ECCLESIASTES LESSON 6


     We will begin this lesson in Ecclesiastes 5:1 "Keep 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."

     Acts 7:33 "Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy
feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground."  Anywhere
God is, is holy ground. It matters not whether it is in the temple in
Jerusalem, the tabernacles of those days, or our churches today, God
is there where true believers meet. The way to "keep our foot" is to
walk in the Light. John 8:12  "Then spake Jesus again unto them,
saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not
walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."  I John 1:7 "But
if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one
with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from
all sin."  This path with the Light of Jesus leads us safely to the
house of God. James 1:19 "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every
man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:" God is still
speaking today, but few are listening. The sacrifice that God wants is
our obedience and praise of Him. Hebrews 13:15 "By him therefore let
us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the
fruit of [our] lips giving thanks to his name."  I Samuel 15:22 "And
Samuel said, Hath the LORD [as great] delight in burnt offerings and
sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey [is]
better than sacrifice, [and] to hearken than the fat of rams."  God
does not want the formality of keeping His law. He wants us to obey
Him, love Him, and praise Him. He wants our hearts.

     Ecclesiastes 5:2 "Be 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."

     James 1:19 "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be
swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:"  James 1:20 "For the
wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God."  James 3:2 "For in
many things we offend all.  If any man offend not in word, the same
[is] a perfect man, [and] able also to bridle the whole body."  The
tongue is an evil weapon that destroys. We must let the Spirit of God
bridle our tongues. Matthew 12:36 "But I say unto you, That every idle
word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day
of judgment." We must also be careful not to pray amiss. James 4:3 "Ye
ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume [it]
upon your lusts."

     Ecclesiastes 5:3 "For a dream cometh through the multitude of
business; and a fool's voice [is known] by multitude of words."

     Dreams happen for a number of reasons. One thing that causes us
to dream, is when we have eaten something that does not agree with us.
Another reason we dream, is an attack from Satan. We, sometimes, work
very hard and our mind cannot slow down when we sleep. This is what is
spoken of in the verse above. We do have dreams from God many times,
as well. These dreams can be telling us of something that will happen,
or they may guide us in some manner. We must learn to tell where our
dreams are from. In the last part, of the verse above, we see that too
much talking can cause us to sin. Proverbs 10:19 "In the multitude of
words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips [is]
wise." Matthew 6:7 "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the
heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much
speaking."

     Ecclesiastes 5:4 "When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to
pay it; for [he hath] no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast
vowed."

     Ananias and Saphira found out how dangerous it was to vow a vow
to God, and not keep it. God killed them both. Acts 5:3 "But Peter
said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy
Ghost, and to keep back [part] of the price of the land?"  Acts 5:4
"Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was
it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine
heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God."  Acts 5:5 "And
Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and
great fear came on all them that heard these things."  Saphira is
shown separately, to show her own sin killed her, not her husband's.
Acts 5:10 "Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up
the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and,
carrying [her] forth, buried [her] by her husband."  It is a dangerous
thing to vow a vow to God and, not keep it.

     Ecclesiastes 5:5 "Better [is it] that thou shouldest not vow,
than that thou shouldest vow and not pay."

     Jesus explains it very well in the following Scriptures. Matthew
5:34 "But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it
is God's throne:"  Matthew 5:35 "Nor by the earth; for it is his
footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great
King." Matthew 5:36 "Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because
thou canst not make one hair white or black."  Matthew 5:37 "But let
your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than
these cometh of evil."

     Ecclesiastes 5:6 "Suffer 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?"

     I have mentioned several times before, that the flesh, or the
spirit, rules the will of a person. When the flesh rules, we are not
pleasing to God. The mouth speaks of the abundance of the heart. If
our heart is controlled by the flesh, it is wicked, and evil things
come out of our mouth. On the other hand, if our hearts are controlled
by the spirit, then we say good things. Luke 6:45 "A good man out of
the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and
an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that
which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."
     Ecclesiastes 5:7 "For in the multitude of dreams and many words
[there are] also [divers] vanities: but fear thou God."

     We spoke earlier in this lesson, how dreams come from various
places. You must not base your belief on just dreams. The dreams could
be from a source other than God. The dreams that are safe to believe,
are those that line up with the Word of God. We find that people who
believe in just dreams are really not grounded well in the Word of
God. The man who is rash with his vows will live to regret them.
Prayers prayed amiss are, also, a downfall. Put your faith in God. The
fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.

     Ecclesiastes 5:8  "If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and
violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not
at the matter: for [he that is] higher than the highest regardeth; and
[there be] higher than they."

     The person, who has been placed as judge of others, must remember
there is a judge of all the earth, that he will have to stand before
himself. With whatever judgement he judges, he will be judged.
"Marvel", in this Scripture above, is speaking of being amazed, or
wondering.  Colossians 4:1 "Masters, give unto [your] servants that
which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in
heaven."

     Ecclesiastes 5:9  "Moreover the profit of the earth is for all:
the king [himself] is served by the field."

     God made the earth, and everything in it, for the use of man. It
all belongs to God. We are allowed the use of parts of it at the times
God chooses to allow us. The king may get a little more of the benefit
from the earth {in a material way} than the common man, but it all
belongs to God. The king is no different than the common man, except
God made him king.

     Ecclesiastes 5:10 "He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied
with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this [is]
also vanity."

     This speaks of someone who has made silver, or wealth his god.
When a person does this, he is never satisfied he has enough.
I Timothy 6:10 "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which
while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced
themselves through with many sorrows."

     Ecclesiastes 5:11 "When goods increase, they are increased that
eat them: and what good [is there] to the owners thereof, saving the
beholding [of them] with their eyes?"

     Solomon is expressing the fact that wealth has many hidden
problems. This is saying, if you suddenly come into a great deal of
money, you will have relatives and friends, whose names you cannot
remember, come to share in your good fortune.  Increase in your wealth
is an open door for others to ask for loans and financial assistance
of all kinds. The only real gain the person has, is in the knowledge
the wealth is there. It can be very fleeting.  Wealth does not improve
your taste for food. It does not help you sleep better. It, possibly,
might cause you to sleep less.  It is questionable whether it is a
blessing, or a curse.

     Ecclesiastes 5:12 "The sleep of a labouring man [is] sweet,
whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not
suffer him to sleep."

     The laborer comes in tired from the physical work he has done.
He does not have enough money, so someone is constantly trying to
cheat him out of it. He lays his head on the pillow and sleeps. The
rich, possibly, are not physically tired, because they have not
worked.  Their minds will not calm down long enough to cause them to
sleep. They must be constantly on guard, so as not to lose their
money.  Proverbs 3:24 "When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid:
yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet."

     Ecclesiastes 5:13 "There is a sore evil [which] I have seen under
the sun, [namely], riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt."

     I Timothy 6:17 "Charge them that are rich in this world, that
they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the
living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;" I Timothy 6:18
"That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to
distribute, willing to communicate;"  I Timothy 6:19 "Laying up in
store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that
they may lay hold on eternal life."  Mark 10:25 "It is easier for a
camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter
into the kingdom of God."

     Ecclesiastes 5:14 "But those riches perish by evil travail: and
he begetteth a son, and [there is] nothing in his hand."

     Riches are here today, and gone tomorrow. It is the Lord that
determines, just how much of the riches of the world He can entrust
you with. I Samuel 2:7 "The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he
bringeth low, and lifteth up."  Just because a person has great riches
does not mean they will still have them, when it is time to pass them
on to their children.  God is the one who determines that.

     Ecclesiastes 5:15 "As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked
shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his
labour, which he may carry away in his hand."

     Death cancels out the riches a man possesses on the earth. When
he dies, the things he possessed on the earth pass on to someone else.
The only things we will possess in heaven, are the things we stored
there, when we were still alive. Luke 12:20 "But God said unto him,
[Thou] fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose
shall those things be, which thou hast provided?"  I Timothy 6:7 "For
we brought nothing into [this] world, [and it is] certain we can carry
nothing out."
     Ecclesiastes 5:16 "And this also [is] a sore evil, [that] in all
points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath
laboured for the wind?"

     The wind is spoken of here, because we do not know where it comes
from, and we do not know where it goes. Riches are as transient as the
wind. They come rather unexpectedly, and leave the same way. John 6:27
"Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which
endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto
you: for him hath God the Father sealed."

     Ecclesiastes 5:17 "All his days also he eateth in darkness, and
[he hath] much sorrow and wrath with his sickness."

     Money cannot buy you health, or happiness. Eating in darkness
indicates he had not sought God. He was sick at the loss of his money.
His greatest concern should have been nearing death without God,
instead he was more concerned about nearing death without money.

     Ecclesiastes 5:18  "Behold [that] which I have seen: [it is] good
and comely [for one] to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all
his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life,
which God giveth him: for it [is] his portion."

     The things that God provides for our use here on the earth, we
should be thankful for. Those who pray and thank God for all they have
are doing the will of God. Paul teaches a very good lesson in the
following verse. Philippians 4:11 "Not that I speak in respect of
want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be
content." We must be thankful to God for what we have been provided,
regardless if it is great, or small.

     Ecclesiastes 5:19 "Every man also to whom God hath given riches
and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his
portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this [is] the gift of God."

     We are what we are, by the grace of God. God makes some rich. He
makes others poor. He sets kings on their thrones. Solomon is just
thanking God for all the bountiful world blessings God has bestowed
upon him. Deuteronomy 8:18 "But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God:
for [it is] he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may
establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as [it is]
this day."

     Ecclesiastes 5:20 "For he shall not much remember the days of his
life; because God answereth [him] in the joy of his heart."

     It is very difficult, when we get a little older, to look back
into our lives and remember the details. The person who learns to
accept things day by day in the peace that Christ provides, does not
fret about things that might have been. Romans 5:11 "And not only
[so], but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we
have now received the atonement."

                       Ecclesiastes 6 Questions


1.  Quote Acts chapter 7 verse 33.
2.  Where is holy ground?
3.  How can we "Keep our foot"?
4.  Quote John chapter 8 verse 12.
5.  Quote 1 John chapter 1 verse 7.
6.  Let every man be ________ to hear, and ______ to speak.
7.  What is the sacrifice that God wants from us?
8.  Quote Hebrews chapter 13 verse 15.
9.  To _______ is better than sacrifice.
10. Let thy words be ______.
11. If any man offend not in word, the same is a __________ man.
12. We must let the ________ of _______ bridle our tongues.
13. Quote Matthew chapter 12 verse 36.
14. Why do we ask, and receive not?
15. What causes dreams?
16. Quote Proverbs chapter 10 verse 19.
17. The heathen think that they shall be heard for their ______
    ________.
18. Who broke a vow to God, and were killed for it?
19. Swear ______ at all.
20. Why can we not afford to swear?
21. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy _________ to sin.
22. The _______, or the _______, rules the will of a person.
23. Quote Luke chapter 6 verse 45.
24. Why should you not base your belief on dreams?
25. The _________ of _____ is the beginning of wisdom.
26. What must the judges on this earth remember?
27. What is "marvel" in verse 8 speaking of?
28. Who is verse 10 speaking of?
29. Quote 1 Timothy chapter 6 verse 10.
30. What happens, when your goods increase?
31. Why does a laborer sleep better?
32. Quote 1 Timothy chapter 6 verse 17.
33. Who makes a person rich, or poor?
34. Quote 1 Timothy chapter 6 verse 7.
35. Why is the wind spoken of in verse 16?
36. What does "eating in darkness" indicate?
37. What had Paul learned about wealth?
38. Quote Deuteronomy chapter 8 verse 18.
39. How did we receive atonement?