Part 2 of 3
In our previous article on Ecclesiastes 5:1-7, we learned, from verse 1, that we must engage in worship thoughtfully and carefully and reverently. We must be ready and careful to hear what the Lord has to say to us and be ready to obey that word, and we ought to avoid all forms of careless, thoughtless, and mere outward worship, for such worship is offensive to the living God.
In this article, we will be looking at verses 2 and 3 of Ecclesiastes 5.
Worshipping God in the House of God (vv. 1-3)
In verse 2, Solomon goes on to give both a command and a motive. He says, “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.”
The command is that we should not be rash and inconsiderate with our words in worship. We are not to simply and hastily speak anything that comes to mind. Instead, we are to let our words be few, that is, we are to be very careful and thoughtful with what we say in worship, especially in prayer and in singing. We are to weigh our words carefully. We are to think much, feel deeply but speak little and speak wisely. And the reason given is that God is in heaven and we are upon earth.
But what does that mean and why is that a reason for letting our words be few? Well, we note first of all that Solomon is pointing us to the fact that God sees and knows all things that go on in this world and He is in full control of all things. He has no need of the vain repetition of worshippers who are seeking to gain His attention or to get Him to do their will.
Indeed, the Lord Jesus says something similar in Matthew 6:7-8, “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”
Second, the words “God is in heaven, and thou upon earth” also highlight the great distance between God and man. Solomon is telling us to consider who God is and who we are in comparison to Him.
He is the awesome and majestic God of the universe, the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, the supreme and sovereign King, the One to whom nothing in this universe can compare. Indeed nothing even comes close.
The Psalmist says in the 89th Psalm, “For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence of all them that are about him. O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee?”
We can summarize all this in one word – Holy. God is Holy. He is utterly separate and distinct from the entire universe. He alone is the Creator of all things. Everything else is created. Everything else is finite, limited and temporal.
And who are we in comparison to God? We are nothing more than tiny little creatures upon the earth, insignificant in comparison, and utterly unworthy of His notice. Every time we come for worship, we should solemnly consider the enormity of what we are doing. When we remember that God is in heaven and we are upon earth, we will quickly see that it is unwise to simply pour out words in worship. A few sincere and thoughtful words are much more appropriate than endless verbiage and empty talk.
But how can we remember what Solomon says about God being in heaven and we upon earth each time we come to worship and especially to pray? Well, the greater Solomon, the Lord Jesus gives us a way. It is very interesting to notice how immediately after teaching us to let our words be few in Matthew 6:7-8, Jesus goes on to say in verse 9, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven…”
And so whenever we use this introduction to the Lord’s Prayer, let us be reminded to draw near to God with reverence and a right understanding of who He is and who we are, remembering the words of Solomon, “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.”
Next in verse 3, Solomon further emphasizes his point with an analogy. He says, “For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.”
Most probably what he means is that the dreams of a person at night are often the result of a person’s preoccupation during the day. For example, you’re looking forward to something exciting or to meeting someone you like or you’re very troubled or anxious about a particular problem or whatever it may be, these thoughts which occupy a significant part of your thinking during the day often spill over into your dreams at night.
So what verse 3 means is that just as a night dream is the outcome of being very engrossed in the business of the day, so nonsensical speech is the result of saying too much at worship. The point is that only a fool would speak many words in worship.
So the first three verses of our text teach us that approaching God in worship is a most solemn matter. Indeed, it is THE most solemn and serious thing that we will ever do in life.
Now this does not mean that there is no joy and gladness and rejoicing in worship. In fact, God commands us to make a joyful noise unto Him and to rejoice in Him always. But what it does mean is that true worship is not possible if worshippers are not thoughtful and reverent and sincere about what they are doing and about whom they are worshipping. May the Lord enable all of us to be sincere and reverent worshippers in His house.