1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. 3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words.
4 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.
8 If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. 9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.
10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? 12 Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.
13 There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, 14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. 15 As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
Solomon cautions against a casual relationship with God. God is to be feared, that is to be treated with reverence as the God over everything and everyone He is. Do not think you can be rash and careless with your words when speaking with God. Better to speak less than offer up a vow that you cannot keep (Deut 23:21-23). Don’t think you can make quick and easy promises to God and not keep them, that is sin. God would be righteous to be angry and destroy the work of your hands. Solomon’s point is that this is one sure way to lose out on the fruit of your labour.
Another way we are likely to lose out on the fruit of our labour is the oppression of the poor by those in authority. Each authority up the chain takes his share through taxes and exploitation.
The lover of money is never satisfied because as he increases his income, so he increases his anxiety as he watches over it and needs to protect all he has accumulated.
Wealth is also fleeting. A large fortune can easily be lost on a bad investment or venture leaving you with nothing to pass on to your children. You entered this world with nothing and you will leave this world in the same way.
The accumulation of wealth is fraught with many anxieties. In many ways, it would be better to have just enough to live and eat than to strive to be wealthy. As you consider the time and energy you spend every day, is your focus on things that are more or less likely to end up meaningless?