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Ecclesiastes 5 | The Importance of Reverence
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Reverence simply means a deep respect for something or someone. We all instinctively recognize environments that demand our reverence—we don't laugh loudly at funerals, we don't crack jokes during a wedding ceremony, and we don't stroll into a courtroom casually. When we witness groups of people united in patriotism, singing their national anthem with arms around each other, there's a powerful moment of reverence.
The greater the place, the greater the reverence we should show. If reverence is appropriate in a courtroom and on a soccer field, how much more should we show reverence in the house of God?
Ecclesiastes 5 opens with a critical instruction: Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. The Hebrew word for "guard" carries the idea of intention—we must be careful and thoughtful about how we enter God's presence.
Commentator Alexander McLaren said, "Fruitful and acceptable worship begins before it begins." The approach to our worship matters far more than most of us realize.
God invites us to draw near. James 4:8 reminds us, "Come near to God and he will come near to you." But there's a purpose: we go near in order to listen.
Faith comes from hearing the message about Christ (Romans 10:17). This is how faith becomes real in your heart—by listening to the gospel message in God's presence. We are not here to check a spiritual box or play a Christian game. We are here to listen to the voice of almighty God.
Solomon warns against offering "the sacrifice of fools"—those who enter God's presence speaking carelessly, unaware that their sacrifice is foolish.
In verse 2, he explains: Do not be quick with your mouth and do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. The reason is profound: God is in heaven and you are on earth. This simple geographical reality demands that let your words be few.
While God desires our authenticity in prayer, we often speak to Him far too casually—almost as if we're talking to a friend or Siri rather than a holy God. Jesus himself warned against this in Matthew 6: "When you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words."
DL Moody said, "Some people's prayers need to be cut short at both ends and set on fire in the middle." Charles Spurgeon agreed: "It is not the length of our prayers, but the strength of our prayers that makes the difference."
God is listening right now. In light of what Christ has done, you have access to God. Your words should reflect reverence, not carelessness.
Solomon declares, "Many words mark the speech of a fool." In Proverbs 17, he adds: "The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint... Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent and discerning if they hold their tongues."
You might know in your mind that you lack understanding, but if you talk too much, everyone else will know it too. God is in heaven. You are on earth. Let your words be few.
Solomon shifts to a critical issue: When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. A vow is simply a promise—a commitment before God.
Throughout Scripture, we see examples: Samson took the Nazerite vow, Hannah vowed to dedicate her child to the Lord, and Paul made vows as well. But how often do we make vows casually and forget them?
We make these vows all the time, and we break them just as easily. Solomon says it plainly: It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.
One of the clearest examples of how we've degraded vows is in marriage. When you stood at the altar, you made vows before God—not just to your spouse, but to the Almighty. Yet our culture has convinced us these are merely suggestions.
Jesus said we marry "for better or for worse." Not just while things are going well. Not just until things get difficult. If it gets better or worse, fulfill your vow and do not delay.
You fulfill your marriage vows not just because you love that person, but because you love God. Your reverence for Him compels you to keep your word.
Jesus raised the standard even higher in Matthew 5:37: "Let your yes be yes and your no be no." We shouldn't need to preface everything with "I promise" repeatedly. Our word should be trustworthy.
Solomon warns, "Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands?" Breaking vows without repentance is serious—it's sin. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin.
Therefore, fear God. All of this stems from reverence. If you fear God, you will guard your steps, listen rather than speak, keep your words few, and fulfill your vows.
Solomon acknowledges that injustice and oppression exist in every era. We should not be surprised when the poor are oppressed or when justice is denied. High officials have always hoarded power and abused the weak.
Yet not being surprised doesn't mean we accept it passively. Proverbs 31:8-9 commands: Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Leaders will act unjustly. There will be oppression. But even the most powerful are ultimately dependent on God's provision. Even if it seems evil is winning, God has the final word. Jesus will return, make all wrongs right again, and restore justice as it was meant to be.
Solomon now addresses a critical issue: the love of money. He distinguishes clearly—the Bible doesn't say having money is sinful. Paul tells Timothy, "The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil" (1 Timothy 6:10). There's a big difference between having money and loving it, between money having you.
King Solomon, the wealthiest ruler in history, gives us his observations about wealth and identifies five side effects of loving money:
Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. No matter how much you gain, it's never enough. This drives you to chase more and more, only to feel increasingly miserable and discontented.
As goods increase, so do those who consume them. The more you have, the more people expect from you. Yet this is not inherently bad—if you love Jesus more than money, you'll see wealth as a tool for generosity and blessing others.
The sleep of a laborer is sweet, but the rich's abundance permits them no sleep. Solomon pictures himself late at night, unable to rest while his workers sleep peacefully. The cares of wealth rob you of peace.
Paul discovered "the secret of being content in any and every situation" (Philippians 4:12). God never sleeps. He watches over your kingdom while you rest. You can depend on Him.
Wealth hoarded harms its owner. Solomon reminds us: You came naked from your mother's womb, and naked you will depart. You take nothing with you.
Jesus told of a rich man who built bigger barns for his abundance. God called him a fool: "You will die tonight. Then who will get what you've prepared for yourself?" (Luke 12). The problem isn't storing things—it's doing so while becoming spiritually poor.
All their days they eat in darkness with great frustration, affliction, and anger. They work like crazy, build empires, achieve success, yet feel only emptiness and frustration.
But Solomon doesn't end on despair. This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink, and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them.
When God gives someone wealth and possessions and the ability to enjoy them, accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.
Yet there's a subtle danger here. The world has convinced us that enjoyment is the meaning of life. We spend our days accumulating experiences and possessions for happiness. Meanwhile, the cares of this world and the desires of this life distract us from what actually matters.
We become so occupied with gladness of heart, so preoccupied with enjoyment, that we seldom reflect on the days of our lives. The Hebrew phrase means "will not remember." You'll reach the end and think, "What was all of this for?"
Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." There are times we must stop and reflect on what truly captures our hearts and distracts us.
The answer to life is not found in enjoyment. It's not in accumulating possessions or experiences. While enjoyment is a gift from God, there is so much more.
God created you for a perfect relationship with Him. The void you're trying to fill with wealth, possessions, and enjoyment exists because you were made for God and Him alone.
But there's a problem. Our sin separates us from Him. There's a gap between us and God that we cannot bridge through good deeds alone.
God knew we could never restore that relationship ourselves. So He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on a cross to pay the penalty for our sin. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. Jesus paid the price you owed.
Three days later, He rose again—proving death is not the end. Because there is hope in Christ, because there is eternity, we don't live for mere enjoyment. We live for Him.
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." There is no other way.
If you know you've been chasing the wrong things and Jesus is calling you home, count the cost. Are you willing to say, "I'm leaving my life of sin behind and choosing Jesus"?
His grace and love are inviting you home today.
If you're ready to respond, repeat this prayer:
Lord God, I open my heart and I invite you inside. Forgive my sin. Today I repent. Now fill me with your Spirit. And I will walk with you all the days of my life. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
This is the most important vow you will ever make. Do not delay. God loves you. He's pursuing your heart. Say yes to Jesus today.
