Solomon's World View

[Olde Tymer]

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● Ecc 5:1 . . Be not overeager to go to the House of God: more acceptable is
obedience than the offering of fools, for they know nothing [but] to do wrong.

"What is more pleasing to The Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your
obedience to His voice? Obedience is far better than sacrifice. Listening to Him is
much better than offering the fat of rams. Rebellion is as bad as the sin of
witchcraft, and stubbornness is as bad as worshiping idols". (1Sam 15:22-23)

Old Testament Judaism was built around a fully functioning Aaronic priesthood
whose duty was to collect sacrifices and offerings from the people. But the
worshippers abused the system because they lived like the Devil during most of the
year and tried to make up for it with liturgy. To see how God feels about that kind
of religious hypocrisy, just read the first chapter of Isaiah.

In no uncertain terms, God angrily spurned his people's offerings-- their prayers,
their holy days, their festivals and feast days, and yes even their sacred Sabbath
observances because although they were very religious, they were, at the same
time, a hard-hearted, stubborn pack of scofflaws.

The very same thing can be osberved in modern Christianity. A number of pew
warmers live utterly worldly lives all year long and expect that church attendance
on Easter Sunday will somehow make up for it. That day is the most heavily
attended in church. People who normally wouldn't step over the threshold of a
church door all year long, will attend on Easter Sunday so they don't feel
completely heathen. Easter service, to them, is some sort of redemption day,
somehow wiping away a whole year's worth of secular impiety and is supposed to
convince Jesus they truly love him after all.

NOTE: Just for the fun of it some day, position yourself where you can watch the
front of a church when it's let out Sunday morning and observe the number of
Christians who J-walk back to their cars. (chuckle) You might be surprised.

● Ecc 5:2-3 . . Keep your mouth from being rash, and let not your throat be quick
to bring forth speech before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth; that is
why your words should be few. Just as dreams come with much brooding, so does
foolish utterance come with much speech.

If you've really nothing to discuss with God in prayer, then skip it: say nothing;
remembering that God is a king, and kings shouldn't be treated as if they're dumb
enough to suffer fools and fritter away their time lending audience to bombastic
rhetoric.

● Ecc 5:4-6 . .When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. For He has no
pleasure in fools; what you vow, fulfill. It is better not to vow at all than to vow and
not fulfill. Don't let your mouth bring you into disfavor, and don't plead before the
messenger that it was an error, but fear God; else God may be angered by your
talk and destroy your possessions.

The "messenger" is translated from a somewhat ambiguous Hebrew word. It can
mean an angel, a prophet, a priest or a even just a teacher.

In this location, the messenger likely refers to a church officer to whom you made
a pledge, e.g. a faith promise.

A sacred vow is between you and God, not between you and your church. So don't
be rash with your promises to God nor make excuses for reneging. A promise is an
obligation; and God will hold you to your vows even if you can't afford it. You just
try to be lax in your payments with a shylock and see what happens. You risk
fractured ribs by men who are very good at breaking things over people's heads.
When the points are due, that's when they're expected; not later. If shylocks are to
be feared, then God ought to be feared even more.

"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the
honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me? says the Lord
Almighty." (Mal 1:6)

Better not to make a promise than to make one without resolve to keep it. (cf. Matt
5:33-37)

● Ecc 5:7 . . For much dreaming leads to futility and to superfluous talk.

Flowery prayers, and showy vows and pledges don't please God near as much as
just simply being a man of your word.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

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● Ecc 5:8 . . If you see in a province oppression of the poor and suppression of
right and justice, don’t wonder at the fact; for one high official is protected by a
higher one, and both of them by still higher ones.

Existing alongside America's elected officials, is a shadow government called the
bureaucracy. Bureaucrats are non-elected officials who are actually the ones
conducting much of the government's business. High profile bureaucrats would be
the President's cabinet. But many others operate completely invisible to the general
public until they become implicated in a news-worthy scandal.

Too many bureaucrats are looking out only for themselves; most especially their
jobs. So they tend to make every effort to please their superiors; often to the
detriment of the voting public's best interests. No one should be shocked at this.
It's pretty normal because after all, human government is staffed by human beings.

● Ecc 5:9 . .The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from
the fields.

Government officials are sometimes said to be feeding at the federal trough. Like
greedy swine, they gobble up a large percentage of the gross national product to
pay their own wages, perks, and benefits; and to finance ear-marks and pork. But
citizens benefit in many ways from taxes too. So the government is not the only
one taking a piece of the country's wealth.

● Ecc 5:10 . . A lover of money never has his fill of money, nor a lover of wealth his
fill of income. That too is futile.

Money may not be the number one thing in life; but it's way ahead of whatever is
number two. When Shia LaBeouf's character asked Josh Brolin's character-- in the
movie: Wall Street/Money Never Sleeps --what his number is; viz: the number of
dollars that would be enough for him to walk away from investment banking and
retire; Brolin's character answered: More.

People obsessed with money actually love and revere it; and make any and every
sacrifice to get it. They stay up late, work long ridiculous hours, disconnect from
their families, and even betray their friends' trust to get it. Their minds are filled
with thoughts about money, their lives are controlled by getting it and guarding it;
and while they have it: they feel a great sense of pride, achievement, security, and
independence.

The amount of money they possess pales in importance compared to their rabid
desire to simply amass it. I've heard it said that success is the best revenge. There
are too many people out there in the business world who need money simply to feel
better about themselves, and to get one over on their rivals.

● Ecc 5:11a . . As his substance increases, so do those who consume it;

The wealthy often find themselves hounded by foundations, causes, charities, and
freeloading relatives and friends. MC Hammer, a very popular rapper in the 80's
and 90's, was quite rich at one time but spent it all on not just himself, but on his
entourage as well. Making money in a big way involves the employment of a staff;
and those kinds of staffs aren't cheap. They all average six figures; not to mention
their bonuses which commonly run up to seven.

● Ecc 5:11b . . what, then, does the success of its owner amount to but feasting his
eyes?

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis was heard to say: I don't like
money actually, but it quiets my nerves. Yes, money is good for feasting the eyes,
and provides a certain sense of security. However, money is no guarantee your
nerves will be calm, nor that your sleep will be sound; nor that your security is
assured.

● Ecc 5:12 . . A [slave's] sleep is sweet, whether he has much or little to eat; but
the rich man's abundance doesn't let him sleep.

Rich folks typically don't perform any manual labor during the day, and they can
choose their own hours. Unfortunately that can lead to trouble sleeping due to a
lack of adequate exercise.

Plus; when you have nothing, you don't worry too much about losing it. But when
you have a lot, then you fear going broke; and along with riches comes rich foods
which sometimes cause indigestion and acid reflux.

I know a man who, as he got older, became concerned about dying before owning a
really good timepiece. So, he took some money out of his home equity line and
bought four high-end watches totaling roughly $20,000. He was happy with the
watches, but now worries all the time they might get lost, stolen, or damaged. He
didn't have that kind of anxiety when he wore drug-store timepieces.
_