Ecclesiastes 5 English Standard Version
Fear God
1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. 3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words.
4 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.
Read all of Ecclesiastes and you may come away with a sense that vanity is the problem. Here in the opening verses there is that all important but. God deserves to be feared in a manner worthy of this relationship we have where we are allowed to come before Him. Respect must be paid. That is in the second verse, be not rash with our words.
Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
This differential fear is just the beginning of wisdom, not its end. The second part of that verse means that when you have a respectful relationship with God we know the truth.
Here is a word of secular wisdom that seems appropriate at this time. “Better to remain silent and thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.” – Maurice Switzer, 1907
Verse 2 talks of the hasty heart. God knows our hearts better than we do, He sits on the throne of heaven and we mere mortals are earth bound. The lessons of others can be learned but to practice them takes at least an understanding of why they are needed.
Luke 2:19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.
A rightful application of wisdom.
Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
Differ to God’s Word.