WEBVTT - Ecclesiastes 5

0:00:02.730 --> 0:00:06.730
<v Speaker 1>Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

0:00:06.790 --> 0:00:13.180
<v Speaker 1>walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening

0:00:13.220 --> 0:00:16.940
<v Speaker 1>to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm John Stonge

0:00:17.500 --> 0:00:22.060
<v Speaker 1>and today we're in Ecclesiastes chapter 5 and we'll be

0:00:22.120 --> 0:00:27.680
<v Speaker 1>reading from the English Standard Version. Guard your steps when

0:00:27.700 --> 0:00:30.740
<v Speaker 1>you go to the house of God. To draw near

0:00:30.760 --> 0:00:34.409
<v Speaker 1>to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools,

0:00:35.060 --> 0:00:37.970
<v Speaker 1>for they do not know that they are doing evil.

0:00:38.970 --> 0:00:41.930
<v Speaker 1>Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart

0:00:41.990 --> 0:00:45.409
<v Speaker 1>be hasty to utter a word before God, for God

0:00:45.470 --> 0:00:49.639
<v Speaker 1>is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore, let

0:00:49.680 --> 0:00:54.280
<v Speaker 1>your words be few, for a dream comes with much business,

0:00:55.040 --> 0:00:59.430
<v Speaker 1>and a fool's voice with many words. When you vow

0:00:59.490 --> 0:01:02.950
<v Speaker 1>a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for

0:01:02.990 --> 0:01:06.569
<v Speaker 1>He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow.

0:01:07.450 --> 0:01:10.050
<v Speaker 1>It is better that you should not vow than that

0:01:10.130 --> 0:01:14.230
<v Speaker 1>you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth

0:01:14.440 --> 0:01:17.780
<v Speaker 1>lead you into sin, and do not say before the

0:01:17.819 --> 0:01:21.440
<v Speaker 1>messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be

0:01:21.640 --> 0:01:25.040
<v Speaker 1>angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?

0:01:26.090 --> 0:01:29.819
<v Speaker 1>For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity.

0:01:30.500 --> 0:01:34.539
<v Speaker 1>But God is the one you must fear. If you

0:01:34.660 --> 0:01:37.560
<v Speaker 1>see in a province the oppression of the poor and

0:01:37.600 --> 0:01:41.709
<v Speaker 1>the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed

0:01:41.770 --> 0:01:44.270
<v Speaker 1>at the matter. For the high official is watched by

0:01:44.310 --> 0:01:47.590
<v Speaker 1>a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them.

0:01:48.390 --> 0:01:50.930
<v Speaker 1>But this is gain for a land in every way,

0:01:51.440 --> 0:01:56.680
<v Speaker 1>a king committed to cultivated fields. He who loves money

0:01:56.800 --> 0:02:00.220
<v Speaker 1>will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves

0:02:00.310 --> 0:02:05.890
<v Speaker 1>wealth with his income. This also is vanity. When goods increase,

0:02:06.150 --> 0:02:09.550
<v Speaker 1>they increase who eat them. And what advantage has their

0:02:09.710 --> 0:02:13.989
<v Speaker 1>owner but to see them with his eyes? Sweet is

0:02:14.070 --> 0:02:17.830
<v Speaker 1>the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much,

0:02:18.550 --> 0:02:21.380
<v Speaker 1>but the full stomach of the rich will not let

0:02:21.419 --> 0:02:25.169
<v Speaker 1>him sleep. There is a grievous evil that I have

0:02:25.270 --> 0:02:29.429
<v Speaker 1>seen under the sun. Riches were kept by their owner

0:02:29.530 --> 0:02:32.540
<v Speaker 1>to his hurt, and those riches were lost in a

0:02:32.580 --> 0:02:36.620
<v Speaker 1>bad venture. And he is father of a son, but

0:02:36.680 --> 0:02:40.880
<v Speaker 1>he has nothing in his hand. As he came from

0:02:40.919 --> 0:02:44.300
<v Speaker 1>his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came,

0:02:44.800 --> 0:02:47.480
<v Speaker 1>and shall take nothing for his toil that he may

0:02:47.560 --> 0:02:52.630
<v Speaker 1>carry away in his hand. This also is a grievous evil.

0:02:52.889 --> 0:02:56.350
<v Speaker 1>Just as he came, so shall he go. And what

0:02:56.410 --> 0:03:00.740
<v Speaker 1>gain is there to him who toils for the wind? Moreover,

0:03:01.440 --> 0:03:05.900
<v Speaker 1>all his days he eats in darkness, in much vexation

0:03:06.100 --> 0:03:11.040
<v Speaker 1>and sickness and anger. Behold, what I have seen to

0:03:11.100 --> 0:03:14.250
<v Speaker 1>be good and fitting is to eat and drink and

0:03:14.330 --> 0:03:18.070
<v Speaker 1>find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils

0:03:18.250 --> 0:03:20.839
<v Speaker 1>under the sun the few days of his life that

0:03:20.900 --> 0:03:25.410
<v Speaker 1>God has given him, for this is his lot. Everyone

0:03:25.570 --> 0:03:28.710
<v Speaker 1>also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and

0:03:28.810 --> 0:03:32.030
<v Speaker 1>power to enjoy them and to accept his lot and

0:03:32.110 --> 0:03:36.590
<v Speaker 1>rejoice in his toil. This is the gift of God,

0:03:37.500 --> 0:03:39.740
<v Speaker 1>for he will not much remember the days of his

0:03:39.820 --> 0:03:44.160
<v Speaker 1>life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.

0:03:45.880 --> 0:03:50.770
<v Speaker 1>Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for your word, and

0:03:50.810 --> 0:03:52.970
<v Speaker 1>we thank you for the wisdom that you grant us

0:03:53.060 --> 0:03:56.320
<v Speaker 1>through your son, Jesus Christ, whom we have the privilege

0:03:56.360 --> 0:03:59.220
<v Speaker 1>to trust. And as we look at your word, Lord,

0:03:59.280 --> 0:04:01.640
<v Speaker 1>by the power of your Holy Spirit, you grant us

0:04:01.780 --> 0:04:05.500
<v Speaker 1>understanding into it. Lord, we pray that our lives wouldn't

0:04:05.560 --> 0:04:08.640
<v Speaker 1>be spent chasing after vanities. We pray, Lord, that our

0:04:08.680 --> 0:04:11.610
<v Speaker 1>lives wouldn't be spent focusing on the things of this

0:04:11.690 --> 0:04:16.140
<v Speaker 1>world in an unhealthy, unrighteous, and ungodly way. but that

0:04:16.240 --> 0:04:20.320
<v Speaker 1>we would recognize that in Jesus Christ we have all

0:04:20.360 --> 0:04:23.240
<v Speaker 1>that we truly need. And Lord, we pray that throughout

0:04:23.279 --> 0:04:25.240
<v Speaker 1>the course of this day and throughout the course of

0:04:25.460 --> 0:04:28.140
<v Speaker 1>every day that we would honor you and put you first.

0:04:28.760 --> 0:04:30.550
<v Speaker 1>We love you, Lord. We're grateful for the life that

0:04:30.570 --> 0:04:32.350
<v Speaker 1>you've blessed us with. And we commit this day to

0:04:32.390 --> 0:04:36.590
<v Speaker 1>your care and pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.