in revelation and obedience, not in our best efforts to please Him.

You can’t pretend with God. He simply won’t have it. But this is the way far too many people conduct their religious life, offering things to God – like going to church – and thinking that He is satisfied with their occasional efforts. By inserting this “under heaven” interlude at this point, Solomon keeps his primary theme before the reader, while using it to indict the shallowness of our religious lives.

Reflect.
1. How should you “watch your step” as you come before God in worship?

2. Why do we add nothing to God by anything we offer Him? So why does He allow us to make such offerings (Rom. 12.1)?

3. Is it really possible to do evil and not know it? How can we avoid falling into that pit?

Address thyself to the worship of God, and take time to compose thyself for it. Keep thy thoughts from roving and wandering: keep thy affection from running out toward wrong objects. We should avoid vain repetitions; copious prayers are not here condemned, but those that are unmeaning. How often our wandering thoughts render attendance on Divine ordinances little better than the sacrifice of fools! Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Ecclesiastes 5.1

O Lord, let my worship, and all my life, be open and sincere before You, so that I…

Pray Psalm 25.1-5.
Let these words put you in a receptive frame of mind, as you wait on the Lord to teach you His ways.

Sing Psalm 25.1-5.
Psalm 25.1-5 (Festal Song: Revive Thy Work, O Lord)
I lift my soul to You; O Lord, in You I trust.
Let me not come to shame, nor let my foes o’er me exult.

All they who wait on You shall never come to shame;
Yet they to shame shall come who stand against Your holy Name.

Make me to know Your ways, teach me Your paths, O Lord!
My Savior, all day long I wait and seek You in Your Word.

T. M. Moore

Where does the book of Ecclesiastes fit in the overall flow of Scripture? Our series of studies, God’s Covenant, can show you, and help you discover the great beauty of the unity and diversity of Scripture, and how it all points to Christ. To order your copy of this important workbook, click here.

You can download all the studies in this series on Ecclesiastes by clicking here. If you value Scriptorium as a free resource for your walk with the Lord, please consider supporting our work with your gifts and offerings. You can contribute to The Fellowship by clicking the Contribute button  at the website or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 360 Zephyr Road, Williston, VT 05495.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from
The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006). All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (available by clicking here).

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

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