Shabbat Shalom, everyone. Let's open our Bibles. We are turning in our Bibles to the book of Ecclesiastes. In Hebrew, it is the book of Kohelet. And today, with the help of the Lord, we will deal with Ecclesiastes chapter 5. Let me remind you that King Solomon, the king of Israel, was writing this book of Ecclesiastes, this book of Kohelet, to the nation of Israel at his old age. He was getting up in age. He was getting up in age. He had experienced much in his life. He had made many mistakes in his life. And he is looking back, and he is reminding the people of Israel the importance of remembering Israel's Creator in the day of their youth.

And so we are in chapter 5 today, and I would like you please to follow me as I am reading those 20 verses in Kohelet, Ecclesiastes chapter 5. And so we read, Keep thy foot when thou goest into the house of God, and be more ready to heal than to give the sacrifice of fools. For they consider not that they do evil. 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 art upon earth. Therefore let thy words be few. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business, and a fool's voice is known by the multitude of his words.

When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which thou hast vowed. Better it is that thou should not vow, than that thou should vow and pay not. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin. Neither say thou before the angel that it was an error. Wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands. For in a multitude of dreams, and many words, there are also diverse vanities. But fear thou God. If thou seest oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter.

For he that is higher than the highest, regardless, and there be higher than they. Moreover, the prophet of the earth is for all. The king himself is served by the field. He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver. Nor he that loveth abundance with increase. This is also vanity. When goods increase, they are increased that eat them. And what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes? The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much. But the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.

But those riches perish by evil travail, and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. As he came forth of his mother's womb naked, shall he return to go as he came. And shall take nothing of his labor which he may carry away in his hand. And this also is so evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit hath he that has labored for the wind? All his days also he eateth in darkness. And he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness. Behold, that which I have seen, it is good and comely for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him, for it is his portion.

Every man also, to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor, this is the gift of God. For he shall not much remember the days of his life, because God answers him in the joy of his heart. And I am stopping here with Ecclesiastes chapter 5 and verses 1 to 20. Just to remind you for a moment, by way of introduction again in the ministry today, that the king, this is Solomon, the king of Israel, Shlomo. Shlomo was about 20 years of age when he became the king of Israel. And he reigned for 40 years among our people Israel, many years ago.

And he actually died when he was about 60 years of age. He didn't live really long in comparison to the way in which people live today. Many people pass away. We just heard of one of the rabbis in Israel who died when he was 104 years of age. Just a few days ago, last week, he passed away. So 60 years is not a long time. Yet in the 60 years experience that King Solomon had, he had gained a lot of information, a lot of knowledge, a lot of experience in his life. He was the wisest man on earth. He was one of the richest men on earth. He was a man that he'd enjoyed so much in the land of Israel like no one ever have enjoyed before.

The kings around Israel came to Solomon to hear of the wisdom of Solomon, the richest of Solomon, and all what he possessed as the king of Israel, the king of our own Jewish people. And yet Solomon made many mistakes in his life. You remember when he became older, he got married to 700 wives and 300 concubines, and he worshipped other gods, and he built altars, and he lived a life at the end, you might say the latter part of his life, which was not pleasing to the Lord. And so when he gives us the book of Kohelet, the book of Ecclesiastes, he's speaking from experience. He had it all.

You're talking about riches? I was the richest man on earth. You're talking about wisdom? I was the wisest man on earth, he can tell us. You want to talk about possession of things? I've had everything under the sun. I have enjoyed them and had them for myself. But now that I'm getting old, let me tell you, Kohelet, Shlomo, Solomon, telling the people of Israel. Let me tell you, let me remind you, and he's telling us as well today, to remember that life is short. Time is passing by rather quickly. You will notice how years passing by. I can't believe it. We are almost at the end of 2017.

I remember when we began the year and we prayed together, we began 2017 together. A year has passed by. As we sometimes see, life at best is very brief, like a falling of a leaf. And so he's speaking to Israel. He's gathering the nation of Israel. The word Kohelet in Hebrew means the gatherer of the congregation, the kehila, the assembly, and he's giving them words of wisdom. You and I need to take those words and apply it to ourselves because it was given to us by divine inspiration from the Lord. He is speaking about the things that happened to us in life here under the sun.

Here and now in this world. And so in chapter 5, the man by the name of Kohelet is telling the people of Israel how important it is to be careful in our attitude towards God. We have to realize that we have a living God to whom we are accountable. Even if we are believers and we belong to the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, we are forgiven, we are going to go to heaven. How do we live our lives here and now? He's saying to Israel, and you and I might hear from the disciples, how do we live our lives now? How is our attitude towards God today?

Is God a part of my life? Do I recognize that I am accountable to Him? And the importance of being sincere in our relationship to God. You know, brothers and sisters, listen. There is a time in our lives that we can be so careless in our walk with the Lord. Somebody just wrote me an email the other day and told me, you know, the church today in many ways has been so careless. Oh, I belong to the Lord, my sins are forgiven and I'm going to heaven. But in practice and in our attitude towards the things of the Lord, we are so careless. So careless that we think because we are going to heaven and our sins are forgiven, well, I don't need any accountability to the Lord.

God is serious towards us and He is expecting us to be serious towards Him. He will hold us accountable because He is a living, loving God and He will hold us accountable one way or another. So in the first seven verses of Ecclesiastes chapter 5, Shlomo, Solomon, the king of Israel is saying, listen, you better have a sincere attitude toward God. Israel, remember, he's speaking to Israel. He's old in the last days of his life and he's saying, well, you better be sincere towards God. And you know how he began this chapter? Notice that in verses 1, 2 and 3, you must have a sincere attitude towards God. First of all, in the manner whereby you praise and you worship the Lord.

Notice what he says here in verse 1. Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God. And be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice of fools. Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty to utter things before God. For God is in heaven and thou art upon earth. Therefore, let thy words be few. I just read these verses 1 and 2 for a moment. You see that word here, keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God. The word foot actually in the Hebrew text is not mentioned. It's really mentioned that you have to guard your heart and your mouth when you come into the house of God.

Now I know often time we call this building the house of God. I go to a meeting in the house of God. But according to the word of God, the house of God is not made out of stones and bricks today. Today the house of God is the people of God. Every true believer in Yeshua the Messiah is part of the spiritual house of God. That means that when I'm at home or when I'm at work or when I'm at school or when I'm on the street, I'm still part of the house of God. This is today in among the body of Christ, the body of Messiah.

But of course many years ago when Solomon was speaking, the house of God meant the temple in the city of Yerushalayim. Remember that the one that built the temple in Jerusalem was none else but King Solomon himself. Where did he build the temple in Yerushalayim? He built it on Mount Moriah where today the nations around say that the temple mount does not belong to the people of Israel. 3,000 years ago he built that house, the house of the Lord in the city of Yerushalayim. And he made a point to warn the people of Israel to be careful in the manner whereby they conduct themselves as they come to the presence of the Lord.

You know sometimes we want to sit quietly before the Lord and meditate and think about our relationship with him. We can be sometimes so careless. So Shlomo is saying, listen, you better make sure that when you approach and when you come to the house of the Lord, and make sure that you be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice of fools. The word here for sacrifice has to do with what we speak with our mouth. And how many times we make promises to God and we tell him, oh God, I will do this for you and I will go there for you and I will accomplish this for you and I will serve you and I will praise you.

And then when we turn around, we forget what we said. And our commitment to the Lord is very wicked. That's why he's saying, don't be foolish. Keep yourself, be sure, be more ready to hear what God has to say to you than to give the sacrifice of fools for they consider not that they do wrong, they do evil. It's wrong to say to God certain things and not to follow through with them. What do you think God is? What do I think God is? Shlomo said to Israel, Israel, don't you realize that God is in our midst and he is serious about our conduct and our behavior?

He doesn't need to hear our promises if we are not intent to keep them. He doesn't want to have some external spiritual worship but not an internal right condition of the heart. Be not rash with thy mouth. Shlomo is saying to Israel, let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God. And you know why Shlomo is saying? Because God is in heaven and you are upon the earth. It's not that he is far from us but God is the creator and we are the creatures. God is a sustainer and we are sustained by him. God is a supreme God. And we, Israel in the case of King Shlomo, we have been his people.

He brought us out of Egypt. He led us through the wilderness. He brought us to the promised land. Everything we have he had given to us. Therefore, do not be rash as it says here. When you speak to the Lord, speak cautiously. Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God. For God is in heaven and you are upon the earth. And notice he adds this clause here at the end of verse 2. Therefore, let thy words be few. You know, it's better to say little to the Lord than to give him all the promises. And to make commitments as it were and not to fulfill those commitments before the Lord.

The Lord won't respond from our heart. You know, brothers and sisters, the question is really God is saying to Israel through Shlomo, Is God real in your life? Is God real in our life, Israel? Is God real in our life, Bible believers of the church, of the assembly of the living God today? Is he real or is he not? If he is real, well, recognize that. Make sure that you appropriate God into your life. He is in heaven. He is the creator. You are upon the earth. You are the creature. You know, the apostle Paul said in Romans chapter 1, Speaking about the pagan world who did not believe in God.

Not realizing that they have been created by the Lord. That God gave them breath to breathe. And life to live. They don't realize and they don't give God the glory that he deserves. Therefore, God gave them over, we read, in Romans chapter 1. And Shlomo is saying this to our nation, Israel of old, at about 900 or so BC. He is saying this to the people of Israel. He says, Israel, don't forget that you are accountable to God and that you are the one that has been created by God. God is in heaven. God is in heaven. You are on earth. Therefore, let your words towards God be a few if you do not intend to keep them and to fulfill what you have promised unto him.

Realize that you are accountable to the Lord. And notice what he's saying now in verse 3. Because to have a sincere attitude before God is essential. Is essential. It says in verse 3. For a dream. In Hebrew, the word is halom. For the halom, for a dream, cometh through the multitude of business or matters. And a fool's voice is known by the multitude of words. You know, sometimes we have dreams. We have plans, right? What he mean here. We have many, many plans. We have many, many interests in our life. Things that we are interested in. And Solomon is saying, really, you know, all those dreams of plans that man has really should not change man's attitude towards the Lord.

And he says in verse 3. For a dream comes through the multitude of matters or business. And a fool's voice is known by the multitude of his words. You know, we can say to God many, many things. But unless we are intending to seek with his help to fulfill those things and those promises and commitments. It's so much better to walk softly and not to say anything to the Lord. In fact, you remember what this man of old said according to the word of Yeshua in the gospel. God, be merciful to me, a sinner. I need your help. I need your grace in my life. Now, when Solomon was speaking like this.

He was speaking to the nation of Israel because Israel already at that time were in danger of turning away from the Lord. Later on, if you remember after Solomon died. His son Rechovam took the kingdom. And then here, Rechovam ended up dividing the nation. And then after he divided the nation, we have Israel in the north, Judah in the south. Then Israel was taken captive by the Assyrians. Later on, Judah was taken captive by the Babylonians. There was already a departure among our people of all, the people of Israel. Israel. And today, we're living in a time of Israel is divided and scattered. And Israel will be restored in the future day when Israel will accept the Messiah.

It is very similar in the church today, in the body of Messiah, the body of Christ. Look at the division that happened in the body of Christ, in the body of Messiah. In the same way, there is a danger of all of us to depart from the way of the Lord. To tell him certain things, but not to be real in our life. And we don't point the finger. We know that. I know that you know it in your own heart. We are a people who need the help from the Lord. So, verses 1, 2, and 3. The need of sincere attitude towards God. Verses 1, 2, and 3. In relationship to our worshiping the Lord.

And speaking to the Lord. Therefore he said, Keep thy foot when you go into the house of God. And be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice of fools. For they consider not that they do evil. As far as Shlomo is saying, this is wrong. But then he continues. And in verses 4 and 5, he is not only speaking about what I say to God in worship. Then in the next verses is the vows that we make. In Hebrew the word for vow is a neder. Lindor. Nedarim. It speaks about vows. You know when a couple get married, they are making vows to each other.

The future husband is saying certain things to their future wife. And the bride is saying certain things to her future husband. And they are making vows. They are making vows. And it's so easy to make vows. And it doesn't take too long when the marriage is broken. And the vows have not been fulfilled. How many homes? Whether it was in Israel history. Or whether it is in the body of Christ. In the church today. How many marriages are broken? People make vows. But the vows have no value. We know that, right? So King Shlomo is saying to Israel. He says, listen. If you make a vow to God.

First of all, notice verses 4 and 5. Fulfill the vow that you make to God. Fulfill it. Notice what he says. I'm reading verse 4. When thou vowest a vow unto God. Defer not to pay it. For he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which thou hast vowed. Better it is that thou should not vow. Than that thou should vow and not pay. Pay. The word for pay. Come from the Hebrew word. Leshalem. If you promised God. If you made a vow to the Lord. He is saying to Israel. He says, make sure to pay it. To return to him. In thankfulness. And make the promise that you have made to him.

Be faithful to fulfill it. To pay it. And you know why King Solomon is saying? Why? Because he has no pleasure. In fools. He says, God has no pleasure in that. Imagine how it's said is when one make a vow. And he doesn't fulfill that vow. And then he thinks that God doesn't realize it. You know, God is a realist. God is real. He sees his people. He knows the condition of his people. We cannot really fool God. Because he says, I have no pleasure in fools. He's saying. If you made a vow. If you made a vow. If you made a vow. Make sure.

That you. Pay it back. Pay it to him. Because God. Have no pleasure with fools. He says. It is better. That thou should not vow. Than that thou should. Vow. And pay not. You know, there is a verse. If you turn back with me to Psalm 66 for a moment. Just turn back to Psalm 66. Notice what the psalmist of Israel said in Psalm 66 and verses 13 and 14. I will go into thy house with burnt offering and I will pay thee my vows. This is the psalmist of Israel who said this in Psalm 66 and verse 13. Listen to verse 14. Which my lips have uttered and my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.

You know, it's so real. When we are in trouble and we need God and we need his help, then we turn to him and say, God, please help me. I really need you, God. I have problems. I have these issues. And that's it. God, please help me. But then things, he helped us. Something came along and things have been settled. And then all of a sudden we say, God, I don't need you anymore. My problem has been solved. And I don't want you to bother me. Right now I'm fine. When I need you, I'll come to you. But I don't need you anymore, God. But the psalmist of Israel says, you know, I'm going to come to the house of the Lord and I'm going to pay the vow that I have made unto the Lord.

Because when I was in trouble, you helped me. You sustained me. And you know, God desires a response from the heart of his own people. Again, to remind you that Shlomo is speaking to our nation of all, the nation of Israel. You remember what he will say to them later on. Remember now thy Creator in the day of thy youth. While the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh when you shall say, I have no pleasure in them. You see, God does not only want us to thank him when we are old and we cannot do anything anymore. We cannot have fun anymore.

We cannot have the pleasure that we want. Only when we are all sitting in the retirement home and saying, God, thank you. Now I am in the retirement home. I need you. I'm almost dead. What do you think then? God all of a sudden needs you to say, oh, God, I thank you and I praise you. But all the time when we are strong and we are healthy and things are well, we don't need God. Do you think God said, I don't want you to respond to me. Only wait, you know, later on in your life. Maybe if you want, then come to me. You don't have to do it now.

Is that kind of God we have? That's why Shlomo is appealing to Israel. He says, remember, now your creator, when you are young and when you are strong, use your energy. Use your gifts. Use whatever God has given you for the glory of God and for your own blessing. Solomon, no. He has gone through all this. He has had all the wealth he wanted. He has had all the riches he wanted. He has had all the wisdom he wanted. He has had all the power any man would want. And he looked back and he says, remember now your creator in the day of your youth.

When you make a promise and a vow to the Lord, be faithful to respond, to repay it, because God does not want from you to be a fool. He doesn't find any pleasure in the fool. He wants you to respond to him because he wants to bless the people of God. He wants to bless his own people. So King Shlomo says in verse 5, it is far better if you will simply not vow at all. Don't vow. Don't make a neder or nederim, vows to God. It's better not to do it than you would vow and you will not follow through with it. That's why sometimes, brothers and sisters, it's better for us when we fail the Lord.

And we do fail him. We know that. It's better to say, Lord, help me. Lord, help me. I fail you. To repent. To confess before him and say, Lord, help me. I know I realize my sin nature. I realize my failure. But I want you to help me so I can live for you here in this world. Before we're going to go to the next verses, I want you to turn to Matthew chapter 5. And look what Yeshua, the Messiah, this is Jesus, the Messiah, our Lord, Yeshua, the Messiah. Notice what he said to the multitude there in chapter 5, verse 33 to 37. Yeshua is speaking and he says, this is in the Sermon on the Mount.

Again, ye have heard that it has been said by them of old, thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oath or thy promises. But I say unto you, swear not at all, neither by heaven, for it is God's throne, nor by the earth, for it is his footstool, neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst make one hair white or black. But now notice verse 37. But let your communication be, yes, yes, and no, no. For whatsoever is more than those comes of evil. You notice that? Let your communication be simply, yeah, yeah, nay, nay.

Yes, yes, no, no. In Hebrew, ken, ken, lo, lo. No more, no less. Don't say more than what you need to be saying. Not making too many promises if you are not intent to keep them. And if you are walking in a way that is pleasing to the Lord, when you say yes, your word should be yes. And when you say no, your word should be no. No more and no less. It is better that you should not vow. Then you should vow and pay not. Shlomo, the king said many, many years ago. So back to Kohelet, Ecclesiastes, chapter 5. Now in verses 6 and 7, he says to our people, Israel, he says, you have to be very, very careful with what comes out of your mouth.

You know, the Bible says that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. So Shlomo is saying to Israel, notice verse 6, "Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin. Neither say thou before the angel that it was an error. Wherefore, or why should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the works of thine hand? For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also diverse vanities. But fear thou God." Now you notice what he says here in verse 6, "Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin." You know, because many times with our mouth, we can cause so much trouble.

You know, in one way we praise God with our mouth, but when we turn around and we curse our brothers and sisters. "Oh God, I love you, but oh this brother, this sister, I..." You know, with our mouth we often, not only do we tell lies, but we gossip. And we talk against people. And we commit so many evil things with these lips, the tongue is a very sharp sword. With the tongue we can do a lot of harm. And that's why it's so beautiful to see when a brother or a sister is using their tongue and their mouth to build the people up. To edify the people of God.

To share the message of the gospel with the lost world. To speak a word of comfort to those who need to be comforted. And that's why he says, "Suffer not your mouths to cause your flesh to sin." "Neither say thou before the angel." Now notice he said the word "angel." The Hebrew word for angel here is "malach." But the reference is not really to an angel. The reference is to the messenger of God. In the case of Shlomo in Israel, it was the priest in the temple. The priest in the temple is the messenger of God. You can read it in Malachi chapter 2 and verse 7.

The priest is a "malach," is a messenger of God. He speaks for God. And he served God. So in our case today, don't go to the spiritual leader, to the messenger of God, to the servant of God and tell him, "Oh, no, no, no, it was an error." In other words, you have to watch how you speak, how we speak. We have to watch it. Because it's so much better to speak words that will build and edify the people of God than to speak words that will criticize them and destroy them. You know, brothers and sisters, it is because of our carelessness in the way we say things that people are getting hurt.

The tongue, the tongue become a vessel that is not honoring the Lord when we speak things that we ought not to speak, beloved brothers and sisters. And therefore, it is important for the people of God to use their mouths not to cause themselves to sin because the mouth is as a sharp sword that is able to destroy and to harm. And all how we need it. When we need encouragement, let us use our mouths to encourage. And even if somebody had fallen and need encouragement and restoration, we need to know how to speak, in a way to say it, in care and concern. We need to hear the truth, of course.

We need to be corrected. But to do it with the right attitude, with words that come out of our mouths, that will be pleasing and edifying and building up. And so he said in verse 6: "Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin, neither say thou before the servant of the Lord, before the spiritual leader, or before the priest in the case of Shlomo, that it was an error. Why should God be angry with thy voice and destroy the works of thine hand?" You remember the Apostle Paul, when he was writing to the Philippians, he says some people preach the Messiah out of envy.

Can you imagine? To speak how great is Yeshua the Messiah, but actually doing it in order to cause affliction upon the Apostle Paul. Religion is worse than anything else. Religion is not a relationship with God. We need to have a heart relationship with our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. And so he's saying to them, notice verse 7: "For in a multitude of dreams." These are multitudes of matters of life. In many words, there are also diverse vanities. You know, we have an ambition. And we have dreams to accomplish this. We have plans to do something. And there will be many plans that we have. But notice what Shlomo is saying: "There are also all kinds of vanities and emptiness." Unless our plan is in tune with God, we will find very quickly that we are drifting away from the Lord.

You will watch it. And I will watch it. When our plans are contrary to God, we will see sooner or later how we play the fool. Because eventually, that which is going to be a blessing to us is that which is done for God and in the will of the Lord. In a multitude of dreams, of all kinds of plans, of matters and so on. In many words, there are also all kinds of vanities, emptiness. That's why, many times when we run around, trying to do this, trying to get there, and trying to do all that. And then we look back at our history and we say: "Oh boy, I should have been waiting on the Lord, continuing with Him and He would have directed me and He would give me the direction in my life and I know I would have been blessed." But we know better than God, right?

We think we know better than God. And we find out that we were wrong. So in verse 7, he said to him at the end, King Solomon said to Israel: "Fear thou God, recognize that you need to honor God and to fear Him, to respect Him." God is real. He's not only there in the sweet by and by. He's here in the midst of His own. He touched our heart. He speak to us. He lived in the midst of His own people. He delighted to see His people reading the Scriptures, studying the Word, building each other up. He desired to see Israel helping each other, seeking to lead them to be closer to the Lord.

Because there is a blessing when the people of God are following Him. The psalmist of Israel said: "Behold how good and how pleasant for brethren to dwell together in unity, building each other." And you will see: "There the Lord commendeth His blessing, even life forevermore," the psalmist of Israel have said. So in verses 1 to 7, the king of Israel, Shlomo, said: "It is important to have a sincere attitude before God." This is not only a New Testament teaching, beloved brothers and sisters. This is not only Yeshua or Shaul Paul or Peter or James or John. This is the Old Testament instruction to the people of Israel that we can take it and apply it for ourselves today.

So now he continues. And in Ecclesiastes chapter 5 and verses 8 and 9. Not only that we are to have sincere attitude before God and toward God. We are also to be aware that here in this world there is oppression. And we must realize that there is the need of accountability towards God here on earth. Look at oppression that exists in this world. The Hebrew word for oppression is "oshek" or "la'ashok".

And so in verse 8, he is saying: "If you see," Shlomo says to Israel: "If you see," "the oppression of the poor," "and the violent perverting of judgment," "and justice in a province," "a marvel not at the matter," "for he that is higher than the highest regardeth," "and there be higher than they." "In other words, when you look around," "and you see so much unfairness that is going here," "there is an oppression of the poor," "there is violent, the perverting judgment." "In other words, it's not fair here in this world." "Don't be surprised." "You know why there is an oppression and perverting of the truth?" "Because we have a sin nature." "We live in a

sinful world." "And therefore, Shlomo is saying," "listen, when you see the oppression of the poor," "and the violence perverting judgment and justice," "in the province," "the word for a province" "comes from the Hebrew word Medina," "in the case of Israel," "is Medinat Israel," "the people of Israel," "the land of Israel," "the country of Israel." "Move not at the matter." "In other words, don't be surprised." "Be wise." "Don't think," "Oh, wait a minute," "Why is it happening?" "No." "I mean, realize that this is reality in this world," "because the world is far from God," "and even among the people of God," "they have the sin nature that we have," "and we need to judge us every

time again and again." "And when there is a perverting of judgment," "when there is an oppression of the poor," "realize that someone sees it." "You see, notice at the end of verse 8," "He said," "Move not at the matter." "Why?" "Because he that is higher than the highest," "he regardeth." "The Hebrew word regardeth is shomer." "In other words," "there is someone that's going to give an account for that." "And then notice at the end of verse 8," "he said," "and there is even be higher than they." "In other words," "realize that there is a living God who is higher than all," "and he is keeping score." "In other words," "he sees it." "When there is

an oppression," "God is going to deal with it one day." "He sees everything." "He knows everything." "He is the one that ultimately going to deal with it in a day to come." "And he is the higher of even the government." "You know, sometimes we don't like the government." "And they say," "Well, there are no justice." "It's not fair." "But Shlomo says," "It's good to have a government that's setting things in order." "It's better than chaos." "But even when there is injustice," "and there is an oppression," "ultimately," "even the highest of the highest in earth," "going to give an account to the one that is higher than all of them," "namely, God." "And the word higher,"

"in verse 8 at the end," "is in a plural," "gvohim," "in Hebrew." "And that applies also to the triunity of the Godhead." "God is above all." "He sees all the governments and all what's going on here in this world." "He sees the oppression." "He sees the perverting of justice and judgment." "And ultimately, the king," "the prime minister," "the presidents," "the leaders," "they're all going to give an account eventually to God." "Recognize that." "And that's something we're trying to fight it." "We can't do so.

We can help to fix something." "But eventually, God sees all." "And therefore, in verse 9, he says," "The prophet of the land is for all." "The king himself is served by the field." "Shlomo is saying to Israel," "You know, really, the land that was given to us, Israel," "is in order for everyone to benefit from the land." "Not only one," "but we all need to benefit from that." "Even I," "notice that the king himself is served by the field." "In other words, even I, the king of Israel, Shlomo," "I myself benefit from the land, from all the fields," "and therefore realize there is perversion," "there is a lack of justice." "The land was given for

all to enjoy." "But the problem is, because of sin nature," "therefore we have the need to be aware of the oppression," "and to realize that accountability will come one day." "And God, who is higher than all, will ultimately deal with these situations." "So, number one, have a sincere attitude towards the Lord." "Number two, be aware of the oppression and accountability that exists here in this world." "And in Ecclesiastes chapter 5, verses 10 to 17," "here Solomon is giving seven points," "or you might say sevenfold instruction," "on a proper attitude towards wealth." "Remember he said that the land is to be given for all," "and he's now speaking about very practical things that we have to

learn from that," "concerning wealth and concerning materialism." "You know how it's so real for us in our life." "Materialism and wealth is actually what everyone seeks and aims for here in this world." "You know, if we are honest, we all can say," "if I had a little bit more, my problems will be over, right?" "Because if I only had more, my issues are settled." "I think it was when they asked this wealthy man by the name of Rothschild," "how much money you need to have in order to be satisfied." "And he said, just a little bit more." "And King Solomon can teach us this very real," "because King Shlomo was the richest man on earth."

"He had it all." "You remember he had homes and he had vineyards and he had courts and he had servants," "and he had male singers, female singers, male servants, female servants." "He had everything he wanted." "And you were asking Shlomo how much you would need in order to be satisfied." "And probably Shlomo, because he's just like everyone else." "Maybe just a little bit more." "And I'll be satisfied." "But the problem is," "And Shlomo teaching us here, that it's not so." "It's really not so." "Even though we don't realize it and we cling for that and we long for that and we want that, Shlomo is teaching us a lesson later on in his life." "He

has experienced all this." "He is now telling us, notice the sevenfold points in connection with materialism that Shlomo is giving instruction to Israel as a man that had experience in this." "First of all, he says money by itself will never satisfy." "Notice what he says, and I'm reading verse 10." "He that loveth silver." "The Hebrew word for silver is kesef." "Whenever you say kesef, silver, and kesef, money, it's the same thing in Hebrew." "He that loveth kesef, silver, money, shall not be satisfied with money, with silver." "No he that loveth abundance, with increase, this is also vanity." "The first thing he says, let me give you counsel," he says to Israel.

"Those of you Israel," and he can speak it to you and to me. He says, "Those of you that love silver, that love money, shall never be satisfied with silver." "You will see it." He's saying this to Israel. He's speaking from experience. He says, "No, he that loveth abundance, with increase." He says, "This is vanity, this is at the end." He says, "This is hevel." "You remember how he began the whole book of Ecclesiastes?" "Vanity of vanities sayeth the preacher." "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." "In Hebrew, hevel havalim amar kohelet." "Hevel havalim hakol hu hevel." "In other words, what he said at the end, really, even if you love the money, if you love silver, you will find out that it's still not going to be satisfying you eventually." "Your satisfaction needs to be in the Lord." "In God." "In Yeshua HaMashiach." "This is verse 10." "And you remember, brothers and sisters, in fact, I want you to turn to 1 Timothy, chapter 6.

Paul wrote to his younger brother, Timothy. "And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content, but they that will be rich shall fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition." "And then he said, for the love of money is the root of all evil." "You know, God never condemned riches." "Abraham was rich." "David was rich." "His father David was rich." "And God had given many wealthy believers in the body of Messiah." "The problem is not with the wealth." "The problem is the love of the wealth." "That's why he says, he that lovers silver," in verse 10.

"And Shaul Paul said, for the love of money is the root of all evil." "Not money." "Not silver, but the love of it." "In other words, when our heart is so taken up by it, that it is the most important thing in our life." "We realize that we need to have a relationship with God, a relationship with our family, a relationship with our brothers and sisters, a relationship with others around the world." "And that silver should never be the love of our heart to the extent that we lose out everything else." "And if we do so," Shlomo is saying, "He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver." "And it's so true, coming from

the mouth of Shlomo." "It's one thing if a poor man says, oh, if you love money, you will never be satisfied." "But it's another thing when Solomon, Kohelet, Shlomo, is saying that the richest man on earth had everything in his life." "Notice verse 11, it's a second counsel." "When there is an increase, there are also those who will need to consume the goods." "You know, the more you have, the more others will need to use it, right?" "So he says in verse 11, when goods increase, they are increased that eat them." "But good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes." "In other words, the more one have, or

the more one have accomplished, it also has to be used." "And there are those that are always ready to use it." "We studied just last week in Luke chapter 15, the prodigal son." "He came to his Abba, to his father and says, 'Father, Abba, give me that which belongs to me.'" "So his father wisely said, 'Okay, here, take this.'" "He should not ask from his father to give him before his father died." "And he was still, you might say, in a good condition." "And he says, 'Give me what belongs to me.'" "And he gave him." "And then it didn't take too long, this young man went far away to a far country and he wasted

everything." "He had many friends to help him to waste it too." "And then he was very hungry." "And he wanted to eat even the husks of the pig, food that belonged to the pig." "And you know, for a Jewish boy to eat pig food, unkosher food in biblical time, it was not right." "But he wanted to eat so badly." "And then he ended up, at the end, even this he couldn't have." "Until he realized, 'I better go back to my father.'" "And he repented before his father." "And he says, 'Father, I am not worthy to be your son.

Make me one of your servants.'" "But his father loved him so much, he said, 'No, no, no, you're not going to be one of my servants. You are my son.'" "You were lost, you came back.

You were far, you came back." "He gave him the ring on his finger, he gave him the shoes on his head, he put a garment on him, and he killed the fattest calf." "And he says, 'This my son was lost, and now he is found.'" "This young boy had to learn a lesson." "But even this, he says, 'The more you have, also there are more that want to spend it.'" "And then he says, 'What's the point?'" "Beholding all this with my eyes, I worked hard, I labored, and others are there to harm it." "And therefore, King Solomon says, 'Listen, when there is an increase, there is also those that are ready to spend it and

to waste it.'" "The third counsel in verse 12 is saying, 'Materializing bring care and sleeplessness.'" "Notice, it says in verse 12, 'The sleep of the laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.'" "You know, many times when the one that is so wealthy, he cannot sleep because he has to worry." "You know, the more we have, we need to get insurance for what we have, right?" "That we have another thing to get to make sure that it works, that everything is fine, we need to get someone to fix that." "And there are so many things, and at night you can't sleep

because there are so many problems come along with it." "Then you notice verse 13 is the fourth counsel." "Materialism can lead to evil and to hurt in one's life." Solomon, Shlomo is saying in verse 13, he said, "There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt." Sometime, when wealth comes one's way and he or she are not careful in how to handle that, like Paul said to Timothy, he says, "They that will be rich," he said, "they will fall into temptation and snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition," 1 Timothy chapter 6 and verse

9.

King Shlomo, years earlier, he says, "There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt." And sometimes it hurt and harmed people, turn them away from the Lord. Their physical life was more important to them than their spiritual life. You know, David says many years ago in Psalm 62:10, "When riches increase, they may, set not your heart upon them." Thank God for what he had given to us, but don't have your heart so much after that that you neglect your relationship with God. It will hurt you eventually if you are not carefully in debt.

King Solomon is saying to Israel. Notice the fifth one in verse 14, "Wealth can perish by evil activity." And I'm reading verse 14, "But those riches perish by evil travail, and he begates a son, and there is nothing in his hand." Now, you know, wealth can in no time, if you don't use it in the right way, eventually it says it can perish. It can perish and eventually one can have a son, he begat a son, but he has nothing to give him, nothing in his hand to give him. And so he's counseling Israel in that respect. Notice what he says in verse 15 and 16, that materialism and wealth is really short-lived.

Why? Because we're going to leave this world exactly in the same way as we came into this world. Notice verse 15 and 16. He says, "As he came," verse 15, notice verse 16 in the middle, "So shall we go." "As he came forth of his mother's womb naked, shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labor which he may carry away in his hand." And this also is so evil that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit has he that has labored for the wind?" What he's really saying is exactly what Job said in Job 1. He says, "Naked I came into this world, and naked will I depart out of this world." Again, beloved brothers and sisters, he's not condemning wealth, but he's condemning the wrong attitude that God people may have towards wealth.

Materialism is short-lived because we came naked, we're going to live naked. In a few years, we're going to ultimately depart out of this scene into the presence of the Lord. And so number six was verses 15 and 16. Number seven, in the council of Shlomo, in verse 17, he says, "Materialism often bring with it darkness, sorrow, wrath, and even sickness." And I'm reading verse 17, He said more than King Shlomo, who was the wealthiest man on earth. He says in verse 17, "All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he has much sorrow and wrath with his sickness." I think we spoke about it yesterday that one of the richest men in Toronto just passed away last week.

He had one of the largest funerals you've ever seen. I think over 5,000 people that came to hear speeches from many of them. He was a wealthy man. Apparently, he didn't die out of old age, but he died because him and his wife were murdered. And he left everything. Now, apparently, this man was gracious. He was a Jewish man that gave a lot to many charities and so on, which was very well, very good. But you see, he left it behind. We're all going to eventually leave everything we have behind. The question is, am I using what the Lord gave me for the glory of the Lord and for the blessing of God's people?

And here is what Solomon is instructing the people of Israel many, many, many years ago. And so after he's giving them these seven-fold proper attitude that they must have towards the material wealth that they received. Then he concludes this chapter 5 with giving Israel this counsel. And he's concluding by giving them some personal advice. And with this, he concludes this fifth chapter. And notice what he says in verse 18. He says, God gave us things, gave us material possessions. Well, he says, enjoy what God has given you to enjoy here under the sun. Recognize that God gave it to you. Enjoy it. Be thankful. He says here, and I'm reading verse 18.

Behold, that which I have seen. Shlomo is saying to Israel. Look, I want to tell you, Israel, what I have seen, what I have learned from my experience here under the sun here in this world. It is good and it is comely for one to eat, to drink, to enjoy the good of all his labor, because he works for that and God has given to him. It says under the sun all the days of his life, which God gives to him, for it is his portion. In other words, realize that God gave it to you and enjoy it and be thankful. The right attitude towards the gift of God.

And you know the verses that we have in James 1. Every good things and perfect things came from above, from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Everything that you receive came really from God. Secondly, in verse 19, and he's going to conclude here, he said, realize that God is the one that has given to you even the gift of wealth. If you have been doing well in your life, God gave you this. Don't forget that. We read here now verse 19. Every man also, to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor.

This is a gift of God. Do you know, brothers and sisters, really, that the very fact that you and I have the ability to work, to earn a living, to have an income, is a gift from God? The strength that he gave us to get up in the morning? The ability to accomplish what he had given to us to do? I just want to read this one verse in Deuteronomy 8, please. If you just go back to Deuteronomy 8, God said to Israel in verse 18, He said to Israel when they came out of Egypt, and they are on the way to the promised land, he said to them, "But thou shalt remember," speaking to Israel, "Remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers as it is this day." You know, the ability that God gave Israel and the Messiah Yeshua gave the believers today to even have what we have in our own hands today.

It is a gift that God had given to us. We are never to neglect giving thanks to him. We are always to realize that everything came eventually from God. And finally, beloved brothers and sisters, verse 20, "A man with the right attitude," notice that, "a man with the right attitude towards God will also have joy in his heart." And so we read, "For he shall not much remember the days of his life, because God answereth him in the joy of his heart." We are not going to look back and every time we complain and say, "Oh, I could have done that and I could have done more." A man that has the right attitude.

Israel in Ecclesiastes 5, you and I in the present day in the body of Messiah, the body of Christ, we too have to realize we are not going to go back and look back and complain about what God has allowed me, the problem that the Lord allowed me in my life and he didn't give me that and I would have liked to have that. The believer who is in a healthy spiritual condition, he will recognize that he received everything from God and God will give him or her joy in their hearts. The joy of the Lord has allowed us. Some of us have more, some of us have less.

We need to learn from King Shlomo, from Kohelet, to have joy in our hearts. The joy of the Lord is our strength. To rejoice in what the Lord has allowed us to experience and to have in our life. This is what Shlomo is teaching Israel in these days of his old age. And why? How they will be able to be successful in this? In having a right spiritual condition towards God and a right attitude towards wealth? Is when they, like you and I, remember now our Creator in the day of our youth. Not to delay. To remember the Lord in our life. To give him what belonged to him.

To serve him and to live for him. To meet and learn what he has to teach us. Not to neglect God in our life. Not to neglect the Lord Jesus, the Lord Yeshua in our life. He is the one that can help us to enjoy things in this world. Can we say amen to that?