Guard your steps when you go to the house of God

Ecclesiastes 5:1-17

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. 

Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. A dream comes when there are many cares, and many words mark the speech of a fool.

It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin.

If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.

Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.

The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep.

Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands. 

This too is a grievous evil: As everyone comes, so they depart, and what do they gain, since they toil for the wind?

Sound advice is given about promises made to God and attitudes to money. Another of life's evils is the business crash. The way to live is to enjoy work and to enjoy prosperity if it comes, for these are God's gifts.

Why?

Be aware of what are we say and do not make vows before God and men. It is a speech of a fool.

Be aware of me when enter to worship the Lord, Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. For the Lord is Holy God.

People like money and like to be rich men, but all of these could not take away after he is passed away. So enjoy in the work and sweet sleep is better than any others.

The Lord is in charge of everything even there is injustice in the world. Finally will be questioned by the Lord.

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1-7  思想神是我們最好的朋友，勝過家人、親友。如何親近神?1) 從聖殿的角度 a)聽： 留心聽  ，少問，少求。以神為主 b)獻祭： 人為主做了什麼。以人為主

禱告：不要急燥的說。從許願的角度來看：許願是事先的感恩，人在心急的時候常常胡亂開支票。

君王和我們百姓一樣也要吃地所供應的，所以不要想當審判者，不要以為有權力，能做的不明白的和別人一樣。

錢財不是目的，只是過程，手段而已。

富足人的錢，卻常常不能換得好的睡眠。錢財多不見得比較好。

積蓄錢財最後也是用不到，也帶不走。為了錢，多有壓力如在黑暗中生活，有煩惱，又多病，這豈是錢財的好處嗎？

神不是不給人多一點，而是神給我們已經夠豐富了，再多就溢出來了。反而倒掉，造成禍害。

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How?

Be humble and fear the Lord, so what I can do and do not speak too many.