Life—Vanity or Victory?

GOLDEN TEXT: “Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.”—Proverbs 23:17

ECCLESIASTES 5:1, 2, 4-6, 8-12, 18, 19

THE “fear” of the Lord referred to in our Golden Text does not imply dread. The word “reverence” would be a better translation. In Proverbs 9:10 we read that “the fear [or reverence] of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” To reverence the Lord implies an appreciation of the great attributes of his character: his wisdom, justice, love, and power. This appreciation leads to a desire to know and to do his will, which is the wisest attitude anyone can take.

The reverence of the Lord is not only the “beginning of wisdom,” for if we are to increase in true wisdom we must continue to reverence the Lord and humbly seek the wisdom which he has provided through his Word. And not only must we seek this wisdom. In addition, we must live by it, endeavoring earnestly to have our every thought, word and deed conformed as fully as possible to his will as it is outlined in his Word.

“Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God,” our lesson states. This is reverence in the church. Jesus said that when even two or three are met together in his name that he would be in their midst. This means that when we assemble with the Lord’s people for prayer, praise, testimony, and instruction, we are also, in a very special sense, in the presence of the Lord. This calls for reverence in our words and conduct; yes, even in our thoughts.

One evidence of reverence in the house of God is carefulness in what we say. Realizing that we are in the presence of the Lord, our words should be few, and, to the best of our knowledge, in harmony with his Word. Praying to be seen and heard of men is irreverence. Attempts at eloquence of speech to impress the audience are acts of irreverence. Our words do not impress God, yet where he is present, he is the most important listener.

The Lord’s people are frequently, although unwittingly, irreverent in their public prayers. They so often seem to be telling God all about his plan. A brother will give a discourse, and then, in a closing benediction, tell the audience what he forgot to say when speaking to them. Surely when we pray, God prefers that we speak to him rather than to the audience; and if in the spirit of proper reverence we keep in mind that we are addressing the great God of the universe, our words will be few.

“When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it.” (vs. 4) This is an admonition of vital importance. Every faithful follower of Christ had made a vow to the Lord, a “covenant” with him “by sacrifice.” (Ps. 50:5) This is a vow, or covenant, which involves the whole life. It is a denial of self, and a taking up of the cross to follow the Master into sacrificial death. It is a vow, or covenant, to be dead with Christ, to be planted together with him in the likeness of his death, inspired by the hope of living and reigning with him.

Those who make such a “vow” to the Lord, and are not faithful to it, are in danger of losing eternal life. They are described in Hebrews 6:4-6. Our lesson states that those who do not make such a “vow” are, in such an event, better off.

Tradition teaches that those who do not give themselves to the Lord in this life must suffer eternal torture, but this is not true. All such will have an opportunity during the reign of Christ to accept him, obey the laws of his kingdom, and live. To whatever extent they sin against the knowledge of right in this life, they will, of course, receive “stripes.”

The bounties of the earth are provided by God for the enjoyment and sustenance of all. (vss. 8-12) Even the “king himself is served by the field.” Because of human selfishness the good things of earth are seldom equally distributed. In many instances there is actual oppression. But the admonition is that when we see this condition we are to remember that the God of all the earth knows, and that in his own due time and way there will be a balancing of the scales of justice. God’s arrangements for the bringing about of equity extend into the time of the resurrection.

Verses 18 and 19 set forth a basic truth in connection with God’s provision for his human creation, which is that he is pleased to have the people enjoy the blessings of life. The record is that in the Garden of Eden he planted every tree that was pleasant to the eye and good for food.—Gen. 2:8,9

Riches and wealth, of both possessions and health, are the gift of God. He provides the food, and under normal conditions there is a sense of delight in partaking of it. Without question every function of a perfect human body would be a delight. God wants his creatures to be happy.

QUESTIONS

What is the “fear” of the Lord referred to in the Golden Text?

What is meant by going into the “house of God”?

What is meant by making a vow unto the Lord?

Does God want his human creatures to enjoy the blessings he has provided for them?

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