Ecclesiastes 5:1-7
PROPER WORSHIP OF GOD... [ Continue Reading ]
PROPER WORSHIP OF GOD... [ Continue Reading ]
Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, carefully watching lest it stray aside from the path leading to the Lord's Temple and such a person's heart be affected with thoughts which interfere with true devotion, AND BE MORE READY TO HEAR, rather, "approach to hear," to listen to and to heed... [ Continue Reading ]
Be not rash with thy mouth, quick to speak, especially in thoughtless prayer, AND LET NOT THINE HEART BE HASTY TO UTTER ANYTHING BEFORE GOD, since prayer demands an attitude of true devotion; FOR GOD IS IN HEAVEN, exalted above all levity and thoughtless form of worship, AND THOU UPON EARTH, immeasu... [ Continue Reading ]
For a dream cometh through the multitude of business, when a person is engrossed with the cares and anxieties of his work, his dreams are apt to mislead him into a land of make believe; AND A FOOL'S VOICE IS KNOWN BY MULTITUDE OF WORDS, he believes the efficacy of prayer depends upon the amount of l... [ Continue Reading ]
When thou vowest a vow unto God, such vows among the Jews being included in the precepts of their religion, Numbers 30:2; Deuteronomy 23:21, DEFER NOT TO PAY IT, this admonition being directed against hasty and ill-considered vows; FOR HE HATH NO PLEASURE IN FOOLS, God wants no vows to be made in a... [ Continue Reading ]
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, Deuteronomy 23:22, not make rash promises supported by an obligation before the Lord, THAN THAT THOU SHOULDEST VOW AND NOT PAY, provided the vow is in agreement with the great precepts of God's Word, especially the command of love.... [ Continue Reading ]
Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin, for the sensual nature of man is stimulated by the sins of the tongue; NEITHER MAY THOU BEFORE THE ANGEL, before the priest, as the representative of the Lord, THAT IT WAS AN ERROR, the object being to escape the consequences of an unfulfilled vow; WHE... [ Continue Reading ]
For in the multitude of dreams, foolish fancies concerning God's requirements of men in worship, AND MANY WORDS, hasty and ill-considered, THERE ARE ALSO DIVERS VANITIES, they are unreliable and do not fit a person for the duties which the Word of God lays upon him; BUT FEAR THOU GOD, for the fear o... [ Continue Reading ]
If thou seest the oppression of the poor, 4:1, AND VIOLENT PERVERTING OF JUDGMENT AND JUSTICE IN A PROVINCE, 3:16, MARVEL NOT AT THE MATTER, for such things are to be expected in this wicked world, 1 Peter 4:12, wherefore the believers should also not be worried about the eventual trend of justice;... [ Continue Reading ]
ABSTAINING FROM VICES AND FOSTERING VIRTUES... [ Continue Reading ]
Moreover, the profit of the earth, the increase or produce of the land, IS FOR ALL; THE KING HIMSELF IS SERVED BY THE FIELD, and therefore the great Lord of all will finally punish all those who abused their authority and robbed the poor of their share in this world's goods.... [ Continue Reading ]
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver, for the covetous is never satisfied, never happy; NOR HE THAT LOVETH ABUNDANCE WITH INCREASE, having his heart set on a multitude of possessions, for the more he has, the more he wants; THIS IS ALSO VANITY, for it cannot yield true happiness.... [ Continue Reading ]
When goods increase, they are increased that eat them, for with in. creasing wealth comes the demand for more servants, and they and other dependents are consumers rather than producers; AND WHAT GOOD IS THERE TO THE OWNERS THEREOF, what benefit have they of all their possessions, SAVING THE BEHOLDI... [ Continue Reading ]
The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, sound and healthful, WHETHER HE EAT LITTLE OR MUCH, whether he has a generous supply of food or must be satisfied with nourishment just sufficient to sustain life; BUT THE ABUNDANCE OF THE RICH WILL NOT SUFFER HIM TO SLEEP, rich foods together with worry over hi... [ Continue Reading ]
There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt, carefully taken care of by guardians, but later a snare to the possessors, plunging them into many evil and hurtful lusts.... [ Continue Reading ]
But those riches perish by evil travail, they are lost by the various misfortunes attending wealth; AND HE BEGETTETH A SON, AND THERE IS NOTHING IN HIS HAND, he is an heir of poverty.... [ Continue Reading ]
As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall be return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labor, which he may carry away in his hand, whatever treasures be has gained he must leave behind. Cf Job 1:21; Psalms 49:17; 1 Timothy 6:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
And this also is a sore evil, not only the fact that the rich must leave all his wealth behind, but that he is subject to death, as are all human beings, THAT IN ALL POINTS AS HE CAME, SO SHALL HE GO, departing without a cent; AND WHAT PROFIT HATH HE THAT HATH LABORED FOR THE WIND? for he stored up... [ Continue Reading ]
All his days also he eateth in darkness, always under a gloomy cloud, never sure of the continuance of his wealth, AND HE HATH MUCH SORROW AND WRATH WITH HIS SICKNESS, nothing but annoyance and dissatisfaction on account of the anxiety connected with the acquiring and maintaining of his riches.... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold that which I have seen, the conclusion which he reaches also in this chapter: IT IS GOOD AND COMELY FOR ONE TO EAT AND TO 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, without avarice on the one hand, and without car... [ Continue Reading ]
Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, as a blessing bestowed by God's loving-kindness, AND HATH GIVEN HIM POWER TO EAT THEREOF, AND TO TAKE HIS PORTION, in a lawful use of his wealth, and to rejoice in his labor, enjoying the fruit thereof according to God's will; THIS IS THE GIFT... [ Continue Reading ]
For he shall not much remember the days of his life, for the memory of any earthly enjoyment is brief; BECAUSE GOD ANSWERETH HIM IN THE JOY OF HIS HEART, vouchsafing to him such happiness in this life as will enable him to sojourn amidst the disappointments of this earth with a heart resting in trus... [ Continue Reading ]